Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

VOL XXXI, No. 3 Atlanta, Georgia November, 1987 The Blue Eyed Black Forum: A Response by Ingrid L. Williams On Thursday, October 8, approximately 150 students poured into the old Giles Library to discuss an issue which ignited a heated debate within a matter of minutes. The issue, blue eyed blacks, or simply blacks wearing colored contacts, affected many students who consider themselves cultur ally conscious as opposed to those who were not as socially aware. Six students sat on the panel. Morehouse senior Dwayne Williams and junior Eddie Glaude were in oppo sition of wearing colored contacts. Morehouse sopho more, Dondi Tunnage and Spelman seniors Monique Guest and Michelle Stevenson were in favor of wearing the contacts. The sixth panel member, Michelle Bass was neutral and found no reason for a forum. Students in the audience asked with a sense of distrac tion why the panel members wore the colored contacts. “I don’t want you to think I wear them because I look any better, I just like them,” said Guest. She said she received the contacts for free during the summer when she worked for an optometrist. “I have green and blue contacts and I wear them for a cosmetic change,” said Guest. Her counterparts agreed. Tunnage and Stevenson said they wore the contacts as a fashion statement. Glaude, who was against Blacks wearing the colored contacts, said “you are psychologically enslaved because this is a manifesta tion of us not identifying who we are.” He urged the three to stop being idealistic. Things began to get loath some. Students in the audi ence started popping up like Pillsbury pop and fresh dough anxious to spit out questions and remarks concerning their identity, assimilation and cultural awareness. One student, who was exceedingly angered by the presumed ignorance of the students said by wearing colored contacts blacks are becoming the “slavemasters nigger.” Williams said the economic factor was an important issue regarding the contacts. He said certain products are marketed specif ically toward Blacks because the manufacturers know the items will sell. He also stressed the relevance of economic independence by Jiea Rutland Morehouse’s Homecoming celebration gives many Spelman women the oppor tunity to participate in coro nation. Spelman women are recognized by the various honor organizations and state clubs, they are there fore able to participate in the auxiliary courts which support Ms. Maroon and White. An extremely impor tant factor for us, as Spelman women is the existance of our own royal court, the Blue and White Court. The members of the Blue and White Court include Mr. and Ms. Blue and White Court McKinnley Wooten and Valerie Vershon Davis. The first attendants Maurice McRae and Greta Mitchell and the second among the black community. “We need to stabilize the economy in our own commu nities instead of spending millions of dollars on goods that aren’t made for us,” said Williams. Glaude, Williams, and a host of students in the audi ence said the contacts send out negative connotations to both younger Blacks and whites in general. “What kind of Black pride can you share with your younger brothers and sisters if you have artificial blue, green, or hazel eyes?”, asked Glaude. Guest said she has a younger brother with whom she shares and teaches the importance of Black culture. She said he understands Black identity and her attendants are Dorian Jointer and Karen Calloway. I had the pleasure of inter viewing Ms. Blue and White, Valerie Davis and I was impressed by her intellec- wearing colored contacts does not affect what she stresses to him. “He thinks my eyes look funny when I have contacts on, but I don’t think it makes him question my identity,” said Guest. “It’s just like putting a curl in your hair when you wake up in the morning, there’s no difference.” “Whites already think we want to be like them,” said Glaude. He said our defini tion of beauty is distorted to the white man but we must overcome this psychological enslavement. Spelman junior Carol Ross, who attended the forum, said she agrees with Glaude. “I don’t like the image the contacts project, it says a lot about the person who finds the need to change tual, yet down-to-earth disposition. I am positive you will understand why Valerie Vershon Davis was selected Ms. Blue and White on January 31, 1987, for the his or her eye color.” Ross said the people have no sense of Black pride and that they are assimilating in the White race. Morehouse junior, William Crawley said appearance is not half as important as mentality and as long as our brothers and sisters are culturally conscious then there is no need to squabble because we are already a divided people. The forum did spark fumes and kindle people’s consciousness but whether or not it changed the minds of those Blacks who wear colored contacts is another story. The question still remains to be, or not to be Black? Do you have the answer? 1987-1988 academic year. Jiea: What inspired you to run for Ms. Blue and White? Valerie: The fact that I thought who could represent me? Many times I asked myself, who would be a good queen for my college, why not me? I saw myself possessing the qualities of a queen. Jiea: So you feel you possess the qualities to represent Spelman, what do you feel those qualities are? Valerie: I asked myself, what does it take to represent Spelman? All you have to be is a Spelman woman and those are my grounds for running, to show that anybody could do it, it wasn’t necessary to be this way or that way. Be a Spelman (continued on page 3) Interview with Ms. Blue and White