Race & Sororities

[Ch2tf]

As for the NPC Racism issue, I'm still trying figure out why there is an effort to sugar coat the fact that she MIGHT have a hard time joining an NPC chapter at her particular school. Southern rush as been discussed here on numerous occasions, and there have been posters that either directly or indirectly posted about the difficulties (or impossibilities) of a person on color/minority (what ever they may happen to be) will have in rushing. That doesn't mean that the entire NPC is racist or even that <insert org here> that has a chapter at her school is racist. But to deny that it isn't possible is irresponsible.

The advice to go for it, be the best PNM possible, etc. is good advice. And no she may never know for certain how the decision about her selection was made. But if that is what she wants, then she should pursue it.

To the OP,
I really can't believe that you just equated the entire Black Experience/Identity to College Hill! I'm truly at a loss for words at that. But I can say you will continually be ostracized or whatever it is you feel if you're approaching black people with the "you're all alike but I'm different/better" attitude.

[Little32]

Originally Posted by Ch2tf

To the OP,
I really can't believe that you just equated the entire Black Experience/Identity to College Hill! I'm truly at a loss for words at that. But I can say you will continually be ostracized or whatever it is you feel if you're approaching black people with the "you're all alike but I'm different/better" attitude.

But isn't that exactly the mentality that is evident from the tone of the initial post? There is the inherent suggestion that there is something limited or limiting about NPHC membership. Are you really that surprised?

[Ch2tf]

In her initial post I actually didn't read it that way. But as she continued to post there were red flags that went up that made me question my initial reading. The College Hill post pushed it over the line.

[SWTXBelle]

It's not "sugar coatiing" - it's asking that those who are merely guessing, or relying on hearsay, or gut instinct not to pass on their opinion as fact, ESPECIALLY since none of those posters have any idea of what happens during a NPC chapter selection process. Reading Pledged does not count. Any NPC member who would discuss chapter selection is, as I stated earlier, suspect. Yes, I would think she is stupid rather than honest. Let's pretend that a woman was cut for her colour - wouldn't you have to be a special kinda stupid to announce that to the world at large?

No one in the NPC has said that race might NOT be an issue - only that there is plenty of concrete evidence to say that there are many other factors in play, and that the question of race should not prevent a pnm from trying for membership. Racist individual members and perhaps even chapters? Yes. Racist NPC member groups? No.

This all brings to mind certain heresay accounts of NPHC groups using skin colour as a deciding factor in membership selection. I immediately discounted it as the kind of urban legend - and I would never tell some pnm who was looking into NPHC that she should just be aware that her skin colour was too dark/too light for the group she was interested in - not only is it outta my lane, it is giving credence to the kind of heresay that we should all be on guard against.

So if we all agree that the op should give it her best shot, understanding that recruitment at Ole Miss is HIGHLY competitive and that many qualified white women find themselves cut for unknown reasons, then there really is nothing at issue, is there?

eta - I've been an active alumnae for over 20 years, and worked with several different NPC systems at different colleges, and been involved in 3 different Alumnae Panhellenics. That's what my experience is - so before you call anyone ignorant, cite your sources for your information. No one has said is isn't a possibility - but we are dealing in concrete reality. Second-hand accounts of what some mystery person supposedly said are not very convincing.