This reflects a difference in culture between HWGLOs and HBGLOs. The latter typically don't "colonize," that is, do on a campus to stir up interest to start a chapter. It usually starts with an interest group on campus that reaches out to the org. There is the idea, deeply ingrained in HBGLOs, that you don't recruit. The rush process is looked upon with disdain in D0 circles,as being akin to a cattle call and more like a mass marketing campaign whish ends up with lukewarm members who quit and de-pledge if they don't like someone or something in the group, like it's a junior high social club. In BGLOs, as perceptions and expectations go, to consider "pledging" is a very serious matter, akin to getting married or making a religious commitment. And frankly,many are scared to do so. The fact that in many places chapter sizes are small is interpreted as sign of selctivity and the difficulty of attaining membership.

Of course this is a sterotype but in all stereotypes there's a grain of truth,and sometimes more than that. The point I want to make is that caucasian members of HWGLOs should allow themselves the opportunity to think outside of their frame of reference in order to drop the unwitting cultural superiority of their take on Greekdom. You may learn something helpful;and, by the way, I do think this goes the other way to.


It interests me that I don't hear the question posed the other way around:in an era of cultural pluralism where there are no "HWGLOs" and everyone should be free to join whatever GLO they want without fear of social intimidation by peers,etc., why don't more whites pledge HBGLOs? Why is that?

If the organization is not reaching out and "recruiting" them, then how would they know that they would be wanted as members?

Because NPHC orgs don't "recruit".

Of course there are always exceptons to the rules but I read the recriutment threads and many girls including legacies don't get their first choice...all I'm saying is that most members of BGLOs only have 1 choice that they will accept...

To Tom Earp...I don't think there is a need for more D9 orgs....I believe most who are interested willl find an org within the 9 that they feel drawn to or will possibly look at the other options outside of NPHC...

it's two different cultures that make it different.

Again, back to the question that I answered: how would they know they could join if no one was asking them to? That's most likely why more "white" (cringes at using that label) people don't join traditionally African American GLOs.

It's kind of a two way street. The aspirant has to want the org just as much as the org wants the aspirant. I actually went through the IFC rush process at my school (very informal, lots of debauchery involved) and soon came to realize that there didn't seem to be anything personal that was wanted out of me besides raising the number of people in the pledge class and getting a fat check for my membership. Some of the orgs were full of good guys, but I'm not too sure if they knew I was a good guy. Before being given the priveledge of trying to become an Alpha, I learned that I had to seek out membership. The bruhs were going to be there, but they were only going to help me if I was willing to help myself in the process. That's the way they treat everybody, regardles of race.

You'll just have to be offended. I didn't say that you didn't do any of the things you mentioned, you just got all hissy at what you THOUGHT I said.

Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about: As a child, I attended academic programs sponsored by AKA and DST. My friends participated in Kappa League. I had teachers who wore para ever chance they got. During AIDS walk and March of Dimes, I saw members of all 9 NPHC orgs. When I volunteered at the hospital and the homeless shelter, I did so alongside NPHC members.

My point is that NPHC orgs are extremely visible in the African-American community. So by the time most African-American students make it to college, they have at least a passing knowledge of these orgs and what they do in the community. To be honest with you, I had never heard of any NPC sororities until my sophmore year of college. I didn't get any info about rush my freshman year (maybe cause I'm black? :confused: ). But then again, you don't see me on GC talking about how much "better" the NPHC is than NPC/NIC the way some others do...

But the thing is, we're not hurting for members. And we aren't having emergency meetings to solve the crisis of why their aren't more White members. The fact of the matter is that one of the reasons why NPHC orgs were founded was to better and uplift the African-American community. Do you know a lot of White people who are devoted to that cause?

The way you are explaining your GLO experience is exactly the way I feel about mine. I think it has to do with the Greek culture at the school, and where the school is. I know that NPC sororities have what is called "Formal Recruitment," as opposed to "rush," so it is can be a lot more serious than most fraternity "rushes." It might be time for IFC fraternities to streamline their recruitment processes and adopt a more formal way of finding members. Sometimes, they can get out of hand--one fraternity on my campus had a cigars and bourbon night for recruiting members, which I found tasteless and completely playing into the stereotype that all fraternity members are brainless binge drinkers.

good god

what do you propose?

Yes, I actually do know a lot of "white" people that are dedicated to the cause of uplifting African American communities. I worked for a group called the "Breakthrough Collaborative," (http://www.summerbridge.org/) where high schoolers and college students (of ALL races, creeds, and backgrounds) taught in high-need communities and encouraged students in these areas (predominantly African Americans) to stay in school to better themselves, as well as help others in their own communities through service in their own cities and towns.

Also, who said that any one was having emergency meetings about not having more minority members? I also didn't hear any one saying they were hurting for members, either--I know my own organization has over 180,000 members.

I am not speaking for my entire GLO, I am only stating my own opinion--I wish that some of the women I knew in college would have joined my organization despite it's not being a traditionally "Black" GLO.

That's cute, but there's a lot more to being devoted to uplifting the African-American community than giving kids the "stay in school" speech.

I don't propose anything--I simply don't like labels, in general. I don't think the words "white" and "black" fully encompass all that people are.