First white board member of any NPHC organization
 

On April 1, 2007 , Noel Niles, Troy senior, was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the first sorority founded by and for women of African descent. Following the Centennial National Conference in July 2008, Niles applied for a national office position within the sorority. Slated later that month, Niles became the first Caucasian to serve on the board of directors for any African American Greek letter organization, of which there are nine. Niles’ term ends July 2010. The Pleiad sat down with Niles to ask her a few questions.

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For discussion, can anyone on GC recall, name, or otherwise discuss other instances when someone of an ethnic minority rose to a national position in their organization?

I had the pleasure of meeting Noel at a Delta Sigma Pi event this Fall. She is one of the most intelligent, passionate people I've met. She has accomplished a lot and I am proud to call her my brother.

I am looking forward to the discussion this thread will generate. Great post, Senusret I.

Thanks :)

As someone with dual affiliation myself, I love hearing about people who can balance a social GLO with a professional or service one.

the q&a was short but i loved it. such passion and dedication is always inspiring to me.

One of our current National Executive Committeemen is African-American and I'm guessing from his name that the current Chair of our Collegiate Province Representatives (which gives him a seat on the National Executive Committee) is hispanic or has some hispanic background. I think there have been other African-American members of the National Executive Committee, but memory and sources of information are failing me right now.

I know several! :p

To this day, I am still challenged by the idea of white women pursuing membership in NPHC organizations. In Niles' case, I understand that the women she looked up to prior to membership were AKAs, but joining AKA herself meant that her focus had to shift to the fulfillment of AKA's vision. It will be interesting to see what she does with her life toward that end.

To liken my perspective to a recent GC topic, to me, it's a lot like if a transgendered aspirant (identifying as a man) wanted to join my organization. While I would not be entirely opposed to the possibility, I would need to be convinced why this individual would want to take the oath of sisterhood in an organization that wasn't designed for him.

National positions?

I was talking about my own org, thus the :p. We've had women serve on the National Board who are both minorities in terms of United States ethnic demographics and minorities in terms of proportional demographics within the sorority.

I wouldn't say we "count" in the discussion because the diversity of our National Board is by design and not in line with the purpose of the discussion topic.

yeah, that's why i didn't say anything

i interpreted her statement that she was dedicated to and interested in helping the underprivileged and such...and african americans are consistently in that group. so it didn't sound like a shift of focus to me.

What I mean is the shift from admiring someone to taking up that person's cause. It takes a lot more effort and usually requires sacrifice.

Good Article.

Anyone in a position of privilege (whether race, class, gender, etc.) needs to at a minimum be making an honest attempt to see the world from the other perspective and reflecting that consciousness in their lives. That is simple morality (and morality usually does require effort and sacrifice).

You know because you're doing it in your own life. I don't know that it's a given.

ETA: It just hit me that you said "simple" morality! Girl...

Well, Monica Miranda Smalls, Director of Greek Life at University of Rochester, is the new President-elect for the Association of Fraternity Advisors. I'm new to the organization myself, but I think it's really inspires a Latina like me to see someone with a fresh perspective and a little color lead us on. I would love to serve Tri Sigma in a Council position or on some type of national board one day!

I must agree. I worry that white people cannot truly understand the role of BGLOs and how they fit into the primary scheme of GLOs... how BLGOs were started because of the discrimination and outcasting of Black people (and other groups... the Jewish come to mind) from their orgs. We have overcome and acheived a lot since then, and now BGLOs are a prominent entity in Black History. I would not want someone making light of that.