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  #61  
Old 12-01-2005, 11:10 PM
33girl 33girl is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by kddani
I'm sorry that your day isn't getting any better. Maybe a good night's sleep will cure you.
Or a spin through the laundry cycle! Maybe SockPuppet just needs some of this:

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  #62  
Old 12-01-2005, 11:13 PM
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Originally posted by kddani
I'm sorry that your day isn't getting any better. Maybe a good night's sleep will cure you.
Did you get a PM from Ms. Alphababy asking what was up with your funky attitude too?

WHERE ARE YOU, AXO ALUM???
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  #63  
Old 12-01-2005, 11:14 PM
kddani kddani is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by 33girl
Or a spin through the laundry cycle! Maybe SockPuppet just needs some of this:

Before Tide:




After Tide:

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  #64  
Old 12-01-2005, 11:52 PM
sigmadiva sigmadiva is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by OTW
In "Our Kind of People: The Story of America's Black Upper Class", by Lawrence Otis Graham -- it is mentioned that Barbara Delaney was the first African-American woman initiated into the NPC when she became a member of Sigma Kappa at Cornell University in either 1956 or 1957.

Obviously I am not an SK, so only SKs would be able to verify that info via their sister directory.

I did a search of the Cornell University Greek Life site and did not find an existing Sigma Kappa chapter there. Still, the reasons why that chapter may or may not have closed is no one else's business but the members of Sigma Kappa.
Yeah, I read the book too, and as I recall the chapter was closed by their National when National found out the chapter initiated a Black female. This information was in Graham's book.

If you go back and read my post you should see my specific point of naming a chapter that initiated a Black woman before 1960 / 1965 that was not closed.
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  #65  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:02 AM
sigmadiva sigmadiva is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Senusret I
There have been other threads about this, and I think I said something similar....

I think it's just best to accept that they don't like the term and to refrain from using it. Though I understand both sides of the debate, as an outsider to the NPC/NIC, it's just better if I call them what they prefer to be called, and describe them as "general" fraternities and sororities as described in Baird's.

Yes, we are "general" fraternities and sororities, too, but we don't mind being called Black, historically Black, cultural, or whatever.
In conversation I do not refer to them (NPCs) as 'Historically White' because I've never heard NPCs referred to that way. But, it still does not change the fact that they were historically White.
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  #66  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:05 AM
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Originally posted by Alphababy
now I am not saying AKA or DTS was founded by whites, clearly they were founded by African American Women.
What's DTS? Department of Transportation Services?

Is that a new sorority? Never heard of it.
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  #67  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:11 AM
ejbiff ejbiff is offline
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Originally posted by Alphababy
now I am not saying AKA or DTS was founded by whites, clearly they were founded by African American Women.


How rude is it to get a sorority's letters wrong!? Come on- if you're going to post something that's supposed to be intelligent- Do your research and make sure you get the name and letters right!
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  #68  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:19 AM
sigmadiva sigmadiva is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by OTW
In "Our Kind of People: The Story of America's Black Upper Class", by Lawrence Otis Graham -- it is mentioned that Barbara Delaney was the first African-American woman initiated into the NPC when she became a member of Sigma Kappa at Cornell University in either 1956 or 1957.

Obviously I am not an SK, so only SKs would be able to verify that info via their sister directory.

I did a search of the Cornell University Greek Life site and did not find an existing Sigma Kappa chapter there. Still, the reasons why that chapter may or may not have closed is no one else's business but the members of Sigma Kappa.
Ah! I found my copy of Graham's book. In chapter 5 'The Right Fraternities and Sororities', page 87, first paragraph, it says:

Barbara Collier Delany's experience at Cornell in 1956 underscored the problems waiting for Black students who faced the white fraternities and sororities operating on white college campuses. Delany made national headlines in 1956 when, as a student at the Ivy League campus, she was offered membership in the white sorority of Sigma Kappa. She remembers being one of only a handful of blacks at the college at the time. "I was the first black ever to be offered membership in a white sorority," says Delany, who had grown up in a family of privilege. She belonged to Jack and Jill, debuted with the Girl Friends, and graduated from the elite all-girl Hunter High School in Manhattan. "The girls in the sorority were very nice to me, but the officials at the national headquarters were furious, and they told the students that they had better reject me or headquarters would shut down the sorority's chapter at Cornell, " says Delany, who still corresponds with some of those classmates. "When the white students refused to kick me out, headquarters shut down the sorority."

So, if there is no longer an active chapter of SK at Cornell, then this is probably why.

Again, for much of their history NPCs were historically White.
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  #69  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:26 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by sigmadiva
Ah! I found my copy of Graham's book. In chapter 5 'The Right Fraternities and Sororities', page 87, first paragraph, it says:

Barbara Collier Delany's experience at Cornell in 1956 underscored the problems waiting for Black students who faced the white fraternities and sororities operating on white college campuses. Delany made national headlines in 1956 when, as a student at the Ivy League campus, she was offered membership in the white sorority of Sigma Kappa. She remembers being one of only a handful of blacks at the college at the time. "I was the first black ever to be offered membership in a white sorority," says Delany, who had grown up in a family of privilege. She belonged to Jack and Jill, debuted with the Girl Friends, and graduated from the elite all-girl Hunter High School in Manhattan. "The girls in the sorority were very nice to me, but the officials at the national headquarters were furious, and they told the students that they had better reject me or headquarters would shut down the sorority's chapter at Cornell, " says Delany, who still corresponds with some of those classmates. "When the white students refused to kick me out, headquarters shut down the sorority."

