NPHC BGLOers: Why Did you Join?

[BlueReign]

Bringing this back to the top because I like to educate... it's the teacher in me.

I attended a coming out show last week of my newest Sorors at Howard U. I always bring my daughter and this time I made my sons tag along. All of the D9 fraternities were there of course but one made a lasting impression on my oldest son. I don't know if it was their call, colors or what. I believe it was their overall representation. I won't say which one. :wink: (discretion) He has made up his mind that this is what he wants to be BEFORE college.

Whatever they did last week caught his interest and I began to tell him that some of his teachers, a former principal, and other men in his life who have made an impression on him are members of this fraternity. He was even more intrigued. He has already started reading and finding out more about this great organization. I was very surprised at him and his interest. He is also reading my Divine 9 book

I posted this because this is another example of how SOME of us are able to make this decision so early and how unique that is to the NPHC and the history of our organizations in the black community.

[FeeFee]

Originally posted by BlueReign
Bringing this back to the top because I like to educate... it's the teacher in me.

I attended a coming out show last week of my newest Sorors at Howard U. I always bring my daughter and this time I made my sons tag along. All of the D9 fraternities were there of course but one made a lasting impression on my oldest son. I don't know if it was their call, colors or what. I believe it was their overall representation. I won't say which one. :wink: (discretion) He has made up his mind that this is what he wants to be BEFORE college.

Whatever they did last week caught his interest and I began to tell him that some of his teachers, a former principal, and other men in his life who have made an impression on him are members of this fraternity. He was even more intrigued. He has already started reading and finding out more about this great organization. I was very surprised at him and his interest. He is also reading my Divine 9 book

I posted this because this is another example of how SOME of us are able to make this decision so early and how unique that is to the NPHC and the history of our organizations in the black community.

I absolutely *heart* this story. Good to know that there are so many men in your son's life that he can look up to.

[kateshort]

Originally posted by BlueReign
I attended a coming out show last week of my newest Sorors at Howard U. I always bring my daughter and this time I made my sons tag along. All of the D9 fraternities were there of course but one made a lasting impression on my oldest son. I don't know if it was their call, colors or what. I believe it was their overall representation. I won't say which one. :wink: (discretion) He has made up his mind that this is what he wants to be BEFORE college.

Good for you for taking him! May he work hard and have the opportunity to join the org of his choice.

I have learned a lot from this thread. Thanks for sharing.

[iotamason]

To build a tradition and not rest upon one.
also for networking.

[lovelyivy84]

My family is West Indian, so growing up I knew no black Greeks whatsoever. I think my first exposure even to the IDEA of black greek life was the movie School Daze, and the stereotypes of sororities in that movie. I saw that movie when I was 8 and I carried those images around with me for a good long time, thinking members of x org were all like this and y org were all like that.

Then I had my first real job, and it was something of a nightmare. I hated working in that law firm, and throughout my whole experience there was one friend I had who was kind to me, and in large part kept me going throughout. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and completely changed my mind about what it meant to be a part of such a wonderful organization. The sisterliness that she showed to me when she was under no obligation touched me deeply, and throughout the years I have tried my best to model that behavior- always giving a hand up to people, regardless of what we share or don't share.

When I got to college, there were no active NPHC sororities. Both had gone dormant. My sophmore year there were rumblings that two would be coming back to our campus. I was still torn because of the stereotypes that I'd assumed for so long were the truth as a child, but I did my research, and was blown away when I realized all of the women that I considered to be my idols who were members of Alpha Kappa Alpha (not to leave out other organizations- I had a similar sense of pride in black women, and wonder at all that we do reading about the history of every sorority in the D9). Ultimately, it was a matter of personal experience. I didn't have any with members of Delta Sigma Theta, but I had a very special place in my heart for AKA.

And that was it for me.

The funny thing was that looking at my line, we broke every steroetpye on record. We range from dark to light, short to tall, slim to 'thick'. Some are very 'ladylike' and some are unconventional in many ways, but we all had incredible ambition, drive and I have rarely been in the company of a more intelligent and learned bunch of young women. I respect that immensely.

[Ilaria Ame]

Originally Posted by lovelyivy84

My family is West Indian, so growing up I knew no black Greeks whatsoever. I think my first exposure even to the IDEA of black greek life was the movie School Daze, and the stereotypes of sororities in that movie. I saw that movie when I was 8 and I carried those images around with me for a good long time, thinking members of x org were all like this and y org were all like that.

Then I had my first real job, and it was something of a nightmare. I hated working in that law firm, and throughout my whole experience there was one friend I had who was kind to me, and in large part kept me going throughout. She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and completely changed my mind about what it meant to be a part of such a wonderful organization. The sisterliness that she showed to me when she was under no obligation touched me deeply, and throughout the years I have tried my best to model that behavior- always giving a hand up to people, regardless of what we share or don't share.

When I got to college, there were no active NPHC sororities. Both had gone dormant. My sophmore year there were rumblings that two would be coming back to our campus. I was still torn because of the stereotypes that I'd assumed for so long were the truth as a child, but I did my research, and was blown away when I realized all of the women that I considered to be my idols who were members of Alpha Kappa Alpha (not to leave out other organizations- I had a similar sense of pride in black women, and wonder at all that we do reading about the history of every sorority in the D9). Ultimately, it was a matter of personal experience. I didn't have any with members of Delta Sigma Theta, but I had a very special place in my heart for AKA.

And that was it for me.

The funny thing was that looking at my line, we broke every steroetpye on record. We range from dark to light, short to tall, slim to 'thick'. Some are very 'ladylike' and some are unconventional in many ways, but we all had incredible ambition, drive and I have rarely been in the company of a more intelligent and learned bunch of young women. I respect that immensely.

that entire story was beautiful, but your last paragraph warmed my heart. i feel the same way about my own line sisters *tear*

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by iotamason

To build a tradition and not rest upon one.

hardyharharharrrrrr...and goonygoogoo......

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

...and goonygoogoo......

*LOL @ my immediately knowing where you got that term from*

[RedAngel]

Good Thread!

[mccoyred]

Originally Posted by iotamason

To build a tradition and not rest upon one.
also for networking.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. I reread the whole thing and it just gives me a warm fuzzy inside.

[mccoyred]

After being referred over here from a current thread, I realize that I hadn't told my story.

I am one of those first generation college students so of course I was the first to have the opportunity to become Greek. I had no knowledge of NPHC before attending the Black Student Union sponsored pre-Freshman weekend in the spring before I matriculated. On that weekend, all of the AA orgs (this was a PWI) laid out the red carpet for us.

Of course, the NPHC orgs were front and center. While my assigned 'mentor' was a Delta from my home town, I felt totally comfortable with her 'crew'. I did get a chance to meet others (1 other sorority and 2 fraternities) but I kept gravitating back to the Red Zone. I was so hyped that I devoured everything I could about Delta that summer. The history of the org just blew me away. I, too, found out that many prominent women I admired were Deltas, including the sitting school district superintendent and the first black female judge on the city superior court.

When I got back to campus, many of the cool peeps I had met the previous spring had graduated and most of the members of the new Fall line were from other campuses in the citywide chapter. However, by spring, I had expressed interest but I was nervous because my then roommate also wanted to be a Delta and I knew it would be awkward if one of us was accepted and the other was not. We turned out to be linesisters!

Many of my cousins followed my footsteps to college but only one decided to become Greek; she pledged Zeta. But I still keep hope alive!

[Senusret I]

Great story!

[NinjaPoodle]

Bringing this back up because I enjoyed reading my fellow D9'ers stories.

[NinjaPoodle]

ttt