Diversity in the SEC

[Titchou]

We've had various threads on this topic over the years. And in a year where it finally has appeared in the SEC, it seems no one has mentioned it. So I thought I would toss it out and see what everyone has to say.

So far, from online pictures, it appears that UGA, MS State and Kentucky have some AA NMs this year. Bid Day is today for LSU and others are coming soon. I, for one, am glad to see it. At UAB where I advised for 30 years, we've had AA members for a number of years - in fraternities and sororities.

Your thoughts....

[Sen's Revenge]

Are we talking about "diversity" or are we talking about African American participation?

[28StGreek]

Originally Posted by Sen's Revenge

Are we talking about "diversity" or are we talking about African American participation?

There was this question in the first reply to your post

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by 28StGreek

There was this question in the first reply to your post

I don't know what "we" were talking about...only what "I" was talking about.

[SFDCgirl]

^^this^^ There have been many non-European members for years. But specifically regarding African American participation, we have true inclusion when people are celebrating the great members they pledged. Period. Not "We have great new members and oh yeah, we pledged a black girl, too." I think the greater progress is that the race is not mentioned and the new sisters are celebrated.

[AOII Angel]

Well, I am going to back Titchou up. In the South, having AA participation in NPC groups is a recent occurrence. Period. I noticed a few African American new members at even the more sought after chapters at the SEC schools. We can taunt them for being backwards, but progress starts somewhere. I hope this signals a change that is lasting...however you want to label it.

[carnation]

I can remember some AA members in the SEC as far back as the eighties. Seems like we're more aware of it now because we have all the social media through which people post Bid Day pictures.

[sigmadiva]

To address Sen's question: I am assuming that Titchou is saying "diversity" = racial diversity.

To the question overall - please realize that there are non AA in NPHC orgs as well.

Joining a GLO of one's choice may not always be about race. It can also be about how a person chooses to align with a certain culture.

We assume that race = culture, but that is not necessarily true.

Another point is that not all persons in this country who have "black" skin are African Americans. There are many persons of African descent, such as Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Colombians, who traditionally do not consider themselves as African Americans. And just about every African that I've met absolutely do not consider themselves as African Americans.

So, while you may see a Black female in a NPC pledge class, that Black female may not see her cultural identity in alignment with historical African American identity, i.e., NPHC sororities.

[carnation]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

To address Sen's question: I am assuming that Titchou is saying "diversity" = racial diversity.

To the question overall - please realize that there are non AA in NPHC orgs as well.

Joining a GLO of one's choice may not always be about race. It can also be about how a person chooses to align with a certain culture.

We assume that race = culture, but that is not necessarily true.

Another point is that not all persons in this country who have "black" skin are African Americans. There are many persons of African descent, such as Jamaicans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, and Colombians, who traditionally do not consider themselves as African Americans. And just about every African that I've met absolutely do not consider themselves as African Americans.

So, while you may see a Black female in a NPC pledge class, that Black female may not see her cultural identity in alignment with historical African American identity, i.e., NPHC sororities.

Best post I ever SAW on the subject!

[gee_ess]

KKG at Arkansas has definitely pledged African Americans, as far back as 2000. Nothing new for them.

[DrPhil]

Having a relative few (which is why nonwhites always have and always will be a minority in such organizations) nonwhites in SEC is not automatically "diversity." The notion of faux colorblindness and tokenism have made people (read: usually many white people) pretend that having a few nonwhites is a quick solution to a silent issue and therefore you (in general) can claim diversity based on a small percent of the total population.

On that note, whether you (in general) want diversity and plan to address the diversity if it ever exists (read: avoid the "you're my brother, we don't see race..." lies) is completely up to you. On another note, if you want to persist with the "only a few nonwhites" in organizations, that is also up to you.

I, for instance, do not want DST to be racially diverse. I intentionally joined an historically and predominantly Black, African American, and African diaspora GLO. That is how I want it to remain and that is how it will remain. That is not a bad thing. I am just making a point to highlight how catch words like "diversity" must be unpacked to see what is really going on beyond the cool catch phrases and catch words.

As long as predominantly white organizations keep pretending that race is not intentionally and/or unintentionally part of their foundation and general makeup, there will be no diversity. That is fine if there is no diversity but you (in general) cannot then pretend that race is not part of your foundation and general makeup. Keep pretending your demographic makeup is mere coincidence, and keep pretending that whiteness is invisible and race neutral and only nonwhite organizations are founded or rooted in race and ethnicity, and you will keep running in circles regarding "diversity."

