Share
 
 
 
Scholar-Activist and Award-winning Playwright-Actress to Address Classes of 2020 and 2021 During Spelman College Commencement Activities

A political activist who is known internationally for her ongoing work to combat all forms of oppression in the U.S. and abroad and the first African woman writer to have a play on Broadway, will address graduates during Spelman College’s commencement celebrations for the classes of 2020 and 2021 in separate, in-person ceremonies on May 16, 2021.

Scholar, writer, philosopher and equal rights activist Angela Y. Davis will deliver the keynote address for Spelman College’s 134th Commencement ceremony honoring the graduating class of 2021 during an outdoor ceremony at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 16, at the Georgia Institute of Technology Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Tony-nominated playwright and actress Danai Gurira, best known for her roles as General Okoye in Marvel’s 2018 Academy Award-winning blockbuster film "Black Panther" and Michonne in the AMC series "The Walking Dead" will deliver a keynote address to the class of 2020 during Spelman’s 133rd Commencement ceremony at 9:30 a.m., Sunday, May 16, at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

During the ceremonies, both Davis and Gurira will receive honorary degrees. Literary luminary Pearl Cleage, C’71, will receive the 2021 National Community Service Award and HBCU champion U.S. Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D., (D-NC) will receive the 2020 National Community Service Award.

Due to closures related to the coronavirus pandemic, graduation celebrations for the class of 2020 were postponed until this year. Both ceremonies will take place rain or shine, and follow masking and physical distance guidelines in accordance with current COVID-19 restrictions to ensure the health and safety of graduates and guests.

AUCC Presidents Announce Fall 2021 Vaccination Requirement

The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) member institutions – Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College and the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library –  today announced that all students and members of their faculties and staffs are required to be fully vaccinated by the beginning of the 2021 fall semester.

"To come to this decision, Spelman and the AUCC were guided by our intent to provide a safe and healthy environment on campus for students, and members of the faculty and staff, when we resume in person teaching and learning this fall," said Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., in a letter to the Spelman community. "Our goal is to enable Spelman to restore its residential educational experience and in person classes, and to do so in an environment that is safe and healthy."

For more information, or to read the letters in their entirety, visit Spelman.edu.
Spelman Announces Class of 2025 Morgan Stanley HBCU Scholars

Spelman and Morgan Stanley announced its first cohort of students selected to participate in the inaugural HBCU Scholars Program, an integrated initiative to support students at historically Black colleges and universities.

The goal of the HBCU Scholars program is to set students up on a path to educational attainment and financial independence by lifting the barrier of higher education costs.


The first cohort of students include A'miyah Adams of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Cheyenne Cisse of Aurora, Colorado; Kenya Handfield of Miami, Florida; Trinity McKinney of Memphis, Tennessee; and Lanasya Thomas of Chicago, Illinois. Each first-year student will receive four-year scholarships to cover tuition, as well as room and board.

"We know that income inequality in the African American community often creates a barrier between the best and brightest students and their college education," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. "Through this generous scholarship, our students will have the opportunity to focus on their studies and future careers without the burden of financial debt."

In addition, Morgan Stanley is implementing programming aimed at preparing scholars for their post-graduate careers, as well as related programming offered to the broader student body and faculty, including virtual and on-site (post COVID-19) components to complement the on-campus curriculum.

Campus Highlights
Scholarship Established at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School Supports Spelman Alumnae

Spelman alumnae who are interested in attending the Emory University's Goizueta Business School are now eligible for financial support thanks to the new Rosemary and John Brown Family Scholars Program, established to increase enrollment among women.

Funded by a $5 million endowment, the Rosemary and John Brown Family Scholars Program is open to alumnae of Spelman and Agnes Scott College.


"Statistics show that although women make up 50.8 percent of the United States population, 39 percent of which are women of color, they only represent 7.4 percent of top leadership roles of Fortune 500 companies," said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman. "We are grateful for this gift to Emory University’s Goizueta Business School from the Brown family that will enable students from Spelman and Agnes Scott to access a high quality business school education."

Designed to afford opportunity and increase enrollment of women across Goizueta’s graduate programs, the Brown Family Scholars program reinforces Goizueta’s commitment to diversity and aims to provide continued learning and networking opportunities to women to chisel away at the glass ceiling that limits extraordinary women in business from assuming leadership roles.

To learn more about Goizueta’s graduate programs and initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, visit
goizueta.emory.edu.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Alumnae Highlights

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alumnae Wins Pitch Competition, Plans to Scale Luxury African-Based Handbag Company

Aziline Shelby Nelson, C’2013, became the first Black woman to win the Jacob Global Venture Award, a pitch competition sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Funded by Wharton’s Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies, the award provides Lauder students with the opportunity to focus their energies on entrepreneurial ventures in place of a traditional summer MBA internship.

Passionate about business development in Africa and becoming a global leader, Nelson plans to use the $10K grant to scale Anima Iris, a luxury handbag brand made in Dakar, Senegal, founded by Wilglory Tanjong.

"It is a myth that you need to ‘have everything together’ before you start or support an enterprise. You will indeed make mistakes but persevere and learn from your missteps," Nelson wrote in an essay about her win. "Failing forward is putting your best effort into a new idea and maintaining a coachable learning posture. Think of feedback as a gift, so as you develop your business idea, be resourceful and stay connected to an entrepreneurial ecosystem."

 
Calendar

Feb. 14 - May 17
Yoga in the Museum

May 31
Memorial Day (College Closed)

Spelman Scenes
Tell Us Your Story
Spelman College is known for educating global change agents, who are leaders in the classroom, in the community and in their careers. If you have an idea for a news story about Spelman faculty, staff, students or alumnae, we would love to hear about it. Submit your story ideas to  spelmanconnection@spelman.edu. Check out the submission guidelines for the weekly e-newsletter.
Don't miss out on the Spelman Connection! Subscribe today!
Visit our archive to read past issues of the Spelman Connection.
 
 
 
 
 
 
www.spelman.edu | (404) 681-3643 | Unsubscribe
 

Email Marketing by ActiveCampaign