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Originally posted by JocelynC
I'm going to be really bold and say something:

As a black member of an NPC sorority, I think others like me need to just be Phi Mu, Tri Sigma, Chi Omega or whatever and not be concerned wth whatever anyone else thinks or speculates about their membership. I sure don't.

And in response as to why bblacks and hispanics don't typically join NPC's, I'll repost what I said in another thread.

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Speaking as a Black member of an NPC sorority:

Ok, we can all agree that NPC's are HISTORICALLY white organizations although not entirely (I'm evidence of that). All I think people are trying to say is that you should qualify it with "historically" instead of just white because that gives the impression that the org is specifically for whites. Hence the reason why I don't say "black fraternity/sorority", because it unfairly limits the organization.

And also, while I think diversity in our chapters is important, I do not feel it's appropriate to "target" minority women for that specific reason. I'm a Tri Sigma because my sisters felt I would make a good addition to the chapter, NOT because I would make it "diverse". I think sometimes that we as a conference need to let our organizations speak for themselves and not look at diversity as this quantitative thing that can be measured by the number of faces like mine on a composite.

And on the subject of why multicutural organization exist, people have different needs. Yes, NPC/IFC's serve a myriad of non-race specific causes (Children's Miracle Network, Make A Wish, etc) and that's great. Our organizations are changing as more and more women of different races go through recruitment. The values encompassed by NPC's are those that are shared by a universal group of women no matter their color.


THERE are many men and women who would prefer to join something that was FOUNDED on the core values of their culture and building their community up. As all encompassing as NPC's mission is, it cannot specifically address the needs of the hispanic/black/asian communities in the specific way that multicultural or orgs historically based in those cultures can. Those orgs exist to honor build and address the needs of men and women in those communites and for them to keep their "ear" to what goes on there while working closely with people of their own race. There is nothing wrong with that.

Again, I love being in the NPC, it encompasses all types of women and charitable causes. But some women prefer to address the needs of their specific ethnic community and with the broadness of the NPC, she may be more likely to be able to so in an NPHC or multicultural org.

Simply put, the NPC/IFC cannot address the issues and causes SPECIFICALLY facing African Americans, Hispanics, etc. so that's where these organizations come in and I respect them. They have a very important and valid place in the Greek world.

Good Post.