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Spelman
OTLIGHT
THE VOICE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMANHOOD
VOLUME XXXVI - NO. 9
MARCH 4, 1993
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK
Rocks Spelman Again
Sweet Honey in the Rock
Photo: Spelman College Office of Public Relations
By Riche Daniel and Felice Winston
A standing ovation, people stomping
on the floor, beating on the balcony
wall, and whistle calls describe the end
of the Feb. 26 performance.
No there wasn’t an extra Bobby
Brown show that night, nor did Prince
come a couple of weeks early. This
show was in Sisters Chapel and it
featured Sweet Honey in the Rock.
Noted as the world’s premier female
a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey in
the Rock brought their melodious
voices to Spelman once again filling
the audience with affirmations of self,
culture, community and the ability to
transform the world.
As a journey through struggle the
concert raised thought-provoking
questions concerning AIDS,
homelessness and love, and combined
them with African traditional rhythm
styles, gospel, jazz, blues, rap, and
even harmony from the audience.
During "Ballad of the Sit Ins" the
audience was beckoned by Bernice
Johnson Reagon, founder of the group,
who said, "African American culture is
a participatory culture."
There was talk of struggle.
How Black people have struggled.
How women have struggled.
And a rendition of Roberta Flack’s
"Trying Times" set it all in motion.
Ysaye Maria Barnwell, a group
member since 1979, described another
type of struggle addressed by the song
"Patchwork Quilt."
"Struggles come in all forms,"
Barnwell said. "There is one that
is...microscopic, it’s called a virus. A
lot of us don’t want to deal with the
fact that something microscopic can
hurt us... It is devastating our
communities."
The spirit in the room was
tremendous.
When Pearle Cleage, author of Mad
at Miles, was asked her opinion of the
show she said, "It was wonderful, they
make us all feel stronger."
Dean Freddye Hill, Academic Dean
for Spelman College, agreed with
Cleage. "It was extremely good,
renewing, and affirming," said Dean
Hill.
"No Mirrors in my Nana’s House"
talked about our fascination with
looking at ourselves in the mirror. The
song says "I never knew skin too Black,
never knew my nose was too flat, never
knew my clothes didn’t fit...No Mirror’s
in my Nana’s House, the beauty I saw
in everything was in her eyes."
Barnwell said how fortunate the
students of Spelman must be when they
can get their images from each other
and grow from each other.
She said men have made words to
describe themselves so that no man can
be ugly, using such words as rigid, virile
and distinguished. It is time women
made words like that for themselves, she
said.
"Our image of ourselves isn’t clear,"
she said. "Maybe if we could see
ourselves in the river rather than in
dishwater, we may find beauty."
Nitanju Bolade Casel, a group
member since 1985, said women need to
take more days off. Men would get
their weight-lifting practice holding up
the world without our assistance.
The men understood her perfectly.
When Coujoe Bandele of AEE Sound
and Lighting Systems was asked his
impressions, he simply gestured
"Thumbs Up."
The song was "Sit Down" but no one
in the audience could when a verse said
"father, brother, children and everybody
white turns to her," referring to the
woman whose work is never done.
Aisha Kahil, a group member since
1981, sang the blues for a man she
loved so much she was going to take a
gun and shoot him.
The concert was an experience for
the young and the old, the people
familiar with Sweet Honey in the Rock
and those not so familiar.
"I love Sweet Honey in the Rock,"
said Wendi O’Neal, a Spelman
sophomore. "Sweet Honey is my
life...I’ve grown up on Sweet Honey."
Bernice Johnson Reagon, a Spelman
graduate, founded Sweet Honey in the
Rock in 1973. She, four other vocalists
and a sign language interpreter for the
hearing impaired now create the music
of Sweet Honey in the Rock.
"I was impressed because I wasn’t
going to come but I decided to come
because there was going to be an
interpreter," said Kristi Merriweather, a
Spelman junior. "It was so energetic
and also mellow and the interpreter was
wonderful. I couldn’t help not dancing
to the beat."
By Kianga M. Ellis
The SSGA and Black Market
Productions sponsored a rally Feb. 26
to raise money for Morris Brown
College.
The rally was held from 1:30 p.m.
to 4:00 p.m. in Read Hall. The SSGA
Co-Social Chairpersons Kianga Ellis
and Vera Jordan worked with DJ Lil’
John to bring new rap groups Mad Cap
and Y’all So Stupid, MCA records and
the African American Marrow Donors
Association to campus that afternoon.
The usual "Manley Friday " crowd
relocated to the gym for the festivities
and gave donations in exchange for
The audience emptied Sisters Chapel
in anxious chatter.
"I’m speechless," said freshman
Candice Jenkins.
Co-Sponsor for the performance was
The Fund For Southern Communities
which is an association that provides
financial support and human resources
for grassroots organizations.
According to Nan Orrock, Executive
Director, the performance raised
$15,000-820,000 for the Fund.
free CDs, tapes and posters.
Craig Frazier, Morris Brown’s SGA
president, addressed the crowd about
the need for all AUC schools to come
together in this time of crisis - "if my
Black College is in trouble, so am I."
With coverage on the Channel 11
6:00 news, this rally was held to
demonstrate students’ continuous
support of Morris Brown.
The amount of money raised was
less important than raising
consciousness and showing the city of
Atlanta that shared feelings of support
and love do exist among the schools of
the Atlanta University Center.
SSGA Rallies To Support
Morris Brown