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THE SFELMAN SPOTLIGHT
February 28, 1969
EXCHANGE
con't. from page 1
Community Action Croup
Organized But Invisible
Did You Know There Is A
Community Action Committee
At Spelman
The C.A.C. was organized
in September 1968 and in
February, 1969, it is begin
ning to function. What was
going on during this time?
Why is it that C.A.C. is an
invisible element attempting to
sprinkle little particles of black
relevancy around the campus?
If the committee is com
posed of representatives from
each organization and a chair
man appointed by the S.G.A.
president there would seem to
be an adequate network of
communication with the stu
dents on campus. Perhaps,
one of the problems can be
found in the uncertainty of
the C.A.C.’s direction. The
responsibility of the Commu
nity Action Committee is to
attempt to better the condi
tions and to aid in the lib
eration of African people
throughout this country and
specifically in the Atlanta
area. The goal is quite large
and beautiful to repeat but
how can one implement pro
grams that will help us to
achieve those goals?
If at any time there is to
be community work it seems
it could be divided into intra
and inter action. Believing that
before the college can attempt
to relate itself to the neglected
community there are those
Spelman women who would
and do work exclusively with
in the college and center.
Their job is with intra action.
But, you say you haven’t
seen any C.A. angels gliding
around doing their job? One
of our intra action projects is
the establishment of a Com
munity Action Library com
prised of books written from
a Black prospective, books
that tell us “how the world
really is,” our job in the strug
gle, and other relevant ideas.
It is hoped that this library
can be of use to the men,
women and children that the
Spelman women work with in
the community. As well as
for campus enjoyment. Now,
I can hear a few voices echo
ing the thought of who is to
decide what is relevant and
what is not. Well, there is a
designated group of 5 women
to plan the lib, collect sugges
tions from teachers and ad
ministration, and to order and
solicit the books. If you have
some suggestions why not
contact C.A.C.? Actually, we
need assistance.
After the library has been
formed volunteers shall be
needed to work daily but cer
tainly the library should not
be the only focus of intra-ac
tion. On February 27, David
Moore, an African poet from
Chicago, will be on campus
as the guest of the CAC. The
Committee would like to in
vite other brothers and sisters
who describe the African ex
perience and at the same time
can relate to Spelman with all
its peculiarities. But, how do
we get “1969 relators” on
campus if we have no voice
on the committee which se
lects guests and artists to ap
pear? The CAC must submit
lists and lists of names, ad
dress the people on the speak
er committee, and if necessary
have a member in that august
group. For too long we have
only been interested in big
names and those accepted by
middle class standards and
values — ignoring the brother
or sister who has not per
formed abroad, appeared on
national TV, or done the big
publicity thing. In fact, these
people are often out of touch
with the needs of the com
munity. Therefore, the CAC
must be prepared to submit
suggestions to the established
committee; however, if, as
with the case of the David
Moore case, there is no money
because a bigger and more ex
pensive “name” was invited,
we must find funds elsewhere.
It would seem that those
who worked in any commu
nity action project would be
quite capable of suggesting
changes in the curriculum. If
a sociology major found that
her courses excluded one area
which she feels is necessary to
effectively in the community
she should express her find
ings to the CAC, sociology
department, and administra
tion. In class it is the duty of
all women to question from
which prospective the class
material is “coming from.”
Only from trial and error plus
community experience can the
CAC be a force in curriculum
change and decision. After
suggesting those things which
could improve classroom and
curriculum relevancy can we
correctly say, “We tried but
they did not listen.”
Inter-community action be
gan in September when 15
Spelman women and a More
house man joined the CAC
of Clark to participate in a
tutorial program at Archer
High School. Though the tu
tors decreased only from Spel
man every Tuesday from 5:30
to 8 p.m. some students feel
a little less hostile towards the
A.U. Center and some women
even more the old ideas we
hear about “those people.”
There are approximately 20
women working in the Vine
City area with Rev. Johnson
of the Army Church. Thanks
to the Urban League we have
been able to contact the Phil
lis Wheatley YWCA and
E.O.A.
Other Spelman have felt
the need to gain experience
from originally organized
groups from the student view.
The Student Non-Violent Co
ordinating Committee now has
several volunteers who are in
the process of writing a
pamphlet for political educa
tion. From the volunteers the
CAC was sent a request that
Phil Hutchins of SNCC speak
on campus in March.
It should be “crystal clear”
at this time that the CAC has
no plans to limit itself to any
one direction in liberating
Black people in this country.
