Every Person By Name

Laurice Bryant is an especially friendly face who can be found working at the Letitia Pate Evans Dining Hall on weekday evenings and Sundays, ensuring that students and staff never run out of fresh pizza. Laurice has worked at Agnes Scott for four years as of April 2024, and reports that the campus has been an incredibly inviting and comfortable community. She enjoys campus events with her family and by herself, especially the choral programs. She also loves connecting with students and cheering them on. She is a major source of comfort for students who are missing their parents back home, and who need a warm hug from someone who truly cares about them.

 “I know my purpose in life is to encourage you and to nurture people. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn't… majority of the time it doesn't hurt to encourage and be kind to someone.”

The students at Agnes Scott love Laurice, and were worried when they noticed she had been absent for an extended period of time in March 2023. On top of being a three-time breast cancer survivor, Laurice has faced a series of major injuries from accidents over the years, including the accident that occurred at Agnes Scott. In March of 2023, Laurice came into work for her evening shift like any other day, with her hair done-up and her makeup in place. She mentioned in her interview that her appearance is especially important to her, “because my grandmother taught me: you dress the way you want to be addressed.” She walked into her prep area and found that a new part-time employee was already at her station. She tried to explain to him that since she had now arrived for her shift, he could go home. There was some confusion on his part, so he remained at the station, making the conditions more cramped than usual. The part-timer was still new to the logistics of the job and left a tall baking cart in a spot that was unsafe, right next to where Laurice was prepping. Inevitably, a baking tray was pushed into the cart, making it unbalanced with the uneven weight, and the entire cart toppled over, crashing on top of Laurice. 

“And when it came over, boom, it hit me, all I felt at first was on my ankle. And I kept working, I didn't stop because there was so many students coming to be fed, so I kept working. Then I couldn't feel my ankle, and I looked down and it was swollen!”

Laurice was carried to the office by another staff member when she collapsed from the pain in her ankle, and was eventually transported to the hospital. She spent almost a year recovering from her injuries which consisted of severe injuries to the entire left side of her body. Healing was slow going, but it was a drill she was all familiar with due to her past experience with cancer and other accidents. She went to the clinics and did the therapy, but also practiced her own holistic remedies: blending herbs, making tinctures, and praying for a swift recovery. Luckily, she had the company of her family to help throughout her healing process. Laurice moved from her school counselor position in Flint, Michigan to follow her daughter and grandchildren who moved to Lithonia, Georgia in the mid-2000s. They have since moved to Stone Mountain where her five grandchildren attend school. She is very proud of her family, especially her oldest granddaughter who has been accepted into Benedict College in South Carolina. Laurice was finally able to return to Agnes Scott in February of 2024 and still has to take breaks, but is feeling well enough to work. And while it was surely against doctor’s orders, she shared in her interview that she had been roller skating recently for her youngest granddaughter’s 8th birthday. Hopefully her skating abilities indicate a full recovery in her future. In the meantime, she is looking forward to being able to wear her stilettos again and to getting back to business as usual and seeing the happy faces of the people at Agnes Scott.

Althea Fitzgerald's time at Agnes Scott has always been shaped by the people around her. Althea, who is originally from Mississippi, had just moved to Georgia from Arizona when a friend who had previously worked at Agnes Scott told her about an open position at the school. Althea applied and got the job and has now worked in Facilities as a custodian for over twenty years. She wasn’t originally planning to stay in the job, but, as she describes, the two or three years she planned to stay turned into five, and five turned into many more. She enjoyed the new experience, appreciated not having management breathing down her neck all the time, and felt comfortable among the Agnes Scott community, which she describes as a friendly, conversational, “all-smiles” bubble. Althea likes her job best during the school year, when her work follows a regular schedule and routine which doesn’t change much except during special events; during the summer, she has to do more work on a less regular schedule in order to set up for the following year. Another perk of working during the school year is meeting students; Althea loves getting to meet students from such a wide variety of backgrounds, walks of life, and nationalities.

When she moved to Georgia, Althea initially lived in Smyrna, and she loved living there. She moved to Decatur to be closer to Agnes Scott, but she admits that she misses Smyrna. Still, there are many things she likes about living in Decatur, including all the walkable destinations surrounding Agnes Scott. For instance, she can always find somewhere to go on a lunch break and still be back in time. She also likes everything there is to do around the Agnes Scott campus, including walking on the track or around campus and exercising in the Snap Fitness gym.

