Should more "mostly white sororities and fraternities" be integrated?

[Jill1228]

Just subscribing

[Dionysus]

No. They should pick who they like. If a chapter is diverse because actives chose rushees that they liked and happened to be minorities, that's great. However, no minority wants to be part of an org just to make it more "colorful"...I hope.

[GammaPhiBabe]

I have read the story with the black girl from the University of Alabama who was trying to get into an "all white" sorority.

To whom are you referring? Melody Twilley or Carla Ferguson?

[azdnc]

I am originally from New England- but attended school at a university in North Carolina (not unc-ch) - and I currently am an advisor with my chapter. I can tell you that the mentality in the south, overall, is still very racists. It is not the out in the open type- but rather practiced behind closed doors. The campus has one chapter that has African-american members in a traditionally "white" sorority. This chapter just recently formed within the last 5 years, and a large majority of the members are not from the south. Sadly, I have to say that I do not see this changing anytime soon.

[phamason2003]

White Frats./Sororities and Black Frats./Sororities should all have a greater amount of mixtures. However, a Frat. and Sorority should not feel they need to admit someone just because they need to make a quota on how many Blacks, Latins, Whites, etc. they take as new members. A chapter SHOULD have their choice in who they want and who they do not want. *Side note: Even multicultural orgs. are not multicultural.
*Heath T.Hamaguchi
-F&AM.Prince Hall A. Cedars #64
-Phi Kappa Tau

[Xylochick216]

I think part of the problem at my school specifically is that minorities don't go through NPC recruitment. We have a few minorities in my chapter, but I can only recall of one African-American and a handful of other minorities going through recruitment. NPC on campus tries to recruit all females on campus, but a lot of the minority girls come in thinking that they can't join NPC, just NPHC. I don't know where they are getting these ideas from, but I know any chapter on campus would gladly open its arms to minority members.

[Little E]

I understand what you all are saying about chapters and women not feeling comfortable. However, it is also a National issue. I had a friend, Kelly, who tried to bring a NPHC to Beloit College a few years ago. She was told pretty flat out, that we didn't have a high enough minority population (our general greek numbers were struggling too) She ended up joining AST, which at the time, was not predominatly white, it was much more what ya'll would call multi-cultural. It was a wonderful home, and honestly of the years I've been active, we the strongest sisterhood that year. (You should have seen us learning how to step! It was SOOO hard!) In the past few years, we've become much more white, probably now about 60-70%. I think it takes a commitment from both National orgs colonizing on more diverse campus' and also the chapters integrating themselves in a number of activities and with a variety of people. (both NPHC and NPC/NIC need to make the committment)

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

You know, a chapter can only be diverse if the CAMPUS is diverse. If the campus is predominately white, then it's a fair bet that the Greek system will also be predominately white. What does te Greek system have to do with that? How can anyone expect that the GLO's will be integrated if the campus isn't?

I'm sorry but every time this conversation occurs (integration) everyone talks about it being the GLO's problem alone. No one addresses the fact that there might not be non-white men/women who are interested on the campus.

The University I graduated from is predominately white, in an area of the country that is predominately white, so the Greek houses are predominately white.

[Rollergirl2001]

Originally posted by GammaPhiBabe
To whom are you referring? Melody Twilley or Carla Ferguson?

Carla Ferguson.

[preciousjeni]

Originally posted by phamason2003
*Side note: Even multicultural orgs. are not multicultural.
*

Please elaborate

[hoosier]

I read a lot of GLO magazines, and in almost every issue (from the traditionally white groups) I see black members/pledges in some pictures.

Sigma Chi had a whole magazine issue this winter devoted to their racial struggle in the 1960s-70s. It's worth looking for a copy to read the articles.

I don't think any GLO has a 'race' clause now - all were dropped, if they existed, in the '60s or '70s.

Indiana U. is the mother chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, and while I was in school they had one white pledge. I don't know it he was initiated or not.

[cash78mere]

women can only be given a bid if they sign up for recruitment, rush, and sign a bid card. if minorities don't go through rush, they won't get a bid. it's as simple as that.

i don't like the idea of "soliciting" women solely based on their color. that is wrong. if a woman of color would like to consider a npc, she should go through recruitment by her own wishes. not by the wishes of a group that wants to integrate their chapter. that's faulty logic.

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally posted by cash78mere
women can only be given a bid if they sign up for recruitment, rush, and sign a bid card. if minorities don't go through rush, they won't get a bid. it's as simple as that.

Exactly what I was going to say. People say that there are not enough minorities in southern school sororities, but to be honest, I don't remember seeing a single african american coming through recruitment. But many of the sororities have sisters of different ethnic backgrounds.

[AOII_LB93]

Originally posted by Rollergirl2001
I agree with you. I think that it will take sheer guts for an AA to be in an "all white" sorority or fraternity.

How does that take guts? If you're friends with people it's not because you have guts. People don't choose an organization because they have "guts", they choose it because it is what they want.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by AOII_LB93
How does that take guts? If you're friends with people it's not because you have guts. People don't choose an organization because they have "guts", they choose it because it is what they want.

In the South , NPC rush is a huge spectacle. Most people who join social GLOs do so because they are comfortable there, not to be the subject of an enormous amount of public attention.

The first black woman to go through NPC rush in that environment, is forfeiting anonymity and privacy. That takes guts.