African American women in CPC, opinions, please?
 

We have a large number of black ladies signed up for recruitment already. It is still a while away, and many are freshman and might realize it's not nphc and quit, but there are wayyy more than normal signed up. I'm in the south eastern part of the us, so even though it isn't always obvious and people don't always suspect it because it isn't the "deep south," racial tension is here. There are 2 black girls though that i would LOVE to have in my chapter that are already signed up. They would be great assets and would fit in, I think.

A few days ago in meeting, we talked about some girls and there was some tension. A couple girls privately requested that we not take any black members. The don't want to give a bid to a black girl because it will split our chapter, and nothing is worth splitting the chapter over.

It's not really for "racist" reasons, supposedly, but more for a concern of what others will think (which I don't particularly think is an excuse at all, but that's just me). A few members are concerned because no one on campus in NPC has ever done it before, and we lost a huge group of seniors and our reputation is suffering for other things. We have been one of the largest on campus for years, but in the last couple months, are numbers are low and our charter is at risk, and they don't want to do anything that nobody else is doing to risk not making quota. I understand not risking whatever it is we're apparently risking by giving a bid to some random girl we don't really care for, but I think that if we really really love a girl, it's completely racist to cut her just because of her race.

This is really eating away at me and I would love some objective opinions. I love my chapter more than life itself, but the idea that we could be so shallow really hurts me. :( What do you guys think?

An afterthought: I don't know if this is really relevant or not, but our chapter is currently the most diverse on campus. We have Spanish, Mexican, Italian, and Asian ladies now, so I don't really see what the big leap is to take another ethnicity.

Please tell me this is made up drama....

The risk you take is losing them to another chapter that has enough confidence to take the leap. In my experience (yes, I'm a yankee) and for whatever reason, the few black girls who went through NPC recruitment were stellar candidates. I think if there are black girls with the confidence and credentials to go through NPC formal recruitment, they should really be given the benefit of the doubt, at least through the first round or two so some of the members can meet them as opposed to only knowing them as the black girls going through rush. But you do have to deal with the baggage your current sisters carry so tread gently. I'd be interested to hear how it goes, although I understand you can't share exactly what is discussed.

It's very sad that this is an issue in this day and age.

Bullshit. But, if "racist" scares people we can use "discriminatory." It is discriminatory even if it isn't based on prejudice on the part of some of the actives. The actives don't have to be prejudiced (I'm not assuming they are or aren't prejudiced) against Blacks to be concerned with how the chapter will be perceived by others.

Thanks for being honest about what many of us know does happen at some chapters. I recommend talking to the actives about what sisterhood means to you all and challenge them to challenge the status quo. Let them know that these young ladies will be judged just as the other young ladies will be. It will be difficult to change people's minds but try your best to give these young ladies a fair shot. Whether you all view them as suitable or not suitable for membership, for reasons OTHER THAN RACE, there's no need to fret. THOSE PEOPLE will never take over your chapter and override the good old wholesome Southern bred white girlness. :D

But, this doesn't infuriate me because there are larger battles to fight in racial and ethnic inequality. :) Blacks going through recruitment is as rare as whites going through NPHC membership intake, for a number of reasons. All of our organizations will remain predominantly (insert race and ethnicity) because our society will never stop being racially segregated. No need to grapple with this issue too much. Cheers. :)

Why? What has changed in "this day and age" that would make it not an issue and sad that it is?

And, for the record, this would be an issue all over the country and not just in the South.

I stopped reading at 'black ladies'.

as dr. phil said, remind your sisters of the qualities you are seeking in your new members as you go thru recruitment. gpa, activities in high school or college, friendly, a young woman who presents herself well. if you use the criteria that your chapter and nationals use to determine if a young woman is worthy of membership in your org., then race should be a moot point.

but please, pledge the women you pledge because you like them and want them to be your sisters, not to regain your position as one of the largest chapters on campus. you all are doing noone a "favor" if they are just a number.

What do your advisers think of this? I know our recruitment/membership advisers in school would NEVER allow this to even be an issue. We looked for certain qualities in PNMs regardless of race, religion, disability, etc.

QFP
Stay on the ball people!

I agree with what Dr. Phil said.

But I do have to wonder how your sisters would feel about having this aired here -- it is membership selection, after all. You've given your name (in another thread) and you seem to have identified the school in your user name.

.

The only thing that has changed is that people hide their prejudices from the public eye more than they did in the past.

I don't exactly agree.

People try to sugarcoat it and apologize for it and minimalize it but I don't think they try to hide it.

Some people would like to test 'the line' to see how far they can go before someone calls them on it.

My collegiate Greek system went through this in the late 1990's. One year we had a PNM go through recruitment who wrote that she was a NPHC legacy on her application. During recruitment we learned that she was a white PNM who's step-mother was African-American. Before we learned that though, it started dialogue. The interesting thing I found was that we, the active sisters, were open so long as she was a good fit with the chapter. Her race didn't matter. It was the alumnae who made their opinion known. My chapter was less than 20 years old at the time so these were younger alumnae. I was really surprised and quite honestly still think of those alumnae differently. They lost my respect by their comments.

