The Great Divide: Black Fraternal Ideals and Reality

Abstract

BlackGreek-letter fraternities (herein after "BGLFs") are unique and complex organizations with a rich history. Holding the ideals of high academic achievement, developing and sustaining fictivekinship ties, maintaining strong racial and gender identity, implementing a racial uplift agenda, and demonstrating a commitment to the perpetuity of their organizations together define BGLF members. Drawing upon the growing corpus of Black fraternity scholarship, this article first investigates the extent to which Black fraternities have remained faithful to these founding ideals. Second, it explores the ways in which Black fraternities articulate fidelity to these founding precepts. Third, it assesses the degree to which Black fraternities are currently consistent with these foundational ideals. And fourth, it examines the future of Black, collegiate-based fraternalism in specific to contemporary challenges to BGLF's function and even existence, especially in regard to hazing. Broader implications, specifically in the legal realm, are discussed. (1911), Phi Beta Sigma (1914, and Iota Phi Theta 1 (1963)] that are member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)the umbrella society to the nine major Black fraternities and sororities (McKenzie 2005). Specifically, we contextualize these BGLFs' founding by analyzing the cultural and institutional factors that gave rise to BGLFs, and how these factors shaped the identity of BGLFs. Second, we explore the ways in which BGLFs articulate their fidelity to their founding precepts. Next, we assess the extent to which BGLFs are currently consistent with their foundational ideals. We close with our perspective on the future of Black, collegiate-based fraternalism.

“Men Doing Life Together”: Black Christian Fraternity Men’s Embodiments of Brotherhood

“…Within this Christian context, Biblical scriptures offer textual legitimacy to the importance of brotherhood and the practice of bible studies help to solidify the bonds of brotherhood. Similar to Parks, Hughey, and Cohen (2014), Chipumuro (2012) also points to the challenges to espoused versions brotherhood—as always already sites of inclusions—that emerge from the voices of women and youth. Notwithstanding, Chipumuro argues that fraternalism as embodied among her community of participants shares strong similarities with Black fraternal organizations through “mutual aid, ritualism, and democratic participation” as well as “inform counter-cultural identifications for Black constituents negotiating the exclusions of US society” (p. 619).…”

“…One central feature of this new iteration of Black fraternalism was an explicit commitment to and embracing of Christianity. Although many of the historic BGLOs were founded upon Christian principles (Parks, Hughey, and Cohen 2014) and considered by some to be secular counterparts of religious institutions (Harris and Sewell 2012), these newly founded organizations perceived the existing fraternities to have moved away from a Christian ethos. As Kimbrough (2003) points out, these newly formed organizations explicitly constructed brotherhood through a prism of Christian theologies that also offered a venue for enjoying unique collegiate experiences (e.g., Greek life).…”

“…Other scholars have closely examined the notion of Black fraternalism in both secular and religious spaces. In considering the institutional predecessors of Black Greek-letter fraternities (BGLFs), Parks, Hughey, and Cohen (2014) argue that Black churches, Black secret societies, and college literary societies bequeathed to the latter a commitment to racial uplift vis-à-vis collective action as well as organizational clarity. As BGLFs emerged, the authors explain, their practices of Black fraternalism materialized as foundational principles: scholarship, brotherhood, race consciousness, and activism.…”

“…That is to say, while a corpus of scholarship speaks to the history, evolution, and contemporary configurations of NPHC sororities and fraternities, comparatively less is known about other predominantly Black fraternal organizations such as Christian fraternities that have several distinctions. For example, one distinction between the two types NPHC and predominantly Black Christian fraternities is that while the former were founded upon and continue to hold some Christian values, they are actively open to potential members from different faiths, beliefs, and religious organizations (Harris and Sewell 2012; Parks, Hughey, and Cohen 2014). Conversely, the organization we explore in our study describes themselves as men who are committed to Jesus Christ and actively participates in evangelical pursuits (note that we decided against sharing specific quotes from the organizations’ materials in order to not disclose the identity of the group).…”

Individual, Behavioral, and Situational Correlates of the Drugging Victimization Experiences of College Women

“…Further, the missions and goals of Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) discourage joining exclusively for social reasons. BGLOs are organized around the ideals of high academic achievement, developing and sustaining fictive-kinship ties, and maintaining strong racial and gender identity (for a detailed history of BGLOs, see Parks, Hughey, & Cohen, 2014). Ray and Rosow (2012, p. 84) observed this in their interviews with Black fraternity men who viewed the fraternity role as more serious than partaking in party culture; instead, Black fraternity men described the fraternity role “to represent ‘the ideal Black Greek’ to the Black community and ‘the ideal Black student’ to the White community and administration.” Interestingly, these interviews also revealed that Black fraternity men have a heightened level of accountability to Black sorority women because both Black fraternities and Black sororities are members of the National Panhellenic Council, one of the two governing bodies over the Greek system, and as such, Black women could hold organizational positions enabling them to govern over Black fraternities.…”