Black frats founded on different principles
By Mary Czarsty, assistant news editor
Posted on April 24, 2006

Making the decision to participate in a historically black fraternity or sorority is more than a simple decision; it’s a lifetime commitment to a host of traditional rituals and activities embedded in black culture.

“Many will get the call, but few are chosen,” said Naomi Hill, senior and former president of Black/Latino Greek Caucus and sister of Delta Sigma Theta.

Those who want to be part of a BLGC organization go through a very different process than traditional social “rush,” called “membership intake.” Potential members get to know each sorority and fraternity in order to pick the one most suited to their individual needs.

“It’s a really discreet process once you feel in your heart which sorority is right for you,” Hill said. “People don’t join a BLGC organization just to go Greek. It’s a very personal thing.”

Junior Emily Witman, president of Sigma Sigma Sigma, said, “Their new member period is also very secretive and is much more demanding than ours because it requires much more focus and devotion.”

Traditionally, black Greek organizations have very different roots than social Greek organizations. Many were founded so that members could seek refuge while attending a predominantly white college. While racial tension today is hardly comparable to the days when many black fraternities and sororities were established, it is still a factor that plays into the decision to participate in membership intake.

“When many black fraternities were founded, it was possible for someone to go an entire week without seeing any other black people,” said sophomore and newly elected president of BLGC and member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc., Brandon Borne. “While it isn’t quite as bad as that at JMU, the low minority rate makes it hard sometimes. It’s nice to share that with other people.”

In figuring out which fraternity or sorority is the right one, prospective members will take into account the original founding of the organization.

“My sorority was founded in 1913 with the goal of helping achieve women’s suffrage, and that’s something that really spoke to me,” Hill said. “Also, my chapter was founded in 1971, and we were the first black group to be established on JMU’s campus.”

BLGC groups place a large emphasis on achievement.

“I feel like I can relate to my brothers, because a lot of us are the first generation to go to college or the first generation to get all A’s and B’s while we’re here,” Borne said.

Cultural traditions also set BLGC groups apart from traditional, social Greeks. Rituals like stepping, hand signs and calls are all important parts of black Greek cultural heritage.

“Hand signs and calls mean different things in each sorority,” Hill said, “And it’s just a way of reinforcing the bond of sisterhood. Same with the call; it’s a way for me to greet one of my sisters that’s different from just yelling ‘Hey!’”

Kim Turner, assistant director of Multicultural Programs at the Center for Multicultural Student Services and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc., said that calls probably have roots in call-and-response. “Call-and-response is a unique thing in African-American culture, and it’s part of our history.”

Stepping is another tradition that is a way to remember the brotherhood’s roots. “It’s a way of connecting with our African roots,” Borne said.

One defining difference between BLGC Greeks and PanHellenic Greeks is the role a BLGC Greek organization will play throughout a brother or sister’s life. “You don’t stop being a sister once you graduate. There are graduate chapters, and many sisters continue to be active members throughout their lives,” Turner said.

Despite some of these differences, there are many unifying qualities between traditional Greeks and historically black Greeks. “The same basic principles of sisterhood, scholarship and service are something I see in both types of Greek life,” remarked Turner. “These groups are a kind of powerhouse on campus, and they have the potential to produce great leaders.”

Many PanHellenic Greek sororities were founded during the same time as historically black groups were. “I can only imagine the heart for the formation of these organizations was similar on certain levels,” Witman said.

“A group of ten women (or less) wished to unite in an organization which represented all the values they uphold, but also maintain these values through rituals and secrecy,” Witman said.