Newspaper Page Text
GUIDE Continued
Back In The Day
by Cybil A. Brown
Following are the reactions of eight men to The
Blackman’s Guide to Understanding the
Blackwoman:
Hanif Kemit (senior, psychology)
"The reason that this book scares me-and it
does scare me so much-is because it provides
ammunition for unenlightened black men to use
against black women. It provides an opportunity
for victims to blame victims, which produces no
positive results and will never produce what we
need for liberation. It frightens me because I
hear comments that brothers make; and it seems
that the book is legitimizing many of the sexist
notions that they’ve had-many of the sexist,
selfish, Eurocentric, individualistic notions that
they’ve had over time-just because it’s written as
a book and passed off as some scholarly piece
of some merit, which it most definitely is not."
Jafari Demit (senior; inn studies)
"The book is an example of sexist, racist
literature, and it comes out of the position that
it is bom of our oppression. And it is useless,
and it is trash and should be treated as such.
I’m frankly frightened that brothers are toting it
around as if it were actually a guide to anything
other than the way not to behave. It is time for
African men to realize the value of African
women and to understand that we won’t get
anywhere following each other and that we must
work together. We have to determine our lives
for ourselves."
Wesley Williams (freshman, political science)
"I think that we need to move past the book
and deal with the issues. There are some issues
that the book addresses. I agree that we have
to come together, but we’re apart, and we've
got to deal with the issues that are keeping us
apart. Some of those issues are addressed in
the book. We should move past the book per
se. All right. It is sexist. Let’s deal with the
issues. I think that in an eagerness to disregard
the sexist parts, we disregard the truth-(and
that's dangerous) some of the true aspects that
are in there."
Anu (advanced sophomore; history)
"As a black man who has experienced great
hurt in recent times and have been a victim of
and have been around a lot of black male
bashing, I feel good that something came out to
tell me that it’s not all my fault. I’m not here
to blame sisters, and I don’t necessarily agree
with the format of what the sister put out; but
I do agree with the crux of what she says. No,
I don’t agree with every single point, but I
would stand behind the book because I believe
that the majority of it is true. And truth is
gonna come through no matter how you say it.
Truth is truth. I don’t believe that my people
can be duped in such a fashion that we can’t
tell the difference between complete absurdity
and truth."
Jason Gray (sophomore; economics)
"I feel that the book on the whole has a lot of
fallacies, as does any other book that is written
by man for the simple fact that men and women
are never completely objective about what they
write or what they think or what they feel
because they are miraged by different
circumstances which control their individual lives.
However, I do feel that for the basis of the
truth in the book, that the book should be
analyzed, looked at by each individual in
individual instances to try to find, if any, some
instances or psychological characteristics-and try
to rectify that. I think that a lot of black
women are concerned with some of the solutions
that she offers as far as slapping the woman in
the mouth. A lot of black women are
concerned with being submissive or following the
black man and I think that is something that
they need to be concerned about. And I think
that should be brought out. However, on the
same note, I think as they are so quick to
recognize the negatives and lies that are in the
book, they should be just as willing to accept
the truths and the characteristics which apply to
themselves."
Shaka Krnt (senior, engineering)
"I feel that the book has strong sexist
undertones. I feel that it also has an undertone
that black women should be submissive to black
men., I think that it’s very subjective because it
was only her view and it wasn’t backed up by
any documentation whatsoever. That needs to
be looked at. And if she had given the title In
Mv Opinion, This is a Blackman’s Guide to
Understanding a Blackwoman. then we could not
question the book because it’s her opinion. And
it’s very, very subjective. On "Tony Brown’s
Journal," she said that she surveyed some
brothers and they were disillusioned; but in the
book she never mentioned any brothers. She
never mentioned any statistics. Therefore, I do
not feel that it’s valid. I think that it’s coming
from her own opinion of how things are; and
then maybe it’s a mirror image of her life and
it might be an autobiography."
Kevin Hamlett (sophomore; inn studies)
"I think the reason why, for the most part,
women are in the position they are in today is
because they are in a sense looking for a man;
and he’s nowhere to be found. So I think that
when we really know what a man is and really
deal with that, I think women will start coming
into place and they’ll eventually pick up. That’s
what I got from her basically."
Raynard Harrington (sophomore; inn studies)
"When we look at this book, we have to look
at the fact that she’s coming from an eastern
mindset and in addressing this. She firstly
crushes a lot of western myths; and so we have
to remember that. She is also coming from an
historical standpoint, so these things need to be
looked at. The whole thing about the book is
it makes you question where we are and how
we’re gonna get out of it. And looking at that,
what I would suggest that sisters ask themselves
is, are these things true. And if they are, let’s
work on them; if they aren’t, then let’s dismiss
them. But by saying that it’s not true when we
see how we're living, we have to wonder if we’re
playing games with ourselves. The thing that
should come from this book is that we have to
start questioning why we’re in a bad situation
and can this book be used to help us. I think
it can."
Spelman women are well noted for their great diversity in thei
interest!, achievements and experiences. One very specia
experience that all Spelman sisters share is convocation.
Whether it is known to them as chapel or convocation, Spelmar
women, young and old alike, can vividly remember those specia
moments in Sisters Chapel
Today’s Spelman students often grumble and complain about
having to wake up and go to convocation, but if only they could
imagine having to go to convocation five days a week from 8:0C
until 8:30 in the morning!
In the past, all freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were
required to attend chapel, as it was called back then, daily and
punctually. Students, often times avoided the formal uniform ol
white dresses, flesh tone stockings and black shoes by attending
Chapel service with pajamas under their trench coat.
Although the name "chapel" denotes a more religiously focused
service, the format of the past chapel service was very much like
the format of today’s convocation.
Each service consisted of an organ prelude, a special musical
selection, a prayer, a speaker’s address, and a recessional
Just as today’s Spelman's sisters are graced by innovative,
captivating speakers, so were former Spelman students.
According to Dr. Fleda Mask Jackson, director of the Living
Learning Programs, "many priceless speeches by some of the
most notable African Americans have been made in morning
chapel in Sisters Chapel Perhaps some of the most prominent
speakers included Howard Thurman, Dr. Benjamin E. Mays,
Martin Luther King, Sr., Langston Hughes, and John Hope
Franklin.
Dr. Jackson also commented that "there has been a magnificent
increase in the number of African American women speakers in
the last ten years at Spelman’s convocations." In recent years,
Spelman women have been enlightened by such influential figures
as Carter G. Woodson, Mari Evans, and Angela Davis.
Reverend Norman Rates, College Chaplain, explained that "lhere
was very little difference between chapel and convocation except
for the frequency of chapel and also its compulsiveness."
Back then. Sisters Chapel could accommodate its relatively small
number of students," added Rev. Rates. Because of Spelman’s
small enrollment, chapel was compulsory of all students; however,
today’s ever-increasing enrollment only permits required
attendance of freshmen and sophomores. Rev. Rates also
recalled the days when former President Read presided over
chapel services and when chapel participants wore academic
robes.
In Spelman’s past, present and future convocation has played an
interesting and significant role in the education of her students.
It is a time when Spelman sistren come together to bond through
sharing and experiencing.
Though much of the education process takes place in the
classroom, convocation is an opportunity to explore and to
experience national, international, cultural and social interests.
Spelman’s convocation is a tradition that has and always will unify
and nurture the Spelman community.
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