Southern belles raising hell

Time to get our douchebag stamps out and ready to go. Alabama is at it again.

Another black girl had been blocked from joining one of the many charming greek houses University of Alabama has to offer.

Sisters were psyched to welcome a black pledge into the fold, but it seems that after alumnae stepped in, her bid was mysteriously dropped.    

This may not come as a surprise — it’s Alabama, after all. It’s not exactly known for its racial tolerance.

But when compared with nearby big universities, UA’s greek integration rate is particularly low and disappointing.

It’s been 10 years since the last black girl was accepted into a UA sorority. Carla Ferguson made history in 2003 because she was the first African American girl to pledge a traditionally white sorority and get in.

We think it’s time for change, and people and sisters of several UA sororities agree.

There is no reason this girl didn’t make the cut. She was perfect. The salutatorian of her class, she graduated from high school with a 4.3 grade point average, was a loyal volunteer and had good connections with the university.

She was getting an A+ in Greek Pledging 101, but her race kept her from graduating.

Somewhere behind closed doors is a cult of middle-aged women snickering over
bottles of wine as they shatter the dreams of black girls across campus.

Thankfully, the active members of the sorority asked questions this time.

Though one sorority sister expressed the fear of consequence in being the house to take a black girl, the willingness of various sisters to speak to the Crimson White,
UA’s student paper, brought this travesty to light.

These women took ownership of their sorority and told the old biddies that resorting to old racist tropes won’t be the norm any longer. They’re now one step closer to becoming the house they want to be.

Because of the publicity this story received, UA has pledged to end the segregated sorority system.

The woman in question still won’t be joining the sorority in Alabama, but hopefully she will be the last girl turned away because of her color.

All historic institutions have something to learn from the action these southern belles took, especially greek houses at IU that have checkered pasts when it comes to racial inclusion and sensitivity.

If you want to be in a sorority that accepts people of all races, make one. If you want to be involved in an organization that doesn’t discriminate against people for matters as trivial as skin color, join one.

If you don’t want to go down in history being associated with Alpha Omega Racist, get out.

Stand up for your beliefs. We haven’t gotten where we are by staying silent.

­— opinion@idsnews.com
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