1969 Lanterns, Owls, and All
How frustrating that āspecial issuesā like these are still necessary.
āBut there is something that must be recognized; the realms to which the ā“óŠćÖ±²„ experienceā has opened my eyes may not be accessible to me once I rejoin the real outside world.ā
How strange it is to revisit my wordsāwhat?ā50 years after graduating from “óŠćÖ±²„. How maddening is it that, in 2020, American society is revisiting the same racial turmoil that it had when my original piece was written. How frustrating that āspecial issuesā like these are still necessary.
My liberal arts education served me well, professionally and personally. “óŠćÖ±²„ was a good intellectual match for me. “óŠćÖ±²„ credentials supported entry into a world I didnāt even consider accessible then, and my time at “óŠćÖ±²„ taught me how to navigate it. I would never have predicted that my social environment now would be similar to that of my undergraduate years.
I donāt think there is such a thing as a āBlack Experienceāāor a ā“óŠćÖ±²„ Experienceā for that matter. There were things that I experienced in common with other Black students at “óŠćÖ±²„ and things I took away from the overall culture itself. Both influenced and contributed to the person I ultimately became.
This issue of the Alumnae Bulletin presents reflections from Black alumnae/i and students spanning 65 years in the life of the College.
Published on: 03/23/2021