Being “Black” and Rushing

Hello just a little back story I’m only a Junior but on track to (hopefully, working on it) attend the University of Virginia (Instate Applicant). I’m really interested in Greek Life and mostly Delta Kappa Epsilon. I’m Biracial, my mom being white and dad being black and I was wondering if I wouldn’t get a bid at a Southern Frat that is relatively older. I’m not from “money” my parents make around 140k per year but I would like to join this specific fraternity. I’m just wondering if me being Biracial/AA will be a problem while rushing for an all white fraternity. I grew up around my white side of the family and get teased by my AA side for acting “white.”

There are no ‘all white’ fraternities anymore. All are integrated. A particular house may have no or few minority members, but the bylaws do not prevent admissions, and most are happy to have a little diversity join the house.

It is very difficult to aim for one house during recruitment unless you are a quadruple legacy or son of a president or sport star. It is really best to keep an open mind when going though the process.

Like @twoinanddone mentioned it’s best not to decide what house you want join yet. How would you know DKE is for you? Many guys (more girls) will go into school set on a particular house only to get dissapointed they don’t get a bid. Be open minded and you’ll find a house for you. For 99.9% of the houses race shouldn’t be an issue. If the house likes you they’ll like you. Many are mostly white simply because that’s the most common race that rushes. Just note that even legacies sometimes don’t get bids. It really all depends.

A DKE chapter at one school may be totally different from a DKE chapter at another school. That’s true for ALL sororities and fraternities. I agree - visit as many as you can, get to know the members a bit, and try for the one where you feel most comfortable and at home.

Will being black be an issue when rushing an NIC fraternity? Theoretically, no. Fraternities cannot legally exclude you because of your race, and in theory, what should be the deciding factor are the relationships that you build with the members of that chapter and how you do when rushing.

In practice, though…who knows? Even at diverse universities where every other student activity is pretty integrated, fraternities and sororities remain the most racially segregated parts of student life. Some of that is student choice; a lot of students of color choose to join multicultural Greek organizations (like those in the NPHC, NALFO, APIA, etc.) Some of it is not student choice, and there are several stories that have come out in the last few years, often at SEC schools, that have demonstrated that.

So there’s no way to really definitively answer this question; you’d just have to try.