World-class Writers Visit Spelman

Lexus Phillips, C’2017, comparative women’s studies major and sociology and anthropology minor: “To someone’s question regarding the heavy weight and responsibility of leadership, her response to simply offer who you are and what you have to bring without muddling it with outside expectations was something I truly needed to hear. As a student leader on campus, I am so often riddled with anxiety and perfectionism over my capabilities.  … I think to have such an affirmation from someone as prophetic as Alice Walker to ease the pressure I place upon myself and trust the gifts that have been granted to me to be sufficient was a moment I will carry with me always. … She is a woman who has turned inward and made peace with her own self enough that her peace now exudes outward to everyone she encounters.”

Shelley Cobb, C’2017, neurobiology major: “As a STEM student, it is not often that I get to experience interdisciplinary and literary engagement, and the President’s Reading Circle provided me that opportunity. While I had seen the film representation of “The Color Purple” prior to participating in the Reading Circle, I had yet to read the novel or the trilogy by Alice Walker. Being able to not only read the novel but to critically analyze it alongside scholars from different areas of study and different perspectives was an insightful experience. The icing on the cake, per se, was being able to hear Walker’s personal take on her works. It was a pleasant surprise how open, honest, and candid Walker was not only about her writing but her experiences during her time at Spelman and in the rest of her life. I would recommend that every Spelman student aim to participate in the President’s Reading Circle, as it is an experience I will never forget.”

Opal Moore, associate professor of English and Honors Program director: “As preparation for her visit, my class [20th Century Black Women Writers] read her essay ‘Overcoming Speechlessness:  A Poet Encounters the Horrors of Rwanda, Eastern Congo and Palestine/Israel.’ They also had the benefit of a beautiful and engaging presentation on Alice Walker’s life, career, politics and writing prepared by Dr. Bahati M. Kuumba [Women’s Research and Resource Center associate director and professor of comparative women’s studies]. I would like to think that the lingering effect of her visit made it possible for the some members of the class to reconsider the importance of my journal requirement that many had been having difficulty embracing. I asked them, in our midterm preparation meeting, what difference it might make if they considered ‘Overcoming Speechlessness’ to be a series of journal entries instead of a book by a famous writer. Their comments were astute. A few noted that she must have assembled fragments of thoughts and observations to tell a story of transnational connections. Will this observation inform their way of being conscious in the world? Maybe not this year. But in time.”

Nicole McEaddy, C’2018, English major: “Meeting Alice Walker has given me the courage to continue working on my passion – creative writing. … What she said that resonated with me deeply was ‘art is an offering.’ She explained that one’s art is the truest form of oneself. … For the longest, I have let other opinions hinder me from pursuing creative writing. I was unsure of whether my writing would be celebrated for I did not know how to cope with criticism. After speaking with Alice Walker, I understand that my art is not for others to judge. Instead, I should be proud that I have something to offer to the world.”

Donna Akiba Harper, Ph.D., Fuller E. Callaway professor of English: “Having heard Alice Walker talk many times in the past 30-plus years, I must say that the visit with my class was truly unforgettable. … My class had read her first novel, “The Third Life of Grange Copeland,” had viewed the recent documentary on her life (Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth), and had viewed her website, www.alicewalkersgarden.com.

Students had also read a 1970 interview John O’Brien conducted with her shortly after “The Third Life of Grange Copeland” was published.

“Many of their questions related to what they had read or seen, but other questions were quite personal, asking about what kind of self-care allowed her to be an activist and asking about how they should respond to challenging situations they were experiencing. Sister Alice literally leaned in, probing some of their statements. She appeared to be completely invested in them, wanting to share openly about herself, but she also wanted to know exactly what they were saying.”

Olivia Pearson, C’2017, English and comparative women’s studies double major: “Alice Walker’s visit to Spelman was truly profound. The intimacy of my encounters with her, first at dinner for the President’s Reading Circle and second at lunch in the Women’s Research and Resource Center, was truly unique. I found her genuine nature and authenticity to self to be most impactful.  … She urged us to find what works for us and to not let our spirits be bound by the toxicity of institutions that advocate for hate. … In thinking about how homophobia and transphobia are perpetuated on Spelman’s campus, particularly through religious claims, I found Walker’s point of view to be insightful.”

