Rejected black rushee starts "multi-cultural" GLO at AL
 

Greek integration: One year later
By Steve Reeves
Staff Writer
August 18, 2002

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Members of Alpha Chi Omega sorority practice their door song at the sorority house on Colonial Drive Thursday afternoon. The University of Alabama Greek system is preparing for rush week. One year after Melody Twilley failed to break the racial barrier of UA’s Greek system, traditionally all-white fraternities and sororities still have yet to integrate. Staff Photo | Jason Getz

TUSCALOOSA | Melody Twilley is rather enjoying the break from the media attention.

Last year, reporters documented her every move during her attempt to break the racial barrier in the University of Alabama Greek system.

Twilley, the black honors student who came to UA from a prestigious high school, failed two years in a row in her efforts to join one of UA’s 15 traditionally all-white sororities.

"It kind of takes a load off," the 19-year-old Twilley said recently. "I know a lot more now than I did then. It was kind of a waste of time."

Twilley this year is devoting her efforts to helping form a new, multicultural sorority on campus, one that will have different membership requirements than the traditional Greek groups.

"The major difference is that our composition is different," she said. "We come from different economic and social backgrounds, and we have minorities. We’re making pretty good progress."

The sorority, which has fewer than 30 members, will choose which national group it will be affiliated with sometime in the next couple of months.

A relatively new fraternity, Lambda Sigma Phi, a faith-based group, is the only majority white Greek organization at UA that has accepted black members. The group, which has 26 members, has a house on fraternity row and admitted its first black member last November. Another black has joined since.

The fraternity is expected to be admitted to UA’s Interfraternity Council by the beginning of next year.

In addition to the 15 white sororities, the university has 21 all-white fraternities on campus, as well as eight traditionally black Greek groups. There are about 3,000 students in Greek groups, making up 20 percent of the student body.

UA administrators say they are glad to see students tackling the Greek integration issue on their own, but are not entirely content with the way things are now.

"These new groups are meeting a market that just hasn’t been addressed," said Tom Strong, UA’s dean of students. "But I don’t think they will take the place of having minority membership in traditionally white groups."

The university has long wrestled with integrating its Greek system, taking steps such as delaying rush until after classes start in the fall to encourage more students to take part and encouraging the white groups to seek out qualified minority members.

Strong said several white fraternities invited blacks to their pre-rush events this summer, but none showed up.

"One day that kind of work is going to pay off," he said. "Some seeds are being planted that show it can be done."

UA officials said they don’t know yet if any blacks are planning to take part in rush for the white Greek groups this fall, which begins Aug. 29 and ends Sept. 10.

Kevin Clark, the president of the Interfraternity Council, said the white fraternities are advertising rush more this semester to boost attendance.

"We want to open it up to guys who don’t know about rush, and that includes everybody, not just blacks," Clark said. "Our numbers are kind of dwindling. So we need guys to come out to rush."

UA’s faculty senate took a strong stance last year against the university’s segregated Greek system, passing several resolutions asking the white groups to accept blacks and recommending sanctions for those that didn’t.

Faculty senate President Steve Miller said the group plans to take a more low-key approach to dealing with the white Greek organizations. The faculty senate steering committee likely will discuss Greek integration on Tuesday, but Miller said no firm action has been decided yet.

"We want to give them the room to gather their forces and do what is right," he said.

Oh my....

So no non-white member has ever pleged an NPC or IFC group at U of Alabama?!!!???
Wow, that is really beyond me. I wish her luck but I think the real problem lies with begining to integrate the groups instead of bringing in other organizations. But then again I've never been to Alabama so I don't really know the way things are.
~~Just my purely uneducated opinion.~~

Old news
 

http://greekchat.com/gcforums/showth...threadid=16594

There have been biracial women in NPC groups at Bama. There were a few other threads on this when it occurred.

Even though there might of been a couple of biracial people to pledge at UA, I question whether or not these people could "pass." A lot of times people who are not obviously mixed, are more accepted by the majority. Also what were they mixed with?

