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Page 6 Spelman Spotlight November 6, 1981 Sammy Davis Jr. Receives A.U.’s Honorary Degree by Karen Burroughs News Editor On October 16, 1981, Atlanta University celebrated its 114th anniversary of receiving its charter. The celebration of this event was held in Spelman’s Sisters Chapel and hosted such guests as author and scholar, John Hope Franklin, and enter tainer, Sammy Davis Jr. Seventy-two days following the end of the Civil War, Atlanta University was founded to provide educational oppor tunities for the recently freed slaves and refugees of the war. Since 1865, steady growth and development have been characteristic of this institution. The program opened with an invocation by Father Issac Miller, chaplain of Canterbury House. Following the invocation, Jonathan Smith, Chairman of the University Board of Trustees, told the audience of the occa sion being celebrated and in formed them of the history of Atlanta University and the Atlan ta University Center. “The Un iversity’s motto, ‘I’ll find a way or make one,”' Smith explained, “has never waivered in its pur pose of educating for leadership and faithfully pursuing its mis sion of teaching, research, and service. The speaker for the program, John Hope Franklin, was in troduced by Dr. Cleveland Leon Dennard, President of Atlanta University. “We are indeed fortunate to have as our speaker one of America’s foremost scholars and one of the greatest thinkers of the world,” he said. In his opening statement, John Hope Franklin, who graduated magna cum laude from Fisk University and received his masters and doctorate from Harvard University, told the students, “I am delighted to be here, for this is a very special occasion. Any university that has survived for over a century deserves to be celebrated.” Franklin told the audience that Atlanta University has three main objectives: the first, being to offer quality education to provide leadership for blacks; the second, to provide racial equality, and the third, to create a climate of academic freedom. "AU shapes its curriculum and programs to realize its objec tives,” he said. “Atlanta Universi ty is a proud university, proud of its tradition and its heritage.” “Even in a joyous occasion, one must be sober,” Franklin told the audience. “Atlanta University is being threatened by those who neither value nor respect the independence of the university.” Following the address by Dr. Franklin, Dr. Cleveland Dennard presented honorary degrees to Dr. Franklin, John Spencer, a former administrator of AU, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Sammy Davis, Jr., a performer for most of his life, was described as being “one of the most versatile performers of all time.” Dr. Dennard informed the audience that Davis was the first Black American to have a prime time variety show on television, the first American to play a command performance in Bri tain for two straight years, and has been a leader for blacks and others in the performing arts. Mr. Davis was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Literature degree. “I am beyond words,” Davis said in his acceptance speech. “I have never had the pleasure or the thrill of receiving a formal education, and I will try never to do anything to embarass my people, my country, and this honor.” A special award was given to Grace Towns Hamilton, the first Black woman in the Georgia General Assembly. She was also the head of the Atlanta Urban League from 1946 to 1960 and received the award for her “remarkable contributions to the city, the state, and Atlanta University.” Following the presentations, the Atlanta University Alma Mater was sung by those in attendance. Southern Institute of Black Studies Holds Training Session by Veronica Peggy Green Contributing Writer Mr. Jesse Taylor, of the Southern Carolina Black Voting Rights Campaign, spoke about the significance of the Voting Rights Act. Mr. Taylor was in volved in obtaining a petition signed by some 17,000 blacks in support of the Voting Rights Act. In essence, the Voting Rights Act protects our constitutional right to vote, and it will expire in August of 1982 unless an exten sion is passed by Congress. Mr. Taylor stated that, “Mr. Reagan takes strong positions on some issues, and other issues he waits to see how the tide is flowing. Therefore, a lot depends on what we do.” Mr. Danny Boston, of the United League Support Com mittee, held a workshop entitled 'Struggling Against Reaganomics.’ He defined Reagonomics as simply “economics of poverty” which deals with the crisis state of the U.S. economy. He noted three irregularities: Recessions are occurring more often; there is no full recovery from one reces sion to the next; and prices are high. Mr. Boston stated that this was a well designed and engineered recession. It was designed to put a check on prices. However, the prices are continuing to increase. The reasoning behind Reagan’s tax cuts to the rich lies in the idea that they have the opportunity to re - invest their money. On the contrary, the money is going into their pockets. Fay Bellmany, from the National Anti - Klan Network, was present to lead a workshop on 'Organizing the Community to Resist the Klan and Repres sion.’The National Anti - Klan is a "loose grouping of organizations that have come together because of their com mon concern about the resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan and other racist groups in America.” It is made up of legal, religious, labor, and com munications task forces, and its headquarters are located here in Atlanta. The Anti - Klan Network and the NAACP united in September of 1980 to file a lawsuit when a CONT_ ON PC 12 /. h a s. \y (INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF SPORTS WEAR) " “ MALL WEST END « NEW “GREEK KORNEfT Free Lettering WITH ANY PURCHASE . . . WITH THIS FLYER... BRING TOUR FAVORITE SHIRTS AND HAVE THEN PRINTED... 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