GreekChat.com Forums - AOII Eliminates Legacy Policy

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- - AOII Eliminates Legacy Policy (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=247126)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Rose (Post 2476598)

Actually, a few weeks ago thousands of AOII collegiate and alumnae members signed an AOII-member-organized and internally circulated petition asking AOII to do better with regard to diversity and inclusion.

I have to say that I'm impressed by this. Way to go AOIIs, trying to create the change you want to see within your organization.

There's a lot of work that needs to be done to make GLOs more inclusive and inviting to POC and especially to Black women, given the awful history of exclusion within the NPC organizations. I'm glad your members seem to be having hard conversations, organizing, and speaking up. That's a great first step.

We can have all the conversations we want and have loads of diversity discussions and insist on change, but if you've seen some discussions on GC this week, you'll know that many black women do not want to pledge an NPC group. They have their dreams set on the NPHC. I hope that they'll follow their dream of whichever council they want but for 20 years, I have been encouraging my daughters' black friends to look at NPC groups too and they aren't having it.

Also, the major problem with AOII's act, if you have followed that, was that they made a huge decision without consulting the membership. Their members certainly did not have any "hard" conversations. Always a very poor leadership decision and one that can cost them more money in donations than they can imagine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnation (Post 2476695)

...and many do want to pledge a NPC group. We are not a monolith.

We are diverse in where we come from, our interests and desires. If actives take the attitude that they shouldn’t put much energy into diversity because there is the NPHC, NALFO and MGC sororities, they are making unfortunate assumptions about many women that could be great additions to their sororities and would yield the same results they have had in the past. Every Black woman is not trying to be in the NPHC.

There are plenty of Black girls and women who would be open to the NPC experience (and MANY who already are). We can use Alabama 2013 as a prime example. More Black PNM’s were given a legit opportunity and since then I have seen more and more Black women running to their homes on Bidday. I wonder how many qualified Black women tried in the past and weren’t extended the opportunity or wanted to join but knew the odds were against them so they didn’t even bother.

I see many schools that already have diverse chapters across the board, so not only can it be done, it has been done already. They must be doing something that provides a welcoming environment for everyone. And it shows that many Black women and other WOC are, in fact, open to the NPC.

When I arrived at my alma mater, I did not see one Black woman in the NPC. By my junior year, I saw a few Black women in a couple of chapters. Now there’s a few in ALL of the chapters. I saw chapters go from generally ignoring us at organization fairs to introducing themselves and telling us about their sisterhoods. Even though I wasn’t interested, I felt welcomed for the first time. Clearly, that has made the difference for many WOC at my alma mater.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PersistentDST (Post 2476699)

...and many do want to pledge a NPC group. We are not a monolith.

There are plenty of Black girls and women who would be open to the NPC experience (and MANY who already are). We can use Alabama 2013 as a prime example. The first Black PNM’s were given a legit opportunity and since then I have seen more and more Black women running to their homes on Bidday. I wonder how many qualified Black women tried in the past and weren’t extended the opportunity or wanted to join but knew the odds were against them so they didn’t even bother.

Point of order - Gamma Phi Beta at the University of Alabama pledged a black PNM in 2003, making her the first. https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/artic...s/606110528/TL

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle (Post 2476700)

Point of order - Gamma Phi Beta at the University of Alabama pledged a black PNM in 2003, making her the first. https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/artic...s/606110528/TL

Apologies for the lack of knowledge on that and I’m glad that someone gave her an opportunity for Sisterhood.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle (Post 2476700)

Point of order - Gamma Phi Beta at the University of Alabama pledged a black PNM in 2003, making her the first. https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/artic...s/606110528/TL

Quote:

Originally Posted by PersistentDST (Post 2476701)

Apologies for the lack of knowledge on that and I’m glad that someone gave her an opportunity for Sisterhood.

True, but they paid for doing so for over a decade and guaranteed themselves a spot at the bottom of that hierarchy. The other chapters saw what happened to them and learned the lesson of what happens to sororities that bid black women. It wasn't until 2015, when the actives of multiple chapters rebelled against the alumnae, that things changed. Each year we see more and more black women in the NPC there, so there obviously was an interest but an understanding that it wasn't possible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AOII Rose (Post 2476704)

This type of all or nothing remark is exactly what I was talking about with regard to making generalizations about an organization you are not a part of or privy to information about. I have seen this all over this thread, and by looking at usernames and signatures I believe that I have seen only one AOII other than myself.