I have to say that I'm kinda glad that she's trying to start something new.. but also in a way, it is sad how the whole thing got started. I think racism sucks (for lack of better terms) I've never been to Alabama, so I don't know what's it's like there.

At any rate, I hope it all works out :)

This girl, who went Gamma Phi Beta, is half-black and half-caucasian. She rushed the same year Melody did.

http://www.cw.ua.edu/vnews/display.v...5?in_archive=1

ZTAMiami, although I am in a multicultural sorority and encourage them 100%, you are correct about integrating the current greek system. We had a very rocky start when we came to my university because the other orgs were not integrated and that was a foreign concept to them since we are in the deep south.

I agree with Zchi2, it is a lot easier for biracial people who can Pass for white to be accepted by the majority.

I read the article and I'm not convinced that this was necessarily a breaking of a racial barrier. She says that her own sisters would use the N word around her and when she pointed it out they told her that they "didn't see her that way" What exactly is that supposed to mean? I believe they really weren't accepting her as she is, a biracial woman. To me it seems that they were ignoring the other half.

Question: Maybe Barbara can answer this.....
Can and Have nationals of any org stepped in to re-organize a chapter because of unfair recruitment practices such as racial discrimination?

That's an interesting question... I wonder the same thing?

What are you saying?
 

Are you in favor of a rule against dressing up for Halloween?

For a party in your own home?

Sure, it would be bad if they dressed up like/insulted minorities, and paraded thru the campus center, and down the street in front of the black GLO - BUT THEY DIDN'T.

Nobody knew about this until an outside photographer stupidly posted pictures in the www.

These Auburn chapters were the latest victims of campus PC, and I'm glad they hired lawyers and preserved our right to dress up on Halloween.

neicy, while I can see your point, think it is just my opinion to say that I don't know what's it's like in Alabama because every university has a unique greek system. The first university I went to was in South Texas where there are a lot of minorities, as well as "white" people in national sororities and fraternities, so there it didn't really matter what race you were during Rush because the area was filled with a huge diversity. Some schools in different places might not have such a diverse group of people.

As for the Halloween dressing comment, it is just my personal opinion that people represent their own organization.. no matter where you are. For example.. I read in a post about a sorority that does not wear their letters in bars/places like that because if they end up really tipsy and say, start stripping it's not going to be "Jane Doe stripped for us at the fraternity house" it would be "that XYZ was strippring for us.."

Two things are bothering me:

1) The first is the language in the article is demonstrative of the lingering feelings of "them" vs "us". "The blacks"?? Geez, just something about that sounds forced, almost as if they were trying their damnedest to not say the "N" word.

2) I highly doubt any NPC would go into a chapter and re-org based on racial discrimination for two reasons. One, the women can just argue that they didn't accept the PNM due to other reasons. Each sorority has a set of criteria a woman must meet in order to be considered for membership, they can just argue she didn't meet one of them. The second reason is it's not a "pulling of a charter" level disciplinary infraction, just plain ol' stupidity. They would probably suggest a sensitivity/diversity training class before even thinking about disciplinary action of any sort...

Neicy:
True, but one would hope that in a collegiate setting things would be different. I guess not. Too bad. Anyway, I too am from a school where the IFC and NPC is extremely diverse and where, on occasion, the minority is the majority in some chapters.

>Hearing that this situation occured in Alabama alone should perk up your ears.

I can't speak for Neicy, but my ears did perk up, and I think that's a problem. Sure, we've all heard terrible things about race relations in the Deep South, but to whatever extent I can, I'm trying to base my opinions on personal knowledge and not on reputation. It's too easy to just say, "Well, it's Alabama, so of course everybody there is racist," especially since there are plenty of covert racists in the North. Other people know more about Alabama than I do, and I want to hear as much first-hand knowledge as I can before drawing any conclusions.

