Newspaper Page Text
Spelman Spotlight
Need for Black History
Page 3
Politics and Religion?
September 28, 1984
A Personal View
Spelman Is
by Jasmine Williams
News Editor
In a previous issue of the
Spotlight, the photo opinion
question was, “Do You Feel That
Enough Emphasis Is Placed On
Black Studies At Your Institu
tion?” All five of the students
answered, “no;” and the
perspective schools represented
were Spelman, Morehouse,
Clark and Howard University.
As black students attending
predominately black colleges,
this revelation should raise grave
concern; afterall, isn’t black
emphasis and awareness one of
the primary reasons why we
choose black institutions?
To bring this issue closer to
home, Spelman College does
not require students to take
mandatory black history courses,
nor does the music department
have an expansive black music
content in the introductory
course, Music, History and Ap
preciation.
Over at Morehouse, outside of
the “Morehouse College Jazz
Ensemble,” there is nothing that
deals with concentration in black
music; the Glee Club sings a
variety of music, among them
choral and spiritual songs. In
fact, it seems as if the only
department that does justice to
our black heritage is the drama
by Carolyn Grant
Editor-in-Chief
The class of ’88 should set
expectations for themselves and
for what they hope to gain from
Spelman, said Dr. Donald
Stewart, the president of
Spelman at the college’s first
convocation on September 6.
Changing the topic of his
speech from “anticipations” to
department which has presented
plays symbolizing black ex
periences, including The Wiz,
Raisin and The Lion and the
Jewel.
It is understood that most
black institutions have liberal
arts curriculums with the primary
objective being that the in
stitutions produce well-
rounded, educated graduates,
but how can we be well-rounded
in every area except black
history? If one counters this
argument with the fact that
positive black role models are
bought in to speak, what good
does it do to bring them here if
no one goes to see them!
Last February, Jesse Jackson’s
presence failed to pack Sister’s
Chapel regardless of the fact that
he was here the month before. I n
his quest to seek the highest
office in the land, our support for
him should have been endless,
no matter what the cir
cumstances were.
Unfortunately, few students
realize that the power lies within
us. We have a right to demand
not only competent instructors
and administrators, but a compe
tent curriculum as well. It is
necessary to stress that without
the Student Body, Spelman
College and other black in
stitutions could not exist. Our
minds and futures are at stake
Dr. Donald Stewart
“expectations,” Stewart told the
new class that “a lot must happen
between today and four years
from now. A lot will happen
based on your expectations.”
Self-expectations and expec
tations about coming to Spelman
are two types of expectations
Stewart told the class they should
be focusing upon. “Those ex
pectations from two sides help
here and we need to be concern
ed.
We need to demand and
illustrate the importance of
being aware of our culture; how
can we justify our black brothers
and sisters not knowing the
contribution Madame CJ Walker
and others have made to Black
America? How can we justify the
“I got mine, now you get Yours”
attitude that runs so rampant in
the black community when
every aspect of learning in Africa
deals with the importance of the
family and community? All of
this stems from a certain degree
of ignorance... ignorance of not
realizing that black people are a
survival race; how else could we
still exist today after being torn
away from our country, literally
stripped of our identity and
culture and taught to think in a
European fashion!
Spelman College needs to and
has an obligation to insure not
only that we have pride and
appreciation for our people but
that black history in every aspect
is taught in an ongoing and
continuing fashion. However, if
the administrators of this college
fail to produce this type of
academic atmosphere, then the
responsibility isourstoshoulder.
ED. NOTE: This article was first
printed in the April 25th, issue of
the Spotlight.
make up the learning contract
that you signed up to when you
paid your money at registra
tion,” he said.
Part of the contract, Stewart
said, was to keep expectations
high and to be demanding of
themselves and their instructors.
“If you’re not studying hard,
then your expectations are not as
they should be,” he said.
by Khadija C. Cabey
Political Editor
Several weeks ago at the
Republican Convention in
Dallas, Texas, President Reagan
informed 17,000 religious leaders
and Convention delegates that
"the truth is, politics and morali
ty are inseperable. And as
morality’s foundation is religion,
religion and politics are
necessarily related.” President
Reagan in essence has raised
religious issues as a ploy to solve
social conditions in America.
Is there really a problem with
this countries moral conditions?
Does this country need to be
saved by President Reagans
morality? The answer to both of
these questions is no. On the
contrary, statistics relate that
Americans are the most religious
people in the developed world.
According to the most recent
Gallup Poll on the subject, 94
percent of all polled said that
they believe in God, and 69
percent are self-described
members of the church. When
the NBC-Associated Press survey
asked the question "Do you
think religious convictions
should be a basis for political
action, or don’t you think so?” -
78 percent of those who
responded to the poll indicated
that they should not. In thesame
poll, 69 percent of the people
Although he told them they have
an attrition rate of 0 because they
are a new beginning, he credited
the class for raising enrollment to
about 1500 and for raising the
average SAT score to 830 from
last year’s 730.
As he encouraged the students
to set expectations, Stewart
talked to them about informa
tion and knowledge which he
called two different things.
“Information becomes
knowledge when you can filter
it, analyze it and synthesize it,”
he said. “One of the great
advantages of a liberal arts
education is that you get to
experience many bodies of
knowledge. Experience will in
dicate how far you are going to
push, how far you want to
achieve and your level of inspira
tion.”
Stewart told the class that their
four years at a liberal arts educa
tion at Spelman will be about
getting a bachelor’s degree.
"Our job, he said, "is to see
that our degree is hard currency
- that it will spend, that it gives a
true picture of your ability.
Spelman must be about em
powering you with know how to
think and conceptualize.”
Stewart closed his speech with
the words of Annie Alexander,
the oldest alumna of Spelman
who died a couple of years ago,
"kedp aspirations high. We want
you to go on and on to highest
heights,”
surveyed felt that the church
should not participate directly in
politics.
President Reagan should drop
his religious crusade to rescue
the nations moral conscious, and
stick to leading the nation in its
domestic and foreign policies.
Reagan’s “political moralism" is
merely a ploy to appeal to an
ultra-conservative constituency.
This constituency, laced in
religious dogma is known as the
Moral Majority. But can you
blame Reagan? — the Moral
Majority is now estimated at 13
Million strong... and growing.
It is true that religion without
conscience is merely rhetoric, as
is clearly implicated by Reagan’s
warped decision-making
policies, and politics without
religion is an injustice when not
tempered with conscientious
concern for the welfare of all
people. But, each in its
delineated way, serve a purpose
for the overall good in man. Why
would anyone espouse that
religion and politics must be
mixed to better serve the Na
tion? If the past be a guide for the
future, then there are enough
examples to pull from to deter
mine that the role of morality
and immorality in the hands of
politicians, could be disastrous.
In our role as students, we
should consider the implication
of religion, as it relates to the
abortion question, mandatory
prayer in schools (especially if
your persuasion is other than
Christianity) and what will be the
next decree. We must dis
tinguish the role of religion and
politics or else be returned to the
Dark Ages where many cruelties
existed in the name of religion.
We are know that religious
institutions has played a political
role throughout history, but to
allow it once again to surface as a
poltical issue that will have far-
reaching properties for our
future, would truly be a sin!
by Darlene Mosely
Public Relations Manager
On September 8th, the post
office installed a stamp machine.
The machine was installed to
eliminate the long lines that
were present for the purchase of
stamps. This is another attempt
to make Spelman’s post office a
more functional and convenient
part of Spelman College.
Mr. Raymond Jeter, a post
office official, said there are
more improvements to come!
Class of ’88 Should Set High Expectations