Black Greek-letter Organizations Research Articles

It Takes a Village: A Conceptual Model for Black American Community Partnerships

School counselors underutilize three community entities within the Black American community: the Black Church, salons and barbershops, and Black Greek letter organizations (BGLOs). School counselors can use cultural wealth and multitiered systems of support (MTSS) as frameworks for making these connections to further cultivate Black American student achievement. This conceptual article provides information to aid school counselors in assisting students through data and SMART goals; bolstering student success; and closing the achievement, attainment, and opportunity gaps.

Racial socialization and perceived social support for African American fathers in academia

AbstractObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to understand the role that racial socialization plays in African American fathers' abilities to balance the responsibilities of being productive scholars and active parents and understand how racial socialization affects the perceived social support in the home and work environments.BackgroundThough there is research on the microaggressions and implicit bias that African American faculty face, there is little research that specifically details the experiences of those balancing both the father and faculty member roles.MethodData were collected using semistructured interviews with 20 African American fathers who were employed as faculty members at various institutions in the United States. Additionally, I explored how the murders related to the #SayTheirName movement influenced conversations fathers had with their children related to racial socialization and anti‐Black racism in the United States.ResultsParticipants noted that they experienced microaggressions in their academic environments. They were perceived as intimidating or characterized as the Angry Black Man. These perceptions were sources of mundane extreme environmental stress for participants. An emergent finding related to social support and work–life balance was that most study participants were members of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) and found instrumental, informational, and emotional social support from these relationships.ConclusionRacial socialization received in their upbringing was a source of self‐efficacy for some participants. Additionally, perceived social support from the home and work environment was important for the participants' individual development, yet it was not the primary factor that influenced their work–life balance.

BLACK GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATIONS: FACILITATING HEALTH PROMOTION FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS ACROSS THE LIFECOURSE

Abstract African Americans remain underrepresented in accessing and utilizing evidenced-based health promotion interventions (EBIs). Challenges with dissemination and implementation of EBIs further corroborate existing racial/ethnic health/healthcare disparities. Therefore, there is a need to identify effective ways to increase the widespread adoption of health promotion behaviors among African Americans across the life course. It is plausible that engaging in non-traditional partnerships (i.e., community groups or organizations valued in the community with the capacity and infrastructure) could result in greater adoption and improved utilization of EBIs among African Americans. Although frequently overlooked as a study variable in empirically sound public health research, Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) could be an innovative and practical approach to advancing health in the African American community. It is necessary to gain preliminary evidence of feasibility (e.g., motivation, target population reach, acceptability, ). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis to identify the intentions and communication trends of BGLOs as it pertains to public health and the African American community and assess population reach and perceptions by evaluating responses to communication specific to health promotion.We assessed health promotion patterns of four BGLOs in a ten-county metropolitan area. Coded content included communication via the organization’s webpage, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn from a five-year time period. Findings confirm that BLGOs are invested in the health and well-being of the community, place emphasis on mitigating health inequities, and are uniquely positioned to serve as stakeholders for the translation of EBIs to end-users.

BLACK GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATIONS: FACILITATING HEALTH PROMOTION FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS ACROSS THE LIFECOURSE

Abstract African Americans remain underrepresented in accessing and utilizing evidenced-based health promotion interventions (EBIs). Challenges with dissemination and implementation of EBIs further corroborate existing racial/ethnic health/healthcare disparities. Therefore, there is a need to identify effective ways to increase the widespread adoption of health promotion behaviors among African Americans across the life course. It is plausible that engaging in non-traditional partnerships (i.e., community groups or organizations valued in the community with the capacity and infrastructure) could result in greater adoption and improved utilization of EBIs among African Americans. Although frequently overlooked as a study variable in empirically sound public health research, Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) could be an innovative and practical approach to advancing health in the African American community. It is necessary to gain preliminary evidence of feasibility (e.g., motivation, target population reach, acceptability, ). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis to identify the intentions and communication trends of BGLOs as it pertains to public health and the African American community and assess population reach and perceptions by evaluating responses to communication specific to health promotion.We assessed health promotion patterns of four BGLOs in a ten-county metropolitan area. Coded content included communication via the organization’s webpage, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn from a five-year time period. Findings confirm that BLGOs are invested in the health and well-being of the community, place emphasis on mitigating health inequities, and are uniquely positioned to serve as stakeholders for the translation of EBIs to end-users.