I came on this thread to present the fact that AOIIs are taking action to amplify the voices and interests of WOC within our organization and asking the Executive Board to step up and start taking decisive steps toward increased diversity and inclusion within the organization. That is relevant within the context of this decision being revealed, whether AOIIs specifically asked for changes in the legacy policy or not, because these changes were rolled out with the intention of breaking down barriers to membership for non-legacy PNMs.

I completely agree with my sister (I think!) who said:

I and many other alumnae are hoping that this is a first step and not just a "feel good" action. We are the ones with skin in the game regarding this, since our daughters will no longer be considered legacies during recruitment to an organization that is dear to us. However, I see this as a necessary step in order to put everyone on equal footing and make sure that everyone has the same chance during the recruitment process.

Of course, as I said, this is a first step and should in no way be considered a one-and-done "feel good" action. I am confident that AOIIs will do our best to hold our XB accountable for that.

I completely agree with PersistentDST here. There were Black women in all the chapters at my undergraduate campus and there were thriving NPHC & MGC organizations there as well. It is possible to give WOC a real choice of what type of experience they want to have, and that is something that we as the NPC should commit to and strive for.

^^ This right here too!

There is *a lot* of uncomfortable and hard work that NPC organizations need to do to be truly welcoming to all PNMs, no matter their background. Like I said, I think that we should commit to it. I obviously have no influence in any organization other than my own, but I am proud that my sisters are taking action to commit to this.

And part of that means putting our money where are mouths are and taking actions that will present challenges for us, like letting go of the legacy policy. Again, I see this only as a first step. But if you think that this policy change won't affect me personally, you are wrong. And yet, I am willing to make this sacrifice and more to have a more inclusive organization.

I hope that you will ask yourselves what, if anything, you are willing to change and to give up to make your organizations more inclusive. I'm not here to tell anyone what they should do or give a prescription, but I'll just leave you with that thought.

I think some of you people think that down here in the South, we're lazing on the porches strumming our banjos and thinking of ways we can keep out non-whites. Well, too bad you can't see my Facebook.

There are a lot of us who have quietly worked for diversity for years, often achieving it, without any need for Grand Statements or Woke Proclamations. And yes, some of my family has been involved in this and yes, SEVEN are AOIIs.

There was no need to screw up legacies with the little they get. There was no need for AOII to send their patsy to Greekchat to proclaim the Great Thing they have done. DG has already sent theirs.:rolleyes: We were expecting this.

Now you can go back to your exec folks and report proudly that you spit out your piece and that you convinced all of us that we now believe that your disastrous PR move was the best thing since cell phones.

Only we don't. You failed, bye.

Quote:

Originally Posted by carnation (Post 2476714)

So predictable. I always look at the date someone joined, and the number and content of posts. I think I'm a little insulted that some think we aren't smart enough to figure out what is happening.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sororitysock (Post 2476442)

Like Delta Gamma, Alpha Omicron Pi has eliminated preferential treatment of legacies during recruitment. Changes include:

-Chapters will not be required to invite legacies back to the first invitational round of primary recruitment.

-Legacies who accept an invitation to the final preference party, like all PNMs who attend our preference party, must be placed on the chapter’s final bid list per the NPC Policy. This means that legacies do not have to be placed at the top of the bid list.

-If a legacy is released, the Alumnae Advisory Committee (AAC) should contact the AOII relative via telephone or email as a courtesy to inform the AOII relative of the legacy’s release.

https://www.alphaomicronpi.org/news/...1ysKwp_QI6lRaA

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iota_JWH (Post 2476626)

I am quite certain another NPC group had a legacy policy of essentially "A legacy will be offered a bid." This policy was in effect a few decades ago, not that is was adhered to then. I recall it only came into play when an Alumna made an angry phone call when her legacy was not invited back to a rush party. I wonder what happened when that policy was changed.

LEGACIES still exist, with a CHANGED definition, now in AOII. AOII didn't eliminate legacies, AOII only eliminated special treatment of legacies. When a daughter is born to an AOII, said daughter is still defined as an AOII LEGACY.

AFAIK AOII has NEVER defined legacies as young women who shall be offered an AOII bid no matter what. A legacy who shall be offered a bid automatically, as in Iota_JWH quote above, appears to me to be MORE than a legacy; she's an automatic sister with the absolute right to wear the initiation pin of her mother from her date of birth.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheerio (Post 2476736)

I don't think anyone cares if they're labeled a legacy if the special treatment is gone. It only comes up during recruitment.