SPELMAN Spelman’s Stacey Abrams, C’95 Political Warriors INSIDE Stacey Abrams, C’95, a power Mission in Service politico and quintessential Spelman sister Kiron Skinner, C’81, a one-woman Influencers in strategic-thinking tour de force Advocacy, Celina Stewart, C’2001, a sassy Government and woman getting things done Public Policy THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF SPELMAN COLLEGE | SPRING 2019 | VOL. 130 NO. 1 SPELMAN EDITOR All submissions should be sent to: Renita Mathis Spelman Messenger Office of Alumnae Affairs COPY EDITOR 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 304 Beverly Melinda James Atlanta, GA 30314 OR http://www.spelmanlane.org/SpelmanMessengerSubmissions GRAPHIC DESIGNER Garon Hart Submission Deadlines: Fall Issue: Submissions Jan. 1 – May 31 ALUMNAE DATA MANAGER Spring Issue: Submissions June 1 – Dec. 31 Danielle K. Moore ALUMNAE NOTES EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Alumnae Notes is dedicated to the following: Jessie Brooks • Education Joyce Davis • Personal (birth of a child or marriage) Sharon E. Owens, C’76 • Professional Jane Smith, C’68 Please include the date of the event in your submission. TAKE NOTE! EDITORIAL INTERNS Take Note! is dedicated to the following alumnae Melody Greene, C’2020 achievements: Jana Hobson, C’2019 • Published Angelica Johnson, C’2019 • Appearing in films, television or on stage Tierra McClain, C’2021 • Special awards, recognition and appointments Asia Riley, C’2021 Please include the date of the event in your submission. WRITERS BOOK NOTES Maynard Eaton Book Notes is dedicated to alumnae and faculty authors. Connie Freightman Please submit review copies. Adrienne Harris Tom Kertscher IN MEMORIAM We honor our Spelman sisters. If you receive notice Alicia Lurry of the death of a Spelman sister, please contact the Kia Smith, C’2004 Office of Alumnae Affairs at 404-270-5048 or Cynthia Neal Spence, C’78, Ph.D. Sharon Owens, director of alumnae engagement, at Shantoria Vance, C’2007 [email protected]. For verification purposes, please include a printed program, PHOTOGRAPHERS newspaper acknowledgment or electronic link with your Scott King submission. Ben Kornegay Kevin D. Liles The Spelman Messenger is published twice Curtis McDowell a year by Spelman College, 350 Spelman Furery Reid Spelman College Archives Lane, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30314-4399, Julie Yarbrough, C’91 free of charge for alumnae, donors, trustees and friends of the College. Recipients www.spelman.edu wishing to change the address to which the Spelman Messenger is sent should notify the editor, giving both old and new addresses. Third-class postage paid at Atlanta, Georgia. Publication No. 510240 CREDO Founded in 1885, the Spelman Messenger is the alumnae magazine of Spelman College and is committed to educating, serving and empowering Black women. The content of the Messenger is designed to share news and events about the College and alumnae, as well as discuss Spelman’s leadership role in addressing a wide range of issues relevant to our community. THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF SPELMAN SPELMAN COLLEGE SPRING 2019 4 10 18 24 On the Cover Mission in Service Arts @ Spelman Stacey Abrams has emerged as a powerful A featured list of some of Spelman’s shining stars Before painting Michelle Obama’s portrait, politico and quintessential Spelman sister. in government, public policy and advocacy. Amy Sherald spent endless hours in the Spelman College art studio. COVER PHOTO BY KEVIN D. LILES contents FEATURES SPECIAL FEATURE 10 Stacey Abrams is a power 2 President’s Message 16 Mission in Service politico. 3 Spelman Scenes A dynamic and enterprising BY MAYNARD EATON group of women who represent 22 Westside Story leadership in government, public 13 Celina Stewart is a sassy policy and advocacy. woman getting things done. 24 ARTS@Spelman BY TOM KERTSCHER 26 Book Notes Kiron Skinner is a one-woman 14 strategic-thinking tour de 28 Homecoming 2018 force. 29 Spelman on Capitol Hill BY RENITA MATHIS 30 Alumnae Notes 31 Take Notes 36 In Memoriam 37 Donor Roll SPRING 2019 » 1 From the PRESIDENT’S OFFICE Empowering Women to Serve his issue of the Spelman We challenge our young women to Messenger highlights dozens have big visions – global views of life of alumnae who are serv- that include an awareness of what’s ing their communities and going on in the world, deep knowledge T the nation through public about issues, and opinions informed with service. From elected officials, to policy evidence about the challenges human- advocates, to government administrators, kind faces, as well as the possibilities to political organization leaders, Spelman for change. women have claimed their power in order Spelman’s rigorous liberal arts educa- to create a better world. tion offers a range of opportunities to learn We are proud of these alumnae – and – inside the classroom, through innovative proud of the role Spelman has played in