ATLANTA — Way to go, Spelman College’s graduating class of 1971! The group of women just reached Golden Girl status, a 50th-year milestone.
The group got together for an intimate gathering in Alpharetta and recorded the festivities to share with the class of 2021.
Valerie Daniel Walker-Jones, who studied child development and early childhood education, told 11Alive about the occasion of a lifetime.
“Since the pandemic of 2020, we were not able to have graduation, Founder’s Day, and all the normal festivities. We usually celebrate the Silver Girls, The Golden Girls, and Diamond Daughters. It was a very sad time for us to not be able to get together,” Jones said.
She said many of the ladies who live in Atlanta remain friends and keep in touch on a monthly basis. With graduation still virtual this year, everyone put their heads together on how to make it a memorable experience.
As she reflected on the fifty year Spelman experience, Jones said, "we started out that first week of freshman year as complete strangers. However, that emerged through the fiery trials of relationships as well as educational training was a distinguished spirit of excellence and forging of character building with continuous rebirthing and duplication of sisterhood that remains to this day."
Jones, who is a member of the planning committee, also loves dance. So, she tapped her daughter, Jamia Ramsey, an accomplished dancer and CEO, to help the girls come up with some fresh moves.
Many of the ladies had received a vaccination and were excited to reunite for a dance routine. So, they changed the lyrics to Kool & The Gang’s “Celebrate” and went for it. The ladies got together with Jones’ daughter and came up with a high-energy routine to the song! The night continued with reflecting on good times and new memories with the world.
Participants in the Spelman College line dance for Class '71 are Sandra Penn, Miriam A. James-Miller, Oni Oluremi, Johnnie Riggins, Doris Johnson and Mary Lundy Robinson; and Rita Van Robinson Barrett.
During the evening, the ladies also sang the “Spelman Hymn”.
Jones, whose late husband was a Morehouse man, reflected on many of the traditions, including the “Sweetheart” song, which was performed by Qaadir Howard.
She later reflected on the many changes at Spelman including protesting to wear pants and wearing natural hair afros, moments that many of the ladies were able to smile about Thursday evening.
“Reaching this milestone is something that is very dear to my heart, as well as a lot of our hearts. Some of us did not make it, they are no longer living. Some of us have not seen each other in 50 years, so it’s really a milestone for us,” Jones said. “Other Spelman classes look up to us as Golden Girls.”
Jones told 11Alive she is blessed to see this moment following all of the unexpected delays and detours from the pandemic.
“It was a heartwarming experience, there is always a sacredness to wearing white dresses. We pay homage and tribute to Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles, who were founders of Spelman, two white women who came from the North and started Spelman in the basement of Friendship Baptist. We even had to wear white gloves. By the time I came in 1967, you were not allowed to miss chapel. To come together and be presented with a gold medallion to finally get to that point was just something that you looked forward to,” she said.