THE BLUEPRINT:
A S P E L M A N S P O T L I G H T P U B L I C AT I O N Vol. 4, No. 3
Intellectual Framework for the Freethinker
Trump Orders Advancement of Dakota Access Pipeline
A Look at What’s Inside:
By: Kristin Burns
Pictured: Protesters marching against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota Photo courtesy: Indigenous Environmental Network
“Fences” Comes to the AUC p.2 “Hidden Figures” Brought to Light p.2 Student Reflections on the Women’s March p.3 Transgender Policy Task Force Assembled p.3 What Are Safe Spaces? p.4
Since April of 2016, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe along with other Native American tribes, indigenous people worldwide and environmentalists have protested the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protestors claim that the pipeline poses a serious environmental and cultural threat. The pipeline would cross land that holds a historic and cultural significance to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Protesters are concerned with the effect the pipeline could have if it were to burst near bodies of water.
On Dec. 4, 2016, construction of the pipeline was halted by President Barack Obama. He decided to have engineers and scientists analyze the negative effects the pipeline could have on the environment. On Jan. 24, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to speed up the review and approval of the Dakota Access Pipeline and Keystone XL Pipeline. Trump also mandated that pipelines built in the United States should only use materials made in the U.S. This would
Angela Davis Returns
Pictured: Angela Davis speaks at Spelman College Photo courtesy: Jordan Brown
By: Ashlea Brown
Do not take the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for granted. That was the message that activist and scholar, Angela
January/February 2017
Davis, delivered to students on Jan. 18 as part of Spelman College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Engagement. During her
ultimately shorten the environmental review process of pipelines. The chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Dave Archambault II, said in a statement to CNN, “President Trump is legally required to honor our treaty rights and provide a fair and reasonable pipeline process.” Tom Steyer, the president of NextGen Climate, said in a statement to CNN “the pipelines are all risk and no reward, allowing corporate polluters to transport oil though our country to be sold on the
global market, while putting our air and water at serious risk.” Protesting has resumed as a response to the executive order. Environmental organizations working with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said they are protesting and fighting the pipelines approval. Previous retaliation protests included police officers being equipped with riot gear, tear gas, rubber bullets, taser darts and other equipment to disband protesters.
speech she highlighted King’s legacy in relation to the new presidency, capitalism, the empowerment of women and prison reform. Davis began her speech acknowledging the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and how hard people fought to celebrate King’s legacy nationally. Davis urged students to preserve Martin Luther King Jr. Day as one of engagement, instead of turning it into “another day for retail sales.” MLK Day is about more than King. Davis also acknowledged the need to recognize “those whose names have not been recorded, those who have been rendered invisible … because they are poor or black or a woman.” As a result of Donald Trump becoming the newly installed president Davis urged the crowd to take action and mobilize around women’s rights,
immigrants and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community (LBGT). Speaking to the election, Davis reminded the crowd that a majority of white women elected Trump into office. Because 53 percent of white women voted for Trump verses over 90 percent of black women voted for Hillary Clinton. Known as a leading champion against the prison system, Davis argued that prison is a gendered institution and the United States’ default to solving society’s problems. She reminded us that the prison system can be traced back to slavery and Jim Crow laws. Davis ended the night saying, “Being an activist is about imagination… move on when hopeless. Build collectiveness with other people. When you don’t bear the entire burden yourself, you can go further.”
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2 Jan/Feb 2017 www.spelmanblueprint.com
The BluePrint
ARTS & Entertainment Pictured: (from left to right) Mykelti Williamson, Denzel Washington, and Terrence J discuss Fences at Morehouse College. Photo courtesy: @auccam
“Fences” Comes to the AUC By: Tyler Stephens
On Dec. 7, actor and director Denzel Washington along with the cast of “Fences” visited Morehouse College to discuss the new film. TV personality Terrance J facilitated the conversation. The movie was adapted from the August Wilson play “Fences.” The cast in the film include Viola Davis (Rose Lee Maxson), Stephen Henderson (Jim Bono), Denzel Washington (Troy Maxson) and Mykelti Williamson (Gabriel Maxson) and Jovan Adepo (Cory Maxson). For Washington, who directed and produced the project, adapting “Fences” was more than just bringing theatre to film; it was a tribute to Wilson and his legacy of work.
