Download or read book Black Greek Letter Organizations 2 0 written by Matthew W. Hughey and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2011-02-18 with total page 361 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the turn of the twentieth century, black fraternities and sororities, also known as Black Greek-Letter Organizations (BGLOs), were an integral part of what W.E.B. Du Bois called the “talented tenth.” This was the top ten percent of the black community that would serve as a cadre of educated, upper-class, motivated individuals who acquired the professional credentials, skills, and capital to assist the race to attain socioeconomic parity. Today, however, BGLOs struggle to find their place and direction in a world drastically different from the one that witnessed their genesis. In recent years, there has been a growing body of scholarship on BGLOs. This collection of essays seeks to push those who think about BGLOs to engage in more critically and empirically based analysis. This book also seeks to move BGLO members and those who work with them beyond conclusions based on hunches, conventional wisdom, intuition, and personal experience. In addition to a rich range of scholars, this volume includes a kind of call and response feature between scholars and prominent members of the BGLO community.

Download or read book African American Fraternities and Sororities written by Tamara L. Brown and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2012-02-29 with total page 744 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rich history and social significance of the “Divine Nine” African American Greek-letter organizations is explored in this comprehensive anthology. In the long tradition of African American benevolent and secret societies, intercollegiate African American fraternities and sororities have strong traditions of fostering brotherhood and sisterhood among their members, exerting considerable influence in the African American community and being in the forefront of civic action, community service, and philanthropy. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Toni Morrison, Arthur Ashe, and Sarah Vaughn are just a few of the trailblazing members of these organizations. African American Fraternities and Sororities places the history of these organizations in context, linking them to other movements and organizations that predated them and tying their history to the Civil Rights movement. It explores various cultural aspects of the organizations, such as auxiliary groups, branding, calls, and stepping, and highlights the unique role of African American sororities.

Download or read book African American Fraternities and Sororities written by Tamara L. Brown and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition includes new chapters that address issues such as the role of Christian values in black Greek-letter organizations and the persistence of hazing. Offering an overview of the historical, cultural, political, and social circumstances that have shaped these groups, African American Fraternities and Sororities explores the profound contributions that black Greek-letter organizations and their members have made to America.

Download or read book Black Greek letter Organizations in the Twenty First Century written by Gregory S. Parks and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2008-06-13 with total page 521 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the twentieth century, black Greek-Letter organizations (BGLOs) united college students dedicated to excellence, fostered kinship, and uplifted African Americans. 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. Lewis. Despite the profound influence of these groups, many now question the continuing relevance of BGLOs, arguing that their golden age has passed. 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. 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. 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. Editor Gregory S. 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. 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. 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. Both internally and externally, BGLOs struggle to forge a relevant identity for the new century. 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. 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. 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.

Download or read book Black Greek 101 written by Walter M. Kimbrough and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2023-09-12 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Black Greek 101 analyzes the customs, culture, and challenges facing historically Black fraternal organizations. The text provides a history of Black Greek organizations beyond the nine major organizations, examining the pledging practice, the growth of fraternalism outside of the mainstream organizations, the vivid culture and practices of the groups, and challenges for the future.

Download or read book The Divine Nine written by Lawrence C. Ross and published by Dafina. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This comprehensive history of African American fraternities and sororities celebrates the spirit of Black Excellence in higher education that has produced American leaders in politics, sports, arts, and culture such as Kamala Harris, Colin Kaepernick, Michael Jordan, Thurgood Marshall, and Toni Morrison, and is sure to be a treasured resource for generations to come. America’s Black fraternities and sororities are a unique and vital part of 20th century African American history, providing young black achievers with opportunities to support each other while they serve their communities and the nation. From pioneering work in the suffragette movement to extraordinary strides during the Civil Rights era to life-changing inner-city mentoring programs, members of these organizations share a proud tradition of brotherhood, sisterhood, and service. Today, America’s nine black fraternities and sororities are millions of members strong with chapters at HBCUs, Ivy League Schools, and colleges across the nation including Stanford University, Howard University, and the University of Chicago.

Download or read book Black Greek Letter Organizations in the 21st Century written by Gregory S. Parks and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2008-06-13 with total page 803 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A masterpiece of multidisciplinary scholarship that clearly demonstrates the contemporary relevance of black fraternities and sororities.” —Hasan Kwame Jeffries, author of Bloody Lowndes During the twentieth century, black Greek-Letter organizations (BGLOs) united college students dedicated to excellence, fostered kinship, and uplifted African Americans. 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. Lewis. Despite the profound influence of these groups, many now question the continuing relevance of BGLOs, arguing that their golden age has passed. To foster a greater engagement with the history and contributions of BGLOs, Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the Twenty-first Century brings together an impressive group of authors to explore the contributions and continuing possibilities of BGLOs and their members. Editor Gregory S. 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. Both internally and externally, BGLOs struggle to forge a relevant identity for the new century. 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. 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. 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.

Download or read book Disciplining Women written by Deborah Elizabeth Whaley and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2010-09-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An interdisciplinary look Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), the first historically Black sorority.

