BGLO and GLO

[streetscholar]

CFP: Edited Volume on Empirical Studies of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs)

Edited by M. W. Hughey (University of Virginia) and G. S. Parks (Cornell University).
We invite submissions for an edited volume on Black Greek Lettered Organizations (BGLOs). In recent years, scholarship on BGLOs has sprouted up and has been received as a rich and contextual area of study for many practitioners across traditional academic boundaries. That is, out of its initial genesis in Higher Education, study of BGLOs has come to attract a vast array of interdisciplinary focus. This work hopes to assist the field blossom as today BGLOs are one of the most influential black-centered organizations, and they still hold critical purchase in the discourse and praxis of identity politics in a postmodern age. By couching this volume within the ethnic, gender, and cultural studies arenas that have been historically attentive to issues of power and representation – and by focusing on empirical studies – we hope to advance the study of BGLOs, to lend rigor and substance to recent trends that over-depend on abstract theorizing, and to reach an audience that is both academic and popular.

In this vein, academicians who are trained in empirical methodology but unaware of critical issues in BGLO related affairs, or vice versa, scholars who are well-versed in the culture, history, and social organization of BGLOs but lacking in the implementation of rigorous empirical methods, should not feel this is beyond their scope. The editors, with the council of the Advisory Board [co-chaired by Dr. Edward Whipple, Vice President for Student Affairs at Bowling Green State University and author of New Challenges for Greek Letter Organizations: Transforming Fraternities and Sororities into Learning Communities (1998) and Dr. Walter Kimbrough, president of Philander Smith College and author of Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities (2003)] will pair scholars together, if needed or requested, for collaborative chapters.

Potential projects could examine, but are not limited to, the following:

Academic achievement
Authoritarianism or Democracy in their BGLO Organizational Ontology
BGLO Politics (e.g.: Qualities and characteristics that predict election to national office)
BGLOs and (un)involvement in local politics
BGLOs and Afrocentricity
BGLOs and Geographic Regionalism
BGLOs and the Question of Black Nationalist vs. Assimilative Agendas
BGLOs and their Iconography (e.g.: Kappas and canes, Omegas and gold boots, etc.)
BGLOs and their role in the Civil Rights Movement
BGLOs on White campuses vs. BGLOs on HBCUs
Black Sororities and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wave Feminism
Black Sororities and Women’s Liberation
Colorism/Internalized Racism (e.g.: Brown bag and blue vein tests)
Council Decision Making vs. Hierarchical Leadership in BGLOs
Cultural competence of Greek affairs advisors
Dating behavior among BGLO college members
Difference between Alumni/Undergraduate Chapters
Differences in the Portrayals of Founders among BGLOs
Eating disorders and sororities
Feminist/womanist identity development
Films featuring BGLOs (School Daze, Drumline, Stomp the Yard, etc.)
Hazing/pledging/MIP
High Functioning vs. Low Functioning Chapters
Homosexual members
Leadership development
Leadership vs./and Service
Militarism in the traditions of BGLOs
Non-black members
Non-Christian members
Oral Traditions of Chapter Histories among BGLOs
Politics within BGLOs
Portrayal of BGLOs in works of fiction
Public perception of BGLOs
Racial identity development
Reasons why people choose to join certain BGLOs
Reclamation/organizational behavior
Sexual aggression/date rape
Significance of BGLO poems and narratives
Spirituality/religiosity
Stereotypes of Individual Organizations
Substance use/abuse
The Politics of Small vs. Large Chapters
The Question of Traditional Animosities between organizations (e.g.: AKA and Delta)
The Semiotics of Greek Paraphernalia (line jackets, etc.)

Those interested in contributing should send a CV with a list of five (or less) topics they would be interested in exploring to the lead editor (M. W. Hughey) by 1 November 2006: mwh5h@virginia.edu. Potential contributors will be contacted about submitting an abstract by 15 December 2006.

More information about the project can be found at: http://empiricalbgloproject.blogspot.com/

[KAY10]

Let the WGLOs do their thing and BGLOs do theirs. They're both different and can't communicate so lets just let it be.

[DSTCHAOS]

@ this thread being brought back up.

I had forgotten how dumb some of the posts were. LOL.

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by KAY10

Let the WGLOs do their thing and BGLOs do theirs. They're both different and can't communicate so lets just let it be.

Don't call them 'WGLOs' 'cause they will have a fit. Be prepared for some flack.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by mccoyred

Don't call them 'WGLOs' 'cause they will have a fit. Be prepared for some flack.

No. He shouldn't not call us "WGLOs" because we will have a fit.

He shouldn't call us "WGLOs" because that's not what we are.

[Still BLUTANG]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

@ this thread being brought back up.

I had forgotten how dumb some of the posts were. LOL.

if this is the "prejudism" thread, i have to admit a guilty pleasure. one of my favorite posts on GC. EVER.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Still BLUTANG

if this is the "prejudism" thread, i have to admit a guilty pleasure. one of my favorite posts on GC. EVER.

Most race threads on GC are guilty pleasures but I don't recall if this is the "prejudism" thread.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

He shouldn't call us "WGLOs" because that's not what we are.

