Hello all!!!
I have to agree with Discogoddess in her explanation of affiliation with BGLO's and other Black people on predominantly white college campuses. I had a friend who used to attend all of the "formal" meetings for my Sorority. She did so for about a year or so. We applied at the same time, the whole nine. This was (and still is my GIRL!!!). She was always a little "different" from the other Black students on campus, however, she made it clear that she intended to be active in all African Student Union activities and wrote frequently in the Newsmagazine for African Students. She was down. Nonetheless, (for whatever reason) she ended up joining a white sorority. I don't know what happened to her application for mine, but she just said she decided to go with that sorority. I was like cool. I asked her what she had in common with the women in the sorority. She said she had a lot in common. Something about sisterhood and "community." Point is, we NEVER shunned her. She continued to TRY to be down with the struggle of Black students on campus. She lived with white folks and pretty much really felt she could relate to white people. On top of that, they LOVED her. It was amazing. She was homecoming queen and the whole nine!!!. At UCLA, that is a huge feat considering there have been all of like, what?... 3 or 4 Black homecoming queens. Let me end by saying, that when this young woman became pregnant (after graduation)...NONE of her "sisters" were in attendance at the shower. NOT ONE. Guess who was there? The same Black folks that had her back the whole way through.
I bring this up to say that I truly don't have a problem with "sistahs" joining white sororities. I do however feel that (in some cases) people don't understand the "natural" bond that people of the same cultural (YES, cultural) background have with one another. I would NEVEER leave my sorority sister hanging out to dry the way those women did. Honestly, I feel like if she were white, they would have supported her. Yeah, their chests were all poked out when they could say "Whoo-hoo a Kappa Gamma girl is Homecoming Queen, yeah baby." But when it came time for real emothional support, they were ghost!!! As long as she wore weaves and contats, they were down, when she tried to support causes for Black students (fully donning African laphas and geles, cowrie shells, etc., confused? thing Ericka Badhu), they were GHOST. I am her child's Godmother and that is my Sugar Boogar (the baby). My "sands/LS" is my son's Godmother. Why are her sorority sisters not even remotely present in her life? I feel the bond is somewhat superficial. At least that is MY experience based on what I saw with her. I know that is not the cae for everyone, but damn!!! Not ONE KG girl in attendacne. Not a gift from the whole chapter saying "Hey, sorry we couldn't make it." NOTHING.
