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THE SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT
March, 1967
The Spelman Spotlight
Published monthly
by the students of Spelman College
Janice Holloway, Guest Editor
Anna B. Porter, Editor-in-Chief
Andrea Williams, Associate Editor
Henrietta Turnquest, Business Manager
Melody McDowell, Yvette Savwoir, Feature Editors
Cynthia Smith, Literary Editor
Margaret Mills, Cartoonist
Joyce Akridge, Berdie Ricks, Photographers
Layout Staff: Yvonne Jackson, Marjorie Rich, Eileen Bass, Joyce Young
Advertising Staff: Eileen Bass, Luella Nichols, Phyllis Johnson
Poet-in-Residence: Joan Gaillard
Contributors: Marilyn Hunt, Janice Holloway, Ruth Baety, Jane Smith, Cheryl
Summers, Lillie K. Walker, Casey Taylor, Joyce Allen
News Editor: Chris Singleton
Dr. Richard Carroll, Faculty Advisor
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Spelman Spotlight is published monthly by students of Spelman
College. We welcome articles and letters to the editor from our entire reading
public. These letters and articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
the Spotlight Staff or the majority of Spelman students. We also welcome
advertisements, but do not necessarily support the views of our advertisers.
Monthly deadlines will be posted.
If Not For Yourselves---
Then For Others
With the change of the semester, Spelman College has seen
some rather unique changes concerning rights and privileges
of its students. Most of us will agree that the food in the dining
hall has improved a great deal. The gym has been opened on
Saturday for recreation, and the Dean has given permission
for students to play cards in the snack shop at designated
hours. To some, these changes may not seem too important.
But to others of us who “knew Spelman when . . it is ob
vious that slowly but surely we are making those transitions
that our former sisters and we ourselves have so long been
awaiting.
It has been observed, however, that many of us will not
be allowed to enjoy some of the new changes that Spelman
sees now, for they might soon be taken away. I agree that all
of us might not like to play cards at the time that has now
been designated; nevertheless, will we get this time changed
by breaking the rule now? The answer is NO! If we continue
to play cards at all times of the day, everyone will suffer
when rule is abolished. So now the question arises—what
must we do?
I suggest that those of you who wish to play cards or
whatever all day long in the snack shop make tjiis request to
the student government. I say this because it has been noticed
that newer, faster, and better changes occur at Spelman when
taken through the proper channels. And don’t think this is
just true of Spelman, for it’s not. This is true of any place.
Organization is the key. And your student organization wants
only to please you.
Meanwhile, let us try not to jeopardize those changes that
we have now by taking advantage of them. And you’ll be
surprised to see how great an influence this will have in the
struggle for other privileges. Make a special effort this spring
if, not for yourselves—then for others.
Janice Holloway.
Are We or Are We Not?
A Spelman College faculty member, when asked whether
a paper by one of his students could appear in the Spotlight,
replied, “I don’t know whether your readers would understand
it.” As a Spelman student 1 was deeply insulted by this
remark. This should be a place where minds are stretched
as close to their limits as possible and where teachers expect
the very best from their students. A woman’s college should be
more than a stopover between adolescence and marriage. But
as long as faculty and students underrate the mentality of the
student body, we are not “an institution of higher learning.”
I hope that the instructor who professed the above opinion
is not typical and that our faculty members regard their stu
dents as capable and intelligent adults.
This year, Spelman has two first prize winners in the
Reader’s Digest writing contest and two Woodrow Wilson
Scholars. The literary magazine, to be published in April,
will show that there are many talented writers and artists on
this campus. The Spelman student body refuses to be under
rated. The fact that a faculty member would so insult us
should make every student on this campus very angry.
An Open Letter to
John Ruffins Regarding Stokley Carmichael
I would like this letter to reach you before you begin to
believe the things you wrote in the Maroon Tiger. It is one
matter to be misinformed, but quite another to announce and
publicize it.
An analysis of the riots shows that the riots that tore
across this country are the result of socio-economic conditions
planned by the white man. The white power structure does
not wish to admit that the riots express a deep rooted problem,
and commit themselves to solving it. They prefer to say that
“outside agitators” like Stokley Carmichael or communists
are starting trouble with our “good Negroes.”
I have read enough to know that in early May, 1966, a
leading magazine predicted the eruption of riots in cities like
Watts, Baltimore, Harlem and Cleveland because of socio
economic conditions. This was before Stokley Carmichael
succeeded John Lewis as national leader of SNCC and before
the Black Power movement began. Furthermore, how do you
explain the fact that Stokley Carmichael was virtually un
heard of during the riots of 1965 in Watts? So, it is these
logical facts that came to mind when you insulted our intelli
gence by stating that Stokley starts riots. Obviously you have
never talked to anyone from a rioting community and under
stood the pent-up frustrations of our brothers who wouldn’t
recognize Stokley Carmichael if they saw him.
