HBCU Chess Spotlight: Spelman College

Spelman’s Jamila Thompson is a native New Yorker who was taught chess by her father. She continued her passion as a collegiate and joined other chess players in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) to match wits. Morehouse College hosted the club meetings and Thompson would attend along with a few others from Spelman, including Shaniah Francis, the co-founder of The Black Odyssey Chess Society.

Both Francis and Alan Cowan of Morehouse had an idea to host an HBCU chess tournament with the idea of starting a network. Thompson and three other Spelman students attended the first event hosted at Morris Brown College. However, she was the only one remaining as the others had graduated. When asked if there were players at Spelman, she replied she was the only one. Of course, there are always chess players around, but to get them assembled in an organized fashion is the challenge.

Thompson graduated this month. As she heads back to New York with a newly-minted psychology degree, she is considering her options after taking a “gap year.” Thompson spoke with The Chess Drum about her experience at the HBCU Chess Festival tournaments and chess at the AUC.

Jamila Thompson, Spelman College

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