Racial Conflict

[FSUZeta]

you went there blackandgold, not anyone else.

i am guessing that you are referring to the brouhaha that supposedly happened when gamma phi beta extended a bid to a black woman? they saw a young woman who they thought would make a great member. it was other people(including the campus newspaper) that wanted to make a big deal out if it.

i was actually referring to the zta chapter at fsu, the zta chapter at samford, the zta chapter at ucf, the zta chapter at stetson(their president last year was a black woman), the pi kappa alpha chapter at fsu, the theta chi chapter at ucf, and the phi kappa psi chapter at auburn. they all have black members, to mention just a few.

macallan- the fsu ztas, the samford ztas, the ucf ztas and the fsu pikes ARE among the tops on their respective campuses. i cannot speak for the others.

[shinerbock]

no offense, but I went to Auburn, whats a phi sig?

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

macallan- the fsu ztas, the samford ztas, the ucf ztas and the fsu pikes ARE among the tops on their respective campuses. i cannot speak for the others.

That maybe true....however I don't really think Florida State and Central Florida in a discussion about Southern greek life and major chapters. I tend to think Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, LSU, UGA, W&L....I think yo uget the picture.

.....also, Pike is not tops at FSU.....

[EGAOPi]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

you went there blackandgold, not anyone else.
macallan- the fsu ztas, the samford ztas, the ucf ztas and the fsu pikes ARE among the tops on their respective campuses. i cannot speak for the others.

You are absolutely right. I have many friends in Greek Life at FSU and they always speak very highly of ZTA and Pike.

To respond to what others were saying, I know racism exists, especially at southern schools, but at my school (which is in the south, but not traditionally southern), it does not determine whether or not you are extended a bid to join a sorority or a fraternity. The are black women in Delta Gamma, Kappa Delta, TriDelta, and Chi Omega here, as well as black members of Sig Ep, Sigma Chi, and countless other fraternities.

I do notice that the multi-cultural fraternities prefer to segregate themselves and I can understand that because their organizations are based on totally different cultures. Their organization bonds them together. In that same way, I can see why historically white groups may feel the same why, though I do believe if an intelligent, classy woman of a different race fits in well with a chapter here, she is deserving of a bid.

Also, there is a Southeastern Asian sorority here with numerous black members. Their president is also black.

[macallan25]

Originally Posted by FSUZeta

off the top of my head i can name several npc and ifc chapters that have black members.

I can too....and I hate to say it, but those chapters are not good at their respective campuses....at all.

[Minerva's Girl]

shinerbock, point well taken. Most people gravitate toward others like themselves because 1) when navigating daily life, it's just easier and 2) we all enjoy the validation we receive spiritually and emotionally (especially when we are young.) The biggest problem occurs when "the fraternity" thinks that a university, the US Government or a Company (often one that does business with public institutions) is an extension of it's frat house. Often when the members of the organizations grow up, they continue to promote their friends, frat brothers etc. for positions of power and have the audicity to say (or wonder why) they don't know any people that aren't like them. Hence the remedy. . . affirmative action. It's dishonest to say that it doesn't happen and that when other people speak to it they are practicing "reverse racism".

When we are young, such things are considered "kids just having fun." When we go out into the real world, it has a much more serious affect. Generations of people don't receive educations and then don't have access to job opportunities. Then economic hardship follows and the cycle continues. If you adhere to the "traditional American values" of opportunity and equality for all, then start now. The principles we practice when we are young are the ones we typically take into adulthood.

[Elephant Walk]

been watching wealthy white families act like trash for much of my life.

I've been watching wealthy black families act like trash for much of my life....they're called rappers. Ever seen master p and flavor flav?

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

I've been watching wealthy black families act like trash for much of my life....they're called rappers. Ever seen master p and flavor flav?

Flavor flav probably isn't wealthy. I personally know a former platinum selling artist who is in Flavor flav's category (i.e., a has-been as far as the music scene is concerned). The guy's best chance at a good pay day related to his fame is a VH1 show much like flav has been doing. He actually has nothing left from his music days, his record label screwed him over badly -- something I understand is pretty much the norm.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

I've been watching wealthy black families act like trash for much of my life....they're called rappers. Ever seen master p and flavor flav?

Flavor Flav isn't wealthy--he's not even rich. However, Master p has managed to accumulate wealth through his companies and passed it down to his children. When's the last time you've seen Master P act like anything, btw?

Is that the only example of black or wealth that you could think of?

On another note, I sense that you don't really know what wealth is. Do you have as much in common with your friends as they assume that you do.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

On another note, I sense that you don't really know what wealth is. Do you have as much in common with your friends as they assume that you do.

I know a little about yachts, yes.

macallan- the fsu ztas, the samford ztas, the ucf ztas and the fsu pikes ARE among the tops on their respective campuses. i cannot speak for the others.

I don't know about the ztas...however Pikes are not tops at FSU. We aren't allowed to have conversations like this here, but they are far from it. The big house isn't a factor, it's the people.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

I just don't understand why people view it as a problem. Everyone excludes. Black people often segregate themselves, and I fail to see anything wrong with that. They often have more in common with other black people, and share common interests and goals. I just think its stupid to go out of your way to achieve diversity. Once again diversity =/= mixed races. You can have plenty of diversity in an all white or all black group. If your group wants to have a lot of different cultures and view points in it, go for it, enjoy. As for my fraternity, the reason we joined a fraternity is to be around people with common interests. If I wanted to be in a multi-cultural environment with a host of viewpoints, ideologies and faiths, I'd have joined....THE WORLD.

Everyone excludes to an extent because much of it is segregation by choice. However, all segregation by race and class in this society is not by choice. What that exclusion and segregation entails is what the discussion should really be about.

Common interests, well generally speaking people don't give people of other races the benefit of the doubt when it comes to common interests. For instance, I find that many white people think that having something in common with a black person means having to listen to a certain type of music or say things like "some of my best friends are black" or "to me you're not black...I don't see color." They fail to see that there are black people in different social classes and with different interests who you can have fun with without having to feel cautious over the interaction. But these blacks are still very in tune with their racial identity and don't want others to gloss over it or make a caricature out of it just to be friends with them.

Don't just tolerate me, try to understand me and I will give you the same respect.