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Contact: Despina Gakopoulos (617) 457-5502
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Elderhostel/Road Scholar's Global Discoveries Celebrates Black History
BOSTON (March 2, 2009) — In collaboration with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) and other organizations, Elderhostel/Road Scholar put together a number of special programs as part of its Global Discoveries series — developed with African American travelers in mind — that captured the spirit of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, creator of Black History Month and founder of ASALH.
Highlights of the month included a visit to the home of Frederick Douglass and a lecture by Dr. Daryl Scott, professor and former chair of the history department at Howard University and vice president of programs for ASALH, on a program held in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial that included access to historic Lincoln sites and presentations by Lincoln scholars.
DNA tracking and genealogy methods were the focus of a brand-new program in association with African Ancestry, also in Washington, D.C. Dr. Floretta McKenzie, former superintendent of Washington, D.C. Public Schools, participated in the DNA program and said, "This was an exciting program that I would not have missed. I am a retired geography teacher and I've been on five Elderhostel programs including Chile, Argentina, and the Czech Republic — but this DNA program gave me a chance to discover where I came from in addition to benefiting from the lecture about the DNA process. I congratulate Elderhostel and Road Scholar for the programs offered for me as an African American who likes to broaden my knowledge about the world and my ancestry," she said. African Ancestry's lineage tracking has impacted more than 100,000 people of African descent in the United States.
Learning adventures took place throughout the month of February. The "Life and Times of Congressman Robert Smalls" was presented through a special reception — a Taste of Road Scholar — held at the Family Heritage House Museum, Manatee Community College, in Bradenton, Fla. Road Scholar, in association with the Manasota Chapter of ASALH, presented a lecture by Dr. Helen Boulware Moore, great-granddaughter of Robert Smalls and curator of the Robert Smalls Collection and Dr. Robert E. Moore, associate curator of the Robert Smalls Collection, detailing Congressman Smalls" life.
A three-night adventure, A Taste of Atlanta's Theater, Arts, History and Music, included a special look into achievements by African Americans in the arts and visits to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame and the Apex Museum.
Elmo Alexander of Golden Valley, Minn., attended the Atlanta program and says, "My wife and I traveled with Elderhostel for many years; I think I've taken at least 20 programs. I lost my wife last year, but I have continued to travel on my own. I really wanted to come to Atlanta Ð it was a consciousness thing. Because I felt this area was the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement, I wanted to see this part of the country, especially the MLK history pieces."
Programs in South Carolina and Florida also touched on local history and African Americans who helped shape it. For more information on Elderhostel/Road Scholar, visit www.roadscholar.org/globaldiscoveries.
About ASALH
Founded by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1915, this is an organization of individuals and institutions that is interested in all aspects of African American life, as well as the African Diaspora. It promotes, preserves, interprets and disseminates information about Black life to the global community.
About Elderhostel/Road Scholar
Elderhostel, founded in 1975, is the world's largest not-for-profit educational travel organization for older adults. More than 160,000 people enroll in Elderhostel's 8,000 programs annually. Elderhostel provides exceptional learning adventures throughout the United States and in more than 90 countries around the world. Expert instructors and experienced group leaders create extraordinary experiences by sharing stimulating information, leading fascinating field trips and providing meaningful cultural excursions. In 2004, Elderhostel launched Road Scholar to meet the needs of a new generation of educational travelers. For more information, please visit www.elderhostel.org or www.roadscholar.org.