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Spelman Spotlight
February 18, 1983
The Problems Of Black Females
by Veronica Peggy Green
Mrs. Beverly Guy-Sheftal, an
instructor in the English Depart
ment at Spelman, is also head of
the recently established
Women’s Resource Center. She
received her B.A. in English and
Secondary Education from
Spelman in 1966. Mrs. Sheftal is
the author of Spelman A Centen
nial Celebration and one of the
editors of Study Black Bridges:
Visions of Black Women In
Literature. She is presently a
candidate for her PH.D.
“The problems Black women
face today center around basic
survival, economic, and sexual
issues,” believes Ms. Sheftal.
“Black women are still at the
bottom of the economic ladder.
The poor women worry about
food and shelter. Middle class
women have a different set of
problems. Black women on
predominantly white campuses
face racism. At coed colleges
they experience forms of sexism.
Sexism is any kind of discrimina
tion based on a person’s gender.
It may be in the form of attitudes
or behavior. Black women are
still encouraged to pursue
traditional occupations,” Mrs.
Sheftal explained.
Black females are the most
likely to get raped in this coun
try. They are the least protected
by the courts. The perpetrator is
not dealt with harshly.
Therefore, the assumption is that
one can get away with it.
Hypertension is also more
prevalent among Black women.
Many changes are taking place
in Black male/female
relationships. The divorce rate is
continuously increasing among
Blacks. “A lot of interest in
female-headed households and
the women’s movement has
caused men, in general, to have
feelings of discomfort where
gender is concerned," said Ms.
Sheftal. Men feel that society is
hiring women where they are
not hiring men. The men feel
threatened, and this causes
paranoia.
“The most serious problem is
the epic proportions of teenage
pregnancy. It is a complex issue.
A solution is not just the
availability of birth control
devices. The attitudes need to be
explored. We must first
recognize that it is a problem.
These females are not trying to
get pregnant. But they are cer
tainly choosing to have the
children,” stated Ms. Sheftal.
Black women sustain and
maintain female headed
households with “little
assistance from the federal
government. A lot of help comes
primarily from the family,” ex
plained Ms. Sheftal. Community
groups also aid female headed
households.
It is “difficult but not impossi
ble” for Black women to con
tinue their roles as wife and
mother. Black women are more
likely to be working and taking
care of children. Finding time for
one’s self is extremely important.
Being constantly under stress
affects other family members, as
well as one's self. Everyone
needs to take time out for
themselves. This should not be
thought of as being selfish.
It is very difficult for Black
women to relate to each other in
positive ways. If women on this
campus cannot relate to each
other here at Spelman, they will
not be able to relate when they
leave this campus.
We, as Black women, have a
great deal to be proud of. “The
role that we have played in
families and community
development” is substantial.
"The contributions we have
made to American culture is
great. Despite slavery, racism,
sexism, and other obstacles, we
have survived."
Rally For
%
Dr. Martin Luther King Day
by Veronica Peggy Green
Mrs. Christine Farris is a
reading teacher at Spelman. She
is also the sister of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. In a recent
interview, Mrs. Farris spoke
about her brother, Martin.
The necessity for Martin
Luther King's birthday to be a
national holiday is explained by
Mrs. Farris. “He is one individual
who tried to make the American
dream a reality for all people. He
happened to have been Black.
America should take note of the
changes he was able to effect in
his lifetime. It would serve as an
inspiration to all Black people.
They will have something to
reach for. A holiday would help
build and foster their self-
concept which makes life better
for all people. We have
monuments to violence, this
would serve as a monument to
nonviolence. The Martin Luther
King Center for Nonviolent
Social Change keeps the dream
alive. It is a living memorial,”
stated Mrs. Farris.
"In order for Dr. King’s birth
day to be declared a national
holiday, we must continue to
keep it before the public.” Just
outright lobby the congressmen.
We are getting closer to it
everyday. Mrs. King and Stevie
Wonder are doing things. And I
just believe that it is getting
closer. We are going to have a
national holiday. Some twenty
states have already made it a
holiday. It is a bit ironic that his
hometown state of Georgia is
among the last states to make it a
holiday,” stated Mrs. Farris. Mrs.
Farris believes the reason for the
delay in Georgia is the noted
remnants of segregation,
vestiges of racism, and the old
die-hards. There are more
progressive congressmen who
are willing to look at it for what it
is.”
Mrs. Farris saw her brother
Martin from a different perspec
tive. “He was a loving kind of a
brother. We were very close as
brother and sister. We were just a
year apart, and we had common
interests. He was like a real
brother. Sometimes we would
double date and go to parties
together. He would come to me
for advice and I would go to him
for advice. He was not a good
speller. Even as he grew older, he
would say, ‘Chris, how do you
spell something in particular?’
We had a really good brother-
sister relationship.”
When asked how losing so
many family members has
effected her, Mrs. Farris said, "I
am not bitter. I try to take the
situations as they come. I use the
best that is within me and build
on the foundation. I have a
strong faith in God, the future,
and myself. And because of that,
I have been able to make it this
far.”