That being said, the article about the biracial Gamma Phi was a real eye-opener. She's got one heck of a strong ego (or a wild imagination) if she can feel "very, very accepted" in her sorority with sisters using the n-word around her. I would be extremely upset if my 'friends' started referring to women as c--ts, or to Jews as vermin, and then explaining that they don't think of me like that, even though I'm a female Jew.

Ivy

Exactly, it seems that they were just ignoring her "other half"! There was NO acceptance here.

Re: Re: What are you saying?
 

FYI your opinion of what is deemed funny and what is not should not dictate to the rest of the world what is socially acceptable.

Re: Re: Re: Re: What are you saying?
 

That’s your right.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What are you saying?
 

Well considering the legality of freedom of expression I doubt they would have much of a case. Of course it would be difficult to use that defense when you feel it doesn’t apply to similar precedence.

I have a few questions. So this fraternity in Alabama put on a black face for halloween and paraded around? Out of all the costumes in the world why would they want to put on a black face? Also whats funny about the black face? Obviously this fraternity needs some diversity/sensitivity training.

They did not parade around
 

Last Halloween. a GLO at Auburn had a Halloween party, and people dressed up in various ways.

A couple of guys wore black face and one had the Greek ltrs. of a black fraternity written on an old shirt he was wearing.

There was a professional photog at the party, taking pictures and hoping to sell them to the members in the pictures. Some of these photogs send proofs, which are passed around and members can order.

This photog posted his on a website, so the members could order prints.

Someone spotted the offending pictures, and campus hell broke loose.

Then similar pictures from a second fraternity were found, and more hell was unleased.

The chapters involved were Beta Theta Pi and Delta Sigma Phi.

The campus dean suspended the chapters, and I think the nationals did too.

One of the chapters hired a lawyer, and established their American rights, and the univ. reduced their penalty to a slap on the hand.

The situation, and the pictures, made all of the national newspapers and TV shows, but in the end PC was given the boot and our constitutional right to dress up was preserved.

I'm just glad that Greek Life is expanding at Alabama, and I do hope the groups will voluntarily de-segregate themselves.

"A couple of guys wore black face and one had the Greek ltrs. of a black fraternity written on an old shirt he was wearing."

Ok, I dont know the situation, but thats very insensitive. Would the Betas put on a SAE shirt for halloween? Why the BGLO? Obviously this was done to be offensive. Free speech is wonderful, Im all for it, but have some tact when expressing it.

That's enough.
 

Frankly, I've had enough of the Alabama-bashing. I am a member of an NPC sorority and, as you can see by my user id, I am also an alumna from The University of Alabama. I am not a racist or a white supremicist or a nazi. I wasn't around when the Jim Crow laws were upheld or when Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
I am 27 years old. I have black friends, white friends, hispanic friends, jewish friends, asian friends and friends who are of "mixed" origin. I was at my chapter's house last year when Melody Twilley came through the door, and although I can't disclose the details of our voting procedures, I can assure you that skin color had nothing to do with the reason she was dropped from my house. She was a junior, she had a bad reputation on campus and she was rude to my sisters. Any one of those things would have ruined anyone else's chances of getting a bid on that campus, yet she cried "racism!" and here we are today, still discussing it. There are dozens of girls who get cut from rush for any number of reasons.
To see the comments of you who do not live here, have never even visited, and only know about Alabama through the eyes of Hollywood say that "Alabama is one of the most racist states in the world," or that you shouldn't be surprised if an Alabamian is a racist, is not only offensive to me and the other people on this board who are active members and alumni from UA and Auburn (not to mention Samford, Jacksonville State, UAB, etc.) but should be offensive to anyone who is against stereotyping.
I would also like to add that I know of three bi-racial members of NPC sororities at UA right now, and that if an African-American woman chooses to go through NPC rush, she would be given the same chance as any other woman. (Possibly even more so, because of the opportunity for good PR for the house extending the bid. Just look at the good press Gamma Phi Beta has gotten this year and Christina Houston isn't even the first bi-racial woman to pledge an NPC house at UA!) As of now, no African-American woman has even registered for rush at UA, with the exception of Melody Twilley. How can we extend a bid to a woman who doesn't even want to go to a recruitment event?
So, I'm sorry if I offended anyone with this rant, but I am so sick of hearing how awful Alabama is and how racist I am supposed to be just because I live here. I don't have a rebel flag in my yard, I don't drive a pickup truck, I don't know anyone who talks like Forrest Gump, and the usual Hollywood portrayal of the south is about as realistic as the Legally Blond portrayal of sorority life.

