Good morning CCCeeeeeeee!

Great work CCC staff (and Beth) planning an awesome tour for our children. You've put a lot of work into this year of jubilee and this tour represents the culminating event of the choir's 50th year. Special thanks to Christina for catapulting the choir to the next level!

I just wanted to wish all of you a wonderful and safe journey. Learn a lot and sing well. I think that for many of you lucky enough to have this experience you will find that you will look at the world in a different way after this. Reading stories in a history book and watching snippets of film on the news during the month of February is really not enough to offer a true appreciation for how profoundly race relations in this country affects us all. Kudos to you and your families for saying yes to this tour. You'll be hot, sticky, tired, energized, saddened, jubilant, and come back exhausted and a little more mature as a result of what you'll see and hear.

I was disappointed to hear that while in New Orleans you won't visit Dillard University, a historically black university which has a long rich history going back to 1869. You will also miss visiting and seeing the infamous 9th ward of New Orleans that you've heard so much about in the news. New Orleans most assuredly represents a current modern day example of how relevant the civil rights movement still is. But the rest of the tour will certainly give you more than enough to ponder and appreciate.

On a lighter note, get tanned to a crisp in Alabama, take a great picture of the Gulf if you can, and eat lots of beignets and cafe au lait in 'Nawlins. I miss all of you already and look forward to seeing you off at the airport in the morning!