Mrs. Farris spoke of her
mother and family as close knit.
“Mother had a significant in
fluence on us because she was
with us throughout all situations.
People did not see her presence
that often. She had what I call a
quiet influence.” Mr. and Mrs.
King taughtMrs. Farris the values
that have been instilled in her.
These values include being true
to your fellow man and yourself
and fearing and admonishing
God.
The meaning of love “has all to
do with my life. It is at the base.
Nonviolence is love, concern,
and care-first for God, and then
yourself,” explained Mrs. Farris.
“It is an all encompassing circle.
You cannot love others if you do
not love yourself. I am seeking to
love all individuals; that does not
mean that I like them all. It is
more the acceptance of the
individuals and the appreciation
of them as God’s children. I do
not have to accept everything
that they do. Hate is the opposite
of love. It is a retaliatory act,
getting back and even.”
The key possession in over
coming hatred is “desire," as
viewed by Mrs. Farris. An
“awareness of who people are,”
and having the “opportunity to
inter-mingle” will help people
overcome hatred. “I am not
saying that it is simplistic.
However, it will open or break
the barriers of communication.
Through communication, un
derstanding takes place,” stated
Mrs. farris.
Mrs. Farris has a “deep,
abiding faith in God. God wakes
me up every morning, and every
morning I thank him. God is
there waiting with open arms for
those who want to seek him. He
does not force it. But for anyone
who wants it, it is there."
Teaching at Spelman College
means a great deal to Mrs. Farris.
She attended Spelman College,
and said, "I have an opportunity
to share with my younger sisters
in the ways of guidance and
knowledge. I receive a great deal
of satisfaction when students
come and tell me what they have
gained.
* "Through some means here at
Spelman, we should teach young
ladies about what his life meant.
If we can effect this on Spelman’s
campus, it would mean so much.
For future generations, in char
ting the course, we have no
alternative. As Martin said, 'We
must live together as brothers or
die together as fools.’ Survival
means charting a nonviolent
course.”
My sisters, thank you for shar
ing!
An Interview With
Pearl Lomax
by Carla Thomas
Spelman College has an abun
dance of talent within its gates.
Pearl Cleage Lomax, writer-in
residence and a 1971 Spelman
graduate is one of the treasurers
that Spelman has to offer. Ms.
Lomax taught a creative writing
course last semester that receiv
ed rave reviews from the
students who were enrolled in it.
Ms. Lomax feels very close to
the students at Spelman and is
pleased with the way she has
been received. She received a
grant from the Georgia Council
for the Arts to become writer-in
residence here. “Writing about
the experiences of black women,
whether they are younger or
older, is one of the reasons why I
wanted to come to Spelman,”
stated Ms. Lomax. "I wanted to
find out what women ten years
younger than me think about."
A bi-weekly columnist for the
Atlanta Journal, Ms. Lomax
spends her leisure time reading
and thinking of news ideas for
plays. She is well experienced in
theater writing and has written
for radio and television commer
cials. An often called upon
speaker for the brown Bag
Seminars sponsored by the
Women’s Resource Center,
Pearl feels, “It is important for
women at Spelman to be in
contact with older women from
different professions so that they
can learn other veiws beneficial
to their college education." The
Women's Resource Center is an
asset to Spelman, in Ms. Lomax’s
opinion.
Recently Spelman was
honored with a solo perfor
mance of new works by the 33 yr.
old authoress entitled “My
Mother's Voice Visits.” Ms.
Lomax wove a web of intimacy
with the audience as she read
heart-rendering selections
which included themes about
Christmas’ past and present, the
impact of a brass bed on her life,
and the closeness of a mother
and daughter during a time of
illness.
Deignan, her eight year old
daughter, is a constant inspira
tion to her. Ms. Lomax feels that
she and her daughter have
become very good friends. “This
it the best time in my life, my
work is going well, and my social
life is too. I feel lucky and
compatible. I love my daughter
and I wouldn’t want to live any
different. I have no regrets.”
When asked about the images
of blacks in literature, Ms. Lomax
stated that she would like to see
less stereotypes of blacks and
feels that they are more complex
than they are portrayed in
literature. “Much of the
literature written by whites
about blacks is written by people
who really don't know us - it’s
destructive." She would like to
see reflections of ourselves,
instead of stereotypes. “A
realistic view of the world and a
woman’s place in it and a comit-
ment to more than material thins
are some of the issues that need
to be addressed in literature,”
according to Ms. Lomax.
Her advice to aspiring writers
is, “Realize your life belongs to
you and take control of it. You
have to write, put words on
paper. There is no other way to
be a writer.”
Pearl Cleage Lomax’s future
endeavors include having a well
distributed novel published in
about ten years. She would also
like to make a movie. Her
greatest achievement has been a
record-breaking play this past
summer. Ms. Lomax is currently
working on another play entitled
“Puppet Play” which opens at
the Just Us Theatre on February
11th.