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History and an appreciation of our cultural heritage. campus, the emotional impact of his death on
While encouraged by some professors, notably Dr. those of us witnessing history from our Campus
Vincent Hardy and Gerald McWhorter, for the most vantage point has not been analyzed. For us,
part, this student led cultural shift caused tension assassinations were too commonplace— Kennedy,
between students, the predominantly white faculty, Malcolm and Evers---though shocking, were seen
and traditional Spelman values. from a distance. A few of our Birmingham
classmates knew the four little girls who were
Dress codes were the first signs of discord.
Afrocentric attire, liberation denim overalls and killed, but the bombings had occurred long ago
jeans and afros did not square with Spelman’s when they, too were children. We had grown up
dress code prohibiting pants and jeans. Off- watching Dr. King open doors and secure Civil
campus SNCC meetings often conflicted with Rights victories. While we could debate the pros-
curfews. Heated debates challenged western and cons of non-violence, Dr. King had walked
oriented interpretations of history and society and among us and spoken for Convocation. He was a
called into question the value of their teaching. familiar figure on Hunter Street, especially at
New campus organizations like Sisters in Paschal’s. Some of us had joined his local
Blackness were born. marches.
When we heard the news of his death on the
Dr. Martin Luther King’s Death
radio, after returning to our dorms from dinner, we
While many immediately went to Archer Hall, Morehouse’s gym,
accounts of that with students across the AUC. We grieved
fateful day in together. We were terrified inside when we
Memphis have received news of rioting and fires on Hunter Street
focused on Dr. and threats to burn the gym down.
King’s funeral
and the long We hurried back to campus where we listened
lines that to accounts of his death and riots across the
waited to view his nation. Collectively, we wondered, what will happen
body on Spelman’s to us now? In the aftermath, 125 cities in 29 states
experienced uprisings. By Founders Day. April 11,
