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THE SPOTLIGHT
March, 1971
Founders Day
Capable speaker
will bring audience
Founder’s Day is almost here and one can hear the same old
mumbling and grumbling.
Why are there so many antagonistic feelings about the activities?
Why do students denounce the most pagented event of the year?
One of the main gripes against Founder’s Day is the lack of rel
evancy in some of the activities? Many feel that those activities
which don’t give a sense of Black pride or dignity should be deleted.
In all fairness, Founder’s Day should be celebrated. There is no
shame in remembering the past because Spelman’s past is great.
The only time that sha'me should arise is when the past bcomes an
obstacle to an even greater future. One thing Spelman students
should remember is that although Spelman founders were white
women, the first Black students created the greatness which must
be maintained today.
All Founder’s Day activities should be made noncompulsory for
students. For those who want to miss out on those activities which
offends their Blackness, it’s their business. If a capable speaker is
chosen there will be a captivated audience instead of a captured
audience.
—i A Sophomore
Mr. Wonderful 1
talks about
his new image
A “Free Angela” (Davis) but
ton pinned to the breast pocket
of his sport shirt, Sammy Davis,
Jr. was flaunting a'n image
scarcely associated with the “Mr.
Wonderful” of the 1950s when he
faced a television camera in his
Hollywood hotel suite recently.
Unlike his other television ap
pearances, Davis this time was
speaking on a program produced
by Blacks and oriented to a
Black audience. Tony Brown, ex
ecutive producer of NET’S “Black
Journal,” was conducting the ex
clusive interview for this month’s
program, which will air Mon
day, March 29, 1971.
Reflecting on his position as a
Black “superstar,” Davis re
marked, “I do jokes, but some
where along the line I’ve got to
relate to wha't’s really happen
ing.”
Spotlight on the new dining hall
Question: What do you think of the New Dining Hall?
Freshmen
• It’s awful, too hot, too small, and too crowded.
• I don’t like it. It’s too much money for a temporary building
that everyone knows is permanent.
• It’s all right, pretty nice. The food is still the same.
• I like it better. It seems more like a college cafeteria. There is
more food variety.
• It’s too small and service is too slow.
• The eating atmosphere is improved. There is more of a variety
in salads. It needs a little more room.
• I feel closed in. It looks all right.
Sophomores
• The buffet a'rea is in a bad spot, it’s inconvenient. The floor
feels like it might cave in anytime, also the walls. It’s attractive from
the inside. It’s not as far for me to walk now — that’s good.
• I believe it’s permanent. It is too small.
• I don’t think it’s an improvement from the gym. It’s a waste of
money for a temporary building.
O I can’t understand the carpet on the outside and none on the
inside. The floor and walls seem hollow. Waste disposal is awkward.
• I can’t understand the large economy for a temporary building.
It’s too small.
• I don’t like it. It’s too crowded.
Juniors
• The ceiling is too low, the floor too hollow, the waste system
poor, and we need a bathroom.
• It’s not big enough. We need carpeting on the inside ahd a water
fountain.
• There’s too much congestion around the waste disposal area and
the salad dressing area. The idea of a smorgasboard is a farce.
• I don’t think it’s worth the money.
Events of the 90th
Founders Day celebration
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY,
MARCH 23, 24, 25
Black Film Festival—Films from 1917-1960 Howe Hall gangs.”
“You’re evolving a new sense
of self,” Brown interjected, “and
most importantly, you’re going
in front of the nation and you’re
saying ‘I’m Black and I’m proud
and I’m relating to my people’
. . . But where are the heads of a
lot of the superstars? We don’t
see them like we see you in
Philadelphia with the street
FRIDAY, SATURDAY
MARCH 19, 20
8:00 p.m.—Center Dance Theatre Fine Arts Theatre
MONDAY - SATURDAY
MARCH 29 - APRIL 3
8:00 p.m.—GOD IS A GUESS WHAT by Ray Mclver
Fine Arts Theatre
presented by the Morehouse-Spelman Players
SUNDAY, APRIL 4
11:00 a.m.—Decoration of Memorial Plaques Honoring Founders
Howe Hall
3:00 p.m.—Formal Founders Day Exercises Sister’s Chapel
Speaker: Dr. Effie O’Neal Ellis, M.D.
Special Assistant for Health Services
American Medical Association
TUESDAY, APRIL 6
10:30 a.m.^—Original Song Conjtdst Read
Report of Gifts
11:45 a.m.—Spelman Family Lucheon New Dining
1:30 p.m.
Afternoon — Free
Hall
Hall
“I don’t know how you can
not get involved in it,” Davis
replied, “because they are first
of all Black and they are com
mitted .whether they want to be
committed or not. The very na
ture of THEIR skin commits ME.
I don’t read a script that I don’t
weigh and say, ‘I wonder what
the brother on the corner is go
ing to think about this?’ How can
I change it if it’s wrong, because
the Black performer again has
that obligation.
“Now, I know a lot of people
don’t like Flip’s (TV star Flip
Wilson) doing ‘The Deacon,’ ” he
continued. “I’ve heahrd a lot of
talk about it. ‘eraldine’ they don’t
like ...”
