Spel Man?

Spelman College admits transgender women to its institution.

A liberal arts women’s college, Spelman College, is throwing away tradition, establishing a solution to the most controversial social conversation, agreeing to admit female transgender students who consistently live and self-identify as a woman, regardless of their gender assignment at birth. This is progressive a very progressive movement, albeit, most would have never thought they would see the day that Spelman would allow a gender assigned man in their institution. There are many questions within this decision.

Spelman College is well known for preserving itself as an institution that uplifts and prepare colored women for life after undergrad. They are a high class, stimulating college who are equipped at furthering the traditional norms of women who have identified as one since birth. Therefore, taking on an untraditional task of preparing a once, traditional, man into a well-equipped, women may be difficult for anybody Mary Campbell, President of Spelman College, and the rest of the faculty and staff.

“In adopting this admissions policy, Spelman continues its fervent belief in the power of the Spelman Sisterhood,” Campbell said. “Students who choose Spelman come to our campus prepared to participate in a women’s college that is academically and intellectually rigorous, and affirms its core mission as the education and development of high-achieving Black women.”

As Campbell addressed this important issue and how world changing this is for the black community, the important questions are how will this affect the campus of Spelman? Will transgender women be in the same dorms as gender assigned women and what if certain students become uncomfortable with this change? What happens when transgender people decide to run for Class President, Pageants, and other things that’s partnered with Morehouse College, their next door neighbors?

Spelman has the right heart in lifting the transgender community, an oppressed group, but what happens if they become oppressed in a space that was supposed to set them free? There are mixed reviews on social media with this new change.

These questions may not be new as Spelman isn’t the first school to follow this new policy. Agnes Scott College, located in Decatur, GA and Bennett College, the only other all-female HBCU, implanted the same policy. Albeit, they don’t have an all-male college neighboring them nor are they living in the city most known for transgender.

At best, half of the questions people will have may never be answered. Most people will backlash this movement 20 years from now and others will appreciate it most as benefactors. However, it won’t matter because its history is already rewritten.

Demarcus Fields is currently a senior at Morehouse College. He majors in English and minors in Journalism.