“August Wilson is one of our greatest writers, forget African American writers, greatest playwrights in the history of America. It’s an honor and a privilege to ... take his masterpiece and make it something,” said Washington. What speaks to Wilson’s greatness is the longevity of his work. Themes of black mental health, black masculinity, inequality in the work sector and complicated family dynamics have the
Hidden Figures Brought to Light
power to connect with both past and present generations. Washington spoke on Troy’s parenting and family dynamic. “Troy’s bitterness consumed and affected everyone around him. It was out of love ... but misguided ... As many sons and fathers that there are, there are just as many ways to raise a child. As ex-slaves, we came from ... a tradition of physical abuse. First being abused and then
ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT: Chief Editors Tyler Stephens, Editor-In-Chief Bria Paige, Managing Editor Ashlea Brown, Copy Editor
By: Tyler Stephens
Business Team Maya Mitchell, Marketing, and Communications Manager
Advisors Pictured: Janelle Monáe and President Mary Schmidt Campbell discuss Hidden Figures at Spelman College on Nov. 17. Photo courtesy: Spelman College
Keena M. McClendon
For years, the story of how black women helped bring NASA to the forefront of the space race during the early 1960s has been hidden from history books. The women’s legacies tossed to the side and buried under the guise of white men as the faces of science. “Hidden Figures” brings the story of three black women - Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson - to the forefront, beckoning us to remember their names and see black
passing that abuse on.” The film has not gone unnoticed, attaining several awards this season. Davis’s performance earned her a Golden Globe, Critic’s Choice Award and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award. Similarly, Washington won his first SAG. Many predict the film will do well at the Oscars, where it earned four nominations, including best picture.
women during the sixties in a new light. “Hidden Figures,” starring Taraji P. Henson as Johnson, Octavia Spencer as Vaughn and Janelle Monáe as Jackson, comes at a time when gender, race and religious division is stark. For Monáe, the film is timely. Monáe visited Spelman College for convocation on Nov. 17, where she spoke exclusively with the BluePrint after her conversation with President Mary Schmidt Campbell.
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The BluePrint
www.spelmanblueprint.com Jan/Feb 2017
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CURRENT EVENTS Pictured: Thousands of Atlanta residents march to the city capital during the Women’s March. Photo courtesy: Kristin Burns
Student Reflections on the Women’s March
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Transgender Policy Task Force Assembled By: Ashlea Brown
On Nov. 14-15 Dean of Students Fran’Cee Brown-McClure, hosted two listening sessions regarding the new Transgender Policy Task Force. Students anticipated these sessions after President Schmidt Campbell announced the new transgender policy on the college’s website in August. The listening sessions were strictly used to give students the opportunity to share feedback
about the task force and learn more about future policies. Dean Brown-McClure stated that the committee has yet to establish any set rules on the upcoming policy, but the listening sessions would assist in the process. A section on Spelman’s website provides resources and reference articles to assist in understanding transgender
The march in Atlanta consisted of thousands of people of various ethnicities, religions and genders. At one point during the march, antiabortion protestors, all of whom were men, showed up to the march with large posters of aborted babies while speaking in a megaphone, denouncing the march. They were quickly covered and toned out by multiple demonstrators. The march showed the solidarity between Americans and people all over the world, and was only the beginning of the resistance movement to fight against Trump’s presidency. — Krisitin Burns, C’2020 Fifty-three percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. That’s a fact. Fifty-three percent of white women voted for Donald Trump and my friends and I were probably marching right alongside them. The women’s march was a great experience. However, it was very obvious
Pictured: The transgender symbol Photo courtesy: femmepharma.com
Spelman students participated in the Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women, and a few submitted reflections of their experience.
Pictured: Thousands of Atlanta residents march to the city capital during the Women’s March. Photo courtesy: Kristin Burns
On Jan. 21, millions of women across the world gathered to protest human rights violations. The march took place the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump, a clear statement against the views of the newly elected president.
terminology and policies at other women’s colleges. Admitting transgender students to women’s colleges is not new. Many other women’s colleges have implemented a policy, because it’s illegal to discriminate based on gender identity. At the information sessions Dean Brown-
that my human rights as a black woman were not as important as some white women’s reproductive rights. I couldn’t help but think if Planned Parenthood wasn’t under attack, would any of this would be happening? When people come together powerful things can happen, but where were these people when the marginalized were shouting for help? There should be no hierarchy when it comes to women’s rights, but at the Atlanta Women’s March there was. — Taylor Roberts, C’2019 On Saturday, thousands of protesters gathered at the Center for Civil and Human Rights for the Atlanta March for Social Justice & Women. The honorable John Lewis and Rep. Stacey Abrams—a Spelman alumna—took the first steps towards the Georgia State Capital where the protest concluded. This march was one of hundreds that took place around the world at the same time. Those held in the U.S. alone are estimated to have been attended by at least 3.3 million people, making it possibly the largest mass demonstration in American history. The Women’s March was first proposed on social media when Teresa Shook, a retired attorney who created a Facebook event for a march on Washington the day after Trump’s inauguration. The idea eventually expanded to an international, intersectional protest for women of color, transgender women, non-binary individuals, and other marginalized groups. Although the Washington march had the highest turnout and perhaps most diverse representation, every city had their own rendition. The Atlanta march featured speeches and performances by state representatives, the Georgia National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Baton Bob and Arrested Development. The work did not end on Saturday,
continued on page 4... McClure paraphrased Title IX: “Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and its implementing regulations prohibit sex discrimination in educational programs and activities operated by recipients of Federal financial assistance. This prohibition encompasses discrimination based on a student’s gender identity, including discrimination based on a student’s transgender status.” There will be more information in the future about the new transgender policy. Dean Brown-McClure states there will be a definitive policy posted by April of 2017.