A couple years later, an African American PNM did go through recruitment. Our chapter LOVED this PNM and wanted to give her a bid, but she wasn't anywhere near our grade requirement and we had to release her. Sisters were in tears. She went through recruitment successfully and received a bid to another chapter were she was a pretty incredible sister. I will say this also, my chapter was the low one on the totem pole back then and had she had grades, they would have accepted her regardless of her race. My chapter is no longer on the bottom of the totem pole and they have a number of African-American women in their chapter.

Don't be afraid of change on your campus, embrace it. If the women are smart, good quality women and the gel with your chapter, then offer them sisterhood.

Hmmm. The "afraid of how other people will think of us" reasoning in south Mississippi is a nice code phrase for "I don't want a black sister." Your sister is racist even if she doesn't want to admit it to herself. That's what racism is. "We're better than ____ so we can't have them in our group." If these girls are up to your sororities standards and combating this thought process is important to you, make an issue about it. If you think the opinion is wider spread than just one sister, don't bother, it will tear your chapter apart, and you may end up with an eyeopening experience.

I am reading a dissertation about what positive changes could happen if NPC sorority women would live their lives according to their rituals. I'm only about 40 pages into it (written by Mari Ann Callais... a great read, I must add). If these women fit your ideal, they have the grades, can fulfill every other requirement (full-time student, campus involvement, can pay dues), there should be no concern. I don't get it. Maybe I am naive, but I don't get it.

ONE PERSON spoke against it (privately). Is this really something that can "split" your entire chapter?

Sorry guys, I wasn't trying to start drama. I wanted to post both sides so that other greeks could give me advice. I feel like the whole thing is shallow and we should be past things like this, but it's not me.

So my question is now? What should I do?

I wish. :(:(

You're lucky. At some schools, the advisors are the very ones who are clinging to this mindset when the chapter itself is completely color blind.

To the OP: I could tell you to be a martyr, self-terminate and make sure everyone knows exactly why. That's asking a lot of you though.

Are these girls freshmen or are they older - that is, have they already had time to think about NPHC groups. I'm just saying this in the context of are they jumping on NPC because it's all they can jump on now, or because they truly want what your sorority has vs what an NPHC group has.

Well, at the end of the day, you can only follow your chapter's member selection policies, and hope that others do as well. You can talk it into the ground, but it might not change anything.

Members of your chapter cannot bar these women from going through recruitment at all, so if theyr'e worthwhile, meet standards, and [insert member selection criteria + voting results here] for your chapter and recieve a bid, then cross that bridge when you get there. If they don't and/or don't get the dart through their name while you're wearing all of your catsuits, then hopefully they'll meet another chapter's standards and will be picked up.

Members of miniorities in chapters on my campus was a not-altogther uncommon thing (considering the overall racial makeup of the school population), but my campus is a-typical in just about every way and probably a complete 180 from yours.

Thanks for the reply. I really hope that things work out. I like to think that my sisters will do what's right when the time comes, but I can't know for sure. This is my first time going through recruitment, so people won't really listen to me. I will quit the chapter if we love a girl but cut her only because of her race. I love my sisters, but I can't be a part of something that goes against everything I stand for.

It's a long story, but we know both personally. They know what the want.

I do understand that. Please understand that if you terminate your membership you will be ineligible for membership in any other NPC or NPHC sorority at any point in time.

I'm aware of that. I have no interest in going through recruitment again. I love my sisters dearly and could never see myself anywhere else.

OK cool. We get that question a lot more than you would think.

I know this doesn't fix the problem but I really wish that minority women especially would consider ALL their options including NPHC (not that we can be sure these ladies haven't) because if I see one more "I'm in an NPC but now want to pledge NPHC" on sites like yahoo answers...:confused::(:eek::rolleyes:

Do the research people. So you can make an informed decision.

why do that when the internet can think for you?

That's exactly why I posted what I did. Then again, if everyone had deferred rush it would help remedy this a lot, but that's another story.

Back away from the keyboard and figure this out for yourself.

And stop being so indiscrete. Maybe you used your middle name, but now you're providing information about the PNMs, and I'm betting many people from your school reading this thread could put all the pieces together without much trouble. That's not fair to your sisters or to the PNMs.

And by research I'm not just talking about textbook research. I mean talk to members, observe activities, attend events, etc. But you're right, NPC rush would have to be deferred for this I guess.

I hate when people make assumptions about black NPC members from both sides. That is all.

-Black NPC member.

I couldn't decide what I wanted to reply to this thread with, but the above sums up my thoughts quite well. I'm just thankful this subject matter is something I've never had to question in regards to myself, my chapter, or the pnms we get to meet at recruitment.

So, ditto.

I know! I kept reading this thread and getting more frustrated.

What assumptions have been made? Just curious.

Just to clarify, in the west it is very common for african american, asian, hispanic and even international students to go through NPC recruitment. This really seems to be an issue in the south.

I would too.

It was a comment made earlier in the thread that supported one of my assumptions.

But I can be a jerk sometimes so it should have no bearing on the topic at hand.

Where are the assumptions? I'm a black NPC member and, while I used to get all heated up about these posts a decade ago, it's nothing I haven't seen in my own life.

I've learned that, while I came from an amazing chapter, I know that there are chapters where my sisters would NOT welcome me with open arms. That doesn't upset me.

It happens more than in the south but I wouldn't classify it as "very common."

It's an issue everywhere but in varying doses. There are also Black, Asian, Hispanic, and International student NPCers in the south but that doesn't negate the issue that is being highlighted in this thread.