First white Omegas in The Oracle Sept. 1949 issue

[AZTheta]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

Thank you for your interest! The history of GLOs are a reflection,to a great extent, of social dynamics and realities in the wider society. It's only been recently that Omega has begun to take seriously its responsibility to preserve its history for future generations. The history of BGLOs is very important in shining a light on intra- and inter-racial cultural dynamics. I'm game on answering queries, too.

I have so many questions. Doing a deeper dive before reaching out. Have read through 2/3rds of the issue thus far. Studying the photos. Thanks for being willing to answer. Truthfully my head is buzzing with new information and a different perspective on that particular time and place. I gather that the BLGO at Rutgers was more progressive than the IFC chapters were, for starters.

Treading cautiously into an area where my information and knowledge are limited. Keep posting, please. Thanks again.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by AZTheta

I have so many questions. Doing a deeper dive before reaching out. Have read through 2/3rds of the issue thus far. Studying the photos. Thanks for being willing to answer. Truthfully my head is buzzing with new information and a different perspective on that particular time and place. I gather that the BLGO at Rutgers was more progressive than the IFC chapters were, for starters.

Treading cautiously into an area where my information and knowledge are limited. Keep posting, please. Thanks again.

It's important to know that the development of the chapter at Rutgers at the time must be understood against the wider struggle for civil rights and equal opportunity. In the midst of the progressive student government and the conservative WASP fraternity system, the small population of Black students stepped into this fray in order to be an example of what "democracy" meant in this context. They felt they had to lead by example. So they gathered a group of black and white student lesders to embody this vision. (Bro. Ledgin was a journalist and author who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his stances.) It's also to be noted the ethnicity of the non-white Brothers: 2 Italian-Americans and a Jew(?). My bishop, who is Sicilian-American, and was raised in Harlem in the '50s, frequently spoke to me about the significant discrimination that Italian-Americans suffered historically in America. (In the GLO sphere there is a historically Italian-American NIC fraternity, Alpha Phi Delta, which was formed because of their rejection by WASP fraternities in the early 20th century.) So, in a sense, the 3 white members could be characterized as "minority white" at that time.

[naraht]

Originally Posted by Wolfman

It's important to know that the development of the chapter at Rutgers at the time must be understood against the wider struggle for civil rights and equal opportunity. In the midst of the progressive student government and the conservative WASP fraternity system, the small population of Black students stepped into this fray in order to be an example of what "democracy" meant in this context. They felt they had to lead by example. So they gathered a group of black and white student lesders to embody this vision. (Bro. Ledgin was a journalist and author who was blacklisted during the McCarthy era for his stances.) It's also to be noted the ethnicity of the non-white Brothers: 2 Italian-Americans and a Jew(?). My bishop, who is Sicilian-American, and was raised in Harlem in the '50s, frequently spoke to me about the significant discrimination that Italian-Americans suffered historically in America. (In the GLO sphere there is a historically Italian-American NIC fraternity, Alpha Phi Delta, which was formed because of their rejection by WASP fraternities in the early 20th century.) So, in a sense, the 3 white members could be characterized as "minority white" at that time.

A very good point, I remember reading news articles about GLOs opening their membership in that they would now take non-WASPs AKA Catholics and Hebrews...