Developing Nontechnical Professional Skills in African American Engineering Majors Through Co-Curricular Activities

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This study contributes to efforts to diversify the field of engineering by studying the influence of co-curricular activities on African American students’ development of key nontechnical professional skills. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> The 21st Century workforce requires significant collaboration and communication. For engineering graduates to meet workforce challenges, they must graduate with nontechnical skills. This study operationalized these skills using traits identified in the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) “Engineer of 2020” report. The NAE also points to the urgent need for the United States to diversify its workforce; broadening the participation of African American engineers is key to doing so. Co-curricular activities help students develop nontechnical professional skills and are particularly important to African Americans at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Question:</i> How do African American engineering students attending PWIs in the United States develop nontechnical professional skills through participation in ethnic-specific co-curricular activities? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 16 participants from one of six engineering disciplines. Each participant was a member of at least one of the following organizations: a Black fraternity or sorority (termed Black Greek Letter organizations), their campus student chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, or an institution-sponsored program for racially underrepresented students such as a minority engineering program. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> Data analysis revealed significant evidence that involvement in one or more of the studied ethnic-specific co-curricular activities enhanced African American engineering students’ educational experiences by providing resources and opportunities to help them develop professional skills.

The Black Women of the US Congress: Learning from Descriptive Data

ABSTRACT Black women have been historically excluded from Congress and the policymaking power available in the institution. This essay shares details about the 52 Black women who have navigated this raced and gendered institution (Hawkesworth 2003) since 1969. We discuss data on these Black congresswomen, including, but not limited to, their educational attainment, occupations prior to serving in Congress, and ties to Black Greek Letter organizations. We argue that this descriptive data will prompt new questions for legislative scholars and open conversations about disciplinary norms and assumptions which may need revision in light of Congress’ increasing diversification.

A Comparison of Street Gangs and Fraternities in the United States of America: Demographics, Conduct, and Criminal Justice Perception and Responses

Street gangs and university fraternities are both prevalent social institutions in the United States of America. Despite differences in classification and treatment, they share many of the same characteristics, particularly initiation rituals, the pervasiveness of drugs and alcohol, the emphasis placed on brotherhood and male bonding, and the ways in which misogynistic attitudes and violence are used to reinforce masculinity and dominance. Despite these similarities, offences ranging from misbehaviour to criminal activity by fraternity members are protected under the guise of “academic brotherhood”, and thus go largely unpunished. On the contrary, gang members, who often come from lower-class backgrounds and are over-represented in Black and Hispanic populations, are not afforded these same benefits. I will be further exploring these double standards by examining the experiences of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) and how they are likened to ‘educated gangs’. In this paper, I will be exploring the similarities between street gangs and fraternities in the United States in terms of demographics, conduct, and the types and prevalence of criminal offending. I will also be discussing the differences in classification and response of these two institutions by both the general public and the criminal justice system. While I am not advocating for the expansion of federal gang definitions to include fraternities, there needs to be a serious conversation regarding the types of violence that we take seriously, and the ways in which race and class factor into these decisions.&#x0D; Keywords: gang, fraternity, sexual violence, alcohol, initiation, masculinity, Black Greek Letter Organizations

“Men Doing Life Together”: Black Christian Fraternity Men’s Embodiments of Brotherhood

