On December 4, 1906, on Cornell University’s campus, seven black men founded one of the greatest and most enduring organizations in American history. It explores not only from whence these groups have come but where they are currently situated and what issues arise as they progress. It also brings a wide range of scholarly approaches to the inquiry of diversity within college fraternities and sororities. This volume draws from a variety of disciplines in an attempt to provide a holistic analysis of diversity within collegiate fraternal life. Parks revisit this issue more broadly in their edited volume Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in College Fraternities and Sororities. Lee's book was the first and last book to explore diversity within college fraternal groups.
Lee published his seminal work Fraternities without Brotherhood: A Study of Prejudice on the American Campus. It was during this period-1955 to be exact-that sociologist Alfred M. Board of Education in 1954, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, and the desegregation of Little Rock (Arkansas) High School in 1957. The 1950s are arguably the watershed era in the civil rights movement with the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v.
By embracing the history of these organizations and exploring their continuing viability and relevance, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century demonstrates that BGLOs can create a positive and enduring future and that their most important work lies ahead. Externally, BGLOs face the challenge of rededicating themselves to their communities and leading an aggressive campaign against modern forms of racism, sexism, and other types of fear-driven behavior. Internally, these groups wrestle with many issues, including hazing, homophobia, petty intergroup competition, and the difficulty of bridging the divide between college and alumni members. Both internally and externally, BGLOs struggle to forge a relevant identity for the new century. As illustrated by the organized response of BGLO members to the racial injustice they observed in Jena, Louisiana, these organizations still have a vital mission. The book examines BGLOs’ responses to a number of contemporary issues, including non-black membership, homosexuality within BGLOs, and the perception of BGLOs as educated gangs. Parks and the contributing authors provide historical context for the development of BGLOs, exploring their service activities as well as their relationships with other prominent African American institutions. To foster a greater engagement with the history and contributions of BGLOs, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun brings together an impressive group of authors to explore the contributions and continuing possibilities of BGLOs and their members. The general public knows very little about BGLOs, and surprisingly the members themselves often do not have a thorough understanding of their history and culture or of the issues currently facing their organizations. Partly because of their perceived link to hip-hop culture, black fraternities and sororities have been unfairly reduced to a media stereotype-a world of hazing without any real substance. Despite the profound influence of these groups, many now question the continuing relevance of BGLOs, arguing that their golden age has passed. Members of these organizations include remarkable and influential individuals such as Martin Luther King Jr., Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, novelist Toni Morrison, and Wall Street pioneer Reginald F. Drawing on organizational identity theory and a diverse array of methodologies, the authors raise and answer questions that are relevant not only to Alpha Phi Alpha but to all black Greek-letter organizations.ĭuring the twentieth century, black Greek-Letter organizations (BGLOs) united college students dedicated to excellence, fostered kinship, and uplifted African Americans. They discuss the identity established by the fraternity at its inception, the challenges of protecting the image and brand, and how the organization can identify and train future Alpha men to uphold the standards of an outstanding African American fraternity. Bradley, and other contributing authors analyze the fraternity and its members' fidelity to the founding precepts set forth in 1906. "Born in the shadow of slavery and on the lap of disenfranchisement," Alpha Phi Alpha - like other black Greek-letter organizations - was founded to instill a spirit of high academic achievement and intellectualism, foster meaningful and lifelong ties, and racially uplift those brothers who would be initiated into its ranks.
has brought together and shaped such esteemed men as Martin Luther King Jr., Cornel West, Thurgood Marshall, Wes Moore, W. On December 4, 1906, on Cornell University's campus, seven black men founded one of the greatest and most enduring organizations in American history.
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