Students Still Segregated in UGA Greek Life

Black or white, UGA students are going Greek.

But with the 50^th anniversary of desegregation at the university, is Greek life a life of segregation?

Alisa Moran is a black sophomore at UGA majoring in history and social studies education and chose to pledge Alpha Chi Omega (AXO), a Panhellenic sorority, and therefore a predominately white sorority.

“I didn’t want to be just another ‘black girl,’” Moran said. “I wanted to be recognized for my personality and achievements as a student overall – black or white.”

Cydney Adams, a black freshman broadcast major, also pledged AXO.

“I hung out with a lot of white kids in high school,” Adams said. “My parents raised me not to care about race.”

Adams said that coming through rush, she wasn’t nervous because she already knew she wanted to be a part of the AXO sorority.

Moran, on the other hand, was concerned.

“I was afraid rush was going to be different for me because I’m black,” Moran said. “But now I realize that sororities choose someone ahead of time to talk to you every round, so my experience was overall a good one. Every house treated me with the same amount of respect.”

Moran said she could tell other people were nervous for her, too.

“Sometimes other girls would ask me how many houses I had been invited back to that round, almost assuming that it wouldn’t be very many,” Moran said. “But I had a full house schedule every day.”

Moran said her mother was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), a traditionally black sorority, when she was in college, but Moran did not feel pressured to follow in her footsteps.

“My mom was supportive, but worried everyday that I’d call and say I got cut,” Moran said. “She didn’t want me to get my hopes up.”

Since joining Panhellenic sororities, both Adams and Moran said their experiences have been positive.

“I instantly felt like I belonged to something,” Adams said. “I had a connection to everything I’ve ever wanted.”

Moran agreed.

“Since I’ve gotten into AXO, I think pledging was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Moran said. “I can be myself here. I feel at home.”

Moran said being a black female in a predominately white female setting doesn’t bother her.

“I joke about being the black girl all the time, but to me it’s like, yeah Alisa’s the black girl, but Addie’s the ginger,” Moran said, laughing. “What’s really the difference?”

Amber Thomas, a black sophomore majoring in mass media recently followed the path of her mother and aunts, joining an all-black sorority, AKA, in December.

“There are so many role models in my life who were AKAs,” Thomas said. “Pledging a Panhellenic sorority was never an option.”

Thomas said her family’s strong ties to AKA played a role in her decision, but that other people might decide to join one organization or another based on other factors.

“I just feel that some people are more comfortable around certain people,” Thomas said. “I went to a predominately black elementary, middle, and high school. I think a lot of your decision can depend on the environment you’re used to.”

Thomas explained the process to get into one of the traditional black sororities are being much more discrete and secretive than the Panhellenic sororities.

“You have to fight to be in it,” Thomas said. “If you don’t find out about it beforehand, it’s not very easy to find out information about membership.”

Moran described this exclusivity as a turn-off.

“Tradition can be great,” Moran said. “The whole reason these national black sororities got started is because they didn’t have a group for themselves. But in the 21^st century, some of that needs to change.”

Adams agreed.

“Black sororities can be exclusive,” Adams said. “Panhellenic sororities aren’t hardcore recruiting black girls, but they aren’t turning anyone down either.”

Thomas, on the other hand, admired this trait.

“It’s exclusive because it’s important,” Thomas said. “We can’t solicit membership. AKA is too sacred.”

“If I were white, and there was a secret process or something like rush to choose from, I would probably choose something more open and welcoming,” Thomas said. “I can see the appeal.”

Thomas argued that Panhellenic sororities can be just as exclusive.

“We hold programs, and anyone can come to the program,” Thomas said. “I feel like Panhellenic sororities have more exclusive events.”

Thomas described helping her friends in a Panhellenic sorority get ready for a social with a fraternity.

“I tried to go with them, but I couldn’t get in,” Thomas said. “I got turned down at the door.”

Thomas recalled another experience where she was turned away from a traditionally white fraternity’s house.

“They said they were only having girls from a certain sorority over that night,” Thomas said. “Once you get rejected from a community of people once, it can be hard to forget about.”

Adams and Moran both agreed that their experiences at fraternities have sometimes been uncomfortable.

“The only times I haven’t felt comfortable is with fraternity boys sometimes,” Adams said.

“I don’t know if boys at fraternities choose not to pay attention to me because I’m black or just because they don’t want to pay attention to me,” Adams added. “But if it is because I’m black, I wouldn’t want to talk to them anyway.”

Moran said she feels some guys just aren’t as accepting.

“They would never date a black girl,” Moran said.

“When we had a date night where our friends set us up with a blind date, I didn’t want my friend to get a guy that didn’t know I was black,” Moran explained. “I worry that he’ll show up and not be into it.”

But Moran also expressed discomfort when interacting with female members of the all-black sororities.

“AXO has generally been way more accepting of me than girls in the black sororities have been,” Moran said.

“Some of the girls in the black sororities claim that I walk around with an attitude because I’m a part of a Panhellenic sorority, but that’s just not my personality,” Moran said.

Moran referenced a memory from her freshman year when she was on her way to a black fraternity party she had been invited to.

“I ran into some girls in one of the black sororities in the elevator, and they knew who I was,” Moran said. “I remember they asked me if I was going to the party, and when I said I was, they said, ‘We don’t’ think you need to go, there will be problems if you show up.’”

Thomas said she could see why there might be some tension.

“You’re really not making an effort to learn more about your culture and about women who have struggled to give you what you have now,” Thomas said. “Our founders and our history are really important to us.”

Moran disagreed.

“I’m black, and I’m proud of my race,” Moran said. “But I don’t need to be in an all black sorority to feel that way.”

According to Thomas, there was, nationally, one white undergraduate member in AKA last year, but that she didn’t see increased membership integration as part of Greek life’s future.

“I don’t really see sororities integrating more because the processes are so different,” Thomas said. “For Panhellenic sororities, everybody that goes through rush gets a chance to get looked at. That’s fair, but fair isn’t what’s important.”

Moran asked some important questions.

“Are people afraid to go out for these groups or is there an expectation to keep the organizations one race?” Moran questioned. “And even if a white female at UGA did try for a diverse sorority, would she be expected to act like that race?”

Adams said she doesn’t feel these pressures play a big role at UGA more than anywhere else.

“I think that people think since UGA’s a south school, there’s all this segregation,” Adams said. “But I think it you pay attention, UGA is actually a pretty open campus.”

Moran and Thomas, however, both noted UGA’s location as potentially affecting racial interactions.

“I was reading an article about a black girl in Sigma Delta Tau, an all-Jewish sorority at UGA, somewhere in New York,” Moran said. “Maybe it just takes the south a while to catch on to certain things.”

Despite Thomas’s segregated prediction for Greek life membership, she mentioned AKA’s growing desire to interact more with multicultural and Panhellenic sororities.

According to Thomas, AKA has several events coming up that they are hosting with some of the other, non-black sororities.

But Moran still hopes to see increased membership integration, in addition to increased interaction.

“Panhellenic sororities can change,” Moran said. “So can they.”