Black History?

Repost: March 8, 2006

My sister has just given birth to her second child. I was designated to care for my older nephew Davyon. I had come up with this plan to leave on my lunch break to run over to Davyon's elementary school to retrieve him and then bring him back to my office. As I walked down the long hall to find his Pre-K classroom, I remembered how I, too, had attended this very school. It is just as inadequate now as it was back then.
As I rushed back down the hall with my nephew in tow, trying to make it back downtown in time, I noticed that the school had many displays of important figures in Black History. As I was leaving the school, I could not help but to notice the last display. The very last display you see as you leave the school.
In a nice glass display case, were the pictures of two staff members of the school and all of their sorority paraphenalia neatly placed around the portraits. This was our last impression of Black History.
Let's bypass the fact that elementary school age children know nothing of black greek life - let alone what a college is. For me to discuss why it is inappropriate for elementary kids to be learning about what their educators found to be the most important part of college life is just as ridiculous as the display cases with sorority paraphenalia displayed as a significant moment in Black History.
Why would our fellow educators showcase their precious sorority items in honor of Black History month? Is this really what we deem appropriate for celebration? No explanation of the history of the organizations were given...just the fact that Ms. So-and-So joined this organization and her counterpart joined another - and here are all the nice things you get when you join a sorority.

I ask again, Is this really what we call Black History?! Is it now all about what "crew" we rep in college?! At least our educators understand what's important in life...going to college to join a sorority! And they were starting this fervor at a young age - getting them trained before they even grasped the concept of a university.
I too admit that I fell into a certain type of sorority life. I had always rejected the concept of sororities and fraternities adn the fact that they were racially segregated. That told me from the start that neither, the black or white organization would totally accept me or at least I would have to choose a side and that just isn't my type of party. When I saw a sorority that was mulitcultural and not the typical organization, I jumped on the chance to be apart of that group! I only recently learned, however, that this was not the right answer. These organizations are not bringing us together as a people, in fact they are further dividing us. In any rate, no regrets I have in life as I have met so many strong women of all walks of life and we remains "sisters" til this day. Not sorors, but sisters.
But the issue at hand here still remains and brings us back to Black History and the involvement of the black greek system. The display did not even mention that the black greek organizations were created in response to the overwhelming amount of racism by white organizations blacks found on college campuses. They didn't even mention any of the widely known historical data about any of these highly secretive organizations - the ones they can be proud of!The two ladies definitely would not have mentioned that historically black colleges like Howard, Hampton and Spelman had an unwritten requirement for entrance - fair skinned and straight hair. These sororities and fraternities also began to take part in this race and hair elitism as mentioned by several researchers of this subject.
(This is where some of you may get offended my statements. I am never here to offend, but simply enlighten...)
According to Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps in their book, Hair Story: The Roots of Untangling Black Hair in America, The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity acquired the reputation of being light-skinned, "good"-haired groups. Black greeks also created "color-tax" parties in the 1920s. At these parties, men would have to pay a tax determined by how dark their dates were. There were also black fraternity parties where attendees gained entrance based on a "ruler test." Only if your hair was as straight as the ruler could you get in.
We expect you not to tell us about the negative historical aspects of your secret society and we are fully aware that times may or may not have changed for you and your organization...but if you are to represent yourself to our children as a part of black history then at least represent your organization correctly and let us know why you feel you are a significant contributor to the rich Black History of the United States -- unless, of course, that too is a secret...