Black Greek-Letter Organizations and Unconscious Race Bias

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanette Porter ◽  
Gregory Scott Parks
Keyword(s):  
Greek Letter ◽  
Race Bias ◽  
Black Greek Letter Organizations ◽  
Greek Letter Organizations

The Membership Intake Movement of Historically Black Greek-letter Organizations

NASPA Journal ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter M. Kimbrough
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Greek Letter ◽  
Intake Process ◽  
Black Greek Letter Organizations ◽  
History Of ◽  
National Leadership ◽  
Membership Intake ◽  
Black Fraternities ◽  
Greek Letter Organizations

The author reviews the history of pledging and the recent movements for reform of this practice among historically Black fraternities and sororities. He describes the membership intake process that has been adopted and its resultant problems, and suggests that the national leadership should emphasize the founding ideals of the organizations as a means of overcoming resistance to change.

“You’re Either One of Us or You’re Not”: Racial Hierarchy and Non-Black Members of Black Greek-Letter Organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 552-565
Author(s):  
Wendy M. Laybourn ◽  
Devon R. Goss ◽  
Matthew W. Hughey
Keyword(s):  
Historically Black ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Racial Climate ◽  
Greek Letter ◽  
Campus Racial Climate ◽  
Racial Hierarchy ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Black Greek Letter Organizations ◽  
Greek Letter Organizations

Colleges and universities across the United States tout the importance of racial diversity, yet highly public racialized incidents persist. Historically, Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) were created in the early twentieth century in response to the racism Black students experienced on college campuses. While previous literature provides evidence for the positive effects of BGLOs for Black members, less is known about if and how these effects of BGLO membership extend to non-Black members. Drawing on 34 in-depth interviews with non-Black members of BGLOs, we seek answers to three yet unasked questions: First, why do non-Blacks come to identify with BGLOs? Second, what are the responses and reactions to this identification process and experience? And finally, how does this identification relate to larger shifts in the United States’s racial hierarchy? We find that campus racial climate acts as a catalyst for BGLO membership and that BGLOs continue to serve their purpose as a necessary counter-space but that also, non-Blacks come to identify with these organizations in order to develop meaningful interracial solidarity and oppose their hostile campus climates.

Teaching and Learning Guide for Black Greek-Letter Organizations

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 571-587
Author(s):  
Devon R. Goss ◽  
Denishia Harris ◽  
Deronta Spencer ◽  
Matthew W. Hughey
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Greek Letter ◽  
Black Greek Letter Organizations ◽  
Learning Guide ◽  
Greek Letter Organizations
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