<p>There’s a difference between not perfect yet, and institutionally-sanctioned/imposed racism.</p>
<p>But I am curious about the statement that you made, secmom, that if she quits she would lose friends. That’s a very sad admittance about the organization–they can’t/won’t be her friends if she quits?</p>
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<p>Again, I think the girls involved in these organization need to follow their conscience. Certainly there are cases where one has to make a break from their friends. For those who are opposed to institutional racism, the question is do you remain indifferent, do you try to change the system from within, or do you walk. </p>
<p>My gut feeling would be to walk.</p>
<p>As someone who TRIED, our whole family TRIED, to change a program that had a long history of both overt and covert racism from the inside, well, it’s HARD. And in our case, unsuccessful. We’re glad we tried, though. And we’ve heard things are changing now several years later. We DID lose friends, we DID get criticized. Because it deeply affected our D negatively, I’m not sure that we’d do it again though. I suspect we should have steered away, for her sake, before even trying.</p>
<p>But I will say this: when I even mention the name of the program to black parents, they nod knowingly. That’s included people whose kids are not much younger than I am now and parents with kids my own D’s age. They all know what it’s always been like, because they’ve either experienced it or know people who did. White parents sometimes think it’s much ado about nothing-and some are ok with the status quo.</p>
<p>In other words, what’s going on at UA and likely other predominantly white colleges and their frats/sororities has likely been no secret to anyone for a long time (and I include those who have not yet pledged so they don’t know the secret handshakes or whatever). But both the black AND white students and their families know-it’s just been a matter of who wanted to stand up and take the heat for trying to change. Having BTDT, I can understand why so many both go along with the racism and why it’s been so hard for anyone to face off against it.</p>
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<p>And that’s fine, though it probably does little to effect real change.</p>
<p>A friend in law school quit his fraternity at Colgate in the 1960s because it wouldn’t let in a black prospect He said the irony was the most famous alum was Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. who “passed” as white while he was a student there. (I don’t know if that’s true; it’s just what he said at the time.) </p>
<p>At my alma mater, the most prestigious frat on campus voted to go local in the late 60s because the national frat wouldn’t allow black members. </p>
<p>It’s kind of hard to believe we are still discussing this in 2013.</p>
<p>And what’s all this about “they” went to the media? From what I can figure out ONE WHITE GIRL went to the school newspaper. Another white girl quit her sorority. The others all accepted the situation.</p>
<p>Seriously, ALL the white girls should quit the sororities involved immediately. If they ALL did it, the sororities would cave.</p>
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<p>I know next to nothing about the Greek system, but my guess is that there is a lot of inertia and affecting change from within would be very difficult. Walking away would have an immediate impact. If these organizations start losing their members they would be forced to change.</p>
<p>First of all, the editors of the CW are sorority girls. They did far more than just “go to the school paper.” They published the article.</p>
<p>Second of all, I don’t know where you think these students are going to find housing if they just walk away from these houses.</p>
<p>Third of all, you are asking a bunch of kids to take stands they need not take. </p>
<p>The administration needs to clean up this mess, not the students. They are students.</p>
<p>ETA: maybe all the students at UA who don’t agree with the fact that the UA administration is keeping the employee at the provost office who is involved in this should leave the school, since they don’t agree with the policies of the administration?</p>
<p>Really?</p>
<p>Being a student doesn’t give them a pass, they are young adults. If they can’t secure housing, leave when they can. </p>
<p>I’m not saying I’m right, but that’s my take on it.</p>
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<p>Perhaps, perhaps not. Everyones’ eyes will be focused on these houses next year to see if any ground is gained. The scrutiny may force changes in the input alums are allowed to exert on the girls. The alums themselves may now be very wary of interfering, knowing that some of these girls can leak their texts or other communications in which they try to coerce the girls into denying bids to girls they actually like and want to see in the house. I’m sure the change evoked here will happen too slowly for many peoples’ taste, but again, change with regard to bigotry rarely ever happens overnight.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that the national organizations are telling their members not to talk to the media. With these strong arm tactics, are the girls going to be inclined to leak information if they could be facing expulsion?</p>
<p>I’m not a patient person so I like quick change. Voting with your feet is immdiate.</p>
<p>After I read the article, I had lots of reactions, but one that really stood out was (and maybe this is because I spend too much time on CC) that the girl who finally stood up and went to the media, is likely going to have a lot of job opportunities down the line! She obviously has a lot of characteristics that a lot of employers would like to have in their employees.</p>
<p>I went to an LAC in upstate NY, St. Lawrence University–and my sorority broke away from the national back in 1969, (before my time) because they refused to pay even lip service to the nationals “white Christian” ideals. I no longer have my pledge book, with the whole story, but the women wanted to pledge a Japanese American freshman, and were told by the national that if they went forward, they would lose their charter. So that’s the kind of threat alumni or national can make if you are not in step with what they want. So the young women took a vote, went to the University administration, and formed a local sorority with a new name, and extended bids under the local sorority name. They did all this in a weekend, and most of the women they offered a bid to accepted.</p>
<p>The University gave them housing, since I believe they had to leave the sorority house.
