<p>[University</a> of Alabama president: 11 of 72 open sorority bids issued to black women [video] | al.com](<a href=“University of Alabama president: 11 of 72 open sorority bids issued to black women [video] - al.com”>University of Alabama president: 11 of 72 open sorority bids issued to black women [video] - al.com)</p>
<p>Other bids were offered to other minorities as well. So far, 4 AA women have accepted bids and two women of other minority status have accepted. Roll Tide! I am very proud of Dr. Bonner’s strong stand in this video.</p>
<p>bump to keep this post above the old post</p>
<p>Great news!</p>
<p>Another must-watch video. Resolute. Focused. Grounded in principle.</p>
<p>Dr. Bonner:</p>
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<p>Right on. Roll Tide.</p>
<p>In this and the last video, I found Dr. Bonner to be as sincere, caring and genuine as she really is in person. She is now doing what no other UA President has been able to accomplish. I feel that Dr. Bonner and Dr.Witt make a formidable team, they will help the university achieve the highest goals.</p>
<p>Great news for Bama … 11 bids to AA students.</p>
<p>PS - Dr. Bonner is good!</p>
<p>Great News and a good first step.</p>
<p>However (I hate that word), institutional change has to be measured over time. How will these young ladies be treated by institutions that didn’t initially welcome them, and will racially blind bids continue in the future (5+ years)?</p>
<p>I think the real heroes are the AA (and other minorities) students accepting bids (and those current sorority sisters who complained about the current situation and helped make the change possible).</p>
<p>I agree. And for all we know, the current members have wanted this for years. What this move does is remove the grip the alumnae had over each chapter’s decisions about who to admit.</p>
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Agreed … but part of why I think Dr. Bonner gets at least an A so far is she head on talks about long-term institutional change. Getting bids for a few AA students now is NOT to what she is references … she wants much more. I would assume this includes both fair treatment of those who just pledged and institutional oversight of rush going froward to ensure equal opportunity.</p>
<p>There are two things which will most likely keep the numbers of AA women in traditionally white sorororities and frats relatively low. First, the percentage of AA’s at UA is around 13%. While that is high compared to other state flagships, it is still a fairly small percentage.</p>
<p>Second, as has been explained here before, there is a very strong traditionally AA Greek system at UA. </p>
<p>So I hope people will look at this with some understanding as the integration proceeds. I am just happy that AAs and Whites and members of any other “group” who wish to pledge Greek chapters traditionally not associated with their “group,” now seem to have the chance.</p>
<p>Congratulations Alabama, Dr Bonner, and the sorority girls who stood up and spoke out. Special congratulations to the new pledges, they must be special young ladies indeed.</p>
<p>Glad for the girls, that black Greek atmosphere isn’t for everybody. People associate with who they feel comfortable with in some people’s case it may be people of different races.</p>
<p><a href=“http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/09/alabama_gov_bentley_on_sororit.html[/url]”>Alabama Gov. Bentley on sorority desegregation: It's a 'positive first step' - al.com;
<p><a href=“http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/09/alabama_sorority_breaks_racial.html[/url]”>Alabama sororities break racial barrier: Black women accept bids (photos) - al.com;