Why do historically Black GLOs use corporate designators?

[Ronaldo9]

I notice many historically Black GLOs are fastidious about including the corporate designator "Inc." as part of their name while other GLOs are not.

For instance, Sigma Gamma Rho - on its website - only refers to itself as "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc." and never refers to itself as "Sigma Gamma Rho." This seems to be typical of Black GLOs.

Either use, of course, are probably correct. In the case of Sigma Gamma Rho, the North Carolina General Statutes indicate that the designator must be part of a corporation's official name while also not precluding the use of a shortened version in everyday communications. [e.g. Lowe's, the home improvement store, is officially Lowe's Companies, Inc., but DBA Lowe's]

Is there any significance to the fastidious use of corporate designators in the names of Black GLOs? Is the corporate designator "Incorporated" orally invoked during ritual work even?

[Titchou]

I am not a member of ay of the Divine 9 but have been told by several friends who are members that it is because it was so difficult for blacks to incorporate in the early 1900s that they wish to emphasize that status. Reading in many places since, that seems to bear validity.

[Ronaldo9]

Originally Posted by Titchou

I am not a member of ay of the Divine 9 but have been told by several friends who are members that it is because it was so difficult for blacks to incorporate in the early 1900s that they wish to emphasize that status. Reading in many places since, that seems to bear validity.

Very interesting - thank you!

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo9

Either use, of course, are probably correct.

This is why members of BGLOs rarely answer such questions on this forum.

The correctness of the usage has nothing to do with you one way or the other.

Your question is not offensive by itself. Your judgment one way or the other is.

[andthen]

Thanks for your input Sen. I wish there was a like button!!

[PersistentDST]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

This is why members of BGLOs rarely answer such questions on this forum.

The correctness of the usage has nothing to do with you one way or the other.

Your question is not offensive by itself. Your judgment one way or the other is.

...I concur.

[Ronaldo9]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

This is why members of BGLOs rarely answer such questions on this forum.

The correctness of the usage has nothing to do with you one way or the other.

Your question is not offensive by itself. Your judgment one way or the other is.

Sorry I upset you, Sen!

Best,
Ron

[thetalady]

Unbelievable. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Please please forgive us stupid white people (and I am horrible to assume that Ronaldo9 is white, but there it is) when we ask a civil, simple question because we are interested and trying to understand another organization or culture.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by thetalady

Unbelievable. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Please please forgive us stupid white people (and I am horrible to assume that Ronaldo9 is white, but there it is) when we ask a civil, simple question because we are interested and trying to understand another organization or culture.

I am not trying to speak for Sen, because he can speak for himself far more eloquently than I ever could about anything, but dude’s tone and diction is way judgmental (“fastidious use” and “probably correct”)

Note to Ronaldo - check your subject verb agreement on “Either use are”. You’ve got a singular subject and plural verb. You know, since you’re all about policing others’ writing.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

I am not trying to speak for Sen, because he can speak for himself far more eloquently than I ever could about anything, but dude’s tone and diction is way judgmental (“fastidious use” and “probably correct”)

Note to Ronaldo - check your subject verb agreement on “Either use are”. You’ve got a singular subject and plural verb. You know, since you’re all about policing others’ writing.

Not that I want to defend him but English is not his first language

[Ronaldo9]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

Note to Ronaldo - check your subject verb agreement on “Either use are”. You’ve got a singular subject and plural verb. You know, since you’re all about policing others’ writing.

Many thanks for the catch, Blue! I appreciate people helping with my English. In the circles in which I usually move there's a reticence to correct people publicly, and yet it really can be helpful. (I haven't spent much time in the South, I should probably think of taking a summer in Arkansas or West Virginia or someplace similar, perhaps, where there's less delicacy in interlocution. I might learn a fair amount!) Thanks again for the feedback!

[navane]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo9

Many thanks for the catch, Blue! I appreciate people helping with my English. In the circles in which I usually move there's a reticence to correct people publicly, and yet it really can be helpful. (I haven't spent much time in the South, I should probably think of taking a summer in Arkansas or West Virginia or someplace similar, perhaps, where there's less delicacy in interlocution. I might learn a fair amount!) Thanks again for the feedback!

Ok, now you're just taking the piss.

[Sen's Revenge]

Originally Posted by thetalady

Unbelievable. We are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Please please forgive us stupid white people (and I am horrible to assume that Ronaldo9 is white, but there it is) when we ask a civil, simple question because we are interested and trying to understand another organization or culture.

What the heck?

You joined this site in 2003.

You are an alumna from a college that had BGLOs at the time you were there.

Yoooooouuuu weren't concerned about the topic before today.

Yooooooouuu made this a "stupid white people" thing.

I LITERALLY didn't give a thought to dude's race, or yours.

I pointed out the problem with the question and even said that the question itself wasn't offensive.

YOU are deciding to have a problem. Not me.

And not that I have to be nice about it, but I certainly wasn't rude or uncivil because I pointed out what was offensive to me.

I think the problem you have is with me. Please put me on ignore and leave me there.

[Ronaldo9]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

I think the problem you have is with me. Please put me on ignore and leave me there.

I think the ignore feature might not be working, actually. Another user has twice interjected herself into threads to announce to everyone she has me on ignore but is still replying directly to my posts. Could be a software issue, maybe?

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Ronaldo9

I think the ignore feature might not be working, actually. Another user has twice interjected herself into threads to announce to everyone she has me on ignore but is still replying directly to my posts. Could be a software issue, maybe?

I wouldn’t know how they do things in Arkansas or West Virginia (only driven through one and never set foot in the other), but you sure are coming off around here like a grade A arse. I generally only correct people who belabor pointing out issues with the writing of others. Does expounding on a writer’s use of “all” parenthetically no longer ring any bells? I certainly wouldn’t do it with anyone in polite conversation or polite society. While I have a graduate degree in English, I am the least grammar Nazi person you’ll find...because I believe that as long as one is getting the point across in non-academic settings, it really doesn’t matter too much.