So, if there is no longer an active chapter of SK at Cornell, then this is probably why.

Again, for much of their history NPCs were historically White.
No wonder crzychx couldn't find her in their database! It was Delany, not Delaney!

Now, I know I can't speak for the other NPC sororities, but I still hesitate to refer to my own AGD as historically white. It may have been that way from 1904-1952, but not the case from 1953-present.
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  #70  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:37 AM
_Lisa_ _Lisa_ is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by OTW
No wonder crzychx couldn't find her in their database! It was Delany, not Delaney!
There isn't a Barbara Delany listed either. In fact, there were no intiates at the Alpha Zeta chapter in 1956. So I've emailed one of the 24 initiated members from 1955 to see if she can provide any insight. Ya'll have got me so curious about this-I at least want to try to verify the information!

Last edited by _Lisa_; 12-02-2005 at 12:40 AM.
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  #71  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:46 AM
Taualumna Taualumna is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by crzychx
There isn't a Barbara Delany listed either. In fact, there were no intiates at the Alpha Zeta chapter in 1956. So I've emailed one of the 24 initiated members from 1955 to see if she can provide any insight. Ya'll have got me so curious about this-I at least want to try to verify the information!
Maybe she's listed as Barbara Collier (is Delaney/Delany her married name? Maybe she didn't always use it?)?
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  #72  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:47 AM
_Lisa_ _Lisa_ is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Taualumna
Maybe she's listed as Barbara Collier (is Delaney/Delany her married name? Maybe she didn't always use it?)?
I've tried it. Nope.

Oh, and edited to add, the database searches both maiden & married names.
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  #73  
Old 12-02-2005, 12:48 AM
sigmadiva sigmadiva is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by OTW
No wonder crzychx couldn't find her in their database! It was Delany, not Delaney!

Now, I know I can't speak for the other NPC sororities, but I still hesitate to refer to my own AGD as historically white. It may have been that way from 1904-1952, but not the case from 1953-present.
I respect your reason.

My only point is that by virture of NPC membership for a period in their history they were all White. Just as my alma mater, Texas A&M, was all male, all White from 1876-1965. Look in any yearbook during that time period and that is the only type of student you will see. Is Texas A&M referred to as a HWCU? No, but it does not take away from the fact that it was.

I, myself, am not trying to be offensive. But, I do think acknowledging (?sp) a time period in history should not be offensive. If your sorority / fraternity is about sisterhood / brotherhood, then the bonds you make should be colorblind.
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  #74  
Old 12-02-2005, 03:17 AM
SoCalGirl SoCalGirl is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by sigmadiva
I respect your reason.

My only point is that by virture of NPC membership for a period in their history they were all White. Just as my alma mater, Texas A&M, was all male, all White from 1876-1965. Look in any yearbook during that time period and that is the only type of student you will see. Is Texas A&M referred to as a HWCU? No, but it does not take away from the fact that it was.

I, myself, am not trying to be offensive. But, I do think acknowledging (?sp) a time period in history should not be offensive. If your sorority / fraternity is about sisterhood / brotherhood, then the bonds you make should be colorblind.
I can only speak for myself but when I hear/read NPC sororities referred to as white or historically white I feel like a person might as well say I'm a racist and member of the KKK. Yes, there was a time when the NPC sororities were all white. It's a fact.

As you point out, your alma mater was all male and white until 1965. Do you tell people that you went to a white college or historically white male college? Or do you just tell people that you went to college? I'll guess that you don't feel compelled to clarify that a college is "white" but I do understand the reasoning behind saying a college or GLO is historically black. Much like if I had attended an all women college I would likely point that out because it would be a different experience than a co-ed school.

In regards to Barbara Delany, as my sister has already pointed out nobody was initiated in 1956. I checked and there was no Barabara initiated in 1955 but two in 1954 (maiden names Brodie and Ries).

The quote from Mr. Graham's book doesn't actually say that she was initiated.
Quote:
"The girls in the sorority were very nice to me, but the officials at the national headquarters were furious, and they told the students that they had better reject me or headquarters would shut down the sorority's chapter at Cornell, " says Delany, who still corresponds with some of those classmates. "When the white students refused to kick me out, headquarters shut down the sorority."
It saddens me to think that this could be true. However, I also take into account that the mid 50s was not the age on enlightenment and that greek men and women have never been considered to be "ahead of their time" when it comes to accepting anything outside of the socially accepted norm. I feel pity for the women that made the decision to close that chapter, assuming that was the real reason behind the closing. For all I know the chapter was well below total and could have been on the brink of having the charter pulled before the members decided to bid Ms. Delany.
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  #75  
Old 12-02-2005, 03:23 AM
PM_Mama00 PM_Mama00 is offline
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Geez, we might as well just start calling everything historically white, since most things in this country were historically white. I guess I'll put in my profile that I'm from historically white Michigan.

We don't like it. Why can't you just leave it at that? Many people have posted their reasons why we don't but yet you guys continue to do it. It's like if someone used the N word. You could explain till your blue in the face, and that person would try to understand, but since historically that word was used, they are still going to use it. Not the same thing AT ALL, but I felt that an analogy was needed since you guys are NOT understanding and I duno how else to put it.

Senusret... you're awesome and thank you.
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