Laura Thompson: Why U of Alabama’s Greek Integration Will Fail
The University of Alabama’s Greek community voted not to integrate white and blacks; but that is the wrong way to go about doing it says Laura Thompson writing at the University of Georgia’s website, redandblack.com.
With such an embarrassing outcome, UA’s reputation has once again been tainted by the stench of racism and sponsors of the resolution are quick to blame Greek sympathizers.
But what these Greeks, myself included, recognize isn’t their own desire for their organizations to remain homogenous. Instead, this resolution would be putting the power of integration in the hands of the wrong organization, and Greeks know this.
Fraternities and sororities are all governed by their respective national executive board. This body oversees everything from rituals to philanthropy — yes, membership too — and is the only body that can revote a chapter’s charter. Because Greek organizations almost always work in tandem with a university, said university may have the power to disallow a fraternity or sorority from living or otherwise operating on university-owned property, but little else…
Rather than patting themselves on the back for proposing a powerless resolution, it is time for UA students, University of Georgia students and anyone else interested in a truly integrated Greek community to demand change from those who can actually do something about it.
