Potential New Members

SuthrnBelle · #1 10-29-2002, 02:54 PM

I tried to post this on Rush yesterday, it must have been in the wrong thread. I saw a post on Alpha Kappa Alpha asking members about white or homosexual members joining. It got me thinking, if you are in a national panhellenic council organization, how do you feel about a black or homosexual member joining? I have met many nice black members of my organization at different meetings, but there has never been one in my chapter or any chapters that am aware of in the south.

sdidavide · #2 10-29-2002, 03:13 PM

I am a member of AST at chicago. I did not realize that the color of you skin ment that you could not be in an NPC sorority. I am not meaning to sound rude but, we do have the NPHC her but some women found that AST was a better fit for one reason or another. The NPHC chapters on our campus are wonderful, they have great women and they are very active but just as with any NPC sorority, there is a right one for you. I do not know much about some of the sisters of the past but one of the girls that was in my sorority that pushed for it to go from local to national was black. And the president of my sorority for 2 years in a row was african american. At the current time we have many sisters of different backgrounds and I think that it makes us better because of it.

AchtungBaby80 · #3 10-29-2002, 03:14 PM

My chapter has a couple of black members, and it's no big deal. We also have some Asian and Indian girls, too.

nauadpi · #4 10-29-2002, 03:34 PM

My school is sadly not very diverse, but as a chapter we do have a bunch of Native Americans and also one african american. Also we have some people who our very distinctly of an asian background. This is very interesting to see, because when I joined my chapter it was an all white chapter.

carnation · #5 10-29-2002, 03:39 PM

And why would we feel weird about black, Asian, Hispanic or women of other nonwhite backgrounds joining NPC groups?

Obviously you're trying to start something. I hope a nonwhite member joins your GLO so your daddy WILL stop paying your dues. If you're even on the level.

alsparky · #6 10-29-2002, 03:51 PM

Carnation, I couldn't have said it better myself!!!

~Allison

James · #7 10-29-2002, 04:04 PM

The point is valid. So lets discuss the post on its intellectual merits rather than well any thing else lol.

So lets examine the premise:

1. Are there chapters that are exclusively white at schools that do have minority populations?

2. Are there regions of the country where this is more likely to happen?

3. What would be some of historical or cultural reasons for this to be true. i.e. Campus Climate.

And in fairness, maybe at these schools a majority of the minority students just don't have the qualifications to join? That could be another plausibe answer. The Minorities just don't have good enough records.

I always see how Rush is ultra competitive.

Anyway lets see commence some discussion.

Quote:

Originally posted by SuthrnBelle

I never said anything about a nonwhite background person joining. I am from Texas, there are plenty of nonwhite people around. If you are going to start questioning me, you should get my question correct. I ask about black and gay persons, I said nothing about feeling weird. Where do you go to school? Are there any black members in your local chapter? Probably not! My point is the double standards and why do you think it is okay for it to be only one sided. I do not recall anyone being jumped in the Alpha Phi Alpha thread.

aopinthesky · #8 10-29-2002, 04:24 PM

While I don't exactly get your point, I am going to answer your question as best I can. My sorority (as probably most NPC groups), celebrates and encourages the diversity of it's members, and welcomes anyone who embraces their ideals. I have been a member for a long time, and that idea of a diverse membership has never changed in the 27 years since my initiation - although it is a more prevalent subject now.
I have no first-hand experience of having a person of another race in my chapter, but I think that if you choose to be a member of a particular organization and if you stay loyal to it, then you must accept your sisters (or brothers) for all the ways they contribute and look past the obvious differences.
Anna

alsparky · #9 10-29-2002, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuthrnBelle

I never said anything about a nonwhite background person joining. I am from Texas, there are plenty of nonwhite people around. If you are going to start questioning me, you should get my question correct. I ask about black and gay persons, I said nothing about feeling weird. Where do you go to school? Are there any black members in your local chapter? Probably not! My point is the double standards and why do you think it is okay for it to be only one sided. I do not recall anyone being jumped in the Alpha Phi Alpha thread.

I would like to know what your definition a person from a non-white background is.

My collegiate chapter has had 6 black sisters that I can think of without trying. And the chapter where I am currently an advisor has a black woman in their New Member class. My collegiate chapter also had a woman who was bi-sexual. I don't see why that is an issue to you. They are all my sisters and I am proud of each one of them for their academic achievements, their leadership in Zeta Tau Alpha and for being the wonderful, amazing people that they are. The color of their skin or their sexual preference has nothing to do with anything. They are my sisters and I love them.

