Newspaper Page Text
Page 4
THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
February 29, 1964
Atlanta's Image
(Continued from Page 1)
and paved the way for serious con
templation and re-examination.
The recent article in the Atlanta
Constitution on SNCC’s supposed af
filiation with the Communist party
was held up for ridicule.
According to Rev. Bevell and other
SNCC observers, Atlanta’s problem
of segregation is maintained and
therefore condoned by the com
placency of Negro college students
and businessmen who are tragically
disillusioned concerning their status
in the city at large. The general feel
ing seems to be one of “. . . I want
freedom right now, but I don’t have
time to participate,” as expressed by
one Spelmanite. This same 1 a c k a
daisical attitude is shared by many
of her classmates who offer this and
even better excuses. Yet, these same
persons are overly-willing to share in
the fruits of liberty won, for them,
by their Black and White sisters and
brothers.
Perhaps the students of this col
lege were most aroused when some
of their sisters were beaten unmerci
fully by patrons of the Marietta St.
branch of the Krystal’s restaurant
chain. The following days found
many noble Spelmanites, predomi
nantly sophomores, picketing Krys
tal’s.
On January 18th and 19th, Leb’s
Restaurant was the scene of orderly
protest by Negroes and sympathetic
whites. The group was greeted by
members of the Klu Klux Klan dress
ed in full regalia. These robed white
supremacists paraded throughout the
incoming streets and even through
the crowd of demonstrators who were
fervently singing and chanting popu
lar freedom songs. Those who were
protesting, refuting the constitu
tionality of the anti-trespassing laws
were jailed while clown-like entities
paraded and agitated throughout the
city.
Attorneys Moore and Holloway
have been brilliantly defending those
involved in the 116 civil rights cases
brought before the court. However,
the judge only smiles and passes ver
dicts ranging from 30 days and $33
upward. It is interesting to note that
the heaviest penalties are placed upon
“outside agitators.”
Trials are still going on. It is high
ly recommended that every college
student see at least one example of
“the Atlanta Courtroom in Session.”
Wanda Waples
Student encounters police bru
tality in recent demonstration.
Support your Spelman Spotlight
Support the Spotlight Advertisers
The Time Is Now
(Continued from Page 1)
the submissive, passive Negro is
dead. Or is he?
It is interesting to note how suc
cessfully we, as Spelman students,
have divorced ourselves from a move
ment that is clearly our own. There
are students who have no interest
whatsoever in what is being done
on behalf of every American citizen
—more directly, the Negro. We live
in a self-centered community of fan
tasy in which all is well unless we
miss a game or a dance, or if a More
house man is unfaithful to us.
On the other hand, there are stu
dents who have escaped the call of
duty by the use of a defense mech
anism-rationalization. These students
have devised plausible explanations
for their beliefs and actions without
being aware that these are not the
real motives. What have our ra
tionalizations blanketed? What ac
counts for the apathy that exists on
our campus?
One of the real motives is com
placency. “I am content”, says one.
“I am satisfied”, says another. Some
even say, “I am happy.” The students
here live, study, and socialize in a
pseudo-intellectual atmosphere. Noth
ing exists beyond our little “world”.
Everything is lovely and “together”.
Others of us rationalize to cover
just plain fear. We feel that there
is too much to sacrifice for freedom.
Our grades might fall. We could even
be physically harmed. Anyone would
have to be crazy to risk these. Any
way, we do not have time.
Others, believe it or not, spend a
great deal of time and effort criticiz
ing those who are participating. This
in reality is an attempt to exempt our
selves from the matter at hand. There
has been recently on our campus
an out-and-out campaign to discredit
the Student Non-Violent Coordinat
ing Committee. This committee has
been referred to as “an amazing
bluejean army that fights Jim Crow
honestly behind enemy lines.” We
mainly object to their bluejeans.
Most Snickers are college students
or former students, aged twenty or
so. Alright! They wear bluejeans and
the girls let their hair go natural.
Disgusting! The girls of Spelman
are blindly following outsiders. First
this is an insult to the intelligence of
our sisters. Secondly, I would like
to know what we mean by outsiders.
Outside what? Could it possibly be
that we feel guilty because of our
non-participation.
Anyone with half an eye and a
fair share of intelligence and honesty
can see that none of these reasons
are adequate to explain the apathy
toward, disinterest in, and with
drawal from a movement that is so
necessarily our own. If we read the
newspapers objectively and go out
side our own little paradise, we will
see that all is not well and conse
quently abandon our complacency.
Fear, however, can only be con
quered by the individual himself. We
must re-evaluate our value system.
If our whole school is for Christ,
why not have a little more faith in
Him. We must admit too that if we
can find time for everything else
we want to do, we can certainly find
time for our movement.
Let’s face it, criticism, no mat
ter how well founded, can not be
a substitute for direct action. We
must remember that SNCC is not the
only organization in existence. If we
wish, we can have a very effective
channel of expression if we all work
to make it so. If we want a dignified,
refined, planned, “safe” demonstra
tion, we must get together and im
plement our techniques and strategy.
We must abandon the use of our
defense mechanisms and free our
selves of the guilt of non-participa
tion and apathy. This is as much our
fight as it is that of the millions of
others in the United States who have
taken the challenge. There is but
one decision. The time is NOW!
Spelman students, are you willing?
Annette Jones
Spotlight Editor Interviews Mrs. Esther Peterson at Press
Conference.
ASSISTANT LABOR SECRETARY SEES
NEED FOR INDUSTRY IN EDUCATION
TO COMBAT POVERTY
Esther Peterson is a dynamic, hypnotizingly frank individual.
