Over the past weeks of February, I have awoken each day to a note from someone on campus focused on a leader—in celebration of Black History month, I have heard about Bernice Johnson Reagon, Fannie Lou Hamer, Pauli Murray, Jacqueline Woodson, Belle Wheelan, and others. I also have had the chance to get to know Salem alumnae a bit more through Salem Voices, and I have learned from those of you who have reached out with questions and ideas. Your leadership, too, is inspiring.
All of this is honoring history. And, we know it is igniting the future. Those phrases are ours to remind ourselves that celebrating Salem’s 250th means standing in the present, understanding our complex past, and moving forward together. We know that today’s circumstances require change from each of us—and from Salem as an institution.
Over the coming months, some of that change will be institutional shifts that take place in the background—as we work through an understanding, for example, of our data systems and as we continue to work through the challenges that face us during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other changes will be lifted up in coming weeks to remind us of our commitment to changing the world—expressed in our mission statements at Academy and College, as a commitment to create leaders who will make that change.
Beyond that, many of the changes will take place in individual lives—as our students read and reflect. We hope that years from now they will see these days and months as important in shaping who they become. I know that our students shape me—as a leader who learns. Whether it is the Student Government Association reminding me to listen or discussing civil religion with Chaplain Amy Rio’s college class, attending the Academy student government meetings, or meeting with a recent speaker who discussed Black genius with them, our students inspire us all to be better.
As we continue through February, I know we will carry Salem forward into a brighter future.
We are always and ever grateful for your engagement with Salem. It matters—it lifts us up, and it ignites our future.
Susan Henking
Interim President
I think we all hoped that 2021 would herald a new beginning, a chance to put 2020 with all its difficulties behind us. In many ways it has, the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is showing us a light at the end of a tunnel. However, the tunnel is long, and we are still left with challenges ahead of us.
While we as a nation and here at Salem are confronting difficult times, I have an overriding sense of hope. That hope comes from the strength not only of our country, but also the strength that Salem Academy and College has exhibited for 250 years. We are working together to continue making our year of virtual education successful. We are also working together to not only maintain our great institution, but to expand and strengthen it in creative and groundbreaking ways.
As we approach our 250th Celebration year, we can be confident and joyful that exciting plans are in place to ensure that Salem Academy and College will endure and thrive for another 250 years. I will leave you with excerpts from Amanda Gorman’s powerful inaugural poem, “The Hill We Climb,” which I find myself returning to repeatedly for its depiction of our resiliency and as a source of promise and hope for our future:
The Lucy Rose Center for Global Leadership and Career Innovation and the Office of Alumnae Engagement have partnered to offer Career Crafting with Collier, a professional development series for Academy and College alumnae. The first session, Creating Your Winning Resume, took place on February 17. Our next session will be held on March 17 at noon. Login details will be provided to all alumnae in advance of the event. Watch the recording of Creating Your Winning Resume.
Last summer, The Washington Post ran a story about Daniel Smith, an 88-year-old Washingtonian whose father was enslaved. Slavery ended almost 166 years ago in the United States, but the story of Mr. Smith and others like him show how present the legacy of slavery is. Many living Americans are only a generation or two removed from slavery.
In the 21st century, we are still coming to grips with the truth of our past and the legacy of racism. Why? The answer lies in the fact that the victors get to write history.
After the failure of Reconstruction, Confederate leaders and segregationists wrote the story of the antebellum south. The myth of the lost cause and the image of a genteel southern culture became the main story in place of the truth of dehumanizing violence. The myth and the stereotypes were told so well, partially through American entertainment and advertising, that they became the dominant image of Black people across America. They contributed to the apology for slavery that argues slaves received free food, housing, and medical care. Of course, these things were not free; they came at the cost of people’s families, a chance at an education, and the right to control their bodies.
For many years, Salem celebrated its current diversity while neglecting its segregated past. In this century, more and more institutions have grappled with the truth of their past connections to and benefits from slavery. Locally, the Southern Province of the Moravian Church apologized for its participation in slavery in 2006. College students in 2017 and Academy alumnae in 2020 challenged our community to conduct an honest investigation of the institution’s relationship with slavery and the legacy of racism. Salem Academy and College’s apology for its use of enslaved labor in 2018 and the creation of The Anna Maria Samuel Project were direct results of this generation’s refusal to accept the myth.