Black people in the United States have and continue to pursue practices of communal bonding as well as cooperative-and-sharing economies, from the invisible institution of Black religion to underground activist collectives such as the African Blood Brotherhood. While many efforts were explicitly political, other organizations primarily emphasized socioeconomic advancement for its group members and the broader Black community. One such set of collectives that in many ways embodied both aims are Black Greek-letter Organizations. One of their enduring legacies is the ability to produce a unique and powerful sense of sisterhood and brotherhood. Through various processes, shared symbols, and cultural artifacts, Black fraternal organizations create a sense of camaraderie readily apparent to even lay observers. Yet, very few empirical studies have examined how fraternity men define and embody such brotherhood bonds. Thus, the purpose of the present study sought to fill these knowledge gaps by addressing the following research questions: (1) how do Black Christian fraternity men define and embody brotherhood? and (2) what social and emotional benefits do Black Christian fraternity men gain from brotherhood? Using qualitative data gathered through various techniques (i.e., semistructured interviews, photovoice and identity maps, focus groups, and Facebook observations), we describe the ways Black male members of this Christian fraternity embody brotherhood as accountability and co-construct a space for men to experience and benefit from intimacy.

Social Networking and Leadership Accountability in (Quasi) Secret Organizations

Almost a century ago, United States Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandies articulated an insightful analysis in a Harper’s Weekly article titled What Publicity Can Do.1 He noted that “[p]ublicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Justice Brandeis’s idea vis-a-vis the virtues of publicity had germinated more than two decades prior when he expressed an interest in writing a companion piece to his article The Right to Privacy. This time, however, he would focus on the duty of publicity. He noted that he had been thinking “about the wickedness of people shielding wrongdoers & passing them off (or at least allowing them to pass themselves off) as honest men.” His proposed remedy was that, “[i]f the broad light of day could be let in upon men’s actions, it would purify them as the sun disinfects.” Fortunately, we live in an era in which organizations have difficulty keeping their conduct in the dark. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and whistleblower protection laws amplify the sunlight cast upon organizations. But there are, for a range of reasons, organizations that operate in the shadows — possibly due to the law but certainly due to internal dynamics. A classic example is black Greek-letter organizations (“BGLOs”). These organizations, with their secret rituals and yet public operations, are now more than one century old and have a membership that is a veritable who’s who in black American achievement. In the past few years, several of these organizations have been rocked by scandals about their national presidents engaging in financial malfeasance with organization funds. What is more interesting is that members have had tremendous difficulty addressing these issues. There are, after all, a number of organizational dynamics that might constrain BGLO members from being able to hold their leadership accountable for financial malfeasance. This Article contends that where organizational mechanisms militate against leadership accountability, (quasi) secure social networking sites may be the best hope for (quasi) secret organization members to hold their leaders accountable.

The Failure of the Black Greek Letter Organization

Between 1906 and 1920, eight of the most prominent Black Greek-letter organizations were established. The creation of the Black fraternity had a dual purpose. First, these organizations were established for the greater purpose of pooling the resources of African Americans in the hopes of acquiring an education. Second, these organizations were formed as an attempt by Black students to gain acceptance into American society. Black Greek-letter organizations are some of the most influential organizations in the country. Collectively, these organizations claim approximately 800,000 members, with many coming from the social elite of Black culture. Despite the great influence and vast membership that these organizations possess, the activities of the Black Greek-letter organization have included secret meetings, selective membership, and a preference for lighter-complexioned members. Moreover, the failure and shortcomings of the Black Greek-letter organization have allowed Black elites to create a separate privileged society based on snobbery and arrogance and have thus enabled these organizations to perpetuate the vicious cycle of racial prejudice and White supremacy.

The Failure of the Black Greek-Letter Organization

Between 1906 and 1920, eight of the most prominent Black Greek-letter organizations were established. The creation of the Black fraternity had a dual purpose. First, these organizations were established for the greater purpose of pooling the resources of African Americans in the hopes of acquiring an education. Second, these organizations were formed as an attempt by Black students to gain acceptance into American society. Black Greek-letter organizations are some of the most influential organizations in the country. Collectively, these organizations claim approximately 800,000 members, with many coming from the social elite of Black culture. Despite the great influence and vast membership that these organizations possess, the activities of the Black Greek-letter organization have included secret meetings, selective membership, and a preference for lighter complexioned members. Moreover, the failure and shortcomings of the Black Greek-letter organization have allowed Black elites to create a separate privileged society based on snobbery and arrogance and have thus enabled these organizations to perpetuate the vicious cycle of racial prejudice and White supremacy.

