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SPELMA N THE VOICE OF BLACK WOMANHOOD SPO TLIGHT vol. vn ATLANTA, GA. OCTOBER 1976 Wall of Respect VERNA PARKS By Robyn Mahone On the side of Henry’s Grill and Lounge on the comers of Auburn and Piedmont Avenues is a vividly colored mural representing the past, present and future of black people. It is called “The Wall of Respect.” “It’s a tribute to black people all over the world because it represents black life all over the world,” explained Verna Parks. “Through history, musicians and our leaders, it represents hope for the future. It’s purpose is to have Black Men and Women By Amanda Seward What is the problem between black men and black women? The SPOTLIGHT conducted a survey to see if there was any consensus of opinion within the AU community. The wide range of answers were illus trated by the following replies. Spelman’s Dr. Jane Browning, sociology instruc tor and director of freshman studies saw the problem in two aspects. We are facing the crisis of relationship ad justment. While we are having women’s liberation, black men are having career liberation. They have more career choices. Two liberations at the same time has caused conflict. Integration is the other aspect and that’s heavy. Now blacks are being found in integrated situations. Black women are being attracted to white men, whether they want to face it or not, and obviously black men are attracted to white women,” she explained. Dr. Browning sees no solution to the problem. She said, “We will just have to bat tle it out. It is a painful experience but we can’t get away from it. Time will tell.” Neyswah Abiku, free lance jazz critic, said, “Richard Wright once said that he did not like messing with black women because all they want is things. I think men add to this because they are not honest with their things. Also men often say they can give more than they are actually willing or able to give. For example, when a man sees a woman, wow, and vice versa. The man knowing that he does not want her on a long term basis, makes her believe the opposite. He decides he doesn’t want to give that much, but you know (laugh). I think a person has to look at themselves and ask, what am I capable of giving?” Sophomore, Sharon McGahee did not see it as a black man/black woman problem but as an individual problem. She went further to say that these problems stemmed from a lack of com munication. Warren St. James, psychology major at Morehouse College, also saw the problem as one developing from a lack of communication. He said, “For example, when a Continued on page 8 profound meaning to black people and the public at large.” Ms. Parks, a senior at Spelman College with a double major of art and French, painted the magnificent mural along with two other artists, Nathan Hoskins and Amos Johnson. “I want the mural to give them (black people) a sense of pride in their past and hope for their future,” Ms. Parks abetted. We realized that it’s already gotten that type of res ponse, it gave us an op portunity to educate people.” Ms. Parks described how children and adults alike would come by and name those pictured in the mural whom they recognized, and how she and the other artists would explain to the admirers the names and significance of the others pictured. The three artists were com missioned by the Neighborhood Arts Center to paint he mural as a part of the “Sweet Auburn Avenue” fes tival. The festival, held here in August, was sponsored by the Inner City Development Corp. and the Bureau of Cultural Af fairs of the City of Atlanta. The purpose of the festival was to call attention to Auburn Avenue’s history and its future. The artists taught classes at the center as interns through the Atlanta Urban Corp. They were told that the center planned a mural as a part of the festival and conse quently the three were asked to do the job. “They didn’t really tell us how to plan the wall, they felt that we had the integrity, they didn’t tell us what to put on the wall or not to include.” Ms. Parks related. The" artists selected a wall that would get the most exposure from the public eye. A lot of the buildings in the area are very old and stand the chance of being tom down in a few years, although there is a building rehabilitation program going on in the area. Ms. Parks believes that the mural is in the best possible location. The artists collected photographs, pictures from newspapers, magazines and album covers. They then com bined the materials they collected and separated them into different areas using people who were important to black communities all over the world. Because there was so much to choose from, Ms. Parks said, “We could just as well paint the mural over and Continued on page 8 NBSA Holds Conference By Lei Charlton Some 110 members of the National Black Students As sociation convened at the Southeastern Regional Conference held in Atlanta September 24-25. The participants represented 25 schools in the nine-state region. Brother Kojo Owusu, the Southeastern Regional Co ordinator, said the conference was progressive. “People came with concrete suggestions, ideas and plans for immediate action,” he said. On Friday night, the People’s Survival Theater performed at Dean Sage Hall on the Atlanta University campus. The program also in cluded poetry-reading and conga-playing. On Saturday the real work began. The conference participants organized workshops dealing with NBSA programs: the Prisoner Support Program which provides care packages for prisoners as well as political and moral support; the Adult Educational and Tutorial Program aimed at striking down high illiteracy in Black communities; and the Voters Registration Project. Most of the work of the NBSA has been successful. It has unified Black students to act as a power force to in fluence politicans to support some of its programs. There is still a communication problem. Brother Owusu expressed his concern. “We have not been as successful as we desire in reaching the community; high school students in particular. There is a poor relation between college students and Continued on page 8