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The Campus Mirror
The Students’ Own Publication
"Service In Unity"
THE CAMPUS MIRROR STAFF
Editor-in-Chief Beulah Johnson
Associate Editor-in-Chief Haloise Walker
Editor of News Frankie Smith
Associate Editor of News Theodis Weston
Special Features Editor Beunice Raiford
Asso. Ed. of Special Features Dorothea Boston
Exchange Editor Ruth Wilson
Sports and Jokes Ella Mae Jones
Social Editor Wilhelmena Chapman
Music Editor Grace Days
Art Editor Harriet Mayle
Business Staff
Business Manager Jessie Hubbard
Secretary Lawana Davis
Treasurer Ruby Flanagan
Circulation Manager Dorothy Forde
Advertising Manager Clara Ivey
Faculty Advisor Miss M. Mae Neptune
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Vol. XIII January 1 5. 1 937 No. 4
Editorial
To Spelman students a definitely
unique opportunity came close upon the
heels of the New Year; plans are being
made to found and charter a college
chapter of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
And it is encouraging to see so many
of the students enthusiastically taking
part in making these plans—especially
when some of these students have given
the impression that nothing short of an
earthquake would excite them to vigor
ous activity. The call to arms for mak
ing this land of ours a better place in
which to live has been sounded so loudly
that even the most lethargic of us have
heard it and have been jarred into at
least temporary cooperation.
This opportunity is unique in that
it is one that no other student genera
tion here has had; and we feel that it
is a privilege and a responsibility—an
endeavor worthy of the support of every
student enrolled at this college. It would
be foolish to try to convince anyone
that we alone can stop lynchings, can get
for the underpriviledged groups squarer
deals or values, or solve any of the other
major questions facing this society of
ours; but we can help. We can add to the
movement the strength of numbers and
money if nothing more, and, as a well or
ganized chapter, we should be able to do
more than that. Knowing that it is an
important unit in a nation-wide network
of such organizations, the chapter will
undertake its activities without the feel
ing of futility which all too often ae-
CAMPUS MIRROR
companies attempts at social reform,
and there will be the added incentive to
keep up with what is going on. For
some, it may be the beginning of an im
portant life work; for others, it will be
just another extra-curricular activity.
But all will be benefitted by having had
the experience.
According to the Sixth Annual Re
port of the N. A. A. ('. P. (1915) this
organization conceived as its purpose the
completion of the work started by Abra
ham Lincoln when he wrote and signed
the Emancipation Proclamation. The
Negro must be “physically free from
peonage, politically free from disfran
chisement and socially free from insult.”
Certainly there is no worthier task to
which we may devote our time and ef
fort than this.
Those of you who are tempted to take
a disinterested attitude should be re
minded that, although you may feel safe
and smug now, because of fairly com-
fortable circumstances, people elsewhere
(and especially Negroes) are starving,
are being lynched and are suffering
every other conceivable discomfort, both
physical and mental; and except for a
“lucky break” or two it would be hap
pening to you; “for in so much as it
can happen to the least, the poorest, the
blackest of these our citizens of these
fair and prosperous United States of
America, it can happen to you.” Don’t
fool yourself into believing that you are,
because of wealth or for any other rea
son, far enough removed from the dirty,
clutching fingers of prejudice with its
destruction, pain and degradation to
warrant a shoulder-shrugging dismissal
of the matter. It happens to the “masses”
and no matter what else you are, in the
words of Rev. Richard Hurst Hill,
“brother, you are the masses!”
Speaking of Embarrassing
Moments—
Were we requested to record the em
barrassing moments which come to us
during the year 1937, the first one on
our list would be the situation at the
prayer meeting service in Howe Hall on
Thursday evening, January 7, 1937,
when the speaker was forced to pause
to offer the disturbers a chance to speak
in order to get quiet enough to be heard.
Now, a discourtesy of this type is
never excusable, especially among a
group of students such as we have sup
posed we have at Spelman; but often,
too often, such a reaction is understand
able and we would advocate suppres
sion of outward, audible demonstration
rather than the stifling of the resent
ment itself. Rut for this particular case,
there is certainly no excuse and our
brain-racking efforts to understand it
have yielded one explanation which
seems to us more likely than any other;
and it is precisely this which occasions
this comment. We make it number one
on our list of “embarrassing moments"
because it indicates not only ignorance
of contemporary events and trends on
the part of many of the students, but
an attitude of non-interest, to put it
mildly; and this becomes more serious
when it is a matter directly related to
Negro colleges.
Now, let us get to the facts in the case.
The speaker, who was certainly well-
informed and for many other reasons
(including the fact that she has been
connected with this institution bofh as a
student, and later, as a competent staff
member and a helpful and friendly ad
visor of various student organizations
and activities) was certainly qualified to
make the statements which she made;
in fact, we are so thoroughly convinced
of this that we feel sure that you, too,
must be convinced, so we rule that out
as a possible reason for the discourteous
reaction. The statement was made that
the day when one can solve all his prob
lems by gaining the interest of one kind,
very rich philanthropist is gone forever;
institutions of learning, especially Negro
colleges, must therefore depend upon
many small individual contributions for
maintenance. It was further pointed out
that there are many Negroes wearing fur
coats, driving expensive limousines and
loading their tables with rich foods
whose names are not to be found on
lists of contributors for the support of
worthwhile institutions of which they
are ostensibly so proud. The speaker
explained that this “tight-fistedness”
was not peculiar to the Negro race,
but that it was being called to our at
tention because, since we are supposed
to be the thinkers and leaders of the
next generation, it seems to be a definite
responsibility that we may as well start
shouldering now. The coming Founders
Day drive for April 11 was cited as an
example of a cause to which every stu
dent should contribute. The whole talk
was given in the best and friendliest
possible manner.
Now, may we ask, what was the
ground for the objection registered by
the scraping of feet and indistinct mut-
terings? It was somewhat consoling to
those of us who objected that this shame
ful (or shameless) display was almost
entirely confined to the section occupied
by underclassmen. Although it is not
always safe to do so, there are times,
underclassmen, when you may benefit
from acting as the upperclassmen do;
and this was one of those times.
“Now,” said the teacher, “give me a
definition for space.”
“Space,” said a pupil, "is where there
is nothing. I can’t explain it exactly,
but I have it in my head all right.”
—The Georgia Herald