The University of Oklahoma Video, and the Problem Fraternities Can’t Fix Themselves

[cali]

WHAT should we do about fraternities?

That’s a question not only for the University of Oklahoma, where two fraternity members were recently expelled after they appeared in a video singing a violently racist song.

Some critics argue that American college campuses should ban them altogether: Don’t wait for the next hazing death or vile speech caught on cellphone camera.

Others contend that campuses need to encourage multicultural Greek life, and should give incentives for students to cross the Greek color line, setting up brochure-worthy party houses that capture “post-racial” America. That idea is perhaps nice in theory. But it doesn’t work.

I study race and the Greek-letter system on North American campuses. I have interviewed hundreds of members of historically white fraternities and sororities, at big state universities and smaller liberal arts colleges, on the East Coast and in the South. My research indicates that nonwhite students who successfully pledge those groups — roughly 3 to 4 percent of fraternity or sorority members — live a harsh existence of loneliness and isolation.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/14/opinion/the-university-of-oklahoma-video-and-the-problem-fraternities-cant-fix-themselves.html

[1StrongBlackMan]

1. As I indicated in another thread ...

I knew several African-American males that pledged traditionally white fraternities ... and I always felt kind of sad for them. They were always having to live up to they brothers' most blatant racial stereotypes, and then, were punished for doing so.

For example, one guy was constantly being held out as the chapter "Mandingo" at their parties ... at one event (I attended), he was actually encouraged (in that white fraternity chanting "Whip it out ... Whip it out" sort of way) to pull out his penis to show how well endowed he was.

He didn't do it rather he just laughed along with the "joke" ... reaching for his zipper and turning his back to the crowd.

But, he shared with me that, early on in his membership, he had been shunned by some of the members when he bedded 3 white girls in one evening, at the same time, after one such party chant. He said, his brothers were all at his door cheering him on and editorializing on the sounds coming from inside the room ... until the door opened and "Miss Ann", "Chelsea" and "Becky", walked out.

(Sadly, the lesson he learned was living up to the stereotype was harmless fun ... so long as he didn't slept with white girls.)