In Our Room: Spelmanites in their Dorms

In the 80s and 90s, photographer Adrienne Salinger published her collection of portraits titled “In My Room: Teenagers in Their Bedrooms.”  It showcased teens’ personalities, whether through a collection of dolls or rock CDs. Spelman College has always prided itself on being home to numerous types of Black women. This diversity is reflected in the way students curate their dorm rooms, using their spaces as a canvas to express their identities.

Everyone has a favorite item in their room, and first-year Kiss Turner’s is her flowers.

 "I have ADHD, so I tried to go for solid light colors so I didn’t lose anything or get overwhelmed," Turner said.

First-year Janii Corneh’s single reflected her personal style, evoking a calm, cozy atmosphere reminiscent of a space designed for curling up with a warm cup of tea.

Sloan Mitchell

The posters above are by a New York City artist, “Fritz Von Eric,” who paints Black women in leisure. 

“I chose these off of Pinterest because they reflect what I do in here on a day-to-day, so we have this one called "Wine And Whiskers" (referring to the left image), and it’s a girl painting her toes, I paint my toes," Corneh said.   There is also another one called Home Sweet Home (referring to the right image), it features a girl dancing in her bra and panties, I do that too."

Sloan Mitchell

Corneh enjoys her single in Howard Harreld Residence Hall, and she was also asked what her favorite item is.

“My speaker because I am a dancer, so I need it for when I practice or when I’m just dancing for fun. I have also used it for other miscellaneous things,” Corneh said.

Many students have various complaints about their living conditions, yet some don’t always get to voice those concerns.

“I would change my bedframe because it is a little slanted, but we deal with it. I would also change the space. It’s very small in here; it’s like a little sliver of space. As a dancer, I am always hitting things in here, so I have to be a lot more aware of my space,” Corneh said. 

First-Year Maleah Delva resides in Abby Hall, where her dorm is split between she and her roommate, each with a slightly different style.

“In my room back home, I had a theme of grey and pink.  I wanted to do a spin on that with pink and white because I couldn’t take a lot of my accessories from home, and bring it here. So a miniature home,” Delva said. 

Sloan Mitchell

Her room was very bright with various pinks and whites.  She even had cohesive posters hanging on her wall that tied everything together nicely. 

Sloan Mitchell

“I would definitely say [my favorite item is] my mirror, it lights up, and I use it so much that I broke it actually.  I can either use different types of outlets to power it on or use batteries. I love it a lot because at the beginning of my first semester, I would use it a lot before I got a lamp to light up the room and take pictures,” Delva said.

A key to understanding a Spelmanite has always been through her room. It is a glimpse into her lifestyle, her interests and the quiet details that shape who she is. Photographer Adrienne Salinger understood the beauty in someone’s space and used her groundbreaking collection, “In My Room: Teenagers in Their Bedrooms,” to highlight how teen bedrooms reflected their personalities. 

Each captured space tells its own story, whether it is from the 80s or today. A room becomes more than just a place to sleep; it transforms into a reflection of identity.