Women of Color in NPCs?

[bluethunder]

As a Black woman who attended the University of Florida, a predominantly and historically white institution, I had lots of friends and acquaintances of all races and ethnicities...and yes, I had several Caucasian friends invite me to events at their respective houses and encouraged me to consider their sororities as viable options...however, i always seemed to note that if i was not the ONLY non-Caucasian person at a given event, I was one of maybe two, at most. and of course, it was not because of any kind of discrimination, that was just the way greek life on campus was. there were a handful of minorities that pledged PC or IFC orgs, and there were quite a few non-minorities that pledged historically Black orgs. i encourage everyone to do what they deem is best and most suitable for themselves. i pledged a historically black organization primarily because of the difference i percieved-- when you pledge a historically black greek letter organization, it is expected that you are active and financial for LIFE, because it is a lifelong commitment; furthermore, NPHC organizations were founded at a time when blacks were systematically excluded from higher education and beyond just being about brotherhood and sisterhood, the DIVINE NINE organizations were founded to capitalize on those who were fortunate enough to obtain higher education and then use it to better serve our own disenfranchised communities(since American society wasn't showing us any love politically, socially, or enconomically--a to some degree, this persists even today), as well as mankind in general. i know for my own organization, SIGMA GAMMA RHO, my founders founded our organization on the predominantly white campus of Butler University as a means of insulation and encouragement, as well as for community service and high educational attainment--keeping in mind that they were in the heart of KKK territory at the height of the depression AND the university did not support a black organization--but they made it happen nonetheless. and i know all NPHC organizations encountered similar scenarios in founding or in expansion. that is why i chose to pledge a historically black organization-- the purpose is different(to me) and the commitment is different (to me). while NPHC is definitely social , we have a social obligation to the uplift of our people, and society in general--that's why i chose a historically black organization over, say, a PC organization. also, i wanted to be around women who could understand my experience and identify with me culturally. i wanted sorors who could feel my pride--and my pain--as a strong african american woman; i could only get that from a black organization, so i joined one. i have since graduated, i am still active in my sorority in grad chapter and i serve as the undergraduate advisor for the Omicron Theta chapter at FL International Univ-- and i don't regret my decision one bit. And while I encourage everyone to do what is best for them, I definitely encourage African American women to look into historically black sororities--the experience, I believe, is one that is second to none and is unique to the black experience.