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Vol. XXIV, No. 3 SPELMAN COLLEGE, ATLANTA, GEORGIA March, 1963 REW Observed The study of science and reli gion causes marked influences on the college students’ religious be liefs. Upon completing course re quirements in these areas some students have found their beliefs lost to science. Others, on the other hand, have strengthened their faiths by successfully chal lenging the facts which are con trary to their preconceived beliefs. Generally speaking, many peo ple can not accept shocking truths about their religious beliefs and accordingly yield themselves to frustration. As our campus speak er noted, the recent Broadway play entitled “Stop the World I Want to Get Off” suggests to us that we exist in a world in which personal frustration is at an all time high. In an academic setting where such cases exist, obser vance of Religion Emphasis Week is well founded. Accordingly “A Second Look at the Christian Ethic” was a well Chosen theme for discussion. Dr. Norma H. Thompson, assis tant professor, Dept, of Religious Education, New York University was Spelman’s campus speaker. In her thought provoking pre sentations, Dr. Thompson empha sized the following basic needs: 1. Making one’s religion vital and relevant in today’s world. 2. Making a realistic approach to the Bible. 3. Challenging mass media’s presentation of man as a totally disrupted being. 4. Successfully relating science to religion. Mrs. Sadye Powell puts tools to good use under the watchful eyes of observers. Up Jumps By Gwen lies Our struggle to eliminate se gregation as it was found in Atlanta, we knew, would be long, hard, and sometimes defeating. Each step was in some way pain ful; each milestone reached only at somieone’s expense; and each victory was costly with concess ions on each side. These strides were made that Atlanta would become known all over the nation as the most “progressive city” in the South. The fight in Atlanta has sup posedly reached the point where the overt action that was once used is no longer needed. It is assumed that Negroes and whites are at the point where they can sit down together, discuss, and work out solutions to problems of segregation. This is being done! There are no fanfares, no emo tional outcries, and no publicity. But there are calm and peaceful negotiations going on in friendly atmospheres. The Southern Christian Leader ship Council is working in the area of equal employment. Its first project, “Operation Bread basket,” is an attempt to obtain equal employment for Negroes in the bread companies of Atlanta. Southern and Colonial Companies were very cooperative, but High land Bakery was a bit obstinate. In this case a “selective-buying” campaign was immediately put into effect against this company. In cooperation with SCLC, the Committee on Appeal for Human Rights is also working in the area of employment. Negotiations car ried on between the committee and the downtown merchants have been rewarding. If you have shopped at Rich’s or Davision’s, in particular, during the last few The Devil weeks, you have seen some of the results. There are other indi cations of progress not readily visible, but nevertheless, present. Perhaps progress has not been as rapid as we would like, but we must realize the intervening pres sure factors related to this touchy issue. Let us take a look at some of these factors: (1) The good business man is always mainly concerned with what is best for his business. If he is content with the progress of his business, then he may deem it vital to maintain the status-quo and unnecessary to change. He has to be convinced. On the other hand, if the request will not cause a substantial loss and the businessman is acting in good faith, then pressure is not needed. (2) The business man may be a “die-hard” segregation ist. If he cannot be convinced that his business can be hurt by not complying with the request of the community, then he will never change. In this case, pres sure has to be applied, not al ways visibly, but sometimes through internal pressure in the form of communications from controlling or policy making firms in other areas in the community. No business can afford economic ostracism. (3) The factual infor mation concerning various firms has to be gathered and compiled. This entails finding out who the “real boss” is, and who actually makes the policies for the firm. (4) The opponent has to be given the opportunity to save face, es pecially if he is backed up against a wall. There is no need for both parties to pull at extreme ends of a stick, because of public opin ion or other forces, and hope to strike a happy medium. The