Racial Conflict

[UGAalum94]

I think freedom to choose who you want to have in your group is important and is central to the idea of private association. So in principle, a group should be allowed to exclude whoever they want for whatever reasons they want.

But the practice of excluding people based on race is stupid on several different levels.

The ideals of many IFC and NPC groups transcend race, and if you are limiting your membership in a racial way, you're probably in violation of your own group's policies, your school's policy AND you're weakening your group over time because you're excluding some great folks.

I suspect that racial identity is to more central to NPHC groups. Since they were founded specifically to address the needs of black students, it's possible that racial identity could be at the heart of their organizations. If that's the case, then race, or more importantly attitudes about race, could be a legitimate membership consideration, in my opinion.

But since most IFC groups and NPC groups didn't found themselves with racial identity at the heart of their creed (of if they did, they won't admit it now) it's hard to see why race should be a factor.

I'm aware that my own chapter has a history with this issue, and if you want to talk about it, I'll PM about it, but I don't have any real insight or particulars.

[Minerva's Girl]

gammagirl04, based on the comments of Elephant Walk, it's obviously not in the past--don't fool yourself. Most people don't go around yelling "say it loud, i'm racist and i'm proud." Be aware. Anyway, it is my organization's official policy not to discriminate and we do have white members (as does the guy's you mentioned if he is a part of the D9). I have no problem with it as long as white candidates support the agenda of our organization, which is to address and remedy the challenges of the African American community. The white members that I am familiar with have a unique and heartfelt sensitivity to the African American experience and their role in it. Our main goal in serving the African American community is to right the wrongs inflicted(internally and externally) not to be segregationists.

and shinerbock, organizations have the right to. It seems as though she's asking about the morality of the issue.

Alphagamuga. . . well said.

[shinerbock]

I think there are good and bad reasons for it. To be honest, the huge, and I mean huge majority of minorities on our campus wouldn't fit in well in my chapter. Its not exclusion based on color, its based on culture, interests, etc...

I think groups should have the right to exclude who they want for whatever reason they want...Let them deal with it. Is it stupid? Sure, it can be, but let them make their own decisions.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Its not exclusion based on color, its based on culture, interests, etc...

In many instances I agree, but you know that social class is just a proxy for race in this country.