A Spelman College student went viral Tuesday after publicly calling out their school’s president, Ayanna Howard, on the issue of sexual misconduct at a book event on campus.
On Nov. 10, Spelman hosted an event for Howard’s new book, Rebooting The Machines: A New Human Vision for Artificial Intelligence, at the school’s Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center Auditorium.
During the book signing, a Spelman student, who refers to herself as “Isis” on social media, can be seen accusing the president of not doing enough to address students concerns about sexual assault. The student also claimed that Howard did not attend multiple student meetings about the issue. The demonstration stemmed from allegations of sexual misconduct by a Morehouse College fraternity member that were made public last month.
The student recorded the confrontation and posted the video on Instagram.
“I’m a student who attends Spelman College, and we are here at this book signing or whatever that our president has held to talk about her book and involvement in AI. While on her very campus, she has not come to a single meeting … to address the sexual assault that her students are suffering under her school,” she said in the video.
She then proceeded to question those in the room who are buying the book.
“Do you really think it is appropriate to be buying a book from someone who does not care to even bring their presence forward when someone in their school is being sexually assaulted, when many of their students are being sexually assaulted?” she said.
An unidentified woman not shown on camera then asked the student if she’s tried scheduling a meeting with Howard.
“So until I have a president who cares about my safety and the safety of my sisters, I’m not buying no damn book. Period. That’s it! I don’t care to have a meeting with her, because several people have had events, and she has not shown up to one. Her presence is missed,” the student shouted to the room in response.
Myana Garrison, a junior studying health science at Spelman, told Capital B Atlanta the student’s disruption of the book event was “brave” and said she, too, feels that there has been a lack of support from Howard.
“We’re not feeling supported. We’re not feeling heard,” Garrison said.
She said outside of the joint statements posted by the schools, little has been done to address students’ concerns.
“You are the president of Spelman College. I think that there has to be a genuine concern if there’s a collective of us telling you that there’s something wrong, there is an issue, and that this is something that is unfortunately ingrained in our institutions. … If you’re a president that wants to create change.. you’re going to listen and you’re going to do what needs to be done … being silent and not standing for anything is doing so much more harm,” she said.
Spelman’s LGBTQ+ group, Afrekete, posted on Instagram that another Spelman student confronted Howard during the Q&A segment of the event earlier that evening.
According to the post, the unidentified student listed two Spelman forums and one Morehouse event where the issue of sexual assault was talked about — claiming that Howard did not attend either of them. Howard said that there was a town hall the night before where the matter was discussed.
The group said that campus police entered the auditorium during the exchange and that Maya Cody, Spelman’s assistant vice president for event strategy and management, pointed the student out to police.
“President Howard, you did not create this problem at Spelman College, but you have inherited it,” Afrekete wrote in the post. “It is your responsibility to the students of Spelman College to practice an ethic of care and recognize that violence against Spelman students must take precedence over comfortability or convenience.
“Your response to our Spelman sister at your book talk lacked empathy and upheld the logics of patriarchy and white supremacy,” the post said.
Spelman did not respond to Capital B Atlanta’s request for comment about the protests.
In October, a Spelman student posted accusations on social media alleging she had been sexually assaulted by a Morehouse student on Oct 6. In numerous posts across Instagram and Substack, the college student shared details of subsequent harassment and said she received little support after filing a complaint with Spelman’s Title IX office and the Atlanta Police Department.
When Capital B Atlanta reached out to the Atlanta Police Department, a spokesperson confirmed there is a sexual assault incident report filed by the accuser. Police have yet to make an arrest in the case.
In response to the allegations, Spelman students held a protest at the Atlanta University Center in October where some students used red paint prints on their clothing and bodies to call out sexual violence on campus.
Spelman, Morehouse, and the Morehouse School of Medicine issued a joint statement on their social media accounts saying they were aware of the concerns about sexual assault circulating in the AUC community.
“We take all reports regarding sexual misconduct seriously, and we remain dedicated to the safety and well-being of every student,” the statement reads. “Sexual misconduct, nonconsensual behavior, online harassment and cyberbullying have absolutely no place on our campuses. The safety, physical well-being, and dignity of our students are paramount.”
The posts also shared public safety, counseling, and reporting resources.
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