A lot has happened in Althea’s life in the twenty years since she began working at Agnes Scott. For instance, seven of her grandchildren have been born! She remembers bringing them to campus all the time when they were younger. Some of them would always tell her that they wanted to go to Agnes Scott someday! Now, her two oldest granddaughters have graduated and have chosen other schools, but Althea hopes to encourage some of her younger grandchildren to apply to Agnes Scott when they get to that age.

Despite everything she loves about Agnes Scott, Althea has been frustrated with many of the changes which have occurred since the college made the decision to outsource to Aramark. For instance, before the outsourcing began, Althea knew she would retire from Agnes Scott one day and get a retirement package from the college, but that is no longer the case under the new outsourcing system. Althea also feels less certain about the future of her job now, explaining that Aramark needs to follow the current rules of the contract with Agnes Scott until 2025 and that “after that, Aramark can do what they want with us,” whether that be moving people to other schools, firing workers, or lowering their pay. Althea feels that the school threw her and other Facilities workers under the bus through this agreement. The sense of community has changed: though she still calls the community of Agnes Scott employees “a family,” she says it’s now different—for instance, Facilities workers are no longer required to go to certain meetings where employees used to interact—and she’s “not really part of it anymore.” Both because of these changes and in general, Althea feels that the Facilities workers’ contributions are often undervalued. Still, this doesn’t change how she feels about her work and that of her coworkers; as she explains, “We value ourselves.”

Andria works in dining services at Agnes Scott, making omelets in the morning and working at the sandwich station at other times of day. Andria, who had worked at Agnes Scott for almost fourteen years as of October 2023, began working in the kitchen through a temp service before being hired. She likes the autonomy her job affords her, as she knows how to do her job and no one is telling her what to do all the time. She also appreciates the students and her coworkers, whom she enjoys chatting with when she comes into work each day.

Outside of her job, Andria’s daily life has also been impacted by her time at Agnes Scott. For instance, her work at Agnes Scott has enabled her to get a car, and she enjoys working so close to downtown Decatur.

Angel Brown-Richardson has worked as a barista at Black Cat Cafe for four years as of October 2023. At Black Cat Cafe, she makes coffee and greets Scotties and other customers.

Angel likes the people she has worked with at Black Cat Cafe, and she likes when she has positive interactions with students, employees, and staff during her job. She does feel, however, that the job takes very good customer service skills, particularly because not all customers are as respectful as she wishes they would be. Some students, she notes, complain a lot and get mad about what they can’t have instead of appreciating what they can have. She doesn’t always get thank-yous from customers, either.

Beyond these interactions, Angel also wishes she was recognized more overall for her contributions to the school. She wants people to know that she works hard and that her hard work shouldn’t be dismissed just because her job is making coffee. Angel has never been written up or called out of work (except for necessary absences like doctor’s appointments), but she has never gotten the recognition she feels she deserves for this. She also increasingly feels that the college is split between Aramark and the students, faculty, and staff who make up the Agnes Scott community. Overall, Angel wants to emphasize the importance of respect.

The transition away from Aramark at Agnes Scott College, which began in earnest in the early 2000s, marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to address and improve economic justice on campus. This change, driven by a dedicated movement of staff, students, and faculty advocating for fair labor practices, highlighted the community’s commitment to ensuring a just and equitable environment for all campus workers. The decision to switch from Aramark was seen as a necessary step toward fostering a more respectful and inclusive workplace, in line with Agnes Scott’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Dr. Tina Pippin discussed key figures like Della Spurley Bell (pictured left), who was instrumental in the union's early efforts. In 2004, wages were as low as $8.59 an hour, and Della, then a co-founder of the union, earned just $9.12 an hour. Alongside Della, faculty members like Professor Steve Guthrie played a crucial role in advocating for fair labor practices. Custodians like Travis Ley also contributed significantly to the movement. Despite their efforts, wage compression and seniority issues persisted, but the community's resilience and determination to fight for economic justice remained unwavering. The involvement of external supporters such as the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations) and local organizations like the Labor Forum at WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) further emphasized the collective effort to bring about meaningful change.

