Overview information
One of the many women of color that deserves to be focused on for this project is Jennifer Giddings Brooks. I decided to focus on Mrs. Giddings because she was TCU’s first African- American Ms. TCU in the year of 1971. One of the primary sources that I used to locate her story is an issue of The Daily Skiff, Volume 69 Number 32, dated Friday February 5th 1971. Essentially Mrs. Giddings was not invited to participate in some of the homecoming activities such as the Cotton Bowl parade which was upsetting to her and to the students of color on campus. I found a portion of her story in one of the TCU yearbooks, but the discrimination's that she faced and direct quotes from her were not included in the text. I then was able to look through the Skiff and Minority’s at TCU repositories and was able to find direct quotes from her, and her story was positioned with other black students specifically African - American football players who faced discrimination's at TCU or those students who wanted to invoke change.
The Skiff goes a little bit more in depth by giving Mrs. Giddings personal words and perspective of her experience. This document also points out that she was not only the first African American queen at TCU but the first in the whole southwest conference. The document gives simple details about Giddings being a transfer student and how she was never contacted about the Cotton Bowl parade and other activities that she should have been apart of. More importantly Mrs. Jennifer Giddings campus involvement is highlighted within the repository which is really important to her story. She held titles such as being the vice president within her residence hall, and she was involved within the student body government, as well as a member of the Mortar Board on TCU's campus. The Mortar Board is an organization that invites students to membership on the basis of their service and leadership as well as their scholarship.
It is also important to note that Mrs. Giddings said that her involvement was not to assimilate but due to her personality of liking to be involved. She also stated that "it is important for minorities to feel it is okay to be in positions where they can make decisions." Mrs. Giddings was defiantly an advocated for the involvement of all minority students on campus.
In conjunction with her 4 Black football players expressed their demands and being upset with the change in rules for athletes (specific football). The football players and SAAC members and other students drew up a list of demands which included four things mainly a rebuttal of the campuses idea that black students were not happy with the social life on TCU’s campus. Students fought back and stated that they were upset with the following, Black students said that Jennifer Giddings was purposely excluded from Cotton Bowl Activities in which she was entitled to participate. They demanded a formal apology be printed in the 1970 horned frog document. The demands also included a request for a black minster and counselor to be hired by the school to aid black students with their problems. Lastly they asked for a full investigation of Jimmy Leach who was denied acceptance to a college on campus. TCU’s response was that the school normally sends invitations to the Cotton Bowl game go to the student body president, the cheerleaders and the TCU sweetheart. The TCU sweetheart Angela Ambrose received her invitation and Jennifer Giddings did not. I was also not sure if the TCU sweetheart was a white women and if that also contributed to students of color being upset. Thus TCU positioned their response along the lines of the situation being "nothing more than a misunderstanding with the black students assuming the worst." As far as the list of demands I did not read any information about Jennifer Giddings receiving the formal apology that was demanded from the students.
Notable Aspects
The location of Jennifer Giddings story is located in the section Minorities at TCU on the library website, and there is also information in The Skiff and within the repository. The position of Jennifer Giddings story was also interesting and important in the fact that she was placed in conjunction and in some ways overshadowed with other students needs specifically black men. It was difficult to find information on Mrs. Giddings story alone because there was not much information on her experience without being attached to someone else's. I also noticed that the articles would lump every Black person as the same and just give them the label "black students". That could be harmful because the needs and desires of the individual is forgotten about. In one article that I came across African Americans were referred to as the N word and part of the word was blocked out. The language and vocabulary to describe women of color was not empowering and would occasionally not even refer to the woman by her proper name.
Connection to Our Class:
This article makes it clear that students of color on TCU's campus are not always treated properly and are not always given the same resources and full opportunities as other students. The information that is provided negates to address the needs of women of color even aside from Mrs. Giddings story information that centered minority women was not as prevalent. Black feminist Bell Hooks speaks on how black women must often times place their race before the title of being a woman. Jennifer Giddings story is positioned with African American men and included in their list of demands which strengthened the over all message that the students were trying to make, but also places her as just a bullet point on the list on demands with no outcome. Readers are able to see why the football players are upset and the outcome of their demands but the same cannot be said for Mrs. Giddings. In class we have discussed the important role that women played when it came to the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist movement, but how they were never centralized but contributed a great deal to both (and many more) movements. If Mrs. Giddings story was not placed amongst the other students of color would that lessen the impact and demands from the students? Many women of color feel this way and that is why they would rather be positioned within the group rather than outside of it. Many activist and women of color believe(d) that a collective always looks stronger than many induvial stories.
Significance to our TCU Community:
I believe Mrs. Giddings story is a part of history because our campus is still working on diversity and inclusivity issues, and she started to tear down that barrier when she became the first African American homecoming queen but also by her involvement and demand to be treated equally. Students of color on campus still make it a big deal when a student of color wins any position on campus and both our queen and king this past homecoming are minority students. This story reflects the current state of women of color on campus in both positive and negative ways. For example, students often make a new list of grievances every couple of years demanding proper treatment just as the students did years before us. Many of the same demands that past students spoke out about are the same exact ones that we are still trying to fix. Her story also currently reflects the involvement of women of color on campus, a friend and fellow student who is a black woman just started an organization titled Women Empowerment (open to all women) but specifically for black women/ or women of color. The Black Student Association and other organizations works together and is dedicated to be a safe place for students of color and provides them with many opportunities to be involved on campus.
Works Cited
- Flanagan