Southern University Associationof Women Students and the Motivational Speakers Series Committee kicked off thespring season with actress Lynn Whitfield serving as keynote speaker in asession aimed at empowering women on Thursday, Feb. 3.
“We chose Lynn Whitfield becauseof her presence and essence as a woman and because she demonstrates what strongblack women represent,” said Kendalyn Edwards, president of the Association ofWomen Students.
Whitfield, a native of BatonRouge and a former Southern University student, is best known for herEmmy-Award winning portrayal of Josephine Baker in the 1991 television film,”The Josephine Baker Story.”
Throughout her speech, Whitfieldstressed the necessity for black women to come together in order to besuccessful. She also emphasized the importance of the entire African Americancommunity to join together in order to empower the race as a whole. “Rather thangrabbing all the wonderful things about us, we wear our blackness as an honor,a handicap, or an excuse,” Whitfield said. She went on to say that blacks needto stop using the stereotype of the black race as a crutch.
William Turner, a professor ofHistory, disagrees with Whitfield’s belief that blacks simply use their race asan excuse.
“African Americans can’t allowracism or race to determine who we are,” Turner said. “History has demonstratedthat once blacks get opportunities, we excel.”
Whitfield also read excerpts ofspeeches given by women she felt were empowering. She read Sojourner Truth’s”Ain’t I a Woman” speech, Fannie Lou Hammer’s 1971 speech, “Special Splite andRole of Black Women,” and Zora Neale Hurston’s speech “How it Feels to be ColoredMe.” After each reading she gave her opinion on what she felt the women weretrying to portray and how it related to the African American community.
“Women need to join togetherbecause we are the salt of the earth,” Whitfield said.
Iyabo Segun, a senior nursingmajor from Lafayette, believed that Whitfield’s message was very inspiring.
”African American women need to help one another andeducation needs to be a number one priority,” Segun said. “Women should be ableto become career women and develop our own businesses.”
Lawrence LaBee, a freshman masscommunications major from Hammond, did not agree so strongly with Whitfield’sideas.
“I hope that her focus on thesuccess of black women was so adamant because she was speaking during women’sweek. However, it did seem that she was emphasizing on black women and lackingin her motivation for black males,” LaBee said.
The session also included aquestion and answer period after which, Margaret Ambrose, executive associateto the Chancellor, read a proclamation which declared Feb. 2 through Feb. 6Association of Women Students Week by Chancellor Edward Jackson. Closingremarks were then given by Raymond Downs, vice chancellor of student affairs. Aspecial luncheon then followed the program.