“The Harvest is Plentiful but the Laborers are Few:” An Interdisciplinary Examination of Career Choice and African American Sororities

Abstract

Teaching was a popular career option pursued by African American women prior to the 1970s; since then, there has been a steady decline of interest in the profession. Historically, black sororities helped to recruit new teachers and provided social networks of support for professional African American women. In this article, we examine research literature from multiple disciplines that links the historic mission of black sororities to the ethic of caring and othermothering routinely practiced by teachers in their communities. We contend one way black sororities may demonstrate their relevance in contemporary society is by employing new strategies to help recruit and retain African American women teachers.