Congdon Street Baptist Church Historic Black College/University Tour 2008
(People acting together as a group can accomplish things which no individual acting alone could ever hope to bring about” (FDR)
by Deacon Dennis Price
(Abridged)
Tuesday June 17, 2008
- Departed
Providence
for
Washington
,
DC
- Arrived
Washington
,
DC
at
2:00 p.m.
and had a wonderful tour of
Howard
University
; Dr. Raymond Jackson sponsored our tour and provide us a very needed snack.
- Dr. Jackson assisted us to get long term parking at
Howard
University
and with transportation to Union Station,
Washington
,
DC
; we departed
Washington
,
DC
at
6:30 p.m.
en route to
Atlanta
,
GA
(I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye ... Psalm 32:8)
Wednesday June 18, 2008
- Approximately 12 hours later we arrived
Atlanta
, and our youths were fascinated with
Atlanta
’s metropolitan vastness, cultural richness, sheer beauty, and the hospitable spirit that permeated life in
Atlanta
.
- Our stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel assured us a wonderful experience in a very elite section of
Atlanta
; the group enjoyed it.
(Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God ...Genesis 28:20-21)
Thursday June 19, 2008
- So we could take advantage of breakfast that the hotel provided daily from
6:00-9:00 a.m.
, we started our day at
6:00 a.m.
to avoid
Atlanta
’s difficult rush hour traffic to keep from experiencing any delays en route to
Tuskegee
. Indeed, we managed to arrive
Tuskegee
University
two hour later without being delayed. Our tours of
Tuskegee
University
and Dr. George Washington Carver’s Museum were informative, impressive, and inspiring. Several youths expressed interest in attending
Tuskegee
University
in
Tuskegee
,
Alabama
.
Friday June 20, 2008
- After breakfast we toured
Spelman
College
; it remains one of the best women’s colleges in the
United States
.
Spelman
College
is located very near
Morehouse
College
,
Clark
University
, and
Morris
Brown
College
. Spelman has the academic reputation of being demanding and challenging, but this fact did not stop a few of our young women from choosing Spelman as the college they wanted to attend.
- The afternoon was spent touring Emory University and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent and Social Change and touring the city.
Emory
University
remains one of the top universities in our nation, and several of our youths were so impressed that they decided that Emory was the college for them.
Saturday June 21, 2008
- We had the opportunity to tour the Georgia Aquarium, which is the largest aquarium of its kind in the world. Furthermore, after lunch we took a step back into presidential history at President Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Library and the
Carter
Center
; this tour was educationally and culturally impressive and informative.
- Following our tour of the Carter Library we had cookout at
Stone Mountain
National Park
; it was a wonderful fellowship. The pastor’s two brothers Dennis and Joey Mitchell and a friend of the family prepared and served us some of the best barbeque you can find anywhere; it was absolutely great!
Sunday June 22, 2008
- On Sunday we worshipped at St. Peter’s
AME
Church
in
Jonesboro
,
GA.
The Rev. Dr. Isaiah Waddy and his church family served us a most enjoyable meal. We spent our afternoon at Underground Atlanta, which is the site of
Atlanta
’s original downtown. Underground
Atlanta
has shops, restaurants, and many other attractions that were enjoyable. Underground
Atlanta
is located near other sites such at the
Coca-Cola
Museum
, the
CNN
Center
, and the Centennial Olympic Park.
Monday June 23, 2008
- We spent our final day in
Atlanta
touring
Clark
University
and
World
Changers
Church
where the Rev. Dr. Creflo Dollar is the founder, CEO, and Senior Pastor.
Clark
University
is the largest of the historically black colleges and it offers a more variety of different degrees and academic opportunities.
Clark
impressed many of our youths. Furthermore, we got a thorough tour of the
World
Changers
Church
’s facilities and we had a very healthy and delicious lunch in its cafeteria with Dr. Dollar’s mother, Ms. Emma Dollar as well as several other staff members.
Tuesday June 24, 2008
- We arrived in
Providence
at our appointed time of
9:30 p.m.
(And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude ... Mark 4:1)