Blacks that rush NPC
 

Hey, i'm transferring schools and thinking about rushing an NPC... and since it is a predominantly white system(i'm not white), whether or not there's an akward-ness factor or not? also, i would like to know if any people have minorities in their sororities and if the sisterhood bonds are just as strong as all the others..?

where is it?

That would depend entirely on your feelings and your school. I'm a recent graduate of a Florida school, and my chapter usually had at least one to three black members. As far as I'm aware, pretty much every chapter at my school had black members.

The only awkward moment I recollect in my chapter actually was funny. A group of my sisters were trying to describe the appearance of a black PNM to see if any one else recognized her by appearance but not by name. They felt awkward, and were trying to avoid saying she was black. Finally, a (very outspoken) black member of my chapter stood up and said "C'mon, girls, just say she's a sister!" The entire chapter about fell on the floor laughing and we were much more comfortable after that.

This particular black member was one of the original officers of my chapter and definitely an involved and beloved member.

That said, though, generally less than two dozen black girls (my estimate) went through NPC formal recruitment at my school, which typically would have 700+ potential new members. My chapter was huge, so black girls were a definite minority. While black members were welcomed, I could see how someone might be uncomfortable in that small of a minority.

Midwestern Private School - People of all races in the sororities, probably in proportion to the racial makeup of the school itself. It was never awkward among us, but I don't know if any of my sisters faced pressure from their non-sorority friends because of their choice.

Also, not a strong NPHC presence on campus as the city-wide chapter(s) couldn't hold events there since they were not a recognized student organization.

There aren't green people. :)

I generally suck at GC searches but has this topic been discussed before?

I went to UF. There were only two or three black members in my chapter during the years I was an active, but there were very few black women who came through NPC rush. As far as I'm concerned, there was no difference in the bonds between sisters of different races. Sisters are sisters! :p

God, honey just rush. If they like YOU they like YOU! It's sometimes akward but when you're sisters you really learn to see everyone the same (you really do) and it's never been a big deal for me. I joke about it all the time, too! There are pictures from when I was a collegiate where I'm in the middle and it's just me and I laugh at it, or when people take pics without flash and it's dark so I have to point it out to turn on the flash or I won't show up so good. I find it funny and no one's ever been cuturally insensitive or anything.

And thankfully I was pretty comfortable with the background of my org. before I joined because it's heavily Condefederate. But it is all in the past so I didn't focus on it. (Except when I want to make my chapter Pres. uncomfortable and then I make jokes for days!)

I also had one of those moments when someone was trying to describe me in front of me and I was like "OMG! Say it, I'm black BLACK!" We all laughed so hard. It's just never bothered me at all. But it did help that my chapter was majority hispanic so the white girls are the minority and we teased them for always being together everywhere!

The only problem I've found is when you do things with OTHER chapters. Because you stick out like a sore thumb. But you are proud to be different even then. (Plus pretty much everyone at my chapter stuck out at those things...I have a funny story about my chapter at an LC and some Omega Psi Phis, lemme know if you want me to post!)

Really? Phi Mu is considered heavily Condefederate?

Confederate.

It has a strong history in the South, yes.

I know how to spell it, thanks. See the post above mine.

thanks for the replies it's been pretty helpful i think i'll just do it and go wherever the wind blows me..

btw not to be a bitch or anything but those of you who keeps asking "hasn't this already been discussed" and etc. no one's making you read this thread so by all means don't bother with it.

Well, Idiot Newbie, I asked if this has been discussed so someone could direct you to a more informative thread. Word to the wise, if you go into rush being an assumptive idiot you'll have more than being black to worry about. Good luck.

No need for name calling. If it was taking as me being, "an assumptive idiot" apologies are in order,(on my behalf) but that's how i took it when i read it. If your intentions were mentioned in your previous message then it could have been avoided.

But, I'm a new member to GC but when i was doing searches on the topics that were mentioned I never found anything similar to this thread, hence the reason i posted it. But since there seems to already be discussions about it I'll keep looking. Thanks

Yep. Good luck.

I go to a black college, so this is all new to me.

Agreed! I am not black, but several members of my sorority were and they always the same thing that said above. They joined Theta because it was for them, not because the color of your skin. At my school (UNF), skin color seemed to have no bearing on where you got a bid.

I didn't mean Phi Mu is Confederate. If you reread it says it's background is. Honorary Philomatheans included Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. That's pretty Confederate. Many Philomatheans belonged to Daughters of the Confederacy or some org. with a similar title and were heavy supporters of the South before and after the war. It's very natural because they were in Macon at the time so I don't take it personal. But I've always joked that back in the day one of my relatives probably involuntarily cleaned up or farmed for the founders or early members of my org. since my family on my dad's side is from all up in GA. (You should see my sisters roll their eyes on this one!) That is what I meant by the fact that I had to be comfortable with that personally.

umm last time i checked the War of Northern Agression ended in 1865 and Phi Mu wasn't founded until the late 1870s ?? correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the Reconstruction period and not the Civil War.

