The Blue Record

What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? Hosts Makayla Rivera and Jocelyn Baker sit down with Professor Fernando Suarez for a dynamic conversation on the rapidly evolving role of artificial intelligence in our society. From classrooms to political systems, they explore how AI is reshaping the structures that guide our daily lives. Together, they unpack how emerging AI technologies are redef...

In 1977, some of the most influential Black women writers of the twentieth century began meeting in a Brooklyn apartment. Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, June Jordan, Audre Lorde, and others formed a collective they called The Sisterhood. They gathered monthly to share meals, exchange drafts, confront publishing barriers, and sustain one another as Black women intellectuals navigating racist and sexi...

In this episode of the Blue Record, our first-year interns have taken over the mic! Interns Mari, Lillian, and Morgan sit with host Makayla Rivera to question what constitutes as service, and interrogate ways in which rest, collectivism, and respectability politics shape how students conduct service in and beyond our campus.

In the spirit of the Ghanaian adinkra symbol Sankofa, which means “return and get it,” in this episode, Archives team members Denim and Gabrielle will guide you through the fabrics of Spelman College as a site of lesbian/sapphic love since its origination and engage with contemporary voices such as students, memory workers, and faculty. They uplift Black feminist foremothers such as bell hooks and...

In this episode, editorial staff Amel Mohdali meets with TBR Director Jasmine Patrick. MLK Jr. Day reflections turns into a critical discussion of ICE brutality and its ties to white nationalism and xenophobia. Tracing back to Trump’s Big Beautiful Wall, The Blue Record examines the evolution of border militarization into a full scale domestic assault, from raids and killings in Chicago, New York,...

In this Social Justice Program Spotlight edition, we sit down with Ericka Mack from Fair Fight U, Aiyana Ringo from Unlocked Minds, and Parker Chambers from the Health Advocacy Initiative to unpack what activism looks like on campus and beyond the gates. From the moments that first radicalized them to the initiatives they lead today, our guests reflect on community needs, obstacles in rallying, an...

The Spelman College Archives, located in Room 200 on the second floor of the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, Ed. D. Academic Center, is the official repository for the history of the college. It contains a variety of collections, from the founders' journals to the history of the Glee Club. However, the Spelman Archives' specialty is documenting the lives and experiences of influential Black feminist t...

In this special episode, join Jocelyn Baker and Dr. Crosby in a conversation about the future of Forced Migration & Refugee Studies at Spelman.

In conversation about political violence, Black women, and discriminatory narratives perpetuated by hateful figures, our newest FTR explores it all.

In this episode, hosts Makayla Rivera and Jasmine Patrick open up with reflections on the transition of leadership from Dr. Helene Gayle to Interim President Dr. Brewer before diving into an honest conversation about Black women’s leadership. They explore what leadership means, why Black women often carry its weight, and how rest can function as a powerful key to leadership. The hosts unpack Spelm...

African Diaspora and the World (ADW) is a course that all Spelman students are required to take, yet the experiences that students have with the course vary widely. In this episode, Gabrielle, Denim, and Mari from the Archives team discuss the history of ADW and situate it within the context of the movement of Black studies programs. They discuss student experiences and feedback on their ADW exper...

In this episode, Host Makayla Rivera alongside Archives Lead Gabrielle and TBR Director Jasmine Patrick explore the historical evolution of Black Americans from commodities under slavery to participants in capitalism, questioning whether true liberation can exist within a system built on exploitation. The group critiques the commodification of "Black Excellence" and the rise of respectability poli...

In this episode, host Makayla Rivera (co ‘28) and TBR director Jasmine Patrick (co ‘26) explore the complexities of sisterhood at Spelman College, beginning with a mental check-in post election season. The two trace the origins and traditions of Spelman, examining how ideals of unity, legacy, and belonging have shaped the student experience. From the symbolism of first-year rituals to questions of...

Join Haven Gilcrist and Blair Martin from the Archives team in reflecting upon the stories of pregnant and parenting students and their journey through Spelman College.

TBR Host Jocelyn Baker sits down for a chat with Archivist Blair Martin in a talk on legacy and leadership through Spelman College’s student-led publication, The Blueprint.

For the Record is joined by student guest Righteous Walton in a discussion on queerness at Spelman. In this episode, Gabrielle, Janae, and Righteous uncover how students of the LGBTQ+ community take up space on campus and add nuance to the Spelman experience.

In unearthing the gendered Spelhouse prototype, the archives team and ADODI digs deeper in their conversation on Spelhouse relations. This episode circulates how traditional feminine and masculine gender roles were implemented into school culture long ago. Finally, these students consider how constructive gender roles at Spelman and Morehouse can result in unhealthy sexual behaviors, and how curre...

Archivists Jasmine Patrick and Gabrielle Cassell meet with member from Morehouse ADODI Myles Chapman to interrogate the gendering of Spelman and Morehouse as an all women’s and men’s college.

Join hosts Kyla and Jocelyn for a special episode featuring activists Lauren Proby (C’25) and Jordan Greene (C’26) as they discuss growing up with disabilities, neurodivergence, and how their experience has been navigating at Spelman College.

Join Archivist Gabrielle Cassell and Head Archivist Jasmine Patrick along with guest Amel Mohdali as they engage in discourse following the occupation and genocide of Palestine, and the abiding advocacy of students and faculty in the AUC. This episode disrupts stagnant advocacy-talk by engaging in a conversation interrogating activist methods and sentiments in the AUC community.

Join hosts Kyla and Jocelyn in conversation with Junior Psychology major Parker Hall as she discusses her research bridging behavioral psychology & policy to create societal change. Tune in as they discuss genetics and policy, neurodivergence, and the media’s transformative role in public education and representation.

TBR is back for the Spring Semester! Join hosts Kyla and Jocelyn as they discuss the intersections of Black womanhood, environmentalism, global affairs, and climate change—and how our lived experiences and day to day actions impact the world. *This episode was recorded in Dec 2024

Join hosts Kyla and Jocelyn as they discuss hot takes and reflect on the culture of Spelman College, questioning the “normalcy” of our experience and Spelman culture.

Co-hosts Kyla Emory and Jocelyn Baker gather to discuss the feelings of “What Now?” that have been circulating on campus since the election. Listen in as they discuss the “Spelman Bubble”, the realities of community service and its impact, and ways we can continue to move forward.

In this episode, the Archival team dives deep into the global, national, and local policing of Black women's reproductive rights. In denoting heavily politicized terminology, the archives team reviews key language students must know while attending school. Guest Kristen Couch of Spelman’s Title IX department emphasizes reproductive health and procedures available to Spelman students amidst profoun...