All of Earth's Children

Chizea’s 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’ flows like poetry.

“But, 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.

“Tell 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.”

The following update speaks to a reconciliation of Chizea’s college-aged beliefs and current life experience.

“Since 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.

“My continuously growing and maturing attitude is, now that I am in my 70s and older than two-thirds of the world’s human inhabitants, that I can call, at least half the world’s 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’s 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.”

This issue of the Alumnae Bulletin presents reflections from Black alumnae/i and students spanning 65 years in the life of the College.

• "The Myth of the Monolith" includes messages from guest editors Taytiana Welch-McLure '13 and Jacqueline Handy '14 and links to related articles from the Winter 2021 Issue.