listen, no matter how you slice it, what those fraternity members in alabama did was DEAD WRONG; they weren't dressing up for halloween-- having a noose around you neck and wearing another fraternity's letters IS NOT DRESSING UP. it is disrespectful, it is dehumanizing, and it is explicitly stating how little those people think of african-americans AND members of omega psi phi fraternity, incorporated. the fact that people on this thread have the NERVE to defend what they did as "dressing up for halloween" is illustrating why such bigotry still exsists: because people allow it, protect it, and defend people who demean others. foget expressing yourself--that's your right. but the fact that they did it in their own house, for their own amusement only shows how they REALLY feel about black people. AND FOR THE RECORD, I AM A MEMBER OF A HISTORICALLY BLACK ORGANIZATION AND TOOK GREAT OFFENSE FOR THE DISRESPECT THAT WAS SHOWN TO MY BROTHERS OF OMEGA PSI PHI and even if i wasn't in a sorority, I'M BLACK, DAMN IT.

One of the fraternities in question had old shirts that a member of the NPHC fraternity had given them. One of the reasons that the penalty wasn't too severe is that the NPHC fraternity had voluntarily given them the shirts.

(I have a close friend who just graduated from Auburn, is an NPC sorority member and knows men from this fraternity. That is where I got this information.)

BlueThunder,

I don't think that people were necessarily saying what these folks did was right, smart or in good taste.

I gather that these "defenders" are defending the right to freedom of expression.

When society starts limiting us to certain things we can't express ourselves on it sets a very dangerous precedent.

It is also the right of anyone that is offended by the actions of these morons to show them what they think of these actions.

If you're upset enough about it (and it's something you can reasonably do) you should go there and excercize your right of free assembly in front of their fraternity house. Have a rally or something. Rhetoric accomplishes very little.

I think that what those guys did was wrong ... however, regardless of whatever the climate at UA actually is, I don't think we should take their behavior as typical of the entire Greek system. We can all probably think of one org on our campus that doesn't uphold itself well, and we would probably cringe if they were publicly declared to represent all of us.

Whether the sororities are integrated or not, and if not why, is a separate issue from the blackface fraternity incident. Clearly there are some members of campus with racial issues. I'm also just as sure that there are people who strive to be open-minded about race. At least, I hope there are!

As Bama Alum said, the first sorority to give a bid to a black woman will be honored beyond all reason. The PR bonanza that will result if a chapter bids an African American should be an incentive to overcome any racism a chapter might or might not have. Whether or not Melody Twilley was a deserving rushee (and since I don't know her, I'll consider her innocent until proven guilty), her lack of a bid has certainly galvanized the sororities on campus to examine their attitudes toward race, which should be a good thing.

What I find interesting is that until now there were no MCGLOs on campus. They are certainly the trend of the day (I don't mean that disrespectfully - they are what is making Greek Life expand today) and a school that large "ought" to have had a few by now. I find this to be more illustrative of how separate black and white are at UA than the merits of one particular rushee, which I as an outsider will never know.

Laws vs. Morals
 

To denounce the blackface Halloween costumes is not to denounce freedom of expression.

I don't believe that anyone has suggested putting anyone in jail because of their expression. Certainly these men had a First Amendment right to wear the clothes they wanted to wear, and we don't want to the government to prevent them from doing so. (As long as the expression is not a threat; threats are not covered by the First Amendment.)

Those of us who are denouncing these ignorant, cruel young men want, instead, for the world to hear a thousand antiracist voices for every racist voice. We want racists to know that these expressions will earn them the moral contempt of thinking people.