4 Jan/Feb 2017 www.spelmanblueprint.com
The BluePrint
Pictured: Window Panels in Upper Manley Decorated by Afrekete Photo courtesy: Cylantra Dees
CURRENT EVENTS
What Are Safe Spaces? By: Cylantra Dees
Last semester, Jada Henderson, who goes by the stage name QUARTZ., debuted her album in the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, Ed.D. Academic Center lobby of Spelman College. People from safe spaces at Morehouse College, Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College attended the event. These safe spaces exist in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) to provide a place free of judgement or harm for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students and allies.
Trump Orders Advancement of Dakota Access Pipeline (continued) ...continued from page 1 Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested, including actress Shailene Woodley (“The Fault in Our Stars”) and journalist Amy Goodman (“Democracy Now!”). Other celebrities standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the pipeline include Jaden and Willow Smith, Mark Ruffalo and Ezra Miller. The signing of the executive order foreshadows how Trump and his administration will approach environmental problems. His cabinet is filled with climate change naysayers. Trump has appointed many global warming skeptics to important environmental positions in the government. It is unknown how long the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and their supporters will have to combat the environmental and cultural effects of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
LGBT students occupying these spaces may discover opportunities for themselves and others. SafeSpace, Morehouse’s LGBT organization, hosted a seminar on being queer in the workplace, helping LGBT students place themselves in the work environment while embracing their identities. Students use these organizations for various reasons: such as learning navigation skills in the heteronormative world, recruiting writers for their literary
magazines, buyers for their art, advocates for their policy reform plans and audiences for their performances. QUARTZ., for example, was able to form a fan base and market her music using the safe space student organization, Afrekete, as a platform. “Afrekete has supported me and catapulted me in many ways. I mean, beyond just promoting me and my music and helping me with my events,” said QUARTZ.“[There are] a lot of things I want to do [through] my music; [whether it be fighting to] implement gender-neutral bathrooms, [or] lowering heteronormativity and forced gender constructs within the arts and artistic spaces, Afrekete has
“Hidden Figures” Brought to Light (continued) ...continued from page 2 “Hollywood needed this [film], the people needed this … Racism and sexism are out at an all time high, and the numbers [from the election] showed [it]. The people supported someone who is an openly racist and sexist person ... this film will be a conversation on how far we’ve come, and if we’re trying to move backwards in the direction of the sixties, or are we trying to move forward to create a world where people don’t have to live in fear but freedom.” The film also touched on the tender bonds of black sisterhood. As Jackson, Johnson and Vaughn continued to climb ranks in NASA, they were not met with bitter envy. Instead, “Hidden Figures” reflected the idea that the win of one black woman is a victory for all. Monáe said she “didn’t want to see us portrayed in a stereotypical way” but instead show “the heights we couldn’t imagine.” Singer and producer of “Hidden Figures,” Pharrell Williams, also spoke
at convocation through Skype. He was drawn to the film because the black women were “not in the story as best friends for a weekend or token black friend. [They were] mathematicians and scientists.” “Hidden Figures” has proved that films starring black women can be a commercial success. On opening weekend, the film made 22 million dollars, beating out the popular Star Wars film “Rogue One.” The film has received three Oscar nominations, including best picture and supporting actress for Spencer.
given me courage to do.” Afrekete is unique in collaborating with the Comparative Women’s Studies Department and Toni Cade Bambara, a program of the Women’s Research and Resource Center at Spelman. This organization meets every Friday, discussing social and human rights issues on a local and national level. QUARTZ. concluded, “Afrekete and the Comparative Women’s Studies Department [have] given me the courage to show people that there’s no limitation to what I can do as an artist.”
Student Reflections on the Women’s March (continued) ...continued from page 3 however. The march was actually just the first part of a 100-day campaign to protect and support women’s policy issues. One of the most pivotal parts of this movement is the transition from more common, liberal issues to radical critiques of capitalism, white supremacy, transgender and nonbinary-erasure, climate change and the Israeli occupation of Palestine. More information can be found on the Women’s March website, womensmarch.com, and on the personal social media pages of event chairs Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour—all women of color. — Skylar Mitchell, C’2019