Yesterday, I was talking to someone and they asked me why i wanted to pledge Omega. I started talking about how I really examined the organization and believed in everything that the organization stood for. I did not pledge because I wanted to party or hop or for popularity reasons. i pledged because i respected an Organization that tried to give young black males a political voice and a network so they could prosper. I saw a fraternity founded on unifying the black community and uplifting our people when it was unsafe for black people to walk down the street at night.
She then repeated the question like my answer was complete bullsh*t. It bothered me to point that i began to realize that she had a reason to not believe me. It is because a lot of greeks (my org and others) do not represent their organization as it was meant to by our founders. It seems the whole craze is with stepshows, partywalks, and parties and we have forgot about the important things. The sad thing is we are making greeks who want to join for the forementioned things. Which is one of problems with Intake. What good is it to make 80 people on a line when only 12-13 really want to work to make the organization better. I would would rather have 5 men loyal to one cause than 50 who barely even care. How can you call yourself someone's linesister or linebrother and you don't even know their name. BGLOs have become a joke compared to the 30's or 40's when we really worked to make a difference. There are so many t-shirt wearers out there that it is a shame. What happened to major political moves like the deltas marching for suffrage or frats refusing to do business with discriminatory businesses. People used to look at greeks as powerful, honorable, and unified. Now, people see frats as something to go see during blackgreek week or the homecoming stepshow. This goes hand and hand with continous downfall of the black race. We have to get back to the important stuff, things that greek life is really based on.
The Carter G. Woodson's, Martin Luther King's, W.E.B. Duobis's and Johnny Cochran's of our prospective organization's are **** and gone. Our Jesse Jackson's and company are getting old.. Who twenty years from now will be our ambassadors. The day we depend on rappers and athletes to identify our organizations is a sad day.
I havent been around in a minute but I did read up on this topic before posting a reply and I definitely feel where you're coming from team. I've had this same conversation with older bruhs and members of different fraternities and asked them what they felt the difference between today's greeks as opposed to the greeks back in the 50's, 60's, and 70's and they each say pretty much the same thing about how the times have changed and that we're not really in touch with our communities and issues that concern us. We as young blacks have this microwave mentality of right now, instant gratification, that we don't persevere to see something through to the end. Yea we go to the marches but once the march is over are we following up on the issues are we making sure that something is resolved? We don't. There are still societal issues that we can address and have a major impact on but we overlook those. I agree with laidback about how if we fulfill our Nationally Mandated Programs, we would make enough of an impact. But at the same time, if we don't follow through with them once we've built the house, reclaimed a few bruhs/sorors, gave out some scholarship money, what have we really done? I think we make things look good on the surface but neglect the things that go on underneath. Just my QUE-cents.
I think you hit the nail on the head and I agree completely. What you said not only applies to BGLOs but young blacks in general.
k, i'm gonna pretend like the 2nd page of this thread never happened, becuz it was pretty darn good before then. But ummm...yeah, good topic. K, my viewz...
I agree with Mila, i think it's bigger than BGLOs. It's our society in general. Things just aren't like they were in the past and everything cannot and will not be solved with a march or a sit in.
We deal with alot of sensationalism and superficiality today. So people see nothing but step shows and strolls becuz that is what they choose to see. Greeks do countless amounts of community service and hold forums about social issues. I don't know about every other campus, but i know i am constantly seeing flyers posted about a different event being held or some type of donation drive. But that isn't what gets the hype...nor is that what draws a crowd (well, unless the people attending are persuing membership).
Futhermore, i know for a fact that a list could go on for pages and pages of Greeks who are doctors, lawyers, civil rights activists (yes, they still exist), and countless other social leaders. But i bet if we made a thread about current notable members(even tho one already exists), the only Greeks that folks would list and care about are actors, singers, rappers, and atheletes. In the country that we live in, those are the people that get the glory. So it wouldn't surprise me that someone would want to join an org becuz the colors are nice, or becuz their steps are tight, or becuz they look fly on the yard...
