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THE VOICE VOL XXXI, No. 2 Atlanta, Georgia October, 1987 Bringing it Back Home by Kamela Heyward On Thursday September 10, 1987 Sisters Chapel quickly filled with curious young women. The energy in the chapel was one of people sitting on the edge of their seats, impatiently awaiting the first Black female presi dent of Spelman College to speak. When the time arrived for Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole to speak, the whole audience spontaneously jumped out of their seats to “receive the message” from the woman of the hour. Dr. Cole opened by sharing her thoughts on the first convo cation and what message she would like to convey. She stated that after much uncer tainty and ponderance over many topics, her close friend provided her with an African proverb, “Those who learn must teach.” The inspira tional theme that resulted was “Our Communities.” Dr. Cole’s goal was to leave the students so inspired that they would find it essential to give back their talents to the Black community. After stating the theme, she then launched full force into her message. One of the first points Dr. Cole shared with the extremely attentive audience was that Black institutions’ ultimate goal of striving for excellence is defeated unless the student shares his or her acquired knowledge with the Black community. As the speech continued, it was evident that Dr. Cole was not ignoring the fact that there were many reasons which prevented Black youth from being dedicated to their community. Recognizing this she went even further by pointing out some of the prob lems that afflict not only the Black youth of today but the Black community as a whole. One of the major problems is the constant role changes expected of youth from the society. Young people are struggling in a competitive society which encourages them to be bicultural. Although it is positive for young people to experience different cultures, those same young people are often burdened with “which community” they should belong. This confusion is not only disruptive to the indi vidual but it is tragic to the community and nation. An individual torn between two different communities can not pledge total allegiance to either one. Another problem deeply connected with the first, was denial of culture. She stated even though conscious and unconscious efforts are made to scorn African culture, African retentions are still found in African American culture and throughout the world. Many smiles were seen and amens and uh-huhs uttered as Dr. Cole presented examples and connections between the dance, music and. food of Black American to Africa. By pointing out the strong influence Africa continues to have on Black America it was proven that the African heritage cannot be “resisted.” Because Black Americans are linked by a particular heritage and common goal we should work together to make the positive aspects of the heritage flourish and reflect on painful parts as a reminder of how much more we have to accom plish. At this point in the speech Dr. Cole said that we as young Black women, as a tribute to our mothers and grandmother who laid the foundation of striving for excellence, should return to “Our Community,” our accu mulated knowledge. With great emphasis Dr. Cole said it is of importance that Black youth also teach and understand the two real ities of our community. The first realities are Black on Black crime, teen pregnancy and many other maladies which are slowly destroying the Black community. But the second half of reality is a positive one, young Black college students which could provide hope for the “falling” Black community by sharing their expertise in their various fields. By accepting and praising our African culture and African heritage, we will then be able to appreciate other cultures. We would be stronger by embracing the African cosmology which encourages “inclusion not exclusion” instead of thinking ourselves better by denying our heritage and accepting the values of the broader community. Dr. Cole then closed the message reciting a list of African prov erbs. The proverb that, summed up the message so (continued on p.3) The Spelman Spotlight Introduces SAVANT by M. Joette Harland A new organization is being established called SAVANT by the Atlanta University Center Philos ophy society. It’s name was very appropriately chosen in accordance to its purpose. The purpose of SAVANT is to create an atmosphere of political, social, and religious awareness among the student-faculty population of the AUC. The organization intends to emphasize that thinking and reasoning are- essential in the development of the Black mind. The or ganization believes that during the past twenty years critical thinking in the Black community has diminished and offers to challenge partic ipants in the organization to re-establish critical thinking. After participating in the program, it is the hope of the organization that the outcome will be a more learned person (or savant). There will be monthly forums on contemporary issues where student ideas will be discussed through vocal presentation and publi cations throughout the Atlanta University Center. There will also be informal encounter groups in the center to exhange and share ideas, and engaging students in open campus conversa tions of individual interest will also be strongly encour aged. For more information on SAVANT, contact the pres ident of the organization, Thomas Dawson at 525- 6050. ilk