Bria Hardin-Boyer, C’2018, Spanish major and African Diaspora and the World minor: “I am forever moved by my experience in the President’s Reading Circle because I was able to gain and truly apply so many perspectives over literature. Alice Walker detailed how even the most personal and private circumstances of our lives have happened to millions of people. That statement was moving for me because throughout my life and, as I have understood through my Spelman sisters, throughout the lives of many Black women, we are taught to shelter our experiences, especially the tribulations and the taboo events in our lives. However, Alice Walker emphasized that it truly is the hard stuff that shapes us into the people we are. I really think that is the most moving part of my experience, just learning and being comfortable with being unapologetically myself and inspiring others to do the same.”

Tangela S. Mitchell, C’2020, political science and Spanish double major: “When I learned that I was selected to be a part of the Reading Circle, I was completely overjoyed. Alice Walker is an undeniably creative, talented, and master storyteller. To know that I’d be given the opportunity to discuss some of her novels not only with my fellow Spelman sisters but with Walker herself was almost unconceivable. What struck me most about Walker’s works was the unique manner in which she addresses issues of gender, race, social class, and intersectionality as a whole. It floors me how she beautifully gives a voice to the characters who, without her brilliance, would have remained voiceless. By reading these works, I've entered an area of awareness I never thought possible. I’ve been exposed to ideas, philosophies, and stories that have challenged and expanded my understanding of Blackness, of history, of the present. I will never forget this experience, and I am so thankful to Dr. Campbell and the faculty involved for making it all possible.”

Brionna Gardenhire, C’2020, biochemistry major and women’s studies minor: “I thoroughly enjoyed Alice Walker’s visit. She’s one of my favorite writers, and she, singlehandedly, shifted my own activist movement to one that was centered around Black women and Black individuals in the LGBTQ community. Her talks during the President's Reading Circle and during convocation were exactly what I needed to help me keep striving for peace and equality in a country that’s constantly tense. What struck me most about her presentations was her stance on the truth and how we are the holders of truth. What struck me most about her interactions with students was that she was so welcoming. She even let one of the students show her how to properly adorn her head with a head wrap in the Women's Center. She made me truly feel like we were equals and that my thoughts and opinions were just as important as hers.”

Kara Cobb, C’2019, sociology (pre-law) major: “Being a part of the President’s Reading Circle was a wonderful experience. The trilogy we read by Alice Walker was impressive for the simple fact that she was able to tell her stories while simultaneously representing problems every Black woman faces and validating those problems and our journey to liberation. During her visit with the circle, a student asked about the commonalities between all of the works, and Ms. Walker proclaimed that love threaded all of her characters together. The thing that struck me most about Alice Walker was her humility. Instead of preparing a speech to give us, she willingly conversed and talked with us as if she had known us forever. The conversation, knowledge and experience of the Reading Circle was invaluable, and I would encourage anyone interested in the next one to join.”

Imani Canton, C’2018, biology major (pre-med track): “What struck me most about Alice Walker's interactions with us were her down-to-earth manner and her sense of humor. I think I expected a serious discussion about many of her works, where the moderator asked her questions and she responded, but it ended up being a conversation with my classmates and myself. She used her example of when she was growing up and had an opportunity to ask Langston Hughes questions, but she had no idea what to ask. She related that feeling of not knowing what to ask to how we probably felt about her, and reassured us that we could ask her anything. I really appreciated that about her because it did not create a hierarchy between students and well-known author. We were all one, growing and learning from each other.”

Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Ph.D., founding director of the Women’s Research and Resource Center and Anna Julia Cooper Professor of Women’s Studies: “Spelman students who interacted with Alice Walker during her residency at the college had the rare opportunity of engaging in dialogue with perhaps the most influential writer/activist of our generation. She carefully and candidly responded to a broad range of their questions in a generous and compassionate manner. No question was off limits. What they learned, I believe, was the importance of reading broadly and regularly; the urgency of resistance to injustice; the necessity of developing sharp critical thinking skills; and the joy of developing loving, compassionate ways of being in the world. I am confident that students will cherish their time with Alice for a long time and will remember her visit as one of the most special moments of their Spelman journey.”