[carnation]

Any black women--or any women at all, for that matter--are in their sororities (NPC or whatever else) because they are wanted. I can not even imagine someone telling a bunch of women, "Okay, we're looking bad at this school or in this sorority because we're all white. We MUST pledge a black woman." Can you imagine how that would go over? Can anyone imagine any threat in the world that could make them pledge a woman they didn't want?

Nope, if they're there, they were wanted for themselves.

[TriDeltaSallie]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I, for instance, do not want DST to be racially diverse. I intentionally joined an historically and predominantly Black, African American, and African diaspora GLO. That is how I want it to remain and that is how it will remain. That is not a bad thing.

And if someone said, "I, for instance, do not want DDD/ADPi/KKG/DG/ZTA/XO/etc. to be racially diverse. I intentionally joined a historically and predominantly White, European American GLO. That is how I want it to remain and that is how it will remain. That is not a bad thing."

What would happen? Would that group even exist in ten years after the outrage that someone would say that and a group would embrace it?

I agree with Carnation. Whites can't win. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by TriDeltaSallie

And if someone said, "I, for instance, do not want DDD/ADPi/KKG/DG/ZTA/XO/etc. to be racially diverse. I intentionally joined a historically and predominantly White, European American GLO. That is how I want it to remain and that is how it will remain. That is not a bad thing."

What would happen? Would that group even exist in ten years after the outrage that someone would say that and a group would embrace it?

I agree with Carnation. Whites can't win. We're damned if we do and damned if we don't.

The reason is because this extension of the olive branch does not happen in other aspects of life. So, its hard to believe the sincerity when it comes to NPC recruitment.

A personal example that happened to me over the past few weeks.

I love to needlepoint. My favorite hobby ever. I live in a city (Houston) with about 4 - 5 different needlepoint shops. Of these there is one that I consider my "home" shop. I can tell you that over the years that I have been going to that shop, since ~1999, I've been one of two Black women who frequent the shop. All the other customers and regulars are White.

Just a few weeks ago I decided to visit one of the other shops just to see if they had any great sales going on. I don't visit that particular shop often, maybe 2 - 3 times a year. So, I walk in the shop and every White woman in the shop just stops -dead frozen. The tension in the air became very high. As I was browsing around I could feel them looking at me, and quite frankly I got negative vibes. So much so, one of the women called her husband in to follow me around the shop. THIS IS A TINY PLACE!!

Now, what if I'd been a NPC member, and that woman who called her husband in was my sister. One shop member greeted me, but no one took the effort to do small talk with me. The moment I walked in the door they judged me purely on the basis of my skin.

Its wonderful that NPC pledges Black women, but that needs to be extended to other aspects of life.

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by sigmadiva

The reason is because this extension of the olive branch does not happen in other aspects of life. So, its hard to believe the sincerity when it comes to NPC recruitment.

A personal example that happened to me over the past few weeks.

I love to needlepoint. My favorite hobby ever. I live in a city (Houston) with about 4 - 5 different needlepoint shops. Of these there is one that I consider my "home" shop. I can tell you that over the years that I have been going to that shop, since ~1999, I've been one of two Black women who frequent the shop. All the other customers and regulars are White.

Just a few weeks ago I decided to visit one of the other shops just to see if they had any great sales going on. I don't visit that particular shop often, maybe 2 - 3 times a year. So, I walk in the shop and every White woman in the shop just stops -dead frozen. The tension in the air became very high. As I was browsing around I could feel them looking at me, and quite frankly I got negative vibes. So much so, one of the women called her husband in to follow me around the shop. THIS IS A TINY PLACE!!

Now, what if I'd been a NPC member, and that woman who called her husband in was my sister. One shop member greeted me, but no one took the effort to do small talk with me. The moment I walked in the door they judged me purely on the basis of my skin.

Its wonderful that NPC pledges Black women, but that needs to be extended to other aspects of life.

I am so sorry that happened to you. I wonder what they thought you were going to do: steal all their needles?

I agree wholeheartedly with your last paragraph, and I'm going to reassertion my earlier statement that there is truth on both sides here. Tokenism vs not seeing race.

No one doubts that carnation loves her children for being her children and not for their ethnicity. Carnation appears to me from her stories about her children to be an awesome and supportive mom. On the other hand, I don't know how many times in my life I've heard a white person say something disparaging about [insert race] as a whole and when questioned about a friendship or other relationship with a person of that race the white person says something along the lines of "well he/she isn't like the rest of them." I do not believe that carnation feels this way about her children, but I'm not going to pretend like other people don't feel this way.