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Spelman Spotlight
February, 1986
Letters to the Editor
I must say that I sincerely
enjoyed the article that Lisa
Cook wrote concerning
relations between Morehouse
and Spelman (Black men & Black
women) during Morehouse’s
Homecoming 1985. Lisa
represented her Spelman Sisters
well and is to be commended for
addressing a subject that is often
times neglected by the ad
ministration of our school.
Thanks Lisa!
On the other hand, I thought
that it was distressing that Dawn
Williams neglected to discuss the
real issue which was, is, and
always will be RESPECT. It’s a
shame and a disgrace that
everyone including Rhonda
Matier discussed this as being
the real problem between the
two schools. Information has
nothing to do with it. Com
munication lines also had
nothing to do with the problem.
I and many other of my sisters
believe that Dawn Williams,
Spelman SGA president, took a
back seat to the real issue.
We as black women need to
say what we mean (especially to
Black men.) We need to let them
know that we, as Black women,
will accept nothing less than the
respect and admiration that we
have earned down through the
centuries and rightfully deserve.
Until we as students of Spelman
College make this the primary
message that we send to
Morehouse students, the com
munication lines (as Dawn would
say) will continue to be closed.
Dawn,
Come on, let’s get real. Who
ever it was that wrote the letter
from Morehouse SGA said what
he meant. Many of us thought
that your response to
Morehouse was weak and non-
assertive. Dawn, what’s more
important, keeping the peace to
prevent and uproar or retaining
dignity and integrity at any
cost?!? I don't think that you
represented even half of our
student body and a survey
should be taken to see if my
assertions are correct. This is by
no means a personal attack
against you as a person Dawn,
but as the president of an entire
student body, you lost many of
your sisters respect by not
protecting the integrity of your
Spelman sisters in the letter.
Remember, we are sisters first.
Above all, if we don’t look out
for each other as sisters no one
will. That letter that you wrote
isn’t going to make Morehouse
SGA have any more respect for
us. It will probably have a very
adverse affect. Because they
insulted us intentionally & you
LET THEM DO IT. Fawning
should have been the title of
your letter. I'm not saying that
rudeness shouldn’t have been
our stance. But, as you should
know, black men will take you
just as far as you let them, and
until you make them stand up
and account for their actions,
they will continue to take advan
tage of us! Dawn, as long as
you’re a student of Spelman and
just a black woman, you will
always be our sister but, we
musn't let each other stray to far
from the traditional strength,
integrity and character that has
made us the women that we are
today. Dawn we voted you in
office so that you could repre
sent us. I n the future, try and be a
little more discerning of your
sisters feelings. It would make
life at Spelman college a little
more enjoyable as a whole.
On a final note, I would like to
commend the entire Spotlight
staff for the best paper that I have
read since I’ve been here. I’m
sure that it was the cooperation
of all of the staff that brought
such success. I can truly say that
this issue of the Spotlight is truly
"The Voice of Black
Womanhood.” Keep up the
good work!I
I am available at any time to
discuss my reasons for writing
this letter.
Carla Lynn Asberry
1935 Alison Ct. D-9
Atlanta, GA 30311
Dear Editor:
When are Spelmanites going
to stop settling for mediocrity. I
was sorely disappointed by
William Bennett’s, the Secretary
of Education, address to the
Spelman community. It was
nothing more than an Afro-
American history lesson, that we
already know and cherish. We
know that Martin L. King, Jr., a
Morehouse graduate, was a
profound leader and that
Spelman’s liberal arts program is
good for Black women in our
struggle, we have known that at
Spelman for over a century. He
went further to say that the
humanities teach us the impor
tance of fair play and our respon
sibilities to our fellow man. But
where was his sense of fair play
when he fired a brilliant, black,
female, liberal arts scholar whose
words on the handicapped were
distorted by the media. We as
Spelman Women must view this
talk and action as the height of
hypocrisy.
I am sure that Secretary
Bennett would not have gone to
Harvard University and given a
speech on the illustrious
Kennedy lineage there. He
would have discussed his
policies on education and
possibly opened the forum up to
a question and answer period.
His speech probably could have
been used by scholars a gauge
for future policy decisions. I
cannot, however, see any scholar
using the speech Secretary
Bennett gave to the Spelman
community for such purposes.