pro- (Continued on Page 5) Dr. Thompson augmented her presentations with several lines from the works of Lawarence Ferlinghetti, ia noted poet in beat nik circles. She included also a recording - namely “He was a flop at 33”. This recording centers around an evaluation of the works of Jesus Christ in terms of modem day society. In terms of our theme, Dr. Thompson’s over-all presentation suggests that our every effort must be directed towards inter preting the Bible in light of the needs of our present society. In so doing, one must not only relate to the people around him but he must also see his religion in terms of life in his society. In keeping with this trend of thought, our Religious Emphasis Week Committee, directed by Miss Edna Johnson, is to be com mended on keeping our obser vance of Religious Emphasis Week attuned to the modern channels of fine arts. Miss Marie Thomas was presented in dance (Continued on Page 3) Dr. Snow Gives Literary Treat Morehouse and Spelman Col leges were honored once again by the presence of Dr. Wilbert Snow and his wife. Dr. Snow is profes sor of English at Wesleyan Col lege in Middletown, Connecticut, and is a very distinguished poet. He appeared at the colleges as the William Benton Lecturer in American Poetry. On Thursday evening, the 7th of March, Dr. Snow spoke on poetry in general, and also in spired us by reading some of his lyrics, free verse and character sketches. Friday evening, March 8, the eminent lecturer paid tri bute to Robert Frost, a great American poet of this day, who was also a personal friend of Dr. Snow. We, the students, always look forward to Dr. Snow’s visit on the campuses, and profit greatly from his enriching lectures. —Ernestine Brazeal Mrs. Thompson has an informal discussion in one of the freshman dorms. Howard JoJhnson’s Restau rant On February 22, three Student Non-violent Coordinating Com mittee workers were refused ser vice in the newly opened Howard Johnson’s restaurant here in At lanta. Similar experiences of ra cial prejudices were experienced in Marietta, Ga. and Nashville, Tenn. As SNCC chairman, Charles McDew, sent an unanswered tele gram to Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., “Atlanta will never join in the front rank of America’s cities until every vestige of racial se gregation has been removed.” Voter Registration Samuel Block, 22 year old chair man of SNCC’s Leflore County voter registration project, was ar rested without charges on the 22 of February. Local segregationists have, in the past, made an all-out effort to dissuade Block from con tinuing his work in that area. SNCC appeals . to U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, de manding investigation have as yet gone unanswered due to the infringement upon states’ rights. Northwood Movie Theater The Northwood Movie Theater in Baltimore, Maryland, the scene of protests since 1953, was suc cessfully integrated on Feb. 21, by 348 Morgan College students and members of the Civic Inter est Group. This success has won nation-wide approval; particularly in areas like Atlanta and Nash ville, that have yet to overcome racial barriers. Lily-White Conference According to an unofficial Fe deral edict, high-level government employees are prohibited from ad dressing segregated groups. How ever, recently, as in the past, Robert M. Ball, Commissioner of Social Security for the Depart ment of Health, Education and Welfare, acted as guest speaker at a three day lily-white confer ence of the Fulton County Wel fare Dept. Twenty Negro em ployees, were asked to attend, but all withdrew when separate ac commodations were made by the owners of Atlanta’s much talked about Dinkler-Plaza Hotel. Field Secretary Greenville, Miss, was the scene of the tragic shooting of 20-year old James Travis, a field secretary for the SNCC. At approximately 11 F.M., three white men in a white Buick, bombarded the car and its occupants with bullets. Travis was wounded in the should er and a bullet is lodged at the base of his neck, behind his spine. The almost successful attempt to take Travis’ life was because 150 Negroes registered to vote. False Pretenses In Montgomery, Alabama on March 1, a 12-man all-white jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of Robert Zellner, a white SNCC field secretary, on charges of “false pretenses’. Originally arrested for conspiracy on the campus of Huntington Col lege, his Alma Mater, Zellner was arrested on Jan. 8. Since that time, charges had been switched to “false pretenses” concerning a check Zellner had written on the day of his arrest. For further information write or call SNCC, 6 Raymond St., N.W., Atlanta 14, Ga. 688-0331.