All of Earth's Children
"I cry in love and compassion for all of Earth鈥檚 children, and I pray for them too!"
Chizea鈥檚 original submission for the spring 1969 Bulletin discussed her experience as a student from Nigeria; her description of the ignorance of some of her peers鈥 flows like poetry.
鈥淏ut, Bryn Mawr to me is another name for U.S.A. My happiness at Bryn Mawr registers in the little box on my neck as happy U.S.A., and my woes at Bryn Mawr call U.S.A. wretched.
鈥淭ell you about my early days at Bryn Mawr? Those were the days when I played my proud jungle music, and people knocked at my door and asked me to stop the primitive sounds. They must have me listen to J.S. Bach, and if they did not feel quite like confronting the wild African, they turned their sophisticated music up to drown my lonely music and throbbing heart.鈥
The following update speaks to a reconciliation of Chizea鈥檚 college-aged beliefs and current life experience.
鈥淪ince my spring 1969 Bulletin contribution, I have gone to medical school, specialized in internal medicine, and practiced in Africa for over 16 years while raising the children. I came back to the U.S.A., where the children were born, to supervise their college years while continuing with my medical practice.
鈥淢y continuously growing and maturing attitude is, now that I am in my 70s and older than two-thirds of the world鈥檚 human inhabitants, that I can call, at least half the world鈥檚 inhabitants 'My Children.' It is true that my lamentation for the children of Biafra in 1969 is not as strong. I cry in love and compassion for all of Earth鈥檚 children, and I pray for them too! I have more hope for the future because I have found that the human family is always looking up and forward for greater things.鈥
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: 03/22/2021