Barrow, TRiO ACCESS Students to Restore Exterior of King-Tisdell Cottage

Washington, DC - As a part of Savannah's Black History Month celebration, and in conjunction with National TRiO Celebration month, Congressman John Barrow (GA-12), Savannah State University President Earl G. Yarbrough, Sr., and 20 students from Savannah State University's TRiO ACCESS Programs, will roll up their sleeves to scrape and paint the exterior of one of Savannah's prized historic museums, The King-Tisdell Cottage, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, on Saturday, February 16.

Congressman Barrow and President Yarbrough will join five freshmen from Savannah State University and 15 Savannah-Chatham County Public School System students, who are participating in one of SSU's four TRiO ACCESS Programs - Upward Bound, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), Educational Talent Search, and Student Support Services - for the community service project.

TRiO ACCESS Programs are supported through grants from the Department of Education to encourage low-income students to have high expectations, study hard, take college preparatory courses, and graduate from institutions of higher learning.

"During Black History Month, we celebrate the many contributions of African Americans and remember not just our heroes such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks, but also the extraordinary lives of ordinary people who helped build our great community," said Barrow.

The King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation, which also owns and operates the Negro Heritage Trail Tours and the Beach Institute on the corner of Price and Harris streets, will provide a contractor for labor oversight and all of the necessary supplies for the renovation project. The King-Tisdell Cottage, an African-American heritage museum for Savannah and the Sea Islands, is named for its African-American owners, Eugene and Sarah King, and Sarah King and Robert Tisdell.

Established in 1890, SSU is the oldest public historically black college or university (HBCU) in Georgia. The university's 3,169 students are enrolled in 23 undergraduate degree majors and five graduate programs in three colleges: Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration, and Sciences and Technology.

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Contact: Jane Brodsky, (202) 225-2823

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