They have a right to wear blackface (or a white sheet); we have a right to condemn this choice, and the chooser, as racist and worthy of our disgust.

Ivy

neicy81,

Aren’t the freedoms we enjoy as Americans great? Hold on for a moment while I remove my “I’m a Georgia Voter” sticker from today’s primary elections from my shirt…there. The same freedom of speech that you enjoy to rip my family’s cherished home state, the home of my wife, the home of my beloved alma mater Auburn University, the state where I will one day be proudly buried, in such assine fashion is the same freedom that allows me to say that your comments are some of the most prejudiced and stereotypical I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading on GC. How have your inflammatory comments helped heal the wounds of 300 years of racial division? I join Bama_Alumna in roundly condemning your degrading comments of Alabama and by extension my family and everyone who ever lived there.

For someone who once lived in the state you sure have a bitterness and hatred I’ve rarely seen. Despite my opinion of how you went about it, you do raise some very valid issues that deserve a calm, reasoned discussion among adults. Does Alabama have problems with racism now? Has Alabama historically had tremendous struggles with race relations? You better believe it. Now neicy81, please name me a state that doesn’t have ANY problems with racism. Not less, but none. I’m still waiting. Alabama still struggles with the same tensions and issues that have created division within our country for centuries. Does Alabama have more problems than Kansas or Utah or Illinois even? Probably. Are there people both white AND black that still nurture hatred toward the other? Yes, I’ve seen it in both its ugly forms. But for you to come out and spout your garbage about Alabama as if everything in the entire state is based on race, that there are angry mobs waiting to pounce at the state line, that as a white person my entire goal in life is to keep minorities down is outrageous and offensive to me. But that’s why I am so glad we live in America and have the freedom to say what we think. Your right to free speech doesn’t negate my right to stand up and say I firmly believe you are wrong. I oppose what you are saying with every fiber of my being, but if I had to die tonight to defend your right to say it, I would, just as millions of other Americans and yes, Alabamians would.

As noted earlier, I am a white male, a proud member of a IFC fraternity and an Auburn alum. I will be the first to acknowledge that the Greek system at Auburn and the University of Alabama is still largely divided along racial lines. Are we moving towards a more integrated system? Most certainly. During my time as an active I saw changes that I personally didn’t think would occur just a few years earlier. For the first time my senior year, Greek Week was integrated. My fraternity was paired with historically black Omega Psi Phi. Going into Greek Week I didn’t know a single brother of Omega Psi Phi, there just were not any brothers that I encountered on a day to day basis in my classes, etc for me to get to know. You know what? I found them to be great guys. Funny, competitive and proud of their fraternity and its ideals. My eyes were opened a little wider into the world of historically black sororities and fraternities and that has helped me understand their point of view that much better, hopefully they feel the same about my fraternity. It was a growth experience for us all. A step forward. Second, for the first time, my chapter had a black rushee and you know what, he was welcomed just the same as any of our other rushees. Many rushees did not receive bids, he was one of them. Did we fail to extend a bid to him simply because he was black? No. He was not extended a bid because he kept hitting on a Brother’s long time girlfriend even after being warned. His response, “he’s not my brother.” Is that the attitude you would want in your chapter? Among your brothers/sisters? Others were rejected for grades, inappropriate actions (i.e. disrespect of women), etc… the reasons people get dropped every day during Rush. I don’t know the young black lady who rushed at UA. However I do know that women are cut every day of Rush in every Greek system for reasons that have nothing to do with race. The insinuation by some on GC and in the media that she was cut from every sorority simply because she was black is sickening to me and I for one am tired of it. I’m tired of reading about it from out of state journalists who have no idea what rush is like, how competitive it is, how your class standing (fresh, soph, jr, sr) affects your chances of receiving a bid (take a look at some of the Rush board questions on this very subject), who only consider race as the issue and the entire state as being the poster child for white bigots. Was it an issue in some individual sister’s voting? I’d be willing to bet so. But did her race decide her fate before she ever signed up to go though rush? I for one have my serious doubts.

