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Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2920
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 01:34 pm: | 
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Black Greek organizations play a key role in the college experience of many students, but their history and role are not well understood by many white educators. A new book, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun (University Press of Kentucky), is a collection of essays that mix history, pride and frank criticism. Gregory S. Parks, a lawyer and the editor, responded to questions about the book’s themes.
Q: Black fraternities were created as an alternative to an exclusionary (white) Greek system and a largely segregated higher education system. How do you see their role as different today?
A: You get your analysis right, in a sense. Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) really are a synthesis of a number of elements. They are the community uplift of the early Black church and Black secret societies. They are the mutual self-help of the early Black benevolent societies. They are the fictive-kinship bonding throughout adulthood of Black secret societies and during college years of white college fraternities and sororities. And they are the high scholasticism of collegiate literary societies. Their identity is largely born out of racial isolation and discrimination on predominantly White college campuses and in society, in general. As such, their goals have always been the development of personal excellence (usually high scholasticism), development of fictive-kinship ties (brotherhood and sisterhood), and racial (and gender for the sororities) uplift through civic action, community service, and philanthropy. The mission remains the same but may be fettered by various challenges in contemporary society...
Full interview: http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/28/blackgreek |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 3162
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 03:04 pm: |
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As always, nice post Ms. Yvette. Thanks. When I was in school, there were black students who were very excited about joining one of the BGLOs. Although I was friends with a few, I could never bring myself to indulge in such activities. Although the history of black Greeks is interesting and testifies to the history of American racism and privilege, I could never imagine joining one. But to each his own. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2922
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 03:14 pm: |
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Thanks--from a fellow proud member of MePhiMe  |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 6863
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, June 02, 2008 - 11:13 am: |
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Ah when I was in school--yes, Professor Yvettep, I been to kollege--there was an anti-frat movement on. Most of us didn't pledge, though they still got plenty.
I could see the value from a social standpoint--whenever you went to another campus you had a place to party and crash--I couldn't see anything else.
I understand now there is a move to make them more relevant, rather than make them purely social. And a move to make them serve the purpose that white frats and sororities do--that is providing networks you can use for business, etc after graduation.
I still can't get over the sadistic hazing bs though. That was a big reason we didn't pledge--wasn't gonna be taking no asswhuppin's and if I got hurt I was not gonna be the last one.
I got along good with all the frats--still me and my boyz was accused of shooting up the Kappa house one night.
It wasn't us. It was some guys we had been with earlier. |
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