the right to choose

[smiley21]

hello. there is something that concerning me quite a bit. i am a (and i say this hesitantly) black girl and i very much want to rush soon. but the thing is that i dont want to be apart of a black sorority. i dont like the idea of being apart of a group that is exclusive to one race. i am definitely not trying to degrade black sororities. i know that they are great groups. i know that the npc sororities are generally all white. i also know that black girls join these sororities probably for the same reasons i want to. but how often does this happen? i am suddenly scared that i wont be in a sorority because i am black. i dont know. i am just confused. help!

[RockChalk]

Have you ever thought of being part of a multicultural sorority, such as Mu Sigma Upsilon or Theta Nu Xi? These groups tend to have women of several different races in their chapters.

[smiley21]

my school doesnt have multiracial sororities.
the ones that are on campus:

alpha chi omega
delta gamma
zeta tau alpha
alpha kappa alpha
delta sigma theta

[aephi alum]

The NPHC groups are not exclusively one race. Most, but not all, of their members are black. I'll let a member of an NPHC group tackle that one

As for NPC groups, many of the members are white, but by no means all. I can tell you that my chapter did not consider race at all when considering potential members. We have several different races represented, and we're talking about a small chapter! Besides, if a group is going to cut people for the color of their skin, would you really want to be a member?

I'll second RockChalk's suggestion of checking out multicultural sororities. And it can't hurt to go through NPC rush and see what your options are in that department.

Good luck

[Betarulz!]

I say go through rush and let the chips fall where they may, just like any other rushee. Would you really want to call those people sisters if they could not get past your race?

I'm not sure where you go to school. I go to a notably undiverse school, the University of Nebraska, but I know most sororities have members who are not white. So it does happen even here in the middle of Nebraska (I think UNL is over 90% white) So if you go some place more diverse odds are probably pretty good that the chapters have minority members.

Do some research if you can. See if the chapters have minority members in pictures on their websites.

In the end you just have to be you and find where you were meant to be.
Good luck with rush!

[RockChalk]

Black women join NPCs more often than you'd think. At my school, it's not unusual for an NPC sorority to have a few black, Hispanic, or Asian members. Most of the women in NPCs are white, but that's to be expected since most of the student body is white.

I'm going to tell you what I'd tell any rushee: give it a try, and go in with a positive attitude. Good luck!

[AXJules]

I have a feeling most people are going to repeat what I say, but......
My school has 14 sororities and 24 fraternities. I've heard a lot of ugly rush stories, but in my 3 years here I haven't heard of a house excluding a girl based on race. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but if you're a cool girl your chances are good that SOMEONE will want you as a sister, no matter what race you are.
Actually, being black might work in your favor, because many houses want to be diversified. They need some girls with good grades, some athletes, dancers, etc. You are right that the rush process is a lot of times mostly white, so imagine when you come to XYZ house and they're like wow! somebody different!
So actually you might have the upper hand over the rest of us
Just be your fabulous self and rush should go fine.

[cntryZTA5]

I am a ZTA alumna from CA. In my chapter, there were a large number of ethnic groups represented, including asian (chinese, filipino etc), hispanic, black, middle eastern and white. I would say go through recruitment and check them out! More important than skin color is how well you get along with the women in each group. I hope that you are successful in finding a group where you fit in best!

[sigmadiva]

My sister, my sister


First, you need to ask yourself why you want to join a sorority, what appeals to you about sorority life, what do you expect to get out of it and what do you expect to contribute to the group. If you are just looking at race, then you are not ready to be in one.

I asked myself those question before I joined. My answers:

1. why I joined a sorority: Many reasons, I have greeks in my family and they always had positive things to say about their experiences during their undergrad days. I met some young ladies right before my freshman year and they talked about joining and they were smart and intelligent. And lastly, it was kinda 'big' on my campus. All GLOs were founded on principles of high moral character, I liked the thought of trying to acheive that goal. Hey, I was 17 and philosophical at the time.

2. what appealed to me: The bonding that goes on. The togetherness. Working for a common cause. Acting 'silly' at times with your sisters. Since I joined a BGLO, what appealed to me about them was stepping. That WAS so unique to BGLOs at the time.

3. What I expected to get out of it: Learning how to be a leader in a supportive environment. Making a difference in the community, since we are a service organization. And yes, I will say the Black community in particular. A set agenda of expectations of its members. And yes, connections.

4. what did I contribute: My organizational skills, willingness to go the distance to see a project through. Representing my chapter and organization at school functions where greek presence and Black greek presence, was not anticiapted or expected.


Lastly, do alot of reserach on all organizations. Talk to some members. Just because you see one thing on the outside, it may be totally different once you get to know the groups.

Hope this helps

[Sistermadly]

While the history of some NPC groups regarding integration has been storied, things have changed and are changing. There are quite a few African Americans on GreekChat who are members of NPC sororities and NIC/IFC fraternities, as well as multi-cultural GLOs.

Also, as sigmadiva said, you really need to think about what you want out of sorority life. If you want to be in the more "social" aspect of things, go NPC. If you want to join a more service oriented sorority, then NPHC might be more your speed. That's not to say that NPC groups don't do service, and NPHC groups don't party and have a good time, but the two systems are vastly different.

I think that openness to your pursuit might also depend on your geographic area, but I say GO FOR IT. You never know until you try, and who knows? If you find yourself more comfortable among women who are members of NPC sororities, then by all means, choose where your heart leads you.

Good luck!

PS - I sent you a private message!

[Dionysus]

What's your location? It matters.

[smiley21]

it doesnt have to be about race. i was just worried i would not get a chance to show who i really am.

[Dionysus]

Originally posted by smiley21
it doesnt have to be about race. i was just worried i would not get a chance to show who i really am.

Can you be a little more specific?

[smiley21]

i was just referring to sigmadiva. she made it sound like i just cared about race. thats not it all. look guys i didnt mean to start something. i just needed some feedback.

[Dionysus]

If you wanna party hearty go NPC.

If you're into deeper stuff go NPHC.