curricula and research, and outside the their development. As Stacey Abrams, classroom, through internships, commu- C’95, who ran a historic campaign nity service and study abroad. in Georgia to be our country’s first For 138 years, Spelman has been the African-American female governor, said: place where our students learn to speak “Spelman teaches women how to leverage up and speak out, not only on behalf of and deploy their power.” their individual needs but on behalf of For 138 years, empowering Black each other and their communities. women has been this institution’s sacred Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole used to tell charge. Spelman is the place where the entering class at Spelman: “Look to Spelmanites choose their values and dis- your left, look to your right. Make sure cover their truth. that both of those women are with you, Spelman creates an environment when you graduate.” Our Spelmanites where, surrounded by other young are ambitious for themselves and even women, challenged by their faculty, our more ambitious for each other and their students learn to think critically, ask ques- communities, the mark of real leaders. tions and, if necessary, fearlessly disrupt Please join me in celebrating the women the status quo. Their years at Spelman of Spelman who have devoted their provide the time and space to think, dis- lives to public service and the welfare cover and affirm who they are and what of their communities, their country and really matters to them. the world. For 138 years, Spelman has been the place where our students can develop a vision. Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D. President, Spelman College 2 » SPELMAN MESSENGER spelman SCENES CELEBRATING OUR RIGHTS OF CITIZENSHIP BY CYNTHIA NEAL SPENCE, C’78, PH.D. Spelman College, founded in 1881, just 13 years after rati- The right of Black women and girls to be educated was not in fication of the 14th Amendment, created a space for those the language of the 14th Amendment, but the call for Black not considered by the amendment – Black women and girls. women and girls to reap the full benefits of citizenship guided Our institution has historically prepared young women of all responsible for the College’s founding. African descent for the promise and full actualization of the Spelman College continues to educate young women in the rights of citizenship. face of perennial challenges not automatically protected by As we consider our place in history as an institution dedi- the 14th Amendment’s equal protection under the law clause. cated to the education of women, Spelman College stands as a Ironically, voting rights, equal rights for women, and violence reflection of and testimony to that first class of stu- dents in 1881 and their families who had probably hopefully imagined what ratification of the 14th Amendment should mean to all persons of African descent if its tenets were actualized and woven into the fabric of laws and policies in America. The families of the first class of Spelman College students undoubtedly had stories to tell about experiences of family members whose dreams of education were thwarted by the people, social conditions, and dominant ideas about the place of Black people at the time. The 14th Amendment of 1868 and its com- panion Reconstruction amendments – the 13th Amendment of 1865 (abolishing slavery except as punishment for conviction of a crime) and the 15th Amendment of 1870 (granting the right to vote to Black males) – must be analyzed together as we examine the lives of Blacks prior to their adoption as part of the United States Constitution. While Black against women continue to be areas in need of strong and women sought the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the sustained social justice advocacy. It is even more important devaluation of all women, but particularly Black women’s today to recognize and challenge the tenets of White supremacy agency and rights as citizens, was not considered. and to prepare our students to continue to demand and seek An invested belief and commitment to White supremacy equal protection under the law. Not only do we prepare our made the lives of Blacks throughout the South subject to women to exercise their full rights as citizens, we also prepare organized terror campaigns. Of particular note is the fact them to seek social justice for those whose rights have been that the mid-1800s was a very violent time for Black men denied because of marginalization or disenfranchisement. and women throughout the South as Confederate leaders and sympathizers took out their frustrations against newly freed Cynthia Neal Spence, Ph.D., is director of the Spelman College Blacks. Seeking the promise of the 14th Amendment became a Social Justice Program, the UNCF Mellon Programs, and rallying call for all concerned. The very founding of Spelman associate professor in the Department of Sociology and College became an act of social justice against this backdrop.