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A Spelman W oman
By Regina Goins
Anita Holmes, a senior from
Lanham, Maryland, is the only
Spelmanite who will have com
pleted her Computer Science
major in the course of 3-1/2
years. Along with a Computer
Science major, Anita has a minor
in math-business. For the past
two years, she has taken the
majority of her classes at
Morehouse.
Even though Anita has taken
relatively few classes at Spelman,
she feels that her experiences
here have been positive, and that
Spelman has allowed her to meet
some very diverse people and to
develop some lasting friendships.
She feels that “Spelman was a
‘proving ground’.” “It only rein
forced my feeling of pride where
black womanhood and
academics were concerned.” She
is also very concerned with her
Spelman sisters and encourages
them that they as “black women
should realize the opportunities
afforded and take full advantage
of them.”
Upon graduation, Anita plans
to attend the University of
Michigan where she will obtain a
Master’s Degree in Computer
Science. She also aspires to get a
Master’s in Business Ad
ministration, a Ph.D. in
Operational Research and to
eventually teach on the college
level.
Anita has been on the Honor
Roll five out of her six semesters
here at Spelman. She is a member
of the Computer Science Clubs’
Newsletter Staff. Her work and
school experiences include, a
teaching assistant at Morehouse
in the computer languages of
Cobol and Pascal, a Technical
Assistant in the Operating
Systems Laboratory for the Bell
Telephone Laboratories and is
presently employed part-time as
a Data Conversion Specialist for
Honeywell, here in Atlanta.
Her hobbies include tennis,
swimming, design wall painting,
sewing and backgammon.
Anita says that she will miss
Spelman, as well as the people
she has met here however, she
will remain very interested in the
future of Spelman, concerned
about her Spelman Sisters and
will be a very supportive alumna.
Impressions of a Black College
By Kiron Kanina Skinner
Perhaps one of the most star
tling questions put to a young
black female from what the J oad
family in Grapes of Wrath
labeled as “the land of milk and
honey,” is, “why did you come all
the way here to go to college?”
Perhaps what is even more star
tling is when that young black
female replies, in all innocence,
“I came here to get the black ex
perience,” and her interrogator
laughs.
Well, that is what has hap
pened to me on many occasions
since I came here as a transfer
student on August 24. I am sure,
however, that mine is not an
isolated cause. There are a
sizeable number of Spelmanites
from California and other
western states. And even though
I can only speak for myself, if the
the curious interrogator knew the
true status of the “land of milk
and honey,” she would not laugh,
but would be understanding. For
the west coast, namely Califor
nia, is not all that it seems, and
the south, including southern
schools like Spelman, are no
laughing matter. It is here, that
the confused interrogator is get
ting the best education, making
the truest friends and realizing
her most keen potential. The
reason for my rationale is this:
For many years black
Americans were inclined to
believe that because slavery had
not taken place in the north and
it was the northern Philan
thropists that aided the race
during and after the civil war,
coming west or going north
would provide them with greater
job opportunities, better
education and a more egalitarian
way of life. Quite to the contrary
has been true. In states like
California the illusion of all these
virtues of life exist, but the reality
is almost totally different.
While California may not have
a resurgence of the Ku Klux
Klan, or small “red neck” towns
which no one of African descent
would dare travel through at
dark, inequity, unemployment,
poor education for minorities and
racism prevails. And even though
these evils exist in Georgia and
other southern states, the
distinguishing fact is that
everyone knows that they are
here. Few people, however,
realize that they are in the west.
(Perhaps on a higher echelon)
I have often heard it stated that
the key difference between
western and southern states is
that in the west white hatred of
blacks and inequity appear in a
covert or subtle manner. While in
the south the tension between the
races is more apparent.
No matter what form it takes,
overt or covert, the underlying
factor is that discrimination
exists no matter where one goes.
The south does not have any
special claim to such injustices,
as the interrogator may be led to
believe.
In expressing my opinion, I
hope not to give the impression
of total negativity towards the
west coast and it’s institutions. I
must admit that I have en
countered white educators that
have encouraged and inspired me
academically. To them I will
always be grateful. To them I am
indebted for life. To them I ex
tend my love. But the ugly fact
remains that those professors and
institutions that have made a
favorable impression on my life,
are outweighed by institutions
and professor whose impression
have been the opposite. Perhaps
the sadest fact is that my
educational experiences as a
black young woman, living in
California, are not atypical.
Many westerners express similar
feelings.
As a west coast native, when I
think of Spelman College, I wish
to say to the curious interrogator
that she should be happy to note
that this school and college com
munity at large provides for her
the most secure atmosphere that
she will ever experience in life.
After spending my high school
years and primary years of
college in institutions builty by
whites, run by whites, for whites,
I felt a degree of alienation.
Coming to a black environment
has afforded me the opportunity
to see and feel security;
something unknown and unheard
of by many young black women
in schools where they are the ob
vious minority.
For example, waling into an
economics class and seeing
nothing but black faces, even the
teacher’s! Or walking down your
dorm hall and realizing that yours
is not the only skin that is brown.
