[TempleOne]

Hello everyone.


I am an African-American female attending The University of Alabama. I am also a part of the group of women truly committed to bringing a sense of multiculturalism to the greek system here at the UA.

Many of you have posted some very thought provoking questions and I wanted to weigh in my two cents. Some have asked why are NPC sororities here at the UA known as "traditionally white," when at other schools in other regions of the country, the same NPCs are intergrated. I wished the answer was simple. However, a possible answer can be found in the social, regional and cultural aspects of many African-American females.
As a little girl, I saw women who were Deltas and AkAs. I never once saw a Kappa Delta and said, "Wow... that's what I want to be when I grow up." Many African-American women simply don't want to join NPC groups because there is such a strong connection and attraction to the NPHC sororities. There is a definite culture surrounding these NPHC sororities. I've enjoyed attending step shows since I was in jr. high. I always wanted to be on stage doing just that. Stepping and other cultural aspects are missing from NPCs. This may explain why many African-American women simply chose to pledge a NPHC sorority. They (NPHC) are what we know and what we are comfortable with.
Another compelling arguement is that no one wants to be that token Negro in an all-white environment. If any black woman on this campus thought for a second that she had a snowball's chance in hell of actually getting into NPC and not having the n-word bounce like bullets; she would give it a chance. No one wants to feel like the odd person out.
Melody Twilley being the exception, there simply isn't an interest among African-American women on this campus to join any NPC. Please keep in mind this is not a blanket statement. This is not a stereotype. Just ask anyone. In fact, although she was horribly misqouted, Katherine Rutledge, former president of the Pan-hellenic Association on campus, reflected the same thoughts. She stated in an interview published in the Tuscaloosa News that out of all of the hundreds of letters/brochures issued out to ALL incoming freshmen women, only six African-American responded, stated interest. To say it again, the interest just isn't here...

However, this does not mean this is the way it should be. I argue the university can do little to change the hearts, minds, attitudes of not only the current members of the NPC sororities, but the alumni and those of the IFC. Am I calling these people racist? No I am not. However, I am saying a change has to come and one day, hopefully soon it will be.

A great step is creating a multicultural greek organization/council at the UA. This council can serve at the prototype and show the campus that there is a place for diversity at the school and it's okay to accept others.