The Blue Record

Join Director Alexandra, Archivist Chloë, and Brand Artist Gabrielle on For the Record as they dive into the archives discussing Spelman’s relationship with construction. This episode dives into the history of campus buildings, our relationship with art and technology, and how the modernization is going to affect Spelman students and the West End community.

Join Alexandra (Director), Shiloh (Co-host), and Jocelyn (Co-host) for the annual Homecoming episode! Tune in as they discuss the value of history and traditions at Spelman, what homecoming means to them, and reflections upon their Spelman experience. Happy Listening! 🩵🎉

Join Shiloh Wolfork and Jocelyn Baker in Season Five, Episode One of The Blue Record Podcast, for a critical and all-encompassing discussion on ‘Black Women’s Role in the Election.’ Listen to how Black women have shaped and influenced political landscapes throughout history, how Gen Z is feeling about the election, and what’s going on in the AUC

TBR Vault- Archivists Jasmine Patrick and Gabrielle Cassell investigate the events that occurred during the peaceful Encampment for Palestine at Emory University, Morehouse for Palestine Rally, and President Biden's speech for Morehouse College's Class of 2024 Graduation Ceremony. This episode strikes down narratives that vilifies AUC students and their right to protest; past, present, and future,...

What do you know about Spelman's history of activism? Probably less than you should. Simple freedoms like being able to wear jeans on campus, pants on Founder's Day, have your natural hair out as a member of Glee Club, and even to have a Black woman president were earned because of the important and yet widely unknown work of student activists. To begin the much-needed process of archiving...

From activism during the Vietnam War to solidarity with the people struggling against South African apartheid, Spelmanites have a rich history of engaging with global issues. In today's episode of For The Record -- a Blue Record miniseries -- members of the archives team, Jasmine and Gabrielle, explain why our activism must continue as humanitarian crises continue to pop up across the globe. T...

Spelmanites of past and present have lamented or adhered to the idea of the "Ideal Spelman Woman." Is she thin, light-complexioned, snobbish, and always sharply-dressed as the media has attempted to portray? Our hosts don't think so. Gabrielle, Chloe, and Alexandra of the Archives team trace back where exactly this stereotype of the Spelman woman came from, correct common misconcepti...

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so we gathered our expert panel of lover girls -- Fina, Love, Shiloh, and Del -- to discuss their own personal definitions of love. Why does our society seem to only focus on romantic love, and what does it mean to be a Black femme showing your girlfriends some affection? In addition to answering these questions, our hosts also dive into the discourse su...

For decades, Sister's Chapel has been a cornerstone of the Spelman community, its walls echoing with the laughter, tears, and whispered prayers of generations of Spelmanites. To shed some light on the Chapel's significance, as well as highlight the work of Sister's Chapel staff and student leaders, we are honored to be joined today by two incredibly special guests: Reverend Dr. Neichel...

Welcome to the Director's Table. Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a leader at Spelman? Or felt like you were alone in questioning the social politics one must navigate to reach a leadership position? Well, in today's episode, we invite you to join the Director's Table, where our hosts -- Fina and Shiloh -- are joined by The Blue Record's executive director -- Love -- to t...

In today's episode of For The Record -- a Blue Record miniseries -- Jasmine and Janae of the Archives team are joined by Director of Comms Shana to answer the age-old fill-in-the-blank: "Homecoming Wouldn't be Homecoming Without _____." Our fantastic trio of hosts discuss their homecoming essentials, including self-expression, safety, and gifts from alumna. They also reflect on t...

Have you ever wondered why it seems like some majors get more opportunities than others? Or considered changing your major because you felt there weren’t enough resources available to you? In this episode of the Blue Record, our hosts Fina, Shiloh, and Love reflect on opportunity distribution at Spelman and explore how mandatory courses like Braven can feel more suited to C-Suite career paths, lea...

As college students, we’re always wondering what can do to succeed in our courses —- and wishing we could hop into our professor’s minds to know their idea of what a good student is, too. In this episode of For The Record, archive team members Chloe, Jasmine, and Alexandra explore the idea of a good Spelman student and how that idea has changed over the years. Additionally, our hosts are joined by...