Davis had hit upon an inter
esting subject a!nd Brown seized
it — television’s exploitation of
Black stereotypes. For instance,
there are television comedian
Flip Wilson’s impersonation of
“The Deacon,” a comic stereotype
• You feel rushed, like you had to hurry and eat or someone would
sit on top of you. It is like you had a time limit to eat.
• It’ll do for the time being.
• The money should have been saved for a permanent building.
• I don’t like it. I’m not impressed at all. It doesn’t seem stable.
The waste disposal area is too small. Where’s the bathroom?
• I don’t think of it, don’t like it. It’s just there.
Seniors
• I didn’t think it would be as decent as it is on the inside. I
don’t believe that Spelman has anything temporary. It’s small.
• It’s nice.
• The food seems worse than before. Too small.
• It needs air. It’s too stuffy. It needs a clock.
of the Black church layman, and
“Geraldine,” the white man’s
concept of the archetypal Black
woman. The character imperson
ations are highly controversial
among Blacks.
“Can you afford,” Brown ask
ed, “to continually entertain
white white people with shows
produced by white men with a
frame of reference of what we
are?”
“I think ‘Geraldine’ is funny,”
Davis responded cautiously. “I
feel a’ little funny about “The
Deacon’ . . . but I think it’s still
funny because I’m looking at it
again through one eye that looks
in two directions, first as a per
former — it is funny, it is clev
er; secondly as a man trying to
relate to the cats on the corner.
“First and foremost, I am a
performer,” he explained. “That’s
all I’ve ever done all my life, so
I know I’ve got to weigh it, but
what do you do? You’ve got to
have the support of your people.
I just love saying, ‘the number
one variety show in the country
and starred in by a Black man
who is very, very funny.’ ”
Toward the end of the inter
view, Brown asked him about
the Angela Davis button.
“I don’t shahe her political be
liefs,” Davis said. “I share her
Blackness, and I share the in
justice to any Black person . . .
I think that she needs support
both financially and morally and
I thik that if a guy like myself
wears a’ button, that’s letting
somebody in that crowd that I
go around with know where my
head’s at.”
While at A.U.
DuBois
By Waltina McElroy
The great W. E. B. DuBois
was regarded as “cold, reserved
and haughty” during his years
at Atlanta University.
This characterization of DuBois
came out at a Feb. 16 panel
composed of AU faculty mem
bers who knew DuBois. Those
taking part in the discussion
“DuBoiis, The Man,” were Dr.
Clarence Bacote, Dr. Brailsford
Brazeal, Dr. E. A. Jones, Dr.
E. B. Williams and Dr Anna
Grant. Dr Grant knew DuBois
at Fisk University. The other
instructors knew him while he
was an instructor at A. U. from
1897-1901 and 1934-1944.
Jones, in giving a brief de
scription of DuBois’ character,
said DuBois was a difficult man
to understand.
‘cold, reserved and haughty’
“He was cold, reserved and
haughty,” Jones said.
Jones said he did not think
DuBois’ cold exterior was a true
reflection of his character. Ac
cording to Jones, behind Du
Bois’ wall of haughtiness was a
warm heart.
Jones said he felt that DuBois
reacted to people in a cold man
ner because he was tortured by
the fact that he could not do
more to change this culture.”
Bacote discussed DuBois’ im
pression on A. U. students and
DuBois’ influence on A. U. pub
lications.
According to Bacote, A. U.
students were awed by DuBois’
presence on campus. Because of
his renown and his haughty car
riage, students were afraid to
register for his classes.
Bacote said DuBois added to
his fame by editing the school’s
publication “Phylon.”
“He (DuBois) made A. U.
publications some of the best
known publications in the world,”
Bacote said.
Brazeal described DuBois’ per
sonality by saying, “If you met
him (DuBois) on the street, you
had to speak to him first. Then
you only got a' stiff hello while
he looked straight ahead.”
Unlike the other speakers,
Brazeal said DuBois’ coldness
towards people was not only
caused by his personality. It was
sometimes caused by circum
stances 'of his life.
“He would get despondent
about some deserved recogintion
that he did not receive.” Brazeal
sa'id. “He did not care who he
took it out on, black or white.”
Williams said his contact with
DuBois was as a student, not as
a colleague. The other three
speakers were DuBois’ colleagues.
“Towards us (the students),
DuBois’ aloofness was expected,”
Williams said.
According to Williams, in the
cla'ssroom DuBois stressed the
formula of “get the facts, ar
range the facts and present them
logically.” Williams said this
was the formula that DuBois
expected his students to follow
in their work and dealings with
him.
Dr. Grant described DuBois as
“something of a snob.” She re
called a' conversation with Du
Bois in which he expressed sur
prise at finding so many “good
black families in Atlanta.” Ac
cording to Dr. Grant, DuBois
felt that he had to polish his
manners to be received by some
of these families.
Bacote said DuBois’ attitude
was not only haughty. His ac
tions were sometimes rude.
Ba'cote reminisced about a de
bate in which DuBois partici
pated. After the debate, a wo
man in the audience gave a
two minute speech on DuBois’
views.
“Are you finished?” DuBois
a’sked the woman. “You have
displayed a great deal of ig
norance.”
The panel on DuBois will be
televised on Chahnel 30 at 8 p.m.
March 30 on Morehouse College’s
show, “Where Do We Go From
Here.”