Some of us will never agree with you all on that contention. So no need to beat a dead horse. Along with the PWI dead horse.

[Langox510x]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I dont understand why there needs to be black fraternities and sororities. I am in NO WAY prejudice. I have black friends who are in a fraternity. They chose to join a regular GLO over the black ones. With all the complaints about being equal, doesn't having your own greek organization separate u even more on a college campus? BGLOs on my campus are never around. They don't participate in Greek Week, dont party wiht us. Until recently I didn't even know there were black fraternities and sororities on campus. I am not PREJUDICE. I just want to make that clear. I'm just asking a simple question....why segregate urselves even more that u say u are?

I happen to be black in an almost all white fraternity and I can tell you many schools have all white fraternities, and I know a couple of TKE members who in no means do I consider racist, but they really seem to automatically look at blacks as "they wouldn't want to join our fraternity". I wouldn't mind being in a black fraternity, but I'm glad they exist because they offer many things most non-black fraternities don't offer. My dad is Kappa Alpha Psi from the 70's and even at UC Berkeley wouldn't have stood a chance at getting into any non-fraternity on campus. They existed because back in the day blacks couldn't get into other fraternities/sororities, and because of that have evolved with a different flavor, not to mention that any race is welcome to pledge for a black fraternity. Kappa Alpha Psi at Stillman University isn't just all black.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Langox510x

I happen to be black in an almost all white fraternity and I can tell you many schools have all white fraternities, and I know a couple of TKE members who in no means do I consider racist, but they really seem to automatically look at blacks as "they wouldn't want to join our fraternity". I wouldn't mind being in a black fraternity, but I'm glad they exist because they offer many things most non-black fraternities don't offer. My dad is Kappa Alpha Psi from the 70's and even at UC Berkeley wouldn't have stood a chance at getting into any non-fraternity on campus. They existed because back in the day blacks couldn't get into other fraternities/sororities, and because of that have evolved with a different flavor, not to mention that any race is welcome to pledge for a black fraternity. Kappa Alpha Psi at Stillman University isn't just all black.

Not only were we Founded because blacks were not allowed entry into most fraternities and sororities in the early and mid 1900s, blacks were also not allowed at most of the PWIs (of course not every BGLO was Founded at an HBCU so there were some blacks at some PWIs).

We were also Founded because of a need to nurture the intellectual, spiritual, cultural, and structural needs of the black community/ies. The general belief was/is that we need to start with the core of our community before we branch out to help others.

[ProspeKt]

^^Amen

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by ErikaXO

People are going to go where they feel comfortable.....bottom line. At my campus we had a number of African-Americans who went through NPC/IFC rush and joined chapters. I also distinctly remember a white male rushing and joining a NPHC chapter. I don't see the problem with having the two separate systems. I understand that there is a lot of "mystery" surrounding the NPHC chapters and I for one always wished we had events/mixers with them, but these are bridges that can be gapped chapter by chapter, campus by campus. If a, IFC fraternity was having a party that needed a co-sponsor, how about one of the IFC guys asking a guy in one of his classes if his NPHC chapter would be interested? How about one of the NPC org's asking a NPHC sorority to join them in a philanthropy? I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I were an African-American, I would have been drawn to one of the traditionally black chapters. These would be the women who understood me the best, knew the unique situations of my life, etc. That's what sisterhood is based on. I am not saying that you shouldn't "cross lines" when you feel comfortable, but I think it is a cop-out to accuse blacks of segregating themselves by joining traditionally black chapters. Just my two cents.

I agree with this outsiders assessment. There does seem to be some sense of cultural superiority when it comes to traditionally white Greek-letter organizations. It is suupremely ironic in that the reason for the push towards desegregating GLOs was because of their exclusive attitudes, not only racially but religiously and in terms of class also. Now, many act as though history doesn't matter and that BGLOs and other groups are prejudiced and exclusive. Wow!

In reality, there are people in all groups who favor racial exclusivity and most who don't.

[Deltazeta4ever]

I know this is a little off topic, but I'm shocked to find out that NPC and NPHC sororities don't "mingle" anymore. Back when I was an active, Delta Zeta and Alpha Kappa Alpha cosponsored a lecture series on women's health every year. (The slogan was cute... "Two sisterhoods sharing two colors and one goal: Educating women"). All GLO's participated in Greek Week, regardless of their ethnic status, and every fraternity participated in our Greek God contest.

Wow... times have changed

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Deltazeta4ever

I know this is a little off topic, but I'm shocked to find out that NPC and NPHC sororities don't "mingle" anymore. Back when I was an active, Delta Zeta and Alpha Kappa Alpha cosponsored a lecture series on women's health every year. (The slogan was cute... "Two sisterhoods sharing two colors and one goal: Educating women"). All GLO's participated in Greek Week, regardless of their ethnic status, and every fraternity participated in our Greek God contest.

Wow... times have changed

Don't take what's in this thread as the norm at every school. If DZ & AKA did that back in your day at your campus, chances are they probably still do.