Obama Family Attends Historic Alexandria Baptist Church for Easter

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenet
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenet

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama and his family are attending Easter services at the Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, which says its history goes back to the time when Thomas Jefferson was in the White House.

According to the church’s website, the Alexandria Baptist Society was formed in 1803 when members split from another church in the Northern Virginia city, and a slave was baptized that year as its first black member.

Three years later, black members established the Colored Baptist Society as a “conjoined” church.

In 2000, President Bill Clinton visited Alfred Street a few days before the November election as he sang with the gospel choir and appealed for a large turnout of black voters for Vice President Al Gore in his race against Republican George W. Bush.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.