Student of the Day

Our last student of the day is Ayanna Hayes a junior at Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, California. She plans to attend Tuskegee University and major in nursing. On campus she participates in Upward Bound, which is another college bound program, and softball. She is the last but certainly not the least of our scholars, performing well in school and on track towards graduation. Tuskegee will be blessed to have her.

Another Roommate

My next Student of the Day is Daniel Johnson, a junior at Jesse Bethel in Vallejo, California. I know I shouldn't have taken this picture but I could not resist. I am going to blame Mr. Jones for encouraging me to take this photo. Daniel has participated in football, basketball and baseball while in high school. He is one of the longest members in this program, and he is another roommate of mine. A quality that stands out about this young man is his deepness. I have been watching him this entire week. You literally can see his wheels turning. You can see him thinking. I can tell that he is seriously thinking about his future on the inside, although sometimes it may not show on the outside. This is going to be a dangerous brother.

Student of the Day

Our next Student of the Day is Darien Moore a senior at Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, California. There he participates in the Black Student Union, Gay Straight Alliance and Japanese Animation. He plans to attend Alabama State University and major in theatre. He started this tour on the quiet side, but has opened up and is demonstrating great leadership. This young man has really stepped up, particularly when it came to helping our young ladies with luggage and opening doors. This is a quality that has been wasted on this generation.

My Roommates

We have our last day Students of the Day. Here is the great Deion Mason, a junior at Jesse Bethel High School. He has participated in track, basketball, and football. He also volunteers with the Special Education program working with students who have learning disabilities. He is also a member of the Black Student Union. He currently plans to attend Alabama State and major in sports management. He has been one of my roommates this week. I had the pleasure to learn a lot about this young man.

Staff of the Day

The last staff of the day is my partner, Mrs. Terrye Davis. She has been on these tours longer than I. We have worked together on tours with the Keystone Leadership for more than 10 years. We now have merged with the Willie B. Adkins program and are fitting right in. I have grown to really look up to Mrs. Davis. She is a blessing to the students we have and will be working with.

Staff of the Day

Our next staff of the day is Tiffanee Jones. She is the heavy hand keeping the youth in check, as long as she is not distracted by Police officers. She has really done a great job with organizing the Monday evening sessions. Tiffanee is one of the reasons this tour has been so successful.

Student of the Day

Here is Taylor Cash, a senior at Vallejo High School. She has played basketball, softball, and soccer. She wants to attend Clark Atlanta University and major in Communications. Her brother has been on tours with me for the last three or four years. She has been accepted at several colleges on the tour. I have just learned that this young lady has an old soul able to keep up with the oldies,.

Student of the Day

Our next Student of the Day is Malcolm Daniels, a sophomore at Jesse Bethel in Vallejo, California. He is undecided on his school, but would like to major in mechanical engineering. As a sophomore he plays Varsity basketball and football. He is a very well mannered young man and a pleasure to have on this tour.

Student of the Day

Our next student is Sidney Robinson a junior at Vallejo High School in Vallejo, California. She participates in cheerleading. She is undecided on her choice of school, but plans to major in forensics. Sidney has been a pleasure to have on the tour. I nicknamed her giggles, because all she has been doing on the tour is giggling. She seems to be a happy young lady.

Student of the Day

Our next student of the day is Mia St. Mark a junior at Vallejo High School in Vallejo, California. She participates in wrestling and the Apache Academy after school program. She is undecided on her school, but plans to major in Psychology. She wants to eventually go to law school. I met Mia this year and right away noticed her assertive nature. I noticed a self motivation in her that is different than the average student. I look forward to working with her next year.

She is second from the right.

Student of the Day

Our next student of the day is the lovely Chanel Davis. She is a senior attending Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, California. She plays basketball and soccer. She plans to attend Long Beach State in Long Beach, California. There she intends to major in kinesiology. However, she has been piling up the acceptance letters on the tour so who knows where she might go. There is no doubt in my mind that this lady will succeed in anything she strives for.

Student of the Day

Stacy Gatison is another one of our students of the day. She is a junior attending Jesse Bethel High School. She participates in basketball and volleyball. She is also a member of the Black Student Union. She is undecided on her college of choice, but plans to major in sports medicine. A quality that stands out about her is her quiet nature. Parents, you should be proud.

Student of the Day

Pictured here is the powerful Nicolas Hughes AKA Texas. This young man attends Jesse Bethel in Vallejo, California. He was one of the migrating students from Hogan High School, which closed last year. He participates in football and made it to the state in wrestling. He has been accepted in several colleges but is keeping his options open. He plans to play football in whatever college he eventually attends. He is very active in his church attending bible study, participating in youth activities, and worship services. A quality that stands out about this young man is quick smile.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introducing, the beautiful, magnificent, April Hilary AKA Hollywood. She is a junior at Jesse Bethel High School in Vallejo, California and a returning member of the Adkins Program. She participates in cheerleading, and Upward Bound. She is undecided on the school she wants to attend, but wants to major in Pre-Law. She is a very outgoing young lady with much promise. Hollywood, I enjoyed you this tour.

Guess who won the first game?

Our Second Game Winner

Daniel won the second game with 162 points out scoring everyone. Go Daniel!

Time for Recreation

We decided to take a break so we took the scholars bowling. We had a great time, everyone participated.

