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Spelman Spotlight
What’s a successful "struggle"? Ask Sister Prez
By Tueri Bowles
Few people could forget her hugs
and kisses as she welcomed them to
Spelman.
She is sophisticated, smart, sincere
and has savvy.
This stunning black woman is none
other than Sister President herself, Dr.
Johnnetta B. Cole.
Dr. Cole is by no means an
ordinary woman, for she is truly
extraordinary.
In addition to being the first black
woman president of Spelman College,
she was recently the first woman
elected to the board of directors for
Coca-Cola Enterprises.
USA Today named her a possible
candidate in the 1992 election for
President of the United States.
If you ask Sister President how she
is doing she’ll tell you that she is
"struggling" but in a good sense.
"I would say about myself, I'm
struggling. By that word I don’t mean
negative things. Struggle to me means
process, being active," she said.
"It means trying to be effective,
trying to bring about change, being
alive. I’m working at it. I am in
process.. I am doing the best I can; I
see that as a very positive thing."
Food
For
Thought
By Rochelle McClendon
This is a little food for thought not
only for my sisters, but for all who are
concerned and tired of the current
situation of women.
THINK ABOUT IT...
Because woman’s work is
underpaid or boring or repetitious,
we’re the first to get the sack and what
we look like is more important than
what we do and if we get raped, it’s
our fault and if we get bashed, we
must have provoked it ahd if we raise
our voices, we’re nagging, bitches and
if we enjoy sex, we’re nymphos and if
we don’t, we’re frigid and if we love
women, it’s because we can’t get a
"real" man and if we ask our doctor
too ipany questions, we’re neurotic
and/or pushy and if we expect
community care for children, we’re
selfish arid if we stand up for our
rights, we’re aggressive and
"unfieminine" and if we don’t, we’re
typical W eak females and if we want to
get married, we’re out to trap a man
and if we don’t, we’re unnatural and we
Still can’t-get an adequate and safe
contraceptive, but men can walk on the
moot) and if we can’t cope or don’t
want a pregnancy, we’re made to feel
guilty and....
Dr. Cole would like to think that
she has been "in process" all her life in
preparing to come to Spelman.
"When I look back over my life, I
see so much that was preparing me to
do this," Cole said.
"For example, knowing Mary
McLeod Bethune as a young child;
having a mom who, yes, became an
insurance executive, but for much of
her life was an educator, an English
professor and registrar at a black
college (Edward-Waters); going to Fisk
at age 15 in an early entrance program
to a historically black university was a
part in what I now in retrospect would
say was preparing me to come to
Spelman."
But another part of Dr. Cole exists.
She is a mother, wife and has a
close network of friends.
As a mother of three sons and two
stepsons, Dr. Cole takes pride in
instilling special beliefs in her children.
"I hope I communicated to these
sons a real responsibility to try to do
for others because they are very
fortunate," she said. "I hope I
communicated that there is a power far
bigger than they are. I hope I have
given them a real fascination and love
of learning. I must (or I would be
unbelievably ashamed of myself) have
given them a deep respect for women."
Dr. Cole serves as a surrogate
mother to 1700 daughters by whom she
is deeply inspired.
"I want to say very honestly that I
am deeply inspired by Spelman
students themselves. And I see it in a
very circular way. I am not going to
be so modest as to say that I fail to
inspire these young sisters. I better. I
work hard to do that. But what goes
around comes around. They then
become my source of inspiration," Cole
said.
Dr. Cole believes her husband,
Arthur Robinson Jr., best captures what
keeps Johnnetta going.
"He noticed that I have a very
large and wonderful network of
African-American women and some
other women who really are my closest
sisterhood. I am saying to you very
honestly that I will wake up one day
and there would be a basket of fruit
from Sonia Sanchez. And there will
be a little note that says, ‘remember,
my sister, you must take care of
yourself.’ Sure, I am a par to the
Spelman Sisterhood, but I also have
that network of women," Cole
exclaimed.
A r Crumbling Stepping Stone
By Sandra Elaine Waite
Every achievement made by an
African-American is an achievement for
the African-American race as a whole.
Because of the accomplishments of
our predecessors in areas such as law
(Marian Wright Edelman, the first
black woman admitted to the bar in
Mississippi), politics (Barbara Jordan,
the first black senator to sit on the
Texas Senate since 1883), entertainment
(Leontyne Price, the first to achieve
world status as "prima donna
absoluta"), and sports (Wilma Rudolph,
the first American woman to win three
gold medals in trade and field at a
single Olympiad), we as a people have
been able to achieve many of the
things that were once unspeakable and
unthinkable.
Stepping stones have been built for
our people through individual
accomplishments such as those
mentioned above.
However, when we lose our sense
of pride, despite the ratism and
obstacles that stand before us, we begin
to lose sight of our black womanhood
and blade manhood.
Judge Clarence Thomas presumably
does not believe in affirmative adion.
He stands against the very process
that enabled him to attend Yale Law
School and that enables him today to
be considered for the seat on the
Supreme Court.
It is my opinion that this type of
idealism will ultimately crumble the
stepping stones for which our ancestors
fought and died.
It is this^ype of mentality that will
turn the clock back and reverse our
hard-earned gain.
We, as an entire people, should
never lose sight of our foundation,
because the most solid foundation can
instantly crumble.
In addition to Dr. Cole’s personal
life it is the women of Spelman who
she constantly thinks about.
They are the drive and motivation
that cause her to get on that airplane,
one more time, to travel in search of
monies for the school.
So, it’s no surprise that Dr. Cole
sees the future of Spelman as an
upward movement.
"I see Spelman increasingly
becoming this very, very outstanding
institution whose mission does not
waiver that we educate well African-
American women leaders whose
character does not go through any
transformation," said Cole with
confidence.
"And we are a small liberal arts
college, historically Black, for women."
However, Dr. Cole does not see
Spelman’s initial mission ever changing.
"No, I do not see Spelman College
becoming a co-ed institution. No, I do
not see Spelman College becoming a
research university. No, I do not see
Spelman College changing its
fundamental mission," she explained.
"But I do see us, I hope, becoming
ever more effective at delivering what
we must deliver at a given point in
history."
My
Spelman
Experience
During the summer, incoming
students were encouraged to
submit essays on the following
topic: "What I Plan to Gain From
My Spelman Experience and What
I Plan to Give?' The responses
were published in the August 30
issue of the Spotlight. The
editors of the Spotlight apologize
that the article below was omitted.
By Jennifer Chattman
Over the last year, I’ve made many
decisions, but not as important as the
one I made a few months ago, which
was to attend Spelman College.
The choice I made to further my
education here will have a long lasting
effect on the decisions I make in the
future.
I consider leaving home a step
toward my independence, and starting
a life of my own.
All the friends and family that I
have bade home will be missed greatly,
but here at Spelman (my new home) I
hope to make friendships that will last
indefinitely.
College for me will not only be a
learning experience academically, but
spiritually, mentally and socially as
well.
As an incoming freshman, I have
such high expectations for myself as to
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