Those are good points about the challenges an out-of-state PNM faces at a big SEC school, but did I miss something? I don't remember seeing anything that would indicate the OP was OOS.

I think it is important to add "Most of the NPC groups had exclusionary policies a few decades ago that barred Jews as well as non-whites. These chapters no longer have explicit policies, but they have not taken action to promote inclusion equivalent to the actions taken to ensure exclusion in the past." That's the context within which AA women choose not to rush. Diversity rarely, if ever, happens simply because you open a door that used to be closed. You need to give people reasons to walk through that door. Memories die hard, especially on a campus, and within a Greek system, that takes enormous pride in its long traditions.

Aside from your race, there are issues everyone rushing at one of those hardcore schools need to consider. What is your GPA like? Have you researched getting recs? Do you have any extracurriculars that will help you stand out? No matter who you are, if the answers to those questions are less than favorable, that would help you make your decision to possibly not go through.

My assumption (and you know what happens to people who assume) would be that the OP is out of state. I would think that African Americans who live in Alabama are already intimately familiar with the state of diversity and inclusion there.


This is an excellent point, but I also wouldn't discount the appeal of the Divine Nine. Most people are going to gravitate to that which is familiar, and it is my opinion that the NPHC organizations do a much better job than NPC and NIC organizations of making themselves known beyond the collegiate population and community involvement across generations. YMMV.

;) I know this is not what amIblue? is saying but I'm throwing this out there before the thread goes there:

The OP wants to be in an NPC sorority. She should not come knocking on the NPHC sororities' doors just because she is afraid to try NPC recruitment. That is not the role of NPHC sororities in the 21st century. Besides, if the OP has not brought up the NPHC on her own, it should not be recommended to her. That is insulting and is not how we operate.

Oh, no, that is definitely not what I was suggesting. If the OP wants to join an NPC group, then I hope she is successful in finding her home. (See my earlier post wishing her well.) I am proud that my organization has sisters of all races and faiths.

I was just trying to give another possible reason for why there are not many AA PNMs at Alabama. It's a complicated situation. It's not just one thing is all I was trying to say.

I have nothing but the highest respect for NPHC organizations, and I would never consider them a "valid alternative" (remember that train wreck) to NPC groups.

Thanks DrPhil, for explaining what I mean. :)

Ole Miss definitely has some blacks in NPC sororities, based on the sororities' website bid day and sisterhood pictures. A very few, but I haven't seen more than that on average the bid day pictures from schools in most other parts of the country. It is certainly not exclusively a Southern thing to have 95%+ White chapter makeup. Assuming all Southerners are rascist is just another form of prejudice.

I haven't read this entire thread, but who said that?

Is this going to turn into a "why is there no White Entertainment Television?" type of thing?

No one said all Southerners are racist. No one said that NPC membership nationwide is not majority white. No one even said everyone in NPC sororities at Bama is racist.

Furthermore, no one asked about recruitment at Ole Miss. Just because they're SEC and there are similarities does not make anecdata about recruitment at Ole Miss apply to the OP's situation at Bama.

The OP had/has a legitimate concern regarding the likelihood of a successful recruitment at Bama GIVEN THE CONTEXT of past recruitments at Bama.

OP -- I'm not stupid enough to assume any one chapter or house is racist, cause that's not the case. But anyone from the south knows the reputation of schools like 'bama and 'Ole Miss.

agaz -- Furthermore, no one asked about recruitment at Ole Miss.

Then why did you bring Ole Miss up?

First off (again), use the quote feature. Because you're fucking up my username.

Second off, the question is about Bama. If you want to defend Ole Miss, fine, but don't pretend it's relevant just because the OP mentioned its reputation offhand. Your comment about assuming all southerners are racist is a form of prejudice is a red herring to distract from the OP's question. She did not ASK about Ole Miss. There was no QUESTION in that statement.

Had you used the QUOTE FEATURE to highlight that part of one of her posts, your statements about how Ole Miss is, like, totally not racist, duh, would have made more sense.

I'll decline to offer advice to the OP because I don't know much about the climate at Bama but hope for the best for her, in whatever she decides to do.

I apologize to agzg for mistyping her user name. Tried, but "Quote" feature doesn't work on this computer.
I wish the OP the best, also. 'Nuff said.

Personally, as a person who reads these threads about the big southern schools with interest, I'd love to see a fully qualified black woman go through rush and let us know how it goes. My instinct is that as long as she kept her options open, she'd find a home. But my opinion is worth exactly zero in this scenario.

I think many Greek systems could use a little diversity, but that has to go both ways. You might have to have a bit thicker skin than comparable girls going through with you. But then if you read through many of these threads you can see a lot of girls, regardless of race, could benefit from a bit thicker skin as they deal with the process and the cuts.

You probably shouldn't let us know what you've decided until after the fact, but if you do go through, I'd sure love to hear all about it. AFTER.

The problem is that fully qualified women of all races at all schools do go through and get cut, and we don't know why. It's tricky.