Quote:
Originally Posted by laylo
There has never been agreement on "the appropriate path to obtain equality" in any movement, but this is not a barrier to action. Improving the lives of women through education and community involvement applied to NPHC sororities as well, but they were not limited to it. And as critical as it may be, this kind of progress alone does not change unjust laws. It is not unfair to acknowledge the reality that NPHC sororities as organizations have focused more on equal rights.
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I agree with you in theory, but this thread had gotten a little dismissive of the NPC.
This quote in particular was offensive, "On an organizational level, it isn't enough to just exist. It isn't even enough to just be able to boast that one of your chapters was able to get equal ironing and smoking rights on campus."
While stronger activism got women the right to vote, it did not automatically give us the respect of men as peers. Education, however, has proven to men that women are equal to them academically. NPC organizations were founded by women bent on getting an education. Many were in teacher's colleges because this was the only "appropriate" profession for women at the time. Later founders were the first to break into the male only facilities of higher education. They founded our groups to empower the women looking for equality to stand up for themselves against the all male faculty who often were not receptive to their appearance on the scene. Just because as groups we worked at the level of the individual woman does not mean that we were not activists in the equality movement. Marching and signing up for initiatives doesn't do the enitre job and you know it. There are many people in the women's rights and civil rights movements that worked for equality at home on the local level without marching in washington (for civil rights) or boycotting the White House (for women's rights.)
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