Anara Hawthorne
Anara Hawthorne
Is Founders Day For Spelmanites?
Is Founders Day For Spelmanites?
This academic year, Spelman College’s Founders Day was celebrated on April 9, 2026. Traditionally, Founders Day is to celebrate the rich history and sisterhood of Spelman College. Spelman was founded on April 11, 1881, by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary with 11 students. After a donation by Laura Spelman Rockefeller’s husband, John Davison Rockefeller, the seminary was renamed Spelman Seminary. Finally, in 1924, the seminary became Spelman College after receiving its collegiate charter.
While Founders Day is an established Spelman tradition with the keystone event being the Founders Day Convocation in Sisters Chapel, this year marked the 145th anniversary of Spelman College’s founding. The convocation attracted a variety of special speakers, guests and alumnae visits.
Despite the growing student population, Spelman has not grown to accommodate students, nor centered student input in the college's future. During Founders Day Convocation, a $500 million fundraising campaign called Spelman Forward was introduced.
“In a world reshaped by AI, economic volatility and shifting workforce demands, Spelman focuses on academic modernization and institutional resilience to ensure Spelman women graduate as independent thought leaders, equipped to architect a more equitable technological future,” the Spelman College website said.
During the unveiling of this campaign, Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer asked students to donate money.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the average debt at graduation for Spelman students is $32,900, and 62% of graduating seniors have incurred some form of student loan debt while at Spelman. Considering this, the emphasis on student donations came across to many as tone-deaf.
“This campaign will direct 325 million dollars to expanding access, 100 million for teaching and learning, 45 million dollars for innovation and 30 million dollars for wellness,” the Spelman College website said.
Although the United States is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, especially among young people, Spelman has allocated the least amount of funds to wellness efforts. Spelman’s decision to allocate 100 million dollars to AI has also alarmed many students.
“I understand the presence and integration of AI in corporate spaces, and that it's important to understand how to use AI in order to be competitive in the job market. However, given the effects AI data centers have on Black communities, I wish that Spelman found ways to push back against it a little more, or provided investment into environmentally friendly AI projects developed by students and faculty,” senior psychology major Brielle Johnson said.
According to Capital B News, in 2025 and 2026 alone, a disproportionate number of data centers have been built in rural and predominantly black communities. Bloomberg reports that people who live near data centers can see an electricity cost increase of up to 267% compared to 5 years before the data center was built.
This academic year, Spelman College’s Founders Day was celebrated on April 9, 2026. Traditionally, Founders Day is to celebrate the rich history and sisterhood of Spelman College. Spelman was founded on April 11, 1881, by Sophia B. Packard and Harriet E. Giles as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary with 11 students. After a donation by Laura Spelman Rockefeller’s husband, John Davison Rockefeller, the seminary was renamed Spelman Seminary. Finally, in 1924, the seminary became Spelman College after receiving its collegiate charter.
While Founders Day is an established Spelman tradition with the keystone event being the Founders Day Convocation in Sisters Chapel, this year marked the 145th anniversary of Spelman College’s founding. The convocation attracted a variety of special speakers, guests and alumnae visits.
Despite the growing student population, Spelman has not grown to accommodate students, nor centered student input in the college's future. During Founders Day Convocation, a $500 million fundraising campaign called Spelman Forward was introduced.
“In a world reshaped by AI, economic volatility and shifting workforce demands, Spelman focuses on academic modernization and institutional resilience to ensure Spelman women graduate as independent thought leaders, equipped to architect a more equitable technological future,” the Spelman College website said.
During the unveiling of this campaign, Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer asked students to donate money.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the average debt at graduation for Spelman students is $32,900, and 62% of graduating seniors have incurred some form of student loan debt while at Spelman. Considering this, the emphasis on student donations came across to many as tone-deaf.
“This campaign will direct 325 million dollars to expanding access, 100 million for teaching and learning, 45 million dollars for innovation and 30 million dollars for wellness,” the Spelman College website said.
Although the United States is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, especially among young people, Spelman has allocated the least amount of funds to wellness efforts. Spelman’s decision to allocate 100 million dollars to AI has also alarmed many students.
“I understand the presence and integration of AI in corporate spaces, and that it's important to understand how to use AI in order to be competitive in the job market. However, given the effects AI data centers have on Black communities, I wish that Spelman found ways to push back against it a little more, or provided investment into environmentally friendly AI projects developed by students and faculty,” senior psychology major Brielle Johnson said.
According to Capital B News, in 2025 and 2026 alone, a disproportionate number of data centers have been built in rural and predominantly black communities. Bloomberg reports that people who live near data centers can see an electricity cost increase of up to 267% compared to 5 years before the data center was built.