I haven't given much thought to the "double standard" that you are talking about because my school did not have NPHC chapters, so it has not been part of my experience.

Allison

carnation · #10 10-29-2002, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuthrnBelle

I never said anything about a nonwhite background person joining. I am from Texas, there are plenty of nonwhite people around. If you are going to start questioning me, you should get my question correct. I ask about black and gay persons, I said nothing about feeling weird. Where do you go to school? Are there any black members in your local chapter? Probably not! My point is the double standards and why do you think it is okay for it to be only one sided. I do not recall anyone being jumped in the Alpha Phi Alpha thread.

"I never said"....OMG, here we go again.

Where do I go to school? OMG.

Does my sorority have black members? Yes. And I do believe that blacks have a nonwhite background.

Plenty of people were flamed in the Alpha Phi Alpha thread. And Professor closed it. And many people were glad because it turned ugly, just like you're hoping this will.

kddani · #11 10-29-2002, 05:11 PM

SuthrnBelle, i'm really sorry that your life has been so sheltered. I'm hoping that you're young (freshman) and that your four or more years of college will help open up your eyes a bit.

So it doesn't bother your daddy that there are blacks and homosexual/bisexual members in other chapters of your sorority, as long as they're not in your chapter?

What sorority are you in? I guarantee you that there are minorities as members of your sorority in southern colleges.

If your daddy did stop paying for your sorority bill, would you just up and quit? Or does your sorority mean enough to you that you would suck it up and get a job and pay for it yourself, like many many of us do?

You may want to look into your sorority's ideals a little more and maybe try to expose yourself to a more diverse group of people.

Guess what, in the real world, you'll be working with many blacks, gays, and whatever else makes you uncomfortable. Get used to it.

And for the record, my big is black and one of my littles is Filipino, there's been at least 5 different black members that have been part of my chapter (being that our total is 60, that's a fair percentage), several Asians, several hispanics, and a bisexual member. And you know what? We've become one of the strongest groups on campus.

I can't speak for NPHC groups. But speaking as a member of an NPC group, i'm very sorry that you have such closed minded views, and I really hope that that changes for you. Or else you're gonna have a tough time in life...

swissmiss04 · #12 10-29-2002, 07:02 PM

It's comments like "If a minority joined my chapter my daddy would stop paying..." that gives Greeks a bad rap, particularly in the South. It sounds like a stereotypical "sorority girl" statement, not to mention racist. And yes you will work with, go to school with, and *GASP* maybe even go to church with someone who is of a "non-white" background. And the term "non-white" puts out such an "us-vs.-them" mentality that I thought had since left our culture. Guess not.

FuzzieAlum · #13 10-29-2002, 08:41 PM

To give a little slack ... we are not responsible for our parents' beliefs. One could have a very racist father without being racist oneself.

nauadpi · #14 10-29-2002, 10:02 PM

I dont think that SuthrnBelle was meaning to make people made, I think she was curious in the differences. I am from california up till college, where it was very diverse, then my college in arizona is not hardly at all. Lack of exposure does make a difference in how groups act towards eachother. I think all she was trying to do was find out about other areas, because in reality there are areas where people would not feel welcome in certain groups.

XOMichelle · #15 10-30-2002, 01:11 AM

Fuzzie- Very true. You don't have the same opinions as your parents.

I feel the problem is that many underrepresented minority's don't feel comfortable in what were traditionally white GLO's. I am sure there are many chapters of Chi O that *don't* have as much racial diversity as they could have (based on who goes to the school). Unfortunately, it is hard to get people to cross lines and be comfortable with people that have different backgrounds. I truly wish that more African American, latina, Indian.... etc, women would be open to joining, and that there would be more effort to cross lines, and a larger effort to be culturally sensitive. I can also see where the kind of orgs we try to be get in the way of diersity. We pitch friendship, service, and a place to belong. We do rush, where the main idea is that you meet someone and find the best "instant click". If we want to attract women who aren't the same as us, maybe we need to target ourselves differently. But, I don't really see anyth9ing changing there.

I see the women in my chapter with diverse backgrounds as assets, and people to help lift my naive mind out of the hole of assumptions. And most importantly, they are my friends! (awww.. sappy smile required here!)

As for lesbian women...??? I don't see a problem with anything. Again, I could see that *she* might feel uncomfortable. People would surely make assumptions about her sexuality, and that would not make it a plesant experience. Again, comfort level, and sensitivity.

-M