In her first press conference with college students here on January
21, Mrs. Peterson exemplified the qualities of a woman success
ful in her field and remarkably suited for her job. As Assistant
Secretary of Labor for Labor Standards and Director of the
Women’s Bureau, she has continually fought for equal oppor
tunities for women in fields other than those to which they have
been shunted in the past.
Mrs. Peterson came to Atlanta for
a meeting with labor and communi
ty leaders concerning her recent ap
pointment as Special Assistant to
President Johnson for Consumer Af
fairs and Chairman of the President’s
Committee on Consumer Interests.
In regard to this assignment, Mrs.
Peterson as head of this committee
will report to the President the pos
sibilities of federal action on con
sumer interests and necessary steps
for protection of consumer rights,
involving criticism of the function
of existing consumer organizations
and proposals of means for establish
ing better communications between
the public and the appropriate Fed
eral departments and agencies.
Aside from the responsibilities en
tailed in her new task, Mrs. Peterson
commented on several issues facing
labor in this country. When asked
about the methods for solving the
unemployment problem here, she re
plied that education of the popula
tion is the underlying step which
must be taken in solving this prob
lem. She further stated that in our
attack on poverty and unemploy
ment we should “make an industry
out of education” in order to suppress
the spread of the “pockets of pover
ty” made up of unskilled and semi
skilled workers who are out of work
because of automation.
Since continued automation is in
evitable, Mrs. Peterson stressed, there
is less need for the “operatives” in
our society and greater demand for
persons in the arts, culture, recrea
tion, counseling and guidance, and
social welfare. She particularly ad
vised that a liberal arts foundation
is becoming more important in order
to satisfy the demands for persons
in these fields.
Specifically, in connection with the
present unemployment problem in
the United States, Mrs. Peterson re
jected the widely accepted view that
three per cent unemployment is tol
erable in this country and should
be set as the goal. She further em
phasized that unemployment at any
percentage is totally intolerable for
“no one is unemployable.” This
shows in addition the great need for
education of the masses and for the
immediate development of full-scale
retraining programs.
Concerning women workers, with
whom Mrs. Peterson has been par
ticularly involved, she reiterated the
fact that women are becoming more
and more able to take on the re
sponsibilities of jobs in industry and
in the professions. However, al
though many barriers have been
broken down, it remains for the wom
en to increase their demands for posi
tions in these areas. In fact, as she
pointed out, since women of today
have thirty years added to their lives
because of automatic facilities in the
home, there is no excuse for these
women to be denied full participation
in the jobs which they are qualified
to hold. This should be an incentive
to each of us as college women. The
barriers are being eliminated and we
must be prepared to take advantage
of these new opportunities.
John Lewis, SNCC Chairman — Face to Face with Local
Klansmen.
State Republicans
On The Move
James W. Dorsey, Republican State
Chairman, recently announced that
the official “Call” for the 1964 Re
publican Conventions in Georgia has
been sent to all GOP County and
District party chairmen. The Georgia
“Call” was approved by the Republi
can State Central Committee after
Georgia GOP leaders had received
the official “Call” from the Republi
can National Committee. A formal
document, the “Call” provides ex
plicit instructions for holding Coun
ty, District and State conventions.
“All county conventions in the
state must be held at 1:00 P.M., Sat
urday, February 22,” Mr. Dorsey
said. “Our instructions to counties
tell what must be done at county
conventions and also designate the
number of delegates each county is
authorized to send to our District
and State Conventions.”
“The Republican State Central
Committee has called for Congres
sional District conventions to be held
on March 21st, and designated where
these conventions will be held. Our
State Republican convention will be
held in Atlanta on May 1 and 2.”
Mr. Dorsey explained that dele
gates to the National Republican
Convention, to be held in San Fran
cisco on July 13, will be elected at
District and State conventions. “Each
of Georgia’s 10 Congressional Dis
trict conventions may elect 2 dele
gates and 2 alternates to the National
Convention. In addition, the State
Convention will elect 4 delegates
and 4 alternates from the State at
large, a total of 24 delegates which
Georgia will send to San Francisco.”
Most of Georgia’s counties have
responded to the “Call”, Mr. Dorsey
reported. “We are assured of con
ventions in virtually every county
in the State, which should assure a
good strong statewide GOP organiza
tion for the 1964 local, state and na
tional election.”
Welcome
Exchange Students
(Continued from Page 1)
dancing, sewing and bicycling. She
was impressed with the layout of
our campus and the “green” leaves
during winter months. She says she
loves it here although she can’t get
used to our early morning breakfast
hour (not many of us can); Lucia
McClintock, a junior from Western
College, is a Sociology major and
minoring in Psychology and Religion.
She was impressed with the friend
liness of the girls; Pamela Parker, a
junior from Carleton College, North-
field, Minnesota, is majoring in Re
ligion and minoring in Sociology.
Pamela likes field hockey and bas
ketball. Kathryn Pierce, a sophomore
from Wells College, Aurora, New
York comes to us this semester with
a major in Religion. Kathy enjoys
music and needlework and she was
impressed with the wonderful selec
tion of courses available here in the
A.U. Center. Kim English, a junior
from Elmira College, Elmira, New
York, is majoring in Sociology and
minoring in history. Kim thinks it’s
“just great” being here. Ronda Or-
wig, a sophomore from North Cen
tral College, Naperville, Illinois, is
a Biology major. Her favorite activi
ties include swimming, tennis, bowl
ing and dancing. Ronda feels that
being here is not so different from
being at home. Beverly Zich, also a
sophomore from North Central is
a French major and a Spanish minor.
Beverly likes to read, bowl, and has
begun recently, to enjoy writing let
ters. Elizabeth Shultz (Betsy), a
junior from Elmira College, Elmira,
New York, is a Philosophy and Re
ligion major and a History minor.
Betsy likes to read, talk and knit.