Newspaper Page Text
SPELMA N
THE VOICE
OF BLACK WOMANHOOD
SPO TLIGHT
Vol. 31 No. 1
Atlanta, Ga.
September 1977
A Look At The Mayoral Candidates
The Mayoral candidates.
Who are they ? What are they
all about. Who will win the Oct.
4th election ? A lot will depend
upon the public’s reception to
the promises and the reports
the candidates have given of
their past performances. The
following is a brief review of
the candidates and what they
have to offer the citizens of
Atlanta.
Mayor Maynard Jackson
is proud of his record as mayor
of Atlanta but he says, “Our
job is not yet done. To complete
the important mission of this
administration requires more
time,” he said in his June 24th
announcement to run for re-
election.
The mayor has compiled a
lengthy list of his ac
complishments during his four
years as mayor. His present
platform bears a striking
resemblance to his platform in
’73. He plans to pursue issues
in the same areas while keep
ing “equal opportunity for all
Atlantans” a priority.
In a recent speech to Atlanta
University Center students,
Mayor Jackson promised that
if re-elected he will:
* continue meeting with
A.U.C. students
*continue plans to start a law
school at Atlanta University
* keep student defense loans
available
* maintain the AUC student
intern program
On a more far reaching level,
Mayor Jackson said that since
he has been in office the crime
rate has gone down, police
brutality is no longer a number
one front page story and more
jobs have been created. Mayor
Jackson said that he main
tained economic stability for
Atlanta through “the worse
national recession in over 30
years.”
Harold Dye will make his
second bid for mayor of
Atlanta on Oct 4th. Dye said at
a forum sponsored by the
Atlanta University political
science students, that if elected
he would get rid of police
buracracjr and get rid of the of
fice of public safety. He said
that the police and fire
departments should be directly
accountable to the mayor and
that there should be no “devil
in between.”
“Running the city of Atlanta
is mostly business,” Dye told
the students “I think it’s 95
percent business.”
Vince Eagan believes that
big businesses should be taxed
more than they are. Eagan
believes that free health care,
wage increases and more
social services can be provided
if big corporations like Coca
Cola and Delta Airlines were
taxed. He believes that sales
taxes, which fall most heavily
on working people, should be
eliminated.
In the area of jobs, Eagan
said that he would eliminate
the 120 billion dollar war
budget and spend the money
for human needs. He would
institute a federal public works
program to build schools, hos
pitals and low cost housing.
This, Eagan maintains, will
put thousands to work at union
wages.
Eagan is a Socialist party
candidate. He doesn’t think
that his party will be rejected
by Atlantans. He said, “I
wouldn’t think that my being
Socialist precludes them
(voters) from voting socialist.
Too many people stop me on
the street to say, 'I agree with
what you say and what you
stand for'.”
Eagan is for the ratification
of the Equal Rights
Amendment, municipal
legislation guaranteeing equal
pay for equal work, maternity
leave with pay and preferen
tial hiring and training for
women.
Rayanna Childers is one
of two write-in candidates. She
admits that her experience in
politics is limited, but she says
that her goal is to “obtain the
highest quality of life for the
greatest number of people in
my hometown.” Ms. Childers
See page 8
Alvin Ailey At Spelman
Within today’s society of governmental corruption, booming
prices, unemployment and simply the need for survival there is
an inquisitive feeling of wanting to free oneself, to capture the
stillness of peace and the beauty of silence.Fewhave succeeded in
doing so but the Alvin Ailey Dance Company has done this in its
theatrical medley combining Modem, Ballet and Jazz
movements.
The twenty-five member multi-racial troupe from New York
City has held residence on the Spelman College campus since
Sept. 7th and terminated their residency prior to their gala one
week performance at the Atlanta Civic Center.
The dancers have been to Atlanta on two occasions in the past
but this marks the first time in the Company’s history that
rehearsals have been held on a college campus.
Open rehearsals have been taking place in the Read Hall
gymnasium as a result of a combined grant Ailey received last
year from its sponsors, Dance Atlanta and The National En
dorsement for the Arts.
Bi-weekly workshop classes taught by trained dance teachers
in the troupe were of the ethnic and intermediate modem dance
vareity. Workshops called “’master classes” were housed in
Atlanta’s community centers and were open to members within
the community. Choreographic seminars were also held. Both
workshops and seminars will discontinue when the Ailey
Dancers depart from Atlanta on Oct. 3rd. See page 3
Help Yourself To A Job
/ Jackie King graduated from Spelman last
spring with a major in political science. She
is currently unemployed although the ma
jority of her classmates, with the same major
have found jobs or already entered graduate
or professional schools. When asked why she
has been unable to find employment Ms.
King replies that she hasn’t been able to “get
the right interviews.”
Sophia Harrison is a freshman at Spelman
majoring in chemistry and chemical
engineering under the Dual Degree program.
In high school she was an honor student
and held great promise for a college career. A
summer job in her major would be helpful in
the future after graduation. Sophia, however,
is very reserved and timid and has been
reluctant to sign up for any of the job
interviews open to her. Each time Ms.
Harrison is confronted with the interview
book she resigns to “Maybe later . . .”
Deborah Correll is majoring in
mathematics and plans to graduate in the
spring. She has not decided definitely
whether to continue on to graduate school
but would probably begin working for a few
years if she could get a good job. She has not,
however, considered any companies,
arranged any interviews, completed a
resume, nor prepared to discuss her em
ployment future with anyone.
What these women have in common is a
solution which can be found right here at
Spelman. They also have problems which
they have yet to identify and attempt to
solve—employment problems. At Spelman
there are people to help you with these type of
situations. It is only a matter of motivating
yourself to take advantage of these qualified
persons who are here to serve you.
Recently, in an interview with Ms.
Barbara Brown, acting director of the Office
of Career Planning and Placement, the
Spotlight learned what Spelman was doing
to help its students with job related problems.
Ms. Brown informed the Spotlight of services
provided by her office and the workshops
scheduled soon to benefit seniors and
underclassmen. If, in the past, you have quic
kly looked over announcements of these
events and services take heed sisters. You
may find yourself in any one of the numerous
unemployment ruts come graduation time.
On Tuesday, Sept. 13, a workshop was con
ducted for the purpose of supplying
See page 8