Folks from outside Alabama, please learn from our mistakes, and they are many. We are constantly under a microscope from our past sins, but don’t forget to take a look in the mirror, you may see racism where you live too and I hope you act positively to end it. Neicy, some event(s) have obviously soured you on Alabama and I probably could not relate to the wrongs you have received; I hope after your studies are complete (and I sincerely wish you the best), you will return to Alabama to help end some of the conditions you so oppose.

I'm not debating this issue with you. Obviously, you consider yourself an expert on the subject. Surely after two years, you have seen everything and met everyone in the whole state. I'm certain that your opinion is not biased in any way and that you would never be guilty of stereotyping any group, least of all white southerners. :rolleyes:

I have lived in Alabama for 22 of my 27 years, and not all of those years were lived out in the sequestered environment of a college campus. I'm sorry that the experiences you had while here in this state led you to believe that every single person who lives here is a racist jerk. I lived in a northern state for a while (I won't say which one because it's irrelevant). While I lived there, I noticed much more segregation in general than I have ever seen here in AL.

Either way, bickering back and forth on an internet message board isn't going to solve anything.

When did you attend the U of A and which GLO were you a member of?

Actually, neicy81, if you go back and read my original post, I never once said anything about you personally. I didn't say you had or had not visited anywhere, only that most people don't know what it is like to live here and that the great majority of people who have not visited the South get their images of life here from movies and television shows which do not often portray life in an accurate manner. I really wasn't quoting anybody in particular, and I didn't take notes on who said what in which post. I was only remarking on the general consensus on this message board which seems to be that Alabama is a racist place full of bigots who dress in blackface, burn crosses and won't let an African American woman join our sororities just because of her skin tone.

Again, I'm not going to debate you on the racial issue. I wasn't referring specifically to you and I certainly didn't post that as a personal attack. I just wanted to voice my opnion on the subject.

Furthermore, you can definitely hold an opinion of something after a year or two. As a matter of fact, you can form an opinon of anything and anyone in only a few minutes. (I, for example, have now formed an opinion about you without even having met you). But to have an informed opinion is another thing entirely, and I think that you have, as you so eloquently put it, ASSuMEd wrongly about the people of this state. You also ASSuMed that I care about what you think of me as a person. I don't know you, and your opinion doesn't rank too highly in my book. All I can do is say what I know or believe to be true.

I was there. I can't speak for every house, but at my house her being dropped had nothing to do with race. She was a junior, she was incredibly rude and she had a bad reputation. She got cut. You seem terribly familiar with the issue... were you there? Do you know, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was a racial issue? Have you ever actually met Melody Twilley? I am "ASSuME"-ing that were not there, that you are not a member of an NPC sorority at UA and that you have not met her in person. Perhaps you should stop ASSuME-ing and open YOUR eyes, sweetheart. :eek:

Goodnight, all. Have a great rest of the week!

Re: That's enough.
 

None of those things are racist. While the stigma attached to the aforementioned bares negative connatations, also, therein lies another prejudice: the idea that a rebel flag, pick up truck, and heavy, retarded southern accent precede ignorance.

I know you all feel strongly about whatever, but please refrain from the degradation of others feelings, beliefs, values, heritage, blah etc. blah.

Re: Laws vs. Morals
 

Exactly right, IvySpice. Everyone has a constitutional right to demonstrate his or her stupidity to the rest of the world. And the rest of us have a constitutional right to call them on it. ;)

People act like she only came out to rush once. She came out twice. And from looking at the list of greek organizations in PHC, I don't understand why NO ONE decided she was "good enough" for their sorority. I don't know about your sorority, but a lot of times people aren't just going to come out and say "let's not pick her because she's black." But lets not act like that wasn't on people's minds. I wouldn't be surprised if people were looking hard for bad things about her, so they could feel justified in not giving her a bid.