One of the most notable changes following the transition was the increase in wages for dining staff. The joy was palpable as workers received their long-awaited raises, illustrating the positive impact of the movement’s efforts. This moment of celebration, however, was tempered by challenges such as reduced hours, underscoring the complexities of achieving lasting economic justice. Despite these hurdles, the sense of community and solidarity grew stronger. Staff, students, and faculty found themselves working together on justice issues, deepening their understanding of one another's lives and struggles. This collaboration extended beyond mere advocacy, fostering meaningful relationships and shared experiences.

From Tina’s viewpoint, this transition underscored the importance of continuous efforts to dismantle systemic inequities and foster an environment where economic justice is a reality for everyone.

In the early 2000s, several faculty members and students worked together to offer English classes for workers who were immigrants and did not speak English. This idea was pitched by the late Dr. Steve Guthrie, who was a faculty member in the English department, and who organized the classes with Dr. Tina Pippin, a faculty member in the Religious Studies department. Dr. Martha Rees, emerita professor of Anthropology, worked with this project for a number of years.

Martha remembers when Julio García, a landscape worker who she had helped navigate the American legal system after he was injured on the job, shared his perspective with her. He said that many immigrant workers wanted to learn English but working long hours to support their family left them tired and with little time to devote to English classes, which were often held at inconvenient times and in locations that required a lengthy commute. After hearing about this, Tina convinced the employers to give workers an hour on Wednesdays during which they could take English classes on campus. 

The classes were taught by Steve, Tina, and Martha, as well as by student volunteers, some of whom went on to use the skills they developed during those classes in other ESL-related work experiences. Martha looks back on these classes fondly as something that benefited the different groups of people involved, as well as building positive and meaningful relationships between workers, students, and faculty; in fact, many people involved in these classes have kept in touch and remained friends over the years.

Decisions to outsource and contract workers in roles such as dining, facilities, and IT have contributed to a narrative and feelings that people in these roles are not a central part of the Agnes Scott community the way students, faculty, and administration are. As these shifts have occurred, the need to counter this narrative has arisen among many on campus, particularly through the work of the Living Wage Campaign and similar movements. EV McGovern ‘24 described this as an effort towards “more valuation for the merit of our community.”

In Spring 2024, the Living Wage Campaign hosted a cookout to show appreciation for dining staff. EV, who was involved with the organization of this event as a member of the Living Wage Campaign, was met with surprised reactions from some members of the campus community, who explained that they had not known how close students often are with dining workers, and that this is one of the reasons why many students are upset about outsourcing and contracting decisions.

According to EV, focusing only on financial pressures in decision-making and ignoring the importance of community-building is detrimental to the future of Agnes Scott College. EV pointed out further that staff in dining, facilities, and other such roles are the “backbone” of the Agnes Scott community. Students are friends with these workers, and disrupting these relationships and this form of community on campus for the sake of financial decisions both undercuts Agnes Scott’s mission and diminishes the vibrancy of our campus.

Facilities Custodian Trainer Althea Fitzgerald remarked on this during an interview. Her love for her job – stemming from not only the campus community but the pride in being the glue holding campus together through her department’s vital campus maintenance – is contrasted with the outsourcing, as it removes contractual protections for her and her coworkers that she believes make them a family.

Regular staff meetings are no longer required to attend, putting distance between her “family,” and when the current facilities contract ends in 2025, Althea and her coworkers may be sent to different campuses, replaced, or potentially receive salary reductions, which feels to them like a reduction of the value of their necessary contributions.

Dr. Tina Pippin reflected on the transformative power of student movements at Agnes Scott College, emphasizing their role in driving necessary changes. Since her arrival in 1989, Tina has deeply valued the college's commitment to its core values, despite recognizing that there is still much work to be done to fully realize its potential. She believes that true progress, particularly in undoing systemic racism, hinges on building strong, intersectional communities that include students and staff who possess the courage to challenge institutionalism.

Student leadership has consistently been at the forefront of these movements, demonstrating a remarkable ability to navigate intricate issues. The dedication of Agnes Scott students to these causes has been a source of inspiration for Tina. She appreciates the invaluable lessons learned from working alongside these passionate individuals and recognizes the importance of faculty stepping back to allow student leadership to flourish. Tina firmly believes that the college's mission is best fulfilled when it honors the contributions of all its members, especially those who stand up against institutional injustices.

This perspective highlights the profound impact of student movements at Agnes Scott College. These efforts have not only brought about essential changes but have also strengthened the community by fostering relationships across class and race lines. By continuing to support and uplift student leadership, Agnes Scott College can move closer to achieving its core mission of justice and equity for all.