Anything that Spelman wom
en feel is relevant to the com
munity and where this college
can be of service the CAC is
willing to assist. There are or
ganizations attempting to be
gin a program with Carrie S.
Pitts home and the Day Care
Center while another group is
in the process of decorating
an African owned shop on
Hunter Street. It should be
known that if there are those
who would like to obtain in
formation and possibly es
tablish a program with the
N.A.A.C.P., Black Panthers,
S.C.L.C., Girl Scouts, or any
other affiliation the CAC is
here to help.
Because commitment to CA
work has only become strong
since December we do not ex
pect large scale results this se
mester but after this period
there no longer be an excuse.
There was no established line
to follow in developing our
work and the direction of
our energies has often proven
to be a misallocation of re
sources. Certain members of
the CAC and members of
other club members have
alienated and in some cases
been unable to communicate
with established authorities. If
the CAC is to work these
problems must be solved.
Though some clubs have been
responsive and initiated their
project, others have presented
planned programs and later
thrown them in the trash.
Others have solely been in
terested in the money that will
be depleted from the budget
of those clubs which have no
project. Who is to blame? It
is the president who swears
she will discuss a project with
her club or the advisor who
strongly promises an answer
in 5 days but forgets? I have
a suspicion that it is a mix
ture of many elements on this
campus which allows for such
superficial dedication.
To find the reason for the
above dilemma one of our
future projects is a question
naire addressed to the stu
dents, faculty, and the ad
ministration concerning com
munity involvement. During
the summer some students are
planning to participate in a
freedom school program while
some will continue work in
Vine City. How do you feel
about an experiment in real
living in which an exchange
program between Spelman
and a local “ghetto” for a
specified number of weeks?
It would be opened to those
who complain that they have
had no contact with problems
of African people but who
would like to know how the
majority of the minority live.
For those Spelman women
who admit that they know
very little about the Blacks in
the more affluent ghetto areas,
such Collier Heights or Pey
ton Forest, we would like to
establish a project that would
permit direct experience.
The scope of community
action is limitless and the job
could be beautifully done;
however, we need suggestions
and plans for this is new to
all of us. Will you help to
get Spelman community action
plans together? Will you tell
your club CA representative
what is needed for efficient
work? If you do not belong
to an organization then join
the CAC.
An official plea: TO AF
RICANS, AMERICANS,
BLACKS, BLACK AMERI
CANS, COLORED FOLKS,
AND NEGROES ON THIS
CAMPUS HELP THE com
munity action committee BY
GIVING SUGGESTIONS
AND CRITICISMS.
COME TO THE, C.A.A.
MEETINGS
Jacqueline Howard,
Chairman
and a few other selected stu
dents. Most of the people who
were there feel that this was
not a good representation of
feelings. No one seemed to
listen and everyone argued for
his point to be heard. It was
concluded that the meeting
was more for the two admin
istrations’ benefits than for the
students’.
But the students are the
ones who are actually in
volved. After interviewing sev
eral Spelman women, they all
agreed that it is a good pro
gram, but for different rea
sons. One says that it is good
because we “now have some
people to let our frustrations
out upon. For so long we’ve
felt it but didn’t have anyone
to let it out upon. Now they’re
here.” his is not the view of
all, however. Some feel that it
is good because they can bring
experiences from their “white
world into our world that are
valuable since this will never
be a totally all black or all
white world. “The quicker we
see common factors and dif
ferences bewteen the two, the
better human relations will
become.” Most feel, however,
that the present program has
run into problems because of
the number of students in it.
Many feel as if we’ve been
invaded. Yet, some say that
they don’t even know they
are here; their influence is not
felt. One stated, “This pro
gram makes some of us feel
guilty. Heretofore we have
been going along in the maze
of things, but now that seven
teen whites descend, we de
cide to “fro” our hair, get
“black” and want to run them
off campus. This makes no
sense.”
When asked if the program
should be continued, blacks
and whites agreed that it
should only be continued with
student consent. But, was this
really a fair exchange? It
should have had an equal flow
of advantages. “The Spelman
woman at St. Teresa left a
mixed society for an all white
one. All new experiences there
are being outweighed by old
prejudices. All they have to
see i$> snow, snow, snow.
We’re definitely benefiting
more.” Was it initiated be
cause of integration? Did St.
Teresa want more blacks?
We cannot help but think
about our sisters there who
are unhappy and would like
to return here but cannot.
Then, too, we know how Eliza
beth O’Mara left here and
went back and is registered
again at St. Teresa. Are all
things really fair in this ex
change?