Today, Salem Academy and College is working with Universities Studying Slavery and with Old Salem Museum & Gardens’ Hidden Town Project. This work began in 2017 and is continuing through Jan Term internships and classes at the Academy as well as public programs on campus. Forsyth County’s Historic Resources Commission has approved new historical markers on Church Street highlighting those enslaved men and women who worked at or attended Salem. There are also plans to provide additional information in the Single Sisters Museum, which will be open to the public at no cost. While campus is closed, you can access information about past research and current projects by visiting The Anna Maria Samuel Project.
Michelle Hopkins Lawrence
Co-chair of The Anna Maria Samuel Project: Race, Remembrance, and Reconciliation at Salem Academy and College
History Department Salem Academy
Brian Voss has been a fixture on the Salem Academy and College grounds for more than 30 years … or rather, a moving target. He loves nothing more than walking all over campus, according to his wife Julie Voss (herself a much-loved figure in Salem’s refectory). “You’ll rarely see Brian riding in a golf cart,” Julie laughs.
By planting and tending everything green (and blue and gold!) at Salem, Brian, assistant director of grounds, knows every plant, tree, and bench here. He probably should be called a plant whisperer! After majoring in horticulture at North Carolina State University, Brian worked the gardens of Old Salem Museums & Gardens before coming to Salem. As well as nurturing plants at Salem, Brian has nurtured many Academy and College students stressing about papers, exams, and general worries about life. “I just like talking to everyone. If the student seems nervous about an exam, I’ll tell them they’ll do just fine,” he says. In turn, the Academy and College alumnae always search for Brian when they visit campus for reunions, wanting to see how he’s doing.
Brian really enjoys working at an educational institution; he loves plants, history, and people, so being at Salem is a job he loves. His oldest daughter Scarlett (A’11) tagged along to campus long before she was old enough to be an Academy student. And in this Salem love story, Brian met his wife Julie on the Refectory loading dock. He proposed in front of the Rondthaler-Gramley House, and they were married on Bryant Hall patio, with their reception (“best party ever!” according to Brian) in the Refectory.
Thank you, Brian, for making our campus green and lush, and thank you for being a friend to everyone at Salem!
In 1772, Salem Academy and College was founded on the revolutionary idea that girls and women deserve a rigorous education to prepare them to lead the way for a better world. It is with great excitement and gratitude that we announce the yearlong celebration to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of Salem Academy and College. Throughout the 2021-2022 academic year, we will celebrate in many ways including opportunities to engage in inclusive reflections on our history and honoring the resilience, contributions, and experiences of those who paved the way.
We will honor our past as fuel to IGNITE our future.
The 250th Celebration will be a far-reaching effort and will take an army of volunteers. We would love your help! Complete this form to volunteer.
Visit our website to find out more about all the exciting events planned. In particular, we wanted to draw your attention to the:
Journey from Bethlehem to Salem—September 28–October 26, 2021
Join with friends to walk for a day or two (or all 29 days) as we retrace the historic journey of the Single Sisters from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. This is a unique opportunity to reflect on and honor their courage and conviction as well as affirm the boundless potential of our community. Click here for details.
Salem Voices: A Conversation with Salem Alumnae posts on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 12:30 p.m. The most recent episode was released on February 16 and featured Dr. Jennie Smith McLaurin, C’81. Jennie is a pediatrician, writer, and public health expert with particular interests in culture, bioethics, and theology.
After Salem she received an MD from Wake Forest University, an MPH from UNC-Chapel Hill, and an MA in theology and ethics from Regent College (Vancouver, BC). She has worked with marginalized and underserved communities in the US for more than 30 years, caring for migrant, homeless, indigenous, and special needs populations. Nationally, she is a consultant for the federal Health Resources Services Administration and for the National Association of Community Health Centers. She also serves as a mentor and teacher of health professions students as well as graduate students. This episode and others are available on our website.
The next edition of Salem Voices will debut Tuesday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m. and will feature Dr. Noël Lumpkin, C’86. Noël received her M.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and did her residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After completing a fellowship at the Virginia Mason Hospital and Clinics in Seattle, Washington, she decided to call the Pacific Northwest her home. Working as an anesthesiologist in her community, her restlessness led her to pursue locum tenens work. Initially seen as a temporary lark, she has now done full-time locum tenens work for more than 15 years. Her experience prodded her to write a book, “Road Warrior Physician,” a how-to manual on the locum tenens life.
Join us to learn more about these amazing alumnae as they engage in conversations Lucy Rose, C’76, Vice Chair of the Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees and owner and president of Lucy Rose and Associates.