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Future Directions
- The University Press of Kentucky
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Future Directions 465 465 FUTURE DIRECTIONS Tamara L. Brown, Clarenda M. Phillips, and Gregory S. Parks Without question, black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) have made substantial contributions to African American history and advancement.Founded upon the principle of racial uplift, BGLOs, for nearly a century, have lent their collective muscle to the fight for economic, educational, and social progress for African Americans in the face of unimaginable racism, discrimination, and oppression. Yet for too long their collective stories have been untold, and their substantial role in the leadership development and high scholasticism of some of this country’s greatest inventors, scientists, and innovators has been unknown . It is our hope that this book, though far from an exhaustive account of their accomplishments, has pulled back the curtain on some of the monumental achievements of BGLOs, revealing how they have worked behind the scenes for years to fight for justice, equal access, and the liberation of Africans in the Americas and in Africa. We hope, too, that we have provided a heretofore absent understanding of the historical and social contexts that gave rise to their existence, gave shape to their organizational structures and missions, and gave power to their individual and collective efforts to improve life and liberty for African Americans in this country. Yet, for all the good they have accomplished, BGLOs have not escaped the structural racism in this country unscathed. Like other African American individuals and institutions, they have struggled with the problems of elitism, colorism, and violence; with how to develop an identity that affirms their African heritage despite messages and images of a savage and uncivilized African continent; and with many other problems endemic to having been formed in a racist U.S. society. At the risk of airing dirty laundry, or of putting our business out on “front street,” we have tried to provide an incisive and accurate portrayal of what is currently known about BGLOs, both the good and the not so good. Also, we have provided information on issues that continue to plague BGLOs, particularly the controversy over hazing versus pledging. Such a balanced and scholarly treatment has previously been lacking in books about BGLOs. We hope that future authors will share our enthusiasm in this regard. We hope, too, that we have succeeded in providing a bit of an insider’s view of BGLO culture. Although there is considerable curiosity about this brownconclusion.pmd 1/11/2005, 4:07 PM 465 466 Tamara L. Brown, Clarenda M. Phillips, and Gregory S. Parks topic—especially what makes BGLOs different from their white counterparts— little is known about the inner workings of BGLOs because there has been so little published research in this area. Outsiders see BGLO brands, hear their calls, watch their step shows, and, until 1990, observed the public aspects of their pledge processes, but the reasons behind these practices and what they symbolize for members are largely a mystery to non-BGLO members, as are the mechanisms by which they transmit leadership skills to their members. We have presented what little is known about these topics, but clearly, much more research is needed. We have been unapologetically scholarly in our treatment of the issues covered in this book. Our desire was to treat BGLOs with the level of seriousness they deserve; thus, we have provided a comprehensive review of the existing literature, drawing from both lay and scholarly works. The contributors to this volume are scholars from across the country, representing many domains (fine arts, higher education administration, history, psychology, sociology). Our coverage has been broad, and the contents of this book represent the“state of the art” as it pertains to BGLOs. We hope that this book will serve as a catalyst for other scholarly and serious treatments of BGLOs,for there is much work to be done. Many relevant topics were not explored in this book but are, nonetheless, important and worthy of research. For example, several novels by E. Lynn Harris, beginning with his debut novel Invisible Life (self-published in 1991 and later picked up byAnchor Books in 1994), have prominently featured BGLOs, fraternities in particular. Since then, a number of other literary works mostly about black sororities, have followed suit. For example, in 2001, Tajuana Butler published Sorority Sisters, and Kayla Perrin published Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa; in 2002, Breggie James published Sister Secrets; and in 2004, Dorrie Williams Wheeler published Be My Sorority Sister—Under Pressure. Although they are fiction, they are based on...