Yesterday, my grandson, Matthew Holbert, passed through Baton Rouge and we had a chance to have dinner. My 17 year old grandson, Ryland Gardner also had dinner with us.

Ryland, Grandpa & Matthew

Matt is 17 years old and is about to graduate from high school in Vacaville, CA. Each year, a California businessman, Mr. Willie B. Adkins, sponsors a bus tour of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) for several students from the Fairfield, Vacaville area. This year there were 20 kids with 5 adults. There were 9 boys and 11 girls on the tour. They took a flight from Oakland, CA to Birmingham, AL and visited Alabama State U., then on to Miles College and Tuskeegee U.. They also took the Civil Rights Tour in Birmingham. They traveled too Atlanta, GA to visit The King Center, Clarke Atlanta U. and Spelman/Morehouse Colleges. They also visited Jackson State U. and Tougaloo College in Mississippi. Today they will visit Southern U, Xavier U. and Dillard U. here in Louisiana. While in New Orleans, they will take the Katrina Tour and eat dinner on a riverboat. They fly back home on Friday, April 1st.

Matthew has already been accepted at Cal Poly, where he would like to study Biology. He has also been accepted at Tuskeegee U., but after touring Morehouse U. in Atlanta, he has applied to them for acceptance.