Adkins Alumni

One of the treats of this tour is to run into former members who are now in college. its wonderful to watch a young man or woman grow from that little brat to a mature college student. Here we have Brandon and Covisha. They were Adkins Scholars who are now at Alabama doing their thing.

Alabama State

We are now at Alabama State, our last school of the day. The students are still performing great. Parents you would be proud. Our seniors are now in the office fighting to be accepted. We were late so we will have to wait to found out the results.

Civil Rights Museum

After the park we went to the Civil Rights Museum. The students were given assignments, which would be discussed later. You can see a picture of 16th Street Baptist Church. This is the church where four little girls were killed by cowards. It took 39 years for the men who participated in this heinous crime to be brought to justice.

Civil Rights Park

After Miles college we went to the civil rights park. Almost every time we go to that park I notice emotional reactions. Not from the students, but from the adults. Particularly Mr. Spivey, our bus driver. I have read about it and seen it on television, but that experience leaves a different impression. This park was a place where people met before they started their protest or demonstrations. They were usually met with dogs and fire hoses. I watched Mr. Spivey, the look on his face left an impression on me. This movement was not a TV show. It was real and should not be forgotten or downplayed.

Miles College

Our first college for the day was Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama. This college is small, but a well kept secret. To get into this college you need a diploma and proof of passing the exit exam. It goes without saying that all our seniors will be accepted.

Wrap up

We ended the day with the scholars writing a letter to you. We also discussed the days activities.

Student of the Day

Our Student Nefertiti Wright is a senior at Jesse Bethel. She participates in Varsity Basketball, Track, and the Black Student Union. She has a high GPA and is on track to graduate. She wants to major in Political Science. She is undecided on her college, although she is looking at the University of California, Berkeley. I have known this young lady since her middle school years and am very proud of her. This lady has a bright future.

Juanisha Cox

Well viewers I would like to introduce you to Juanisha Cox, our youngest chaperone. She, like most of our chaperones, has been in the Adkins program. She is a recent graduate of Clark Atlanta University and is now giving back to the Adkins program. She has been a big help, before the trip and now during the tour. Hey Juanisha, keep it up!!

Mrs. Wallace

I want to take the time to introduce our first youth worker. This beautiful lady is Lashonda Wallace. She has been with this program for as long as I can remember. She was also a member of Adkins in her youth. I have known Lashonda and her family for many years. Her daughter calls me Uncle Ed. Even though I have known her, I have gained even more respect for her on this trip. She really knows what it takes to get these young students into college and works very hard at it. She is also one of the world's few macaroni and cheese experts. She organizes the parents, updates the scholars on scholarships, and works with admissons to get our seniors into college.

She also helped us with Keystone. Guess what, she does all this for free, while working a full time job. Sis. Wallace we appreciate you.

Oakwood Unversity

We are now at Oakwood University. The scholars were given a bus tour. However, we were able to visit the library and view the museum. This school was founded by the Seventh Day Adventist. The school itself was a plantation housing slaves, one of which, was a man by the name of Dred Scott. You remember, the man the Supreme Court said was not a man but property and therefore had no rights.

The son of the founder of this college had the same name as me. He spelled his differently. His name was Edson White. He is ineresting. This man ran a steam boat up and down down the river educating and ministering to African-Americans. Wow, our people were sneaking to be educated. Some of us are now running away from free legal education.

This school is small, but well known, educating people like Take 6 and Committed.

Acceptance Letters

Oh, by the way, There were some letters of acceptance given here. Parents your students are kicking butt!!!!!

Slavery

There was a man, who like most blacks of his time, was sold into slavery. He was placed on a plot and sold like property,...a piece of meat, like an animal. This man eventually bought his freedom, and went right back to the plot he was sold on. Now, having some education and money, purchased the very land that held the plot he was sold on, and put a school on the property. This school is now known as Alabama A&M and the man's name is Dr. William Cooper Council. Yes, Dr. William Cooper Council. He was an educated man.

This story is fascinating on many levels. He bought his freedom, educated himself and developed the ability to purchase land during the time of, or a little after slavery, and purchased the very land that sold him into slavery.

I am fascinated about something else. I would argue that slavery is in the mind. It is said that this man vowed once he was sold that he would return, buy this land and put education on it for African-Americans. This had to be almost impossible during this time period, but this man was obviously determined. He may have been a slave physically, but not mentally.

You know... How many are physically free, but mentally and spiritually a slave. I look at some of our students in school who have all the potential in the world, but will not step out, push themselves, and pursue their destiny. How some of us let society, and an old system, define us into mental and physical slavery defies reason.

Young people! Wake up! and stop becoming slaves. People fought hard and died for our freedom, but we still have not taken off the chains. We have the keys, but will not use them. There are many adults in this same situation. What is the key? Education, determination, confidence, faith in God, perserverence and much more. What are the chains? Low self-esteem, black-on-black crime, laziness to name a few.

Young people you are free!

You see two pictures. The plot he was sold on, and a statue of him with a suit and tie surrounded by our students. People lets get off our lazy plots and put our royal clothes on. Yes, not only are we free, we are royalty.
Act like it!

More of Alabama A&M

Reds on the Campus

We found the Deltas n the campus.

Alabama A&M

The next day we headed to Alabama A&M. We covered a lot of acreage on this tour. We walked up and down hills and land that went on and on. The chaperones naturally brought up the rear.