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1968, 46 people had been killed and 35,000 were been on exchange at the New England sister
injured in the confrontations. colleges had experienced the differences.
Some students made plans to fly to Memphis In the fall of 1968, our senior year, the
with his widow to finish the march. All of us influence of Black Power and Feminism intersected
volunteered to welcome the world to Atlanta for the when the Spelman student body protested dress
funeral, greeting them at the airport, helping with codes and curfews by staging a sit-in at night in
logistics for transportation, and finally crowd control Sisters Chapel while the Student Government
at the funeral. Most of us agree that Dr. King’s Association negotiated a relaxation of the
death and the events surrounding it had antiquated rules. We emerged from our victory,
transformative impact upon our lives. feeling empowered and liberated.
Feminism The World Outside
Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, No doubt, events happening outside
published in 1963, helped to ignite the Feminist Spelman’s walls were influencing us. We had new
Movement in the country. While largely dismissed role models. Shirley Chisolm was elected the first
as a ”white women’s movement”, certain ideas black woman to the U.S. Congress; President
resonated among black women—equal pay for Johnson signed an executive order prohibiting
equal work, self-control over women’s bodies, and discrimination against women by federal
equal opportunity. The feminist movement on contractors; Robert Kennedy had been
predominately white women’s campuses also assassinated; black students were protesting on
emphasized the difference between the patriarchal, predominantly white campuses, demanding Black
strict rules that governed women on black Studies Programs and taking over student union
campuses and relative freedoms given to white buildings. Vietnam protests on campuses were
women students. Black power debates and becoming more prevalent.
speeches often challenged these rules as In the Spring of 1969, the Spelman Student
oppressive, remnants of slavery and negative Government Association prepared a list of
perceptions of Black women’s abilities to control demands for the Annual Trustee Board meeting:
their sexual desires. Spelman students who had
enhanced emphasis on black culture, literature and
