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P\ (I re Voice of African-American Womanhood Since 1957 VOLUME XLVIII , ISSUE IV MARCH 16,2012 Featured in this issue’s GLAM CAM with a passion for fashion is freshman, Fennella Miller. PG 5 As the NBA is noosing black athletes many wonder: is it re ally worth it? PG 3 The debatable subject of light skin versus dark skin surfaces in another Forum...again. PG 3 Jf Uu/jt t/l& SPOTLIGHT Campus Life 2\ Forum 3 News 41 Fashion and Beauty. 5 j Arts and Entertainment 61 My President is Black Rabiah Elisa Forum Editor Clark Atlanta’s Student Center was flooded with AUC Students on February 21st at 5:30 to rally to gether in support of re-election for Barack Obama. The HBCU Obama Student Summit was put together by the Democratic National Com mittee in hopes of raising aware ness, advocacy, student volunteers and voter registration. The DNC wants to get the AUC excited to vote and engaged in the Obama Administration efforts to see that Obama is re-elected for his second term. SGA President of Clark Atlanta University was the first speaker. She introduced her fellow sorer and CAU Alum, Kimberly Mar cus, who for the past four months has been working as the director of African-American outreach in various communities nation-wide for the DNC. In her speech, Ms. Marcus noted that the President doubled numbers for Pell Grants for an additional 200, 000 students and as of 2008, 46% of African- American students receive Pell Grants, more so than any other group. Over 40 states have raised their education standards- teacher training since Obama was deemed presidency as well. As Ms. Marcus shouts out the name of each school in the AUC, the crowd was moved by the presence of representatives from Morris Brown whom has recently just recovered from a troublesome period of lack of accreditation. Everyone was glad to have them back and active in such an impor tant event. Dr. Dyson of Georgetown University gave a riveting speech exposing some of the hypocrisy within the United States regard ing the misuse of our tax money and the abuse of other means of financial support.. “Thank God we have a leader who.” was a phrase Dyson reiterated. He thanked God that a leader such as Obama is in the White House to clear such problems from the thread of Americas stitching. Dr. Dyson also stated “don’t think its because you cute and colored you do what you do.. .now y’all are in the mall chillin, watching television, doing everything but what you need to be doing.. .they want you tripped out, tricked out, marginalized.” Dyson pleads that we do not let politicians pass laws and policies that subsi dize our own oppression. Though Dyson was humorous, slightly informal and incorporated a great deal of colloquialism in his speech, his message was very clear and well-received all the same: Our ancestors were lynched, beaten, brutalized, barricaded, raped, pil laged, and stripped of all rights to simply step on the grounds of the voting polls and we have the nerve to stay silenced and not exercise our right to vote. Spelman’s SGA President, Taylor Allen, opened by telling a captivat ing personal story regarding her interaction with a homeless man. The nucleus of it being, “Can YOU sacrifice any more?” Taylor stressed the importance of reg istering to vote, and then taking the steps to actually vote in the elections. While referencing Dr. Dyson’s speech, Taylor accidently referred to Dr. Dyson as “Mr.” Dyson one too many times- an innocent but remarkable mistake. Taylor introduced Keisha Knight Pulliam, Spelman Alum class of 2001, better known as Rudy from The Cosby Show. Ms. Pulliam stressed that this country has been built on the blood, sweat and tears of our an cestors. “So many of us have gotten so comfortable and say ‘oh this is how it is’ but do you know how it got there? Do you know how many people had to die?” Ms. Pulliam remarks that it was the people that were our age who were the corner stone of the fight for civil rights. “Understand you power,” Ms. Pul liam urged. She also commented that “The same way you pass the word about Beer Bash, you need to pass on the word to VOTE with the same vigor.” Janelle Monae’s entourage Nate Wonder and Chuck Lightening mad a statement right after Pul liam about the importance of voting and not being complacent. They shared a story about how democrats are trying to create an economy that is built to last, em phasizing the importance of voting and how we are “agents of change.” They introduce Janelle Monae who performed at the White House for President Obama and is a strong TV America for Barack Obama 2012 Photos Courtesy of thyblackman.com, minorityrecruitonline.com, mcecenter.com, qfsusa.com and jbhe.com advocate for the Obama Admin istration as well as his family and his person. Toward the end of her speech, Monae had everyone in the room stand up and put our right fist in the air, a powerful act of black pride, and promise that we will do everything in our power to spread the word to “vote vote vote.” Travis Randall, the final speaker, is a senior political science major at Morehouse, and SGA President. Declared that we need to be “mak ing the commitment to stop the Republican party from rolling back the progress of this nation.” What I love most is that we are no longer trying to mull over Obama’s identity as a black man to avoid the shallow discrepancy of supporting him because he’s black. Yes, he is black and yes, I will vote for him because he is black amongst numerous other reasons. People cannot possibly convince us to not vote for him because we are black, can they? I am proud to be an African-American and proud to see myself in the leader of the free world, in a powerful intel lectual, excellent orator, outstand ing crisis manager and a morally strong President. As Ms. Marcus said, “African Americans for Obama.” Obama is a representa tive for something far greater than America. He is a challenge and a symbol of resistance to the self-ful filling destiny of entrapment many African-Americans are forced or retreat in to. He may not have grew up exposed to or enabling drug abuse or on a street with boarded up houses or without stable educa tion, parenting or financial income. He may not have struggled in the same ways many blacks struggle that drive us to abandon or dreams and our futures but he is undoubt edly a clear indication of being able to avert the too long perpetuated myth of race being a factor of our worth and worthiness. On November 6th, peel your self from your couch, turn off your music and television, remove yourself from your house or dorm, get off Twitter and Facebook and VOTE VOTE VOTE. If you are not registered to vote, get in contact with our SGA President, Anita Foster or go to democrats.org or rockthevote.com. Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 1 W J N \ I if ^ 1/ f i- r * hr v p * j iiSir jiiii m i ] m ' j j ■ST" / P! — 75 o 79 o 81 o 77 o