Download or read book Diversity in Black Greek Letter Organizations written by Wendy Marie Laybourn and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Starting in the early twentieth century and still thriving in the contemporary era, Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) provide social support, networking opportunities, and service for the Black community. Although BGLOs have always been majority-Black organizations, there are small numbers of non-Black individuals who choose to pledge their membership. Diversity in Black Greek-Letter Organizations: Breaking the Line explores the experiences of these non-Black members who have immersed themselves in organizations rich with Black history and culture. Through in-depth interviews with thirty-four such members, Wendy Marie Laybourn and Devon R. Goss reveal how and why these individuals come to identify with organizations designed for the uplift of races other than their own. For non-Black BGLO members, the association with a Black organization provides them the opportunity to consider the meaning of racial inequality and their own racial identities. Although many non-Black BGLO members recount challenges to their membership, the participants in Diversity in Black Greek-Letter Organizations ultimately find a sense of belonging with their Black brothers and sisters, which Laybourn and Goss argue can provide an example of the challenges and promises of cross-racial interactions as a whole.

Download or read book A Pledge with Purpose written by Gregory S. Parks and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 347 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals the historical and political significance of “The Divine Nine”—the Black Greek Letter Organizations In 1905, Henry Arthur Callis began his studies at Cornell University. Despite their academic pedigrees, Callis and his fellow African American students were ostracized by the majority-white student body, and so in 1906, Callis and some of his peers started the first, intercollegiate Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO), Alpha Phi Alpha. Since their founding, BGLOs have not only served to solidify bonds among many African American college students, they have also imbued them with a sense of purpose and a commitment to racial uplift—the endeavor to help Black Americans reach socio-economic equality. A Pledge with Purpose explores the arc of these unique, important, and relevant social institutions. Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey uncover how BGLOs were shaped by, and labored to transform, the changing social, political, and cultural landscape of Black America from the era of the Harlem Renaissance to the civil rights movement. Alpha Phi Alpha boasts such members as Thurgood Marshall, civil rights lawyer and US Supreme Court Justice, and Dr. Charles Wesley, noted historian and college president. Delta Sigma Theta members include Bethune-Cookman College founder Mary McLeod Bethune and women’s rights activist Dorothy Height. Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, who left an indelible mark on the civil rights movement, was a member of Phi Beta Sigma, while Dr. Mae Jemison, a celebrated engineer and astronaut, belonged to Alpha Kappa Alpha. Through such individuals, Parks and Hughey demonstrate the ways that BGLO members have long been at the forefront of innovation, activism, and scholarship. In its examination of the history of these important organizations, A Pledge with Purpose serves as a critical reflection of both the collective African American racial struggle and the various strategies of Black Americans in their great—and unfinished—march toward freedom and equality.

Download or read book Black Haze Second Edition written by Ricky L. Jones and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2015-06-27 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expanded and revised edition of the first book devoted solely to black fraternity hazing. Are black men naturally violent? Do they define manhood in the same way as their counterparts across lines of race? Are black Greek-letter fraternities among the most dangerous student organizations on American college and university campuses? Can their often-dangerous initiation processes be stopped or even modified and, if not, what should be done about them? In this second edition of Black Haze, Ricky L. Jones takes on these questions and more. The first edition was an enlightening and sometimes disturbing examination of American men’s quest for acceptance, comfort, reaffirmation, and manhood in a world where their footing is often unstable. In this new edition Jones not only provides masterful philosophical and ethical analyses but he also forces the engagement of a terrifying real world process that damages and kills students with all too frequent regularity. With a revealing new preface and stunning afterword, Jones immerses the reader in an intriguing and dark world marked by hypermasculinity, unapologetic brutality, and sometimes death. He offers a compelling book that ranges well beyond the subject of hazing—one that yields perplexing questions and demands difficult choices as we move forward in addressing issues surrounding fraternities, violent hazing, black men, and American society. “Black Haze is a landmark study on hazing culture within black Greek-letter organizations. With an insider’s eye and scholar’s touch, Jones masterfully captures the emic contours, complexities, and contradictions of black fraternity hazing as ritual act and cultural practice. This text is at once rigorous and accessible, theoretical and practical, classic and urgent. Anyone interested in understanding hazing, masculinity, BGLOs, or black cultural practice must read this book!” — Marc Lamont Hill, coauthor of The Classroom and the Cell: Conversations on Black Life in America “Black Haze is a compelling survey of black Greek-letter organizations, their history, purpose, and their most damning traditions. This is an examination of how the virtues of brotherhood and civic service coexist with brutal violence and cruelty within some of the oldest organizations in black America. Professor Jones has produced a vital contribution about a crucial and enduring problem.” — William Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress “Ricky Jones’s Black Haze is an important study of black male identity development. By examining black men’s relationship with fraternities, he uncovers larger and brilliantly penetrating insights into issues of masculinity and political identity among African American males in the post-civil rights era.” — Peniel E. Joseph, author of Waiting ’Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America “Black Haze is a riveting coup de grâce against ritualized violence in black fraternities. The second edition of Black Haze is the most penetrating, illuminating, and articulate sociopolitical and cultural analysis of the chilling legacy of violence in black Greek-letter fraternities. As one of the world’s leading authorities on black masculinity and organizations, Ricky Jones intelligently confronts traditional verities, social norms, and myths that seek to justify and continue ritualized violence in black fraternities through the courageous prism of a reformed insider dedicated to the preservation of black dignity and life.” — Jeremy I. Levitt, author of Black Women and International Law: Deliberate Interactions, Movements and Actions Praise for the First Edition “ provides valuable insights into the reasoning behind hazing, a practice that extends into the realms of sports and even high school, and is relevant for not only fraternity members and officials, but the general public as well.” — The Griot “ an important contribution because of the skillful manner in which Jones incorporates and critically analyzes relevant literature and other related scholarly writings Jones, himself a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, offers personal observations as well as first-hand views and perceptions of hazing.” — Journal of College Student Development

