Now more than a century old, black Greek-letter organizations – fraternities – have more than 800,000 members. But are such organizations an asset or do they go against African-American culture? Ali Rooms argues that rather than unifying the black community against the effects of racial prejudice, they simply became a means for blacks to assimilate into white culture and society, and a means of creating a self-perpetuating black oligarchy .
Over the past five years, there has been a resurgence of research around the philosophy and mission of the Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO). While my work suggests that black brotherhood rites of passage – which include ancestor veneration, concepts of rebirth, and dance performances – may reflect characteristics found within traditional West African communities, new theories suggest that BGLOs should be criticized as social movements.
BGLO are among the most influential organizations in the country. Collectively, these organizations claim approximately 800,000 members, many of whom come from the social elite of black culture. Each year they offer countless scholarships and conduct thousands of service programs. As a result, many of the strongest supporters of BGLOs not only insist that their existence is a valuable asset to society, but also point out that these organizations, which include writers, social activists, educators, and community leaders civil rights, are historically linked to the success of the movement. African-American community.
Conversely, many of their harshest critics argue that the organizations’ activities that included secret meetings, selective membership, and a preference for lighter complexions allowed black elites to create a distinctly privileged society based on snobbery and arrogance and thus allowed these organizations to perpetuate the vicious circle of racial prejudice and white supremacy.
Historian and sociologist WEB DuBois sometimes openly condemned black fraternities. In a 1930 commencement speech at Howard University, DuBois said: “Our student today is, on average, a man untouched by true culture. He deliberately indulges selfish and even stupid ideals, invading semi-professional athletic societies and Greek letter societies…we have in our colleges a growing mass of stupidity and indifference.”
Therefore, it was conformity to Western values and social norms that created controversy around the original purpose of the BGLO. Between 1906 and 1920, eight of the most important BGLOs were created. Many researchers question whether these organizations were created in hopes of unifying the black community against the harmful effects of racial prejudice or whether they were created by young African American students in order to gain acceptance into American society imitating existing white organizations of the time. .
The creation of Black Brotherhood had a dual objective. First, these organizations were created with the broader goal of pooling the resources of African Americans in hopes of acquiring an education. Second, these organizations were created with the goal of black students gaining acceptance into American society, that is, the academic community, by imitating or creating organizations that mirrored pre-existing white organizations.
As early as the 1700s, black people in America believed that conditions were imposed on them to warrant equality or citizenship. These included acceptance of Christianity, participation in the military, obedience to republican or democratic principles, and economic development. Taken together, these can be summarized as “be like us » theory of equality– that blacks would be equal to whites when they became like whites. Another approach was to attempt to adjust all thoughts and actions to the will of the group as a whole: assimilation into white culture and society. A third way was a conscious effort at self-realization and action.
Racial uplift was the response of black elites and their challenge to white supremacy. This was both a contradictory position that sought to assert that African Americans belonged to a racially subordinate caste, while also serving as a model for African Americans aspiring to redefine themselves as members of a class higher social. Racial uplift sought to refute the idea that African Americans were biologically inferior by integrating the black community into respectable categories of Western progress. In general, black elites claimed to possess class distinctions from other African Americans. Additionally, the presence of a “better class” of blacks indicated racial progress. They believed that improving the material and moral condition of African Americans through mutual aid would diminish white racism.
“Chicago Urban Conservation Partnership – Phi Beta Sigma” by US Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters is licensed under CC PAR 2.0
Although the BGLO had the specific goal of liberating the black community from its inferior position as second-class citizens, many viewed these organizations as a means of Black bourgeoisie create and maintain privileged status and recognition within the black community. Nevertheless, despite their reliance on elitism and snobbery, the popularity of the black fraternity was bolstered both by the exclusivity of these organizations and by the idea that they were helping to produce a better class of blacks.
Rather than adhering to their own traditions and cultural attitudes, many members of the BGLO abandoned traditional African views and adopted the views of the dominant Anglo culture. Although it is true that BGLOs were social organizations that used certain elements of traditional African culture. and combined them with elements of European culture, these organizations ultimately used their power and influence to create a self-perpetuating black oligarchy.
Although the BGLO served as a haven for black thought and allowed new attitudes to emerge regarding the future of the black community, these organizations were conceived within the framework of Western culture, which, over time, reflected the views of a racist society and thus became an obstacle to the development of the black community. promotion of the black community. In this regard, the BGLO became a cultural incubator reflecting the concerns, prejudices and desires of the white community. As a result, the BGLO became an oppressive organization that was sometimes used to suppress African characteristics and uphold white supremacist ideals.
This article is based on the article ‘The Failure of Black Greek Letter Organizationin the Journal of Black Studies.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.
Note: This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of USAPP – American Politics and Policy, nor of the London School of Economics.
Shortened URL for this article: http://bit.ly/2x3siQf
_________________________________
About the Author
Ali D. Chambers – Claflin University
Ali D. Chambers, PhD is an assistant professor of African American studies at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. His work and research focuses on the historical and cultural impact of the Black Greek Letter Organization. Currently, Dr. Chambers is finishing his book, Finding Consciousness in the Black Brotherhood.