Dr. Carolyn V. Jordan’s great grandfather was Major Richard Robert Wright, Sr., the first president of Savannah State University. Dr. Wright’s legacy as educator, banker, and family patriarch serves as a guide post for Jordan’s own journey as an educator for more than 40 years and was the impetus behind her relocation to Savannah in 2017.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA into a family of educators – both parents were teachers – Jordan attended Yeadon High School before earning a bachelor’s degree from Temple University graduating cum laude, a master’s in divinity from Palmer Seminary and a doctorate of ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary.

The earliest memory that she has of Dr. Wright is sitting around the dinner table and hearing the now famous quote being shared, “Tell Them We Are Rising.”

“My mother was born in Savannah in 1917 and I returned to Savannah 100 years later to continue serving in the university that my great grandfather served,” said Jordan.

An ordained minister, she serves on the ministerial staff of St Phillip Monumental AME Church Savannah and an instructor for the Georgia Conference Ministerial Institute.

“My work in ministry also enabled me to reach beyond the walls of the church and teach and serve in the Philadelphia Prison System teaching Spiritual Cognitive Therapy,” Jordan said. “Impacting people’s lives in a positive way brings me joy.”

What does she love about Savannah? “The deep roots of the catastrophic event experienced by millions of African people during the middle passage journey from Africa, bound for enslavement in the Americas. The legacy preserved in places like the Ralph Mark Gilbert Museum, the Beach Institute and the warm hospitality I have enjoyed since arriving.”