Or visiting your academic advisor
and he, or she, does not suggest
you try an easier major because
you are culturally and
academically disadvantaged as a
result of your obvious handicap,
your skin color. Or being asked
to participate in student govern
ment when you were previously
apathetic towards it becuase you
knew that it was not designed for
your participation. It is highly
conceivable that when the
curious interrogator laughs, she
talks all of these advantages for
granted, believing that her ex
periences here, as a black young
woman, are not unique. When
she further asks, “Why didn’t you
go to one of those good schools in
California,” the fact that she does
not know their, white institutions,
true ramifications, becomes
lucid. It is even highly con
ceivable that she failed to realize
that the Bakke case originated at
the University of California.
What warrants more concern,
however, than certain in
dividual’s naivity to the true cir
cumstances of life on the west
coast, is that life here at Spelman
is temporal. After her four years
of security and attention, em
ployment or further education
may take the Spelmanite to a
western white institution or
maybe a southern one. And for
that young woman who smirked
when she was told that, “I came
here for the black experience,”
and who has herself experienced
most of her academic life, the
care and concern characteristic
of black schools, she will be
illuminated to the grave reality
that it was here, in the confines of
this small university center, that
she came closest to reaching her
land of milk and honey.
Spelman Spotlight October 17. 1979 Page 7
You Tiger, You!
By Melony Matthews
Intellectual, energetic and chic
are three words that best
describes Timothy “Tee” Boddie,
a Morehouse English major from
Newport News, Virginia.
“Tee”, as he is known by most
of his friends, is a very affluent in
dividual. His writing ability
was exhibited to the Georgia
Collegiate Press Association,
when he placed third in the 1978
Best Editorial Competition. Not
only has he won state wide
recognition, Timothy’s scholastic
abilities are also recognized by
Morehouse. Timothy has been
awarded the Talent, Academic
Scholarship, granted to students
who maintain a 3.0 or above
average.
Tee is also involved in extra
curricula activities. He sings
baritone on the Morehouse Glee
Club and Morehouse Quartet,
and is also the assistant business
riianager for the Glee Club. He is
contribution editor for the
Maroon Tiger arid a member of
the Spelman-Morehouse Foren
sics Council. In his Freshman
year, Timothy won first place in
the forensics tournament in Pen
sacola, Florida for his poetic
readings.
Tee enjoys singing, writing,
traveling and studying astrology.
He has adapted this particular
quote as his philosophy of life
from The Politcis of the Ex
perience. a book by R. D. Lainge,
as “What we think is less than
what we know: what we know is
less than what we love: what we
love is so much less than what
there is; and to this precise ex
tent, we are much less than what
we are.” The quote is taken from
the book entitled The Politics of
the Experience by R. D. Lainge.
When asked about his plans for
the future, Tee said, “I plan to go
to law school. I plan to use my
law degree as a tool to help
people whom William Whipper
calls the “oppressed people.” Af
ter law school my plans are in
definite.”
When asked if he had any ad
vice for the freshmen, Timothy
replied, “Charge and growth
takes place only when a person
has risked himself and dares to
become involved with ex
perimenting with life.”
Spelman Hoots Too!
By Debra Benton
Okay. Morehouse, so you ’ve got your Martin Luther King. Jr.s,
your Julian Bonds and Maynard Jacksons. Well, we Spelmanites
have some alumnus to brag about too!
Esther Rolle, television loved and gifted actress, known to many
as Florida Evans of the hit t.v. series “Good Times.” is one of the
many famous Spelmanites. Esther Rolle attended Spelman before
pursuing a very successful career as an actress in the theater, on
and off Broadway. She has performed on Broadway in “Amen Cor
ner,” “Blues for Mr. Charlie” and “Don’t Play Us Cheap,” from
which she left to join the cast of televisions “Maude.” Off-
Broadway she has appeared in “The Blacks,” “Black Girl” and “The
Crucible.”
LaTanya Richardson, pictured in New York newspapers this
summer and noted by Newsweek and other New York critics for
her outstanding performance in Ntozake Shange’s play “Spell No.
7,” is another pace-setting Spelmanite. She also played the role of
the Lady in Red in the touring production of “For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.”
Active in the international arena is Ambassador to Cameroon,
Dr. Mabel Hancock Smythe. Ambassador Smythe, an economist
who possesses excellent character and knowledge of international
relations, was highly recommended to succeed Andrew Young in
the United Nations.
Mrs. Aurelia Brazeal Doolin, another notable Spelmanite, is
Trade Policy Officer in the Economic Section of the American Em
bassy.
Dr. Grace Hewell, Senior Program Officer, Region II of HEW, is
a Spelman graduate also.
Dr. Effie O’Neal Ellis, Co-Director of the Quality of Life Center
in Chicago attended Spelman and Atlanta University. She is known
nationally as an authority on health and nutritional problems of the
poor. Dr. Ellis is the first black woman ever to hold an ad
ministrative office within the American Medical Association.
Dr. Juel Pate Borders, a prominent Atlanta Gynecologist and
Obstetrician was elected president of the Southwest Community
Hospital. She is the first woman to hold this office.
Another well-known Spelmanite, Mrs. Ella Gaines Yates, is
Director of the Atlanta Public Library System. Mrs. Yates, who is
the first black director, is also the first woman to hold this position
in nearly three decades. She is the second black woman to head a
Public Library System in a major U.S. city. The first, Mrs. Clara
Stanton Jones, who was director of the Detroit Public Library
System is a Spelman graduate also.