Later, an anonymous donor bought the house and donated it back to the new local sorority, but now the University owns it. The local sorority is still going strong, I am happy to say. </p>
<p>[Kappa</a> Delta Sigma | LinkedIn](<a href=“Sign Up | LinkedIn”>Sign Up | LinkedIn)</p>
<p>Even when I was there, in the late 80’s, we would receive threatening letters from the national telling us to disband. It was a very gutsy thing those young women did, and I have always been so proud to be a member. </p>
<p>All that said–SLU and the Greek system there isn’t diverse at all–but it truly was an open to all system when I was there.</p>
<p>Of more practical importance to students looking at colleges and their parents: how is the social environment at the University of Alabama for a student not interested in fraternities, sororities, or student government, particularly if the student is not white? I.e. are fraternities, sororities, and student government easily ignored by an uninterested student, or do they have such a strong effect on the social environment that they and their problems are not easily ignored?</p>
<p>The same can apply to other schools with fraternities and sororities – are they and their problems (whether racism, or something else like alcohol abuse) easily ignored by the uninterested, or are they and their problems too big a factor in the social environment to be easily ignored?</p>
<p>I think another college search question for prospective students is whether this segregation and the attitudes it represents extend beyond the Greek system at a given college.</p>
<p>What kind of message does a national send when they tell their actives they can’t speak to the press. Love to be an attorney for that one.</p>
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<p>And she gains her dignity and her self-respect.</p>
<p>“Evil prevails when good men do nothing.”</p>
<p>ETA: As I’ve mentioned, I deactivated the Fall of my junior year. If I had truly been a mensch, I would have done it Fall of my sophomore year, when I learned for the first time how rush is really managed. But, better late than never.</p>
<p>@ohiopublic–All sororities recommend members do not speak to the press in many situations, even if it’s something as simple as a member passing away from a car accident or illness. Not saying that it’s correct in this situation, but this is a blanket guidance from long before this incident</p>
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<p>I think the point is that these types of incidents happened in the 1960’s in the rest of the country, but some kind of lightbulb has <em>finally</em> turned on in Alabama where they’re going – hey! this isn’t right! Welcome to the 21st century!</p>
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<p>Likely based on advice from legal. (Think about it.)</p>
<p>The latest from TFM indicates that they might get bids after all:</p>
<p>[Alabama</a> Pi Phi, Chi O, and Others To Reportedly Offer Bid To Discriminated Black PNM After University President Keeps Bidding Open | TFM News](<a href=“http://totalfratmove.com/alabama-pi-phi-to-reportedly-offer-bid-to-discriminated-black-pnm-after-university-president-keeps-bidding-open/]Alabama”>http://totalfratmove.com/alabama-pi-phi-to-reportedly-offer-bid-to-discriminated-black-pnm-after-university-president-keeps-bidding-open/)</p>
<p>This guy’s earlier column on the subject was illuminating in the extreme, and contained emails from sorority girls at UA that spoke volumes. One pointed out that the only integrated sorority used to be higher in the hierarchy, but now it is a place for, IIRC, “fat girls and leftovers” because the lost all of their alumni funding and no frats wanted to do swaps with them. I recommend the article.</p>