Jasmine Lynn always dreamed of attending Spelman College. So when she was accepted to the prestigious four-year institution after high school, she jumped at the chance to leave Kansas, Mo., for Atlanta. But while striving to become the first person from her family to graduate from college, she was murdered in cold blood while walking near Clark Atlanta University.
To honor Lynn’s life and bring attention to the escalating violence that continues to plague the black community, students and faculty members at Spelman College joined Lynn’s family members to pay tribute to her at Spelman’s Sisters Chapel.
Spelman’s president, Beverly Daniel Tatum, spoke of the importance of keeping the campus safe for students. “The entire Spelman community is grief-stricken,” she said. “We consider our community to be a safe community. We now want to restore normalcy and offer comfort to Jasmine’s family.”
Outside Spelman’s Sisters Chapel, hundreds of memorial notes were posted on what was known as the Prayer Wall. Dominique Roberts’ note summed up the feelings of students who are reeling from this tragedy. “While here at Spelman, I have encountered the heartbreak of many things. None should hurt as much as the loss of a Spelman sister. Jasmine will always be remembered.” –a.r.
