Another celebrity offspring is headed to Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Parker Whitfield, 17, the daughter of actor Dondre Whitfield and actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield, chose Spelman to further her education. Dondre announced on Instagram, posting a photo of the family sporting Spelman merch.
View this post on Instagram
“One day, Parker asked me, ‘Dad, what do you think I should do about my schools?’ I told her that all of her choices would offer her a great EDUCATION! I then told her to choose a great EXPERIENCE,” Dondre wrote in the caption.
He continued, “We are so excited that Parker has chosen @spelman_college as her ‘great experience’! It will undoubtedly offer her a top tier education, sisterhood and citizenship. And we can’t thank bonus Auntie Traci (Traci Blackwell, The CW’s former senior vice president) enough for her support, guidance and love. Today she brought us all some Spelman swag to begin the collection. I think she’s almost happier about this decision than Parker is. And we love it…thank you sis.”
Dondre ended the post with, “Congratulations Parker. Your path to becoming a greater woman starts in the fall….”
Parker isn’t the only celebrity child to become a Spelman Jaguar. In 2022, actress Angelina Jolie announced on her Instagram that her daughter, Zahara Jolie-Pitt, became a student at Spelman College. According to Essence, Gospel singer of the duo Mary Mary Erica Campbell sent her daughter off to start her first year at the prestigious HBCU.
Spelman is an HBCU that prides itself on being an institution that focuses on educating women of African descent. The school sits at 74% graduation and 51% acceptance rates. Their website assures prospective and current students that their support extends beyond graduating, “providing connections and helping hands to graduates as they begin on their path of global engagement.” According to US News, Spelman College is the top HBCU in the country.
