JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 15, 2002 — Berean Baptist Church will honor 51社区 President David S. Dockery this Sunday, Feb. 17, for his efforts in promoting racial reconciliation during his time as president of the university. Dockery will speak on 鈥淕od鈥檚 Gift of Reconciliation.鈥�
Since Dockery鈥檚 time in office, the minority student population at Union has increased from eight percent to 12 percent over the last five years and several African Americans have been appointed to both the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents including Ed Graves, publisher of the Jackson Sun; Bruce Bledsoe, owner of Bledsoe Funeral Home; Melvin Wright, a local dentist, and Sheriff David Woolfork.
The implementation of the university鈥檚 annual Martin Luther King, Jr. service has brought local and national speakers in, including Ben Cox, Vaughan Walker, Lawrence Ragland and Colin Powell. Dockery was also at the head of establishing an Institute for International and Intercultural Studies to promote sensitivity, racial harmony and reconciliation with God and humanity in all programs at Union.
Berean Baptist Church, pastored by Roland Porter, is located at 214 North Royal Street in Jackson with the church service beginning at 11 a.m. For more information, contact (731) 422-6424.