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Page 6 - Spelman Spotlight
‘Anxious Days And Sleepless Nights’
by Booker T. Washington
The coming of Christmas, that
first year of our residence in Ala
bama, gave us an opportunity to
get a farther insight into the real
life of the people. The first thing
that reminded us that Christmas
had arrived was the “foreday” vis
its of scores of children rapping at
our doors, asking for “Chris’mus
gifts! Chris’mus gifts!” Between the
hours of two o’clock and five
o’clock in the morning I presume
that we must have had a half
hundred such calls. This custom
prevails throughout this portion of
the South today.
During the days of slavery it was
a custom quite generally observed
throughout all the Southern states
to give the coloured people a week
of holiday at Christmas, or to
allow the holiday to continue as
long as the “yule log” lasted. The
male members of the race, and
often the female members, were
expected to get drunk. We found
that for a whole week the coloured
people in and around Tuskegee
dropped work the day before
Christmas, and that it was difficult
to get any one to perform any ser
vice from the time they stopped
work until after the New Year. Per
sons who at other times did not use
strong drink thought it quite the
proper thing to indulge in it rather
freely during the Christmas week.
There was a sidespread hilarity,
and a free use of guns, pistols, and
Crossroads May
Be For You
by Malrey Head
Do you like helping people?
Would you like to get a better
understanding of your African
brothers? Do you not mind rough
ing it for several weeks in the
summer for an educational
experience?
One way to make positive
answers to these questions a reality
is to apply to Operation Cross
roads Africa. Crossroads is a 20
year old organization that has sent
more than five thousand volun
teers to countries in Africa and the
West Indies. The organization has
brought one thousand Africans to
the United States on programs of
professional consultation and
training.
Crossroads is also concerned
with development and with open
ing channels of communication
between people of different races,
nationalities and cultures.
This past summer, Spelman had
two students to participate in the
program. They were Ms. Asake
Denise Foye, who worked in
Liberia and Ms. Jennifer Thomp
son who worked in Ghana.
In all of Crossroads existence,
Spelman has sent approximately
50 students. According to the Rev.
Norman Rates, Spelman has a
good reputation and students often
times are accepted without
hesitation.
The Rev. Rates, the contact per
son at Spelman, seems to feel that
students who participate show a
growth of maturity. It helps them
to set goals clearer in life.
He said that some students
response to the Crossroads is that
it is the “most exciting and con
structive activity they will ever par
ticipate in.”
According to the Rev. Rates,
past Crossroads participants are
the greatest publicity for the pro
gram. He says that it is a good pro
gram that requires sacrificing. But
if a student applies and sticks with
it, she will find that the benefits and
experience exceed the sacrifice.
Participants are expected to
conform to the African values and
adjust to local ways of doing
things. The participants, many of
whom are college students, help
African students in building
schools, health clinics, market pla
ces-and other projects.
Usually students must raise their
own money for expenses, which is
about $1,700. This is done through
clubs, churches, writing articles for
papers or from former Crossroads
participants.
But Spelman has been fortunate
said the Rev. Rates. Charles Mer
rill (supporter of the Merrill Scho
larships) contributes money to the
school to pay half of the students’
expenses. In 1978 however, stu
dents didn’t have to raise any
money. This was the first time that
enough money was contributed to
continued on page 8
Black Women
continued from page l
women, especially low income
women, into education. Much of
the money, as well as other fringe
benefits, goes to large universities
and to white males.
Students should be aware of
this, she said, and pointed out how
students should be aware and
become involved.
“Women have political power.
Use it. If you don’t vote here, vote
in your home state,” she urged. She
also feels that students should visit
the offices of officials. Find out
their opinion on issues.
“Women must play a strong
assertive role. They should bring
their own perspective to legislative
bodies who make decisions,” she
said.
Ms. Perry, who works toward
advancing the rights of blacks and
women, is a ’73 graduate of
Rutgers Law school. She also
received her B.A. from Rutgers.
She is a member of the Southern
Regional Council, the Women’s
Organization for the ratification of
ERA and the Lawyers Committee
for Civil Rights which led to her
present position.
gunpowder generally. The sacred
ness of the season seemed to have
been almost wholly lost sight of.
During the first Christmas vaca
tion I went some distance from the
town to visit the people on one of
the large plantations. In their pov
erty and ignorance it was pathetic
to see their attempts to get joy out
of the season that in most parts of
the country is so sacred and so dear
to the heart. In one cabin I noticed
that all that the five children had to
remind them of the coming of
Christ was a single bunch of fire
crackers, which they had divided
among them. In another cabin,
where there were at least a half-
dozen persons, they had only ten
cents’ worth of ginger-cakes, which
had been bought in the store the
day before. In another family they
had only a few pieces of sugarcane.