Throughout the history of the black people in America
we have never been a violent people. We are, by nature, if
anything, submissive. When we were violent it was merely
a release of tension. It was not organized or directed. This
was shown by the number of Negroes who were hurt in
rioting areas. It would take more than Stokley passing out
Molotov cocktails in a rioting area to start an uprising among
our people. That is to give too much credit to one man. Fur
thermore, Stokley doesn’t want that “credit,” because he has
said that if he were prone to start a riot, he would not have
black people aimlessly killing their brothers. Obviously your
mind has been confused by the white press you mentioned in
your letter.
You told Stokley to exhort students to get an education.
Well, obviously you have never heard him speak. Stokley has
emphasized the fact that college students are the hope of
the black community. But perhaps you missed that part be
cause he went on to warn us of the effect education can have
on our attitudes toward our brothers in the ghetto and admon
ished us to use this education for the advancement of our race.
I would prefer a leader who was more dedicated to truths
than to the number of hypocritical faces in the audience. I
would prefer a leader who offers sincere leadership to my
people than one who bites his tongue on “live” television and
shuffles his feet, saying “yes, sir, Mr. Charlie,” so he can
have an organization that gets thousands of dollars in contri
butions from “white liberals.” I would prefer a leader who
is willing to scrape up money for sandwiches in the airport
to one who is concerned about the compliments and criticisms
of “Uncle Tom” bourgeois Negroes.
In my opinion it is commendable that we have a Negro
leader who thinks about the white man. They have been think
ing and scheming against us since they brought us here. So,
I feel that it is good to think and read (anyone who has heard
Stokley can tell you that he is well-read) and sociologically
evaluate the situation in an effort to help our people.
You advised Stokley to get a slogan and program that
won’t frighten the white man. In other words, “Uncle Tom”
until we can get equality. It is more important that Negroes
have a leader to speak to their needs and relate to them.
There is a wise saying, “Read more, think much, and speak
less.” Perhaps this might apply here. As a start, I suggest that
you read “The Autobiography of Malcolm X,” What We
Want by Stokley Carmichael, Black Bourgeoisie by E. Frank
lin Frazier, Why We Can’t Wait by M. L. King, Jr., The
Negro in the Making of America by Benjamin Quarles, and
Floyd McKissick’s article on Black Power in Elegant Magazine.
Then, after you have read much, begin to think.
Finally, after these two steps it will be a simple matter
to speak less.
It is my opinion, and I hope that of my classmates, that
if Negroes would spend the time they spend criticizing their
leaders, trying to encourage them, we would not be as far
behind as we are.
Yours in Black Power,
Janice Hale
Class of ’70
Letter
to
The Editor
Dear Editor:
What do we Black students
have to offer the community?
This was the question asked by
Dr. Vincent Harding as he in
troduced the Social Science
Club’s discussion on the cre
ative uses of Spelman Black
power. Leading the discussion
were Mrs. Brisbane, social
worker and instructor at At
lanta University, and Ruth
Mason, junior at Spelman.
There were two distinct po
sitions taken. Mrs. Brisbane
expressed the need for us to
volunteer our services to social
agencies, such as the Bethle
hem Center, VISTA, and
Girls’ Club. Ruth and students
in the audience were essential
ly in agreement with Mrs.
Brisbane. Dr. Manley, also in
the audience, held the dissent
ing opinion.
Spelman students could ren
der very significant services
to the community. As a SNCC
worker in the audience put it,
“The Black man’s battleground
is America. Therefore, we
should be soldiers of the Black
man’s war.” Certainly, though,
Dr. Manley was correct when
he said that no college is a
social agency. Nevertheless,
the college, as I see it, must
function in the community to
retain a sense of reality. That
fence around Spelman should
not serve as a “chastity belt.”
Spelman students have a very
cloudy awareness of the real
world, especially the Black
world outside of the A. U.
Center. For too many Spel-
manites knowledge ends with
the closing chapter of a text
book; interests end with ac
ceptance by a particular per
son or clique. We have no
social consciousness and, fur
thermore, the atmosphere here
discourages concern.
Indeed, the college would be
chaotic if it forfeited its aca
demic duties to become a so
cial agency. The academic role
of the college, however, goes
beyond the college walls. If we
allow the institution of higher
learning to become pedantic,
the students of such an institu
tion, in effect, are secluding
themselves from the real world
and cannot participate in or
contribute to the real world.
—Yvette Savwoir
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For
Spelman College
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