Welcome
My students and I are looking forward to hosting you at Spelman College.
We want to thank Aechelon Educational Services for lending us this site
and for co-sponsoring the event. Thank you to my dear friend Marina
Martin for designing the MOD logo. We also want to thank our morning
speakers for volunteering to share their knowledge and insight.
Let me take a moment to tell you why I've been facilitating this
event the last few years. As a teacher, mother, sister, daughter,
grand-daughter, niece, Goddaugther and Godmother, I know the power of
woman to woman mentoring. I have had the benefit of great women in my
life to guide me, goal me, and even get on my nerves. I have been
blessed by what I think of as Elders, not because of a number on their
birth certificates, but because they let me benefit from their expertise
and experience. Unfortunately, I don't see quite as much of this kind
of mentoring as is needed.
My position at a womens' college, and in all the other capacities
in which I mentor, affords me the opportunity to meet and mentor
incredible young women from all over the world. Some of them have
already had powerful women to walk with them, and some of them have not.
It is for the have-nots that I started this event.
The time to strengthen our daughters and sisters is not when they
get to college, but from the very beginning. The time to build their
self-esteem and root them deeply in the kind of history, knowledge and
wisdom which will sustain them is every day. I am training my Spelman
students to do this--to be elders. I am asking them to take the kind of
responsibility for their gifts and talents which will create a lasting
human legacy. They should always leave a legacy beyond themselves.
Thank you so much for bringing your girls to share with us. Thank
you so much for stepping up and being an Elder. Thank you for
remembering that to whom much is given . . . you know the rest. I look
forward to seeing you on April 25th.
Many blessings,
Dr. Stanley