And also saying that black people don't usually come out to rush is a problem all in itself. How many minorities in general are in the IFC and PHC? If you can count them, then it's a problem. Apparently the IFC and PHC climate in Alabama is not welcoming to minorities and that is why very few come out to rush. Well I forgot, there were three or four biracial people (who were probably very light skinned) who were privilege enough to get a bid through out the entire history of the greek system at Alabama so no one can't possibly think the greek system is racist, Right?

Alabama Omega
 

What's up group?! We've somewhat diverted from the original topic of this thread. I'm a lifetime native of Alabama..

Born in Birmingham... raised in Birmingham... schooled in Birmingham.. Pleadged in Birmingham.. and an Alum of the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

I'm also an local officer of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity whose very close to the Sigma Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi at Auburn U.

The Bruhs were the 1st Black Fraternity on the yard at Auburn (founded May 19, 1972) and are very visible and active on campus.

I state this to be factually correct.. The Fraternity in QUEStion that wore our Frat shirts DID NOT HAVE PERMISSON nor RECEIVED SAID SHIRTS FROM US !!! The Fraternity just purchased those shirts from the campus bookstore for their lampoon.

When the Bruhs found out about the Halloween episode, they went to said Fraternities house and retrieved our shirts from them.

Although we have freedoms, you must have permission to use / wear Omega Psi Phi letters if you're not a member of the Fraternity.

The dressing up for halloween portraying lynchings and such is legally defendable but morally incomprehensable.

Re: Re: Re: Re: What are you saying?
 

Re: Alabama Omega
 

Whoa! These cats actually had your pere on?!

Let's get back to the issuse at hand.

I am an African American that is in a NPC sorority. I have visited Alabama many times. I absoultely love it there. I have found that Alabama is one of the most friendly states that I have ever been. With that said, I must say that Alabama has it problems just like any other state with racisim. Yeah, it my be a little more divided in certain parts of Alabama. Espically (sp?) when it comes to college campuses. The fact that UA has yet to offer a bid to any African American, just floors me. :mad:

When I went though rush the first thing that came in my mind is what if they don't like me. Not if, what if they don't like me because I am black. But when I went through rush at my school it was the first time that any African Americans went through and to have 3 that says a lot. I know that my campus is not the size of UA (actually is a lot smaller).

But have they done things to promote multiculturalism within their rush? It sounds to me they haven't. It sounds like they like it the way it is. And they want to keep it that way. What if UA had 50 African Amrerican females to apply for rush? Would all the chapters cut them because of something petty? I think they might. But the chapters what to make quota, so they might not cut them then. Just because someone is a junior does not mean that they cannot rush. Look at all the times (here on GC) that someone who is an upperclassman and we tell they to go ahead and rush and be upfront with them about your class status. To cut someone because they are a junior is very petty. Who's to say they cannot give you one good year? I know that you pointed out that she was rude too. Can you give me/us some rude things that she did? Or would that violate your voting procedure? I know you were there we weren't.

As for the Houston female. I am completly upset with her. How can she be so navie about her sisters? If they can use the N word in front of her and then say that they don't think of her like that. They do! For them to say it in front of her shows that they have NO RESPECT for her at all!! Like Houston said they are denying her other part. :mad:

I must be very fortunate that one of my sisters has not used that word in front of me. Everyone knows how I feel about that word, and if they said that word in front of me out of anger of what someone else did to them. I will not speak to them anymore, because I have lost all respect for them (because I do not use that word at all). I just really suprised that she has yet to lose respect for some of her sisters. Because that is very offending.

Neicy - please get a clue
 

>>I'm sure you are not so naive as to not know that Alabama is one of the most racist states in the world<<

I have no idea where you got your statistical information on this subject, but I have a news flash for you - racism is EVERYWHERE. It most probably even exists in your enlightened Chicago, IL.
I am an Alabama native, and YES, racism exists here, but I have also travelled extensively, and Neicy, racism exists in every part of the world, and it isn't only limited to black vs. white. For you to make snap assumptions about a part of the country to which you have never been is fairly small-minded and bigotted of you, don't you think?