Spelman Women must demand
more from our invited speakers:
real speeches based on real
issues that concern our lives, our
economy, and our status in this
time and place. Until then we
will go on being unsatisfied and
unmoved.
Sincerely disappointed,
Dana C. Tippin
Editor-in-Chief
Lynette Glover
Art Editor
Kirsten Ray
Feature Editors
Temelle Wilds
Terri Lee
Health Editor
Phyllis Paul
Public Relations
Rhonda Matier
Advertising
Karen Green
Photo Editors
Jennifer Satterfield
Katheleen Tait
Kirsten Ray
Schuyla Goodson
Associate Editor
Debbie Marable
Entertainment
Anna Ponder
The Spelman Spotlight is a bi-monthly publication produced by and for
the students of Spelman College. The Spotlight office is located in the
Manley College Center, lower concourse of Spelman College. Mail should
be addressed to Box 1339, Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia 30314.
Telephone number is 525-1743.
Presidential
Address
I would personally like to
thank the Spelman College stu
dent body, community, and
friends for the support given to
the King Week activities. Not
only did the giving come from
the heart through the many
donations and hard effort put
forth in the drive for the South
African Council of Churches, but
the Spelman family had a special
fellowship in spirit onjanuary 20,
1986.
As we filled the chapel in
commemoration of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. with great an
ticipation of what was to come,
Bishop Tutu gave us all a renew
ed spirit and faith in manking.
We were a part of history in the
making.
As the day continued, many
Spelmanites turned out to sup
port the First National Holiday
Observance March for Dr. Mar
tin Luther King, Jr. While
Spelmanites chanted, “1-2-3-4-5,
keep Martin’s dream'alive; 6-7-
8-9-10, let’s back it up and do it
again,” we were committing
ourselves to effecting our
destiny.
Thank you Spelman sisters,
community, family, and friends.
January 20,1986 will be a day that
I will not only remember as a
celebration of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr.’s birthday being
recognized as a national holiday,
but a day in which the Spelman
family became even more com
mitted to the challenges before
us.
Sincerely,
Dawn M. Williams
President
Spelman SGA
Let’s Give These Organizations A
Hand
The following student
organizations should be
recognized for their efforts in
collecting or contributing to the
South African Council of
Churches:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc.
(AUC Security) through the
Spelman Student Gov. Assoc.
Chemistry Club
DC Metro Club
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
Inc. (largest student donation)
Executive Dormitory Council
External Affairs Board
International Students
Organization
Junior Class
National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
Political Science Society
Senior Honor Society
Sigma Tau Delta (English
Honor Society)
St. Anthony’s Black Catholic
Student Organization
Spelman Student Government
Association
Living the Dream
As I exited Spelman’s backgate
the other day, I came across a
man who was vigorously attemp
ting to sell banners to by-passers
as if they were entering a stadium
for a football game. When he
yelled, "One dollar!”, to me, I
said, “No thank you,” my reason
being “tightness” of funds.
However, as I thought more
about my decision not to buy the
banner, it occurred to me that
my opposition went much
further than simply the loss of a
dollar bill.
You see, the banner read, "I
LOVE THE DREAM: DR. MAR
TIN LUTHER KING, JR." It ap
palled me because as I view all
the holidays that have hit
America’s lawbooks, I’ve seen
that they have been turned into
commercialized celebrations
which are merchant's paradise.
Veteran's Day does not pay
homage to the men and women
who have had to solve our
nation's conflicts through their
sweat and blopd on the world’s
battlefields. Instead, we pay
tributes to Woodie's, Neiman
Marcus and Rich’s with our
plastic money for so-called
markdowns on items at annual
Veteran’s Day Sales. And, we
have quite replaced the Christ in
Christmas with lights, trees,
expensive presents, and eggnog.
Which brings me to my point.
You see, I am hoping that all
the commercialization that I
have been seeing during King
week, such as the selling of
banners and the throwing of
parties in so-called remem
brance of Dr. King (solely to make
a buck) is simply a result of the
newness of the legislation. For
this holiday should not be a time
for commercialization but the
communication of a dream; a
time for reflection and rejuvena
tion, not rest and relaxation. If
we truly love the dream as our
banners hold, we will make our
lives witnesses to the realization
of the Dream and use the holiday
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