I must say that for me it was never about homosexuality. I have a HUGE problem with sweetheart groups. I assumed that this was the case about the Delta fraternity. I assumed that the fraternity was made up of a group of grown men who wanted to pledge AKA. I mean that sickened me. There was a question in the Kappa forum about women who were interested in joining Kappa. That sickened me also. So after the brother came in here and explained his fraternity's position, I sorta sympathized with his plight. Then it occured to me that they shared the same founding date, and the use of both the Ivy and the Pearl. You know the saying if it walks like a duck...I agree that it may have been necessary for this brother and others to feel that they needed to start their organization. However, why did they feel the need to carry many of the traditions well known to be used by Alpha Kappa Alpha. I can assume that they have their own meaning behind the symbolism of these objects. But that's not good enough for me. And, January 15, is just a date. But why that date? Also their motto. "Service to our Kind". I'm so sick of non Divine Niners saying that we members are not living our purpose or we've deviated from our founders' dreams. That's the reason why subsequent organizations were founded after 1906 and 1908. But unlike like todays generation of organizations, they really searched their hearts and minds for an answer. They used "creativity" in forming symbols that meant something to them and the type of organization they wanted to form. And many talk about the hazing that has plagued the Divine Nine but yet they have lines, line names, and numbers. Unlike AKA2D said, I don't think that they should have relied on the trite rainbow symbol. But I do feel that they could have found something that better represented their plight as being both gay and African American men in an oppressed society. To all future founders of greek organizations. If for some reason there is not an organization that meets your particular needs, by all means go and found your own thing. That's what my founders did. But please keep this in mind, originality is the key. If the Divine Nine has strayed from its mission as you say, then don't mimic us. After all, the purpose of your founding would be to provide something lacking in current GLO's already in existence. It's just the coincidences are way too eerie to me. I can totally understand what some AKA's feel. If some other organization would come along and incorporate some of the symbols that made Kappa the great institution it is, I'd be a little leary of them too. But in saying all of this, Brother good luck to you and your organization.
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KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC.
SPR 97
XI LAMBDA
[This message has been edited by NUPE4LIFE (edited March 31, 2001).]
[This message has been edited by NUPE4LIFE (edited March 31, 2001).]
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