A message from Whitney Ott '03, President, and Giselle Fernandez Martin '98, Immediate Past President, Agnes Scott Alumnae Association
The Agnes Scott Alumnae Association Board of Directors stands against racism and intolerance. The tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others are a painful reminder that many of our Scotties, in particular those in our Black Scottie family, continue to face hardships in the face of systemic racism, violence and injustice in our country. We share in your sorrow and outrage, and the Alumnae Board stands by each of you. We are an organization of strong, diverse leaders committed to building better Scottie communities. Accordingly, we must recognize these human rights issues and take them seriously. Now more than ever, our actions are critical. It is our duty as Scotties to educate ourselves, engage in difficult conversations and learn from one another so we can live up to Agnes Scott’s mission to “engage the intellectual and social challenges of our times."
Here are two ways to engage:- Consider adding these books to your reading list: "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates, "The Color of Law" by Richard Rothstein, "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin, "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander, "So You Want to Talk about Race" by Ijeoma Oluo, "White Privilege" by Paula S. Rothenberg and "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo.
- Participate in the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion's Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Courageous Conversations.
- Watch and read past conversations:
- Anti-Racist Work Begins at Home featuring Beth Hackett, chair and associate professor of women's, gender, and sexuality studies at Agnes Scott and Jacinta Williams `07, head of equity and inclusion at Atlanta International School.
- Local Leaders Take Action To Combat Racism featuring Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, commissioner of District 7 of DeKalb County’s Board of Commissioners, Kenneth Coleman, interim president and CEO of Dekalb Chamber of Commerce, and Patti Garrett, mayor of the City of Decatur.
- Tackling Social Injustice: Strategies for Action featuring Color Of Change Senior Campaign Director Brandi Collins-Dexter ‘02 and Beacon Hill Black Alliance Board Member Paul McLennan
- Watch and read past conversations:
WATCH: Virtual Alumnae Convocation
We’re so happy that over 500 Scotties from across the country came together to celebrate Agnes Scott during the first-ever Virtual Alumnae Convocation on May 30. But don’t worry if you’d missed the event, we’ve got you covered! Hear from Alumnae Board leaders and President Leocadia I. Zak, and enjoy special musical performances by watching the convocation above. Stay-tuned for further updates from the Office of Alumnae Relations!
Scotties Helping Scotties
Phase II: Alumnae "Check-in” Phone Calls
Thank you to the many Scottie alumnae who continue to respond to our students in need. Now, consider helping one another by making “check-in” phone calls.
Fill out the Check-in Call Sign-up Form to express your interest in helping with the initiative! A member of the Office of Alumnae Relations will reach out to you with a call script, 3-5 names of alumnae to call and other information.Additionally, if you have an interest in supporting the college and assisting with our ability to meet the changing needs associated with responding to COVID-19, we encourage you to make a gift to the Student Emergency Fund and/or The Fund for Agnes Scott. The resilience, support, courage and generosity we are seeing from our students, faculty, staff and alumnae as the college responds to COVID-19 is deeply inspiring and emblematic of the Scottie community. Thank You!
For updates, follow the college’s official alumnae Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and visit Agnes Scott’s COVID-19 website on a regular basis.
As a result of extensive conversations among college leadership, staff and reunion officers, the college is canceling Alumnae Weekend 2020 scheduled for April 17-19, 2020, including the Tower Circle Reception on April 16 due to Covid-19. Please see here for the complete announcement.
Register for the Office of Alumnae Relations’ new directory! If you have any questions, please contact us at alumnae@agnesscott.edu or 404-471-6323.