In still another cabin I found
nothing but a new jug of cheap,
mean whiskey, which the husband
and wife were making free use of,
notwithstanding the fact that the
husband was one of the local min
isters. In a few instances I found
that the people had gotten hold of
some bright-coloured cards that
had been designed for advertising
purposes, and were making the
most of those. In other homes
some member of the family had
bought a new pistol. In the major
ity of cases there was nothing to be
seen in the cabin to remind one of
the coming of the Savior, except
that the people had ceased to work
in the fields and were lounging
about their homes. At night, dur
ing Christmas week, they usually
had what they called a “frolic,” in
some cabin on the plantation. This
meant a kind of rough dance,
where there was likely to be a good
deal of whiskey used, and where
there might be some shooting to
cutting with razors.
While I was making this Christ
mas visit I met an old coloured
man who was one of the numerous
local preachers, who tried to con
vince me, from the experience
Adam had in the Garden of Eden,
that God had cursed all labour,
and that, therefore, it was a sin for
any man to work. For that reason,
this man sought to do as little work
as possible. He seemed at that time
to be supremely happy, because he
was living, as he expressed it,
through one week that was free
from sin.
In the school we made a special
effort to teach our students the
meaning of Christmas, and to give
them lessons in the proper obser
vance. In this we have been suc
cessful to a degree that makes me
feel safe in saying that the season
now has a new meaning, not only
through all that immediate region,
but, in a measure, wherever our
graduates have gone.
At the present time one of the
most satisfactory features of the
Christmas and Thanksgiving sea
son at T uskegee is the unselfish and
beautiful way which our graduates
and students spend their time in
administering to the comfort and
happiness of others, especially the
unfortunate. Not long ago some of
our young men spent a holiday in
rebuilding a cabin for a helpless
coloured woman who is about
seventy-five years old. At another
time I remember that I made it
known in chapel, one might, that a
very poor student was suffering
from cold, because he needed a
coat. The next morning two coats
were sent to my office for him.
Story taken from Christmas Gif
compiled by Charlemae Rollins.
Blacks And Show Business
by Elayne D. Walker
This year, as in the past, the
Spelman-Morehouse Players have
been complemented by the
extraordinary talents of such
actors as Richard Hunter. Most
recently, Hunter performed in
“The Lesson” and “The Brute”
under the direction of Dr.
Machuca Padin. Despite the fact
that Hunter has worked on several
movies such as “Roots,” “Cotton
Comes to Harlem” and “The Last
of Never,” and has worked with
such actors as Cicely Tyson, Liza
Minelli, and Sidney Poitier, he
enjoys returning to the Spelman
stage to work with actresses such as
Ms. Unetia Turner and Ms.
Rolanda Watts. Mr. Hunter says,
“No matter how great I become, no
matter how far I go - Spelman’s
stage is my home.” He has seen and
felt the obstacles which blacks in
show business must encounter.
The more we know about these
barriers, the more equipped we will
be to hurdle them.
Black actors tend to flock
toward black promoters to support
and advocate their talents. Hunter
says that, in general, many black
promoters do not recognize the
worth of well rounded performers.
The promoters are concerned, lar
gely, with making money on a per
sonal basis and many times are
ignorant to the importance' of a
good foundation as far as the actor
is concerned.
Publicity has been a major bar
rier against blacks in the field.
Many critics will not take the time
nor put forth the effort to analyze
and critique the work that we pro
duce. In spite of the caliber of tal
ent, it seems many blacks have
been short changed by whites who
are in a position to give recogni
tion. Hunter says this may be due
to the lack of knowledge on the
part of blacks in knowing the right
contacts for particular purposes.
One of the most significant
obstacles for blacks in show busi
ness on any level—be it theatre,
film, or television—is in produc
ing. Finding anyone to give money
for initial work is the hardest task
of all. Hunter attributes this prob
lem to the realistic tone of which
the writing of blacks is characteris
tic. A show such as “Richard Pry
or’s Comedy Show” was too down-
to-earth because of segments such
as one which involved a prostitute
who was white. However, a show
like “Sanford and Son” which
really has no likeness to anyone’s
life can survive.
In acting, a solid foundation is
pertinent to success. Even though
one acts, he must also be affluent in
technical aspects of his environ
ment. He must have intense con
centration, self-discipline, and
respect for his director. Hunter has
seen that many blacks are deficient
in these areas and that we lack gen
eral courtesy. Also, every actor
must have an ultimate goal. Hun
ter’s is to become “a well rounded
star—singing, dancing, and
acting—but to also maintain
Richard. I am but an instrument in
an orchestra and God is my
conductor.”
*Hunter directs the Richard
Hunter and Company Dance
Ensemble. His first album will
soon be released in the Chi-
Sound/ United Artist label and is
entitled “Self Portrait.’’Also Hun
ter will be featured in the upcoming
film production of “Freedom
Road” and the upcoming Spel
man-Morehouse Player’s stage
production of “Liola.”