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Pilgrimage 2010 Blog (10:02 p.m.)
April 23, 2010
Day 3: Saturday, April 24, 2010
The group headed to Talbotton, Georgia at approximately 1:06 p.m. and arrived at 1:47 p.m. at the Firehouse Station.
The Talbotton community had a wonderful celebration planned in memory of
Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee. The program included a welcome from Mayor Tony Lamar, a letter read from Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue in honor of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee, the history of Voorhees by Richard Reid, and a reception following the program.
A portion of the letter read from Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue said, “Ms. Wright played an important role in Georgia’s contribution to education.”
At 3:52 p.m., the group visited Greater St. Phillip Methodist Church, which is the church were Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee received her early education. The group toured the basement where her classes were held.
Many were excited to visit the place where “Lizzie” got her start in education. To show the church some appreciation for making its mark in history in the education arena, the group presented the church with a small token of appreciation.
The group will be headed back to Voorhees tomorrow!
Day 2: Friday, April 23, 2010 (6:04 p.m.)
At approximately 8:30 a.m., a group of 12 students, along with some of the faculty and staff members, toured the archives and the Legacy Museum on Tuskegee University's campus.
This group traced Voorhees' founder Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee's footsteps while she was a student at Tuskegee from 1888-1894.
There were two interesting things discovered about Mrs. Wright-Menafee through the research that took place this morning.
· While at Tuskegee, she took advanced classes.
· At one point in time, she owed Tuskegee $31.42 in tuition fees.
This information, along with a lot more, is documented in the archives at Tuskegee. The group also read many different letters and communication that took place between Wright-Menafee, Martin Menafee, Booker T. Washington, and others.
After leaving archives, the group visited the Carver Museum and had lunch. The group departed Tuskegee at approximately 2 p.m. and arrived in Columbus, Georgia at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Tomorrow, the group will travel to Talbotton, Georgia.
More updates to come!
Day 1: Thursday, April 22, 2010 (9:59 p.m.)
This morning, the African American Research Committee, along with the Elizabeth Evelyn Wright Culture Club and the White Rose Social Club, departed Voorhees College at 7:16 a.m. to begin the 2010 pilgrimage to Tuskegee, Alabama. As the bus drove off, the group continued with a tradition that began during last year's pilgrimage of singing "We are Climbing Jacob's Ladder," which was one of Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee's favorite songs.
At 1:42 p.m., the group arrived at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. To tour the church that touched so many lives during the Civil Rights Movement was powerful. Everyone was filled with excitement. The group began the tour by watching a video that documented the tragic event that took the lives of four young girls in 1963.
At 2:04 p.m., the group, which consists of 43 individuals, walked across the street and toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. During this tour, the group was able to see how the institute has chronicled the civil rights movement through hundreds of accounts from veterans of the Civil Rights Movement.
The group arrived at approximately 7:30 p.m. at the Kellogg and Conference Center on the campus of Tuskegee University.
Tomorrow morning beginning at 8:30 a.m., a selected group of students will evaluate letters and documents between Elizabeth Evelyn Wright-Menafee, Booker T. Washington, and others.
Continue to check the blog daily for updates!
