Page 49 - Spelman50thReunionBook
P. 49
WOMEN WHO CHOSE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Bettieanne Childers Hart
NEW OPPORTUNITIES and Carl Stokes in 1968 and changing world. In January
Maynard Jackson in 1973 as of our senior year, many of
Out of the hotbed of campus the first black mayors of us headed out to the Atlanta
activism, members of the major cities sparked a schools for our student
Class of 1969 eagerly greater interest in electoral teaching experiences.
immersed themselves in campaigns on the local, Spelman students were
their communities, joining state and national levels. assigned to newly integrated
organizations or leading Shirley Chisolm was elected schools where there were
groups to address issues of the first black woman to the few, if any black teachers.
public concern. Whether U.S. Congress in 1968 and The summer of 1968,
advocating for better ran for President in 1972. classmates in math and
working conditions, inclusion Not only were we front and science students were
or social concerns, the center in Voter Registration selected to work as interns
critical issues of the 1970’s, Drives, and social action in corporate settings such as
women’s rights, civil rights, campaigns, but a few of us IBM, Bell Laboratories.
gay rights, the actually were appointed or Implementation of the Civil
environmental movement, elected to office. Rights laws and anti-
the Watergate on-going discrimination laws during
Vietnam War, and As we witnessed the our college years meant that
educational inequality, our changes taking place within new career opportunities
sisters volunteered. The Spelman’s gates, little did were available to us.
election of Richard Hatcher we know that we were being Graduate and professional
prepared to enter a rapidly
