Lack of Ethnic Diversity in Bama's sororities worry future rushee

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by agzg

Right, but I don't know that it's HER issue to address, was my point. She can't be expected to just get over perceived systemic discrimination, particularly if there's still reason to believe that it actually was systemic discrimination.

I think statistically speaking we don't know this.

I don't know the numbers for PNM going through NPC recruitment at Bama, and of that number how many are AfAm, but my guess is that over the past 10 - 11 years, not more than 5 per year, if that many.

I think that if 25 - 30 AfAm women went through NPC recruitment every year over the past 10 - 11 years, and they were just as qualified as any other PNM and did not get a bid then I would say yes, there is active discrimination based on the numbers. As it stands, we really can't tell if it is just the few AfAm women who go through and just don't get picked for whatever reason, or if it is truly discrimination.

[agzg]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

I think statistically speaking we don't know this.

I don't know the numbers for PNM going through NPC recruitment at Bama, and of that number how many are AfAm, but my guess is that over the past 10 - 11 years, not more than 5 per year, if that many.

I think that if 25 - 30 AfAm women went through NPC recruitment every year over the past 10 - 11 years, and they were just as qualified as any other PNM and did not get a bid then I would say yes, there is active discrimination based on the numbers. As it stands, we really can't tell if it is just the few AfAm women who go through and just don't get picked for whatever reason, or if it is truly discrimination.

That's why I said "perceived."

[33girl]

I know that some people said it wasn't Melody's race, it was her personality. The fact that she's still riding this horse 10 years later sort of proves that point.

As far as the girl who rushed this year, did she have recs? She should have known to have this in place before she rushed. Also, if a group wanted her to join and a rec could not be obtained for her, that is not wholly the fault of the current collegians. But from the sounds of it, she didn't want to pledge anyway. If she says that, I have to believe her.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I know that some people said it wasn't Melody's race, it was her personality. The fact that she's still riding this horse 10 years later sort of proves that point.

As far as the girl who rushed this year, did she have recs? She should have known to have this in place before she rushed. Also, if a group wanted her to join and a rec could not be obtained for her, that is not wholly the fault of the current collegians. But from the sounds of it, she didn't want to pledge anyway. If she says that, I have to believe her.

When I read that article, I interpreted it not as that she didn't want to, but that she didn't expect to--meaning that she didn't feel that membership was owed to her. Maybe she suspected that it would end in the way she did. Maybe she kept an open mind, the way we always urge rushees to do. I'd imagine that she was still disappointed--otherwise, why would she come forward?

I'm still not sure why an African-American woman would pursue rush at a school like Bama. You'd have to know that the odds were stacked against you and, if you go public, you've also killed your chances at joining an NPHC chapter if you ever consider that route.

[Old_Row]

I got to wondering something since someone in the comments there mentioned the effect DG may have had on the recruitment statistics. Does anyone know if there were any AfAm women who participated in the Bama DG colony recruitment? Were there any AfAm women invited to join their colony?

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

I'm still not sure why an African-American woman would pursue rush at a school like Bama. You'd have to know that the odds were stacked against you and, if you go public, you've also killed your chances at joining an NPHC chapter if you ever consider that route.

I understand but is that really so different from saying you don't know why African-American women pursue rush at any school? Do outsiders really know the odds or are they just going based on appearances and assumptions? Also something to consider, with a relatively small percentage of nonwhites rushing at every school, what is the probability that the nonwhites will be among those who receive bids?

This can also be applied to nonBlacks and the NPHC, although the relatively few nonBlacks who pursue the NPHC are often doing so because they have been attending programs and their NPHC aspirations have somehow been encouraged just as some Blacks' aspirations have been encouraged. That tends to mean that there would have to be something about the aspirant's qualifications or personality that gets the aspirant rejected.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I understand but is that really so different from saying you don't know why African-American women pursue rush at any school? Do outsiders really know the odds or are they just going based on appearances and assumptions?

I was thinking about this recently. There are probably some Af. Am. girls who grew up in areas where the vast majority of girls in the neighborhood (white) went off to Bama/Ole Miss and pledged sororities. I'm pretty sure there are some who assume that they will do the same with no problems (because all your classmates have done so.) Just by nature of where they grew up, they have no reason to think that their experience will be any different.

I dunno, I never really know how to respond to this topic (I went Greek at a school that is ENTIRELY different from Bama.) I considered attending LSU at one point (but changed my mind senior year for a number of reasons) but I do sometimes think about the fact that if I had chosen LSU, there is a very good chance that I wouldn't be Greek right now (because "OMG TEH BLACKNESSS!!11")

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

I dunno, I never really know how to respond to this topic (I went Greek at a school that is ENTIRELY different from Bama.) I considered attending LSU at one point (but changed my mind senior year for a number of reasons) but I do sometimes think about the fact that if I had chosen LSU, there is a very good chance that I wouldn't be Greek right now (because "OMG TEH BLACKNESSS!!11")

Actually, there have been some in the NPC groups at LSU. LSU may be SEC but it's also Louisiana and it isn't exactly the same....from one cadienne's point of view....

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I understand but is that really so different from saying you don't know why African-American women pursue rush at any school? Do outsiders really know the odds or are they just going based on appearances and assumptions? Also something to consider, with a relatively small percentage of nonwhites rushing at every school, what is the probability that the nonwhites will be among those who receive bids?

This can also be applied to nonBlacks and the NPHC, although the relatively few nonBlacks who pursue the NPHC are often doing so because they have been attending programs and their NPHC aspirations have somehow been encouraged just as some Blacks' aspirations have been encouraged. That tends to mean that there would have to be something about the aspirant's qualifications or personality that gets the aspirant rejected.

I think "outsiders" who really do their research--beyond looking at chapter websites--do know the odds. The research can be done in many different ways. I know that when I was looking, I spoke to a number of friends and family members who attended the SEC school on my shortlist who were very honest about their experiences in NPC rush.

My hometown is a feeder for about 4 SEC schools with major Greek systems (Bama among them). Even though I grew up with a lot of young women who ended up pledging at these schools I was pretty sure, even at the age of 18, that I wouldn't have the same pick of chapters that they did. This was before the Internet, so it amazes me now that there are any black women who'd rush at a school like that without some idea that they may be released early. (I even had the recs and hometown support, which a lot of these women may not have!)

There's always a story about one or two black women who get bids at schools with predominantly white Greek systems...I wonder what happens after the newstrucks go away. Do they thrive in their chapters, taking leadership positions? Are they active after college?

[Tulip86]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I know that some people said it wasn't Melody's race, it was her personality. The fact that she's still riding this horse 10 years later sort of proves that point.

As far as the girl who rushed this year, did she have recs? She should have known to have this in place before she rushed. Also, if a group wanted her to join and a rec could not be obtained for her, that is not wholly the fault of the current collegians. But from the sounds of it, she didn't want to pledge anyway. If she says that, I have to believe her.

The article mentioned she had recs for some.

[LXA SE285]

And I agree that Melody needs to let it go. If she found her own sorority and is running that, then she should have no problem getting over what happened to her over 10 years ago with NPC recruitment.

Just an aside: Alpha Delta Sigma is no longer active, according to their website.