The Blue Record: Season Four. We're addressing a long-time concern of the Spelman Community - housing. One of our hosts Del joined by Director & Director's Intern Love & Alexandra discuss the costs, safety concerns, and general difficulties that come with living in Atlanta to attend Spelman College. - Visit us at https://www.thebluerecordpodcast.com Follow us on Instagram and Twitt...

Tai (she/they), Macy (she/her), and Alyshea (she/her) come together to discuss their unique relationship to the West End community that Spelman resides in. They talk about the community's status as a food desert and how difficult it can be to access nutritious food for both commuter and on-campus students. The three share ways in which Spelman as an institution can be a better neighbor to the...

LaKia Williams (she/her) of Black Feminist Rants joins Alexandra (she/her) and Sydney (they/she) to interview them about what it's really like being queer/trans at Spelman. They discuss the insidious way that white supremacy creeps into HBCUs and the gendered relationship between Spelman and Morehouse. Alexandra and Sydney speak about how the Women's Research and Resource Center pushes Spe...

Tai (she/they), Macy (she/her), and Alyshea (she/her) are joined by Annaya (she/they) to discuss Atlanta's Cop City. They outline exactly what it is, what the Stop Cop City movement is, and why everyone should care about this issue. They also reflect on the condescending forum held by Mayor Andre Dickens in the AUC to talk about Cop City. They also give some action items for how to get involved in...

Alexandra (she/her) and Sydney (they/she) discuss their personal journeys with their hair, texturism, and the Natural Hair YouTube industrial complex. They reflect on the Crown Act and the wild standards of new school hair stylists. Alexandra and Sydney talk about the rigidity of standards for Black men's hair and the role of the hair salon or barbershop in the Black community.  - Visit us at...

Tai (she/they), Macy (she/her), and Alyshea (she/her) unite to discuss the Georgia midterm election results and voting suppression. They talk about living in a Black city within a white state, the bipartisan nature of US politics, and their personal experiences with exercising their right to vote. The For the Record team delineate the issues they watch out for and Spelman’s relationship with votin...

Alexandra (she/her) and Sydney (they/she) talk about hip-hop culture, the devastating impacts of gun violence, and politicians’ relationship to rap. They also spotlight the Spelman College Women in Hip-Hop Collective and how capitalism insidiously affects how women can show up in hip-hop. Alexandra and Sydney consider what they see as the future of hip-hop. - Visit us at https://www.thebluerecordp...

For the Record returns for the new season! Tai (she/they) leads a new team: Kyarah (she/her), Macy (she/her), and Alyshea (she/her). They are in conversation with Olivia Musoke (she/her), the current captain of Mahogany N Motion, about the creation of the first majorette team at University of Southern California and what that means for the boundaries of Black culture. Olivia also gives an insight...

Join Elizabeth (she/her), the Director of TBR, and Tai (she/they), the Director of Archives, as they interview Dr. Helene Gayle, Spelman’s newest president. Learn why Dr. Gayle chose to come to Spelman, her goals for making Spelman more affordable, and her plans for the housing crisis. Dr. Gayle also talks about her dream for Spelman’s relationship with the West End and supporting fine arts majors...

Welcome to Season 3 of The Blue Record! Join our new hosts, Alexandra (she/her) and Sydney (they/she), as they discuss how (white liberal) feminism fails the most marginalized. They touch on everything from Taylor Swift to Afrekete to the sociopolitical implications of buying from Shein. Alexandra and Sydney turn to Spelman's own relationship with feminism: its successes (the Women Center) and its...

Where do we go from here? Join our retiring director, Shaquavia Straughn, host Diop Russel, brand manager Njeri Waititu, and TBR Blog's editor-in-chief Jacobi Reddix in this energetic episode that celebrates the finale of Season Two. It gets really real this time around. We gave our 'Blue Record baddies' the opportunity to reflect in the raw - to express their gratitude and grievances with their a...

It's that time again—and it's so hard to say goodbye! Ananda is joined by Princess, Director of Tech Ops, for The Blue Record's first in-person recording and second annual alumnae reflection episode. They reflect on their time at Spelman (and Zoom University), TBR's second season, and their hopes for adulthood and the future of The Blue Record. Cheers to the dynamic and enduring class of 2022. The...