Perhaps you heard, and were overjoyed and excited by, the latest news happening at Spelman College, a black women’s college that is leading all other HBCUs in creating conversations about LGBT issues within the black and HBCU community. Many historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) has been slow to address the issues of LGBT students, like the homophobia that exists on campus at HBCUs and hate crimes. Except for Spelman which is considering making a change to its admissions policy that allows transgender women to apply to the school:

“Spelman College will convene a task force to address the all-women’s and historically black school’s admission policy for transgender students, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. The Atlanta college could join a growing list of leading women’s colleges that welcome transgender women applicants.

The announcement came with little fanfare, tucked into a single sentence near the end of President Mary Schmidt Campbell’s welcome back letter posted to the school’s website: “Ingrid Hayes, vice president for Enrollment Management will convene a task force that makes a recommendation to the president on the admission and enrollment of transgender students.””

“Admission is granted to our circle of faith to all true believers — white and Black,” the letter read, “and brown and yellow; men and women, straight, gay and transgender; rich and poor; Christian, Jewish, Muslim — all faiths; north and south, east and west, spanning the seven continents.” 

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Perhaps, the most important thing for students at Spelman to realize is this: Spelman wants to talk about LGBT issues within Spelman and the HBCU community.

If the school didn’t, it wouldn’t be Spelman.

1 COMMENT

  1. This sentence was NOT in the letter!! “Admission is granted to our circle of faith to all true believers — white and Black, and brown and yellow; men and women, straight, gay and transgender; rich and poor; Christian, Jewish, Muslim — all faiths; north and south, east and west, spanning the seven continents.” Not sure where you got the sentence, but it was not in the “Welcome Back” letter. Spelman is a women’s college, not open to men.

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