“You’re Either One of Us or You’re Not”: Racial Hierarchy and Non-Black Members of Black Greek-Letter Organizations

Colleges and universities across the United States tout the importance of racial diversity, yet highly public racialized incidents persist. Historically, Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) were created in the early twentieth century in response to the racism Black students experienced on college campuses. While previous literature provides evidence for the positive effects of BGLOs for Black members, less is known about if and how these effects of BGLO membership extend to non-Black members. Drawing on 34 in-depth interviews with non-Black members of BGLOs, we seek answers to three yet unasked questions: First, why do non-Blacks come to identify with BGLOs? Second, what are the responses and reactions to this identification process and experience? And finally, how does this identification relate to larger shifts in the United States’s racial hierarchy? We find that campus racial climate acts as a catalyst for BGLO membership and that BGLOs continue to serve their purpose as a necessary counter-space but that also, non-Blacks come to identify with these organizations in order to develop meaningful interracial solidarity and oppose their hostile campus climates.

The African Rites of Passage and the Black Fraternity

Traditional West African organizations, called Asafo, bear a striking resemblance to Black Greek-letter organizations. The common bonds that link the Asafo companies of Ghana with the Black Greek-letter organizations of the United States lie within their rites of passage, the guiding principles, philosophical views, and overall character inherent to these organizations. While slavery and colonization strained, it did not completely break the cultural bond between Africans in Africa and those who reside in the West (the United States). Moreover, wherever people of African descent may reside, their cultural practices have always remained an intricate part of their lives. This article seeks to analyze the presence of African culture found within the Black Greek-letter organization and determine how African Americans were able to materialize, communicate, and ultimately sustain these African identities under antagonistic social conditions.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and the Fight for Civil Rights

The narrative of African Americans' quest for racial equality and social justice in the twentieth century is typically construed in the context of main-line civil rights organizations -- NAACP, SCLC, SNCC, and the like. However, for decades, black fraternal networks helped lay the groundwork for the major civil rights campaigns that culminated in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Much of this history emerged from the efforts of the predecessors to black Greek-letter collegiate organizations -- black secret societies. Black secret societies were created in response to the racialization and racism experienced by blacks in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Blacks were subjected to legal, political, financial, and social exclusion, and this marginalization was institutionalized, which allowed for its perpetuation. As a result, black secret societies formed, not only as an act of self- and race-consciousness, but also to combat these oppressions. Through black secret societies, members entered into a bond of brotherhood and built a community among themselves and around the goals of racial uplift. Whereas black benevolent societies and churches also provided support, a key element that differentiated black secret societies was their organizing body. With an organizational structure that included local, regional, and national bodies, black secret societies provided an infrastructure for long-lasting organizations and impact, along with offering leadership training. This structure also solidified its power, which yielded a strong political voice. In addition to political voice, black secret societies’ power in numbers and solidarity enabled uplift through a multitude of objectives, such as buying and investing in real estate, providing educational opportunities, caring for the most marginalized within their communities, securing home and life insurance, and training for business ownership. Overall, the goal of black secret societies was threefold: first, it provided deep personal ties among members; second, it addressed exclusion both from white fraternal organizations as well as society generally; third, there was a focus on racial uplift. The influence of black secret societies can be seen through Black Greek Letter Organizations’ (“BGLOs”) organizational structure and purpose of providing support to members and the community-at-large.

Schools for the Better Making of Men? Undergraduate Black Males, Fraternity Membership, and Manhood

This multi-institutional qualitative study was conducted to understand how African American male undergraduates, who are members of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs), construct manhood within both historically Black college and predominantly White institution contexts. Built on evidence derived from participants’ narratives, this study contributes to the field by offering manhood perspectives as a pertinent part of the overarching view of BGLO membership and identity