Download or read book Before You Pledge Essential Information You Should Know About the Divine Nine written by Dr. Michael J. R. Winfield and published by MJW Enterprises, LLC. This book was released on with total page 134 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Before You Pledge: Essential Information You Should Know About the Divine Nine is an important read for all those considering joining a Black Greek Letter Organization or for anyone wanting to simply learn about the origin of this august body of black men and women. The dawn of the twentieth century brought many challenges to young African American students seeking enrollment at all-white college campuses. Intense racial prejudice forced many black students to leave predominantly white universities. And at the same time, on Historically Black College campuses, the desire for fellowship through shared social experiences led to the rise of Black Greek life, starting with Cornell University in New York. Alpha Phi Alpha, the first black fraternity formed at a predominantly white university in 1906, would point the way for similar organizations to develop. Between 1906 and 1922, eight Black Greek Letter Organizations were formed, with a ninth in 1963. Known collectively as the “Divine Nine,” these five fraternities and four sororities would go on to shape the course of Black America. Together, these young black men and women would face down racial prejudice, take the lead in the fight for social justice, in the end, reshape the American cultural landscape. Finally, no other group of people can claim to have the sheer degree of accomplishments in all areas of human activity in the United States and in many other parts of the world compared to the Divine Nine.

Download or read book Brothers and Sisters written by Craig LaRon Torbenson and published by Associated University Presse. This book was released on 2009 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 1950s are arguably the watershed era in the civil rights movement with the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, and the desegregation of Little Rock (Arkansas) High School in 1957. It was during this period--1955 to be exact--that sociologist Alfred M. Lee published his seminal work Fraternities without Brotherhood: A Study of Prejudice on the American Campus. Lee's book was the first and last book to explore diversity within college fraternal groups. More than fifty years later, Craig L. Torbenson and Gregory S. Parks revisit this issue more broadly in their edited volume Brothers and Sisters: Diversity in 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. It also brings a wide range of scholarly approaches to the inquiry of diversity within college fraternities and sororities. It explores not only from whence these groups have come but where they are currently situated and what issues arise as they progress.

Download or read book Organizing Black America An Encyclopedia of African American Associations written by Nina Mjagkij and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-12-16 with total page 713 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With information on over 500 organizations, their founders and membership, this unique encyclopedia is an invaluable resource on the history of African-American activism. Entries on both historical and contemporary organizations include: * African Aid Society * African-Americans forHumanism * Black Academy of Arts and Letters * BlackWomen's Liberation Committee * Minority Women in Science* National Association of Black Geologists andGeophysicists * National Dental Association * NationalMedical Association * Negro Railway Labor ExecutivesCommittee * Pennsylvania Freedmen's Relief Association *Women's Missionary Society, African Methodist EpiscopalChurch * and many more.

Download or read book Soulstepping written by Elizabeth Calvert Fine and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stepping is a complex performance that melds folk traditions with popular culture and involves synchronized percussive movement, singing, speaking, chanting, and drama. Elizabeth C. Fine's stunningly elaborate and vibrant portrayal of the cultural politics of stepping draws on interviews with individuals on college campuses and steppers and stepping coaches from high schools, community groups, churches, and dance organizations. Soulstepping is the first book to document the history of stepping, its roots in African and African American culture, and its transformation by churches, schools, and social groups into a powerful tool for instilling group identity and community involvement.

Download or read book The Elite 8 written by Secret Collectible Things and published by Littlethings Collectible. This book was released on 2013-03-13 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside this Collectible book, you will learn the historical facts, origins and traditions of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Phi Alpha as well as the important lingo of the original eight African American Fraternities and Sororities. A one-of-a-kind collectible book that you will want to keep forever!

Download or read book Alpha Phi Alpha written by Gregory Parks and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2012 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On December 4, 1906, on Cornell University’s campus, seven black men founded one of the greatest and most enduring organizations in American history. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. has brought together and shaped such esteemed men as Martin Luther King Jr., Cornel West, Thurgood Marshall, Wes Moore, W. E. B. DuBois, Roland Martin, and Paul Robeson. “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. In Alpha Phi Alpha, Gregory S. Parks, Stefan M. Bradley, and other contributing authors analyze the fraternity and its members’ fidelity to the founding precepts set forth in 1906. 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. 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.