True, because we can do all the community service projects we want and all everyone will remember is the last party
This is true to a degree, BGLOs are often "rated" based off how many members, parties, and other social events they participate in. If for some reason a particular organization isn't as socially visible than another, then non-greeks often form negative opinions about these chapter, not realizing that MANY BGLO members do most of their work off campus, on the weekends, early in the morning when most college students are still in bed. However, while there are many chapters who do a lot of community service there are some that do absouletly nothing, or just complete the bare minimum if there are chapter requirements. If a chapter is known for doing nothing but partying then they are more likely to attract aspirants whose ultimate goal is to party, if an organization is known for being serious about community service then they are also much more likely to attract like minded aspirants.
It is true that our society looks for instant gratification, many black people espically young black people believe that because we no longer live under segregation or under the conditions that our ancestors endured that everything in society is "okay." Many of us have adopted western values of individualism, where we are competetive amongst each other and see no reason in helping the next person progress in society becaue they BELIEVE they achieved their sucess on their own. All of this is wrong, and very damagingl to our society, we still live in racism, instead of the obvious racism of the 40s we have scientific, institutionalized, and cultural rasism. 50% of black children live in poverty, black men's life expentancy in the US is declining and comparable to the life expectancy of people living in under developed counties, over 40% of black males are functionally illiterate, our black babies are dying 2x more than white babies. If these aren't prevelant issues then please tell me what is, we all need to educate ourselves about what is going on in society and dedicate ourselves to making it a priority to use our God given talents to help another. To whom much is given, much is expected(Luke), we are all blessed therefore we can and SHOULD all take an interest changing our community for better.
Well I certainly see where you are coming from in terms of Greeks losing sight of their purpose. However I don't understand what that has to do with you attacking big lines.
Magnolia Steele wrote:
Which is one of problems with Intake. What good is it to make 80 people on a line when only 12-13 really want to work to make the organization better. I would would rather have 5 men loyal to one cause than 50 who barely even care. How can you call yourself someone's linesister or linebrother and you don't even know their name.
I don't quite see what a big line has to do with promoting and exemplifying the goals of the founders. If anything I would believe that it would mean more people to do the work of the organization. I know plenty of Greeks that crossed on small lines that are not active, do not discuss their experience and do not have any connection to their organization. Of course a greater number of initiates increases the odds of a greater number of "tee shirt wearers" because their are tee-shirt wearers" in every organization and it is a game of percentages. If 10% of a line of 10 people are not interested in doing the work of the organization, that's only one person. But if 10% of a line of 100 is lazy, that's 10 people. And while yes that is 9 more tee-shirt wearers than the line of 10, conversely, there are 90 more people willing to do the work of the organization. I don't see what "knowing someones name and calling them your line sister/brother" has to do with the work of the organization or involvement of the community. Majority of the people in your organization are not on your line and are nameless but yet you work as a whole to do the work of the organization. I feel like this was a needless shot at big lines.
Magnolia Steele wrote:
BGLOs have become a joke compared to the 30's or 40's when we really worked to make a difference. There are so many t-shirt wearers out there that it is a shame. What happened to major political moves like the deltas marching for suffrage or frats refusing to do business with discriminatory businesses. People used to look at greeks as powerful, honorable, and unified. Now, people see frats as something to go see during blackgreek week or the homecoming stepshow. This goes hand and hand with continous downfall of the black race. We have to get back to the important stuff, things that greek life is really based on.
Furthermore, members of Greek organizations have other vehicles through which to make a change. While the Deltas may have marched for suffrage, women that are members of Delta Sigma Theta may now chose to march with their employers or with their church or with the NAACP. Perhaps Greek life isn't as all-encompassing as it was back in the day. I know a lot of Greeks who kind of distance themselves after college and become involved in civic groups and organizations with less of a focus on collegiate life. Black people in general have become less unified and that does include organizations within the black community. Greek life is not exempt.
I did not mean to attack big lines.. sorry if i did... i was talking about how greeks race to get number and instead of making quality members they worry about quanity of members... knowing your ls/lb name now that is something I believe you should atleast know. A ls/lb bond is supposed to be one of the strongest bonds next to your family. To call myself someone's linebrother and i never even had a conversation with them is just silly
I feel u on that note
I always tell prospects of greek organizations that. knowing your lb/ls is a bond that you shouldnt take for granted and something that you should want which is one of my main purposes for joining Zeta. i knew i couldnt get that bond anywhere else that i have with my LS;s and my sorors.
