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Originally Posted by d59u
It is probably difficult for today's students to understand the archaic habits of 50 years ago. It was at least a decade long struggle and confronted EVERY organization, not just those sited from Tufts. Interestingly, it was one of those things that started from the "bottom up" not "top down" decisions that have affected other changes in our organizations. It began on the east & west coasts. I was in the midwest where we were somewhat open-minded but not necessarily in favor, but caught between the "pro" coasts and adamantly opposed south. I look back now and wonder why we even thought that way and am thankful the we have come so far.
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Thank you for sharing your experience. I, too, am thankful that we have come as far as we have, even though there is still more to go.
This struggle affected every organization and everywhere across the country, just as the broader struggle of civil rights every person across the country. I'm a Tufts alumna, so I came across it as I was looking into sorority histories at Tufts. I had heard that Tufts had had Sigma Kappa and Alpha Xi Delta chapters at one point, which is how I found the articles.
Through further research I found that Sigma Kappa has been cited as the first NPC to pledge a non-caucasian woman, in 1956 at Cornell. So that seems like it could have been the match that lit this fire. Or maybe both chapters were thinking the same thing at around the same time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaffyKD
More than a decade long struggle. The struggle was still going on when I pledged in August 1971. As a member of a minority who did pledge a NPC chapter, I definitely felt the struggle. I was from progressive California, but was told by a National President the chapters in the south would have a hard time welcoming me. Our charter was threatened several times but we stood our ground and our charter still stands strong on campus today.
DaffyKD
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I'm so happy to hear that your chapter sisters stood their ground and that your chapter survived. I'm a minority as well, and pledged in the early 2000s, so I had a very different experience, but my collegiate sorority experience may not have been as great as it was if chapters like yours and many across the nation hadn't paved the way and stood their ground on this. I am very grateful for that.
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