True, but the "South never died" mentality was VERY strong in parts of the South until the 1960s. I do not know a lot of about Phi Mu's founding, but in GA and other Southern States, many people at that time had family members who had fought in the war, and never thought as if it was truly over. Hence some of the confederate sentiments.

fixed ya post

Phi Mu was founded as the Philomathean Society in 1852 at Wesleyan Female College in Macon, Georgia.

[mini-hijack] Why are you calling it the "War of Northern Agression". It is called the Civil War and in all technicalities the South started the war by firing upon unarmed Union soldiers at Fort Sumter. So maybe if the name of the Civil War is going to be changed it should be the War of Southern Agression, since they started it. :rolleyes:[end mini-hijack]

Phi Mu was founded a year after us, and we were founded in 1851, which means they were 1852. So yep, both of our sororities were around for the Civil War. And we were probably supporting the Confederacy since we were founded in Georgia.

Because we are Southerners, and that's what it's called. If you prefer, we could call it the 'Late Unpleasantness'.

LOL. Theme song could be "The Night the Barbecue Went Out in Georgia" or "Yankees Just Don't Understand" or "They Won't Do it Our Way" or "Yankee Doodle Came to Town and Took Away My Sla-aves".

I will work on the words to this over the weekend if I get a chance.

Bless your heart.

LOL.

That's what my great-grandmother called it. And I know I am so going to be in for it when my 10 year old son learns more about what his school calls "The Civil War" next year in sixth grade. He is now beginning to understand that the War of Northern Aggression was begun over the rights of the individual states.

I do declare, sometimes I hate living up here in yankee land.

Are we really talking about this? I think everyone can use history lesson go read the Declaration of Secession the civil war wasn't really started over states right necessarily it was really started over slavery even though no one wants to say it. South Carolina didn't like that the Union was allowing states to have their own rights especially when it came to slavery. This meaning that if slave owners from SC went to New York they weren't allowed to bring their slave because they weren't allowed to have them. For more info read the book the Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. Ok lets get back on topic now.

Go for it girl, Just be yourself and go through Rush. They should love you for who you are and if you don't get a bid then maybe it wasn't meant to be.

All the time.

Just give a North-South intro and the Civil War gets discussed. :)

The fact that this discussion is happening in a "Blacks that rush NPC" thread is beyond ironic and comical.

The chapter about Helen Keller blew my mind.

I say check out all orgs. There are a lot of misconceptions, stereotypes, and hearsay out there. Dig deeper. Black people join NPHC orgs for many many reasons which may or may not include the fact that they are Black.

^^^^^^
Aren't you being a bit harsh?????:confused:

Anyways..... in reply to this thread.....
One of my best friends in my sorority is black. There are also people who are asian, indian, and arabic. I honestly don't think anyone thinks about it when we're all together unless somebody brings it up. When rushing be yourself because that's all that's going to matter in the end.

Shut up. :confused:

I wanna hear it :p

And to contribute to the post, like BabyPink said, people like you for YOU.

If you feel comfortable going through NPC rush, then go for it. It sucks that some people miss out on such great organizations just because they think they won't fit in or it wasn't made for them.

This is for my homeboy PantherTEKE...

So, some of my chapter sisters go to leadership conference in GA. Omega also happens to be having a conference there. For some reasons, all the other chapters have a curfew that they have to be in their hotel rooms by a certain time. This is foreign to my chapter but I guess because where were from that would be laughed at. So my sisters wander downstairs and basically run into some Omegas having a grand ol' time in the lobby & around and what not. They are just hanging out and the Omegas begin tell my sisters how they were trying to talk to some girls in a sorority and they all said they have curfews and could not stay downstairs. My sisters inform him that they are in the same organization. The Omegas look and them and exclaim that "that can't be, because you're not white!" My sisters also told me had I gone I would have stuck out something fierce and that they stood out a lot too. We had a good long laugh about it. I love when we get together with other chapters because it's always an experience.

I would just like to emphasize that this thread is regarding possible NPC membership, but I too recommend looking into all orgs. before deciding. I did and knew right away that NPHC wasn't for me and I would have joined a multicultural group but the ones on our campus tend to lean toward a specific ethnicity (mainly the founders'). And that didn't sit well with me at the time. Looking back I would have been at home in one of them, but am very happy in my current group.

(ETA: Please don't get caught up in the whole N/S thing, at the end of the day we're all here because we're Greek or interested in Greek Life. I only brought it up because these were issues that I had to look at prior to joining and I wanted to express my experience for the OP.)

Mee too!! ugh

My grand little is black in a mostly white sorority, and girls were fighting over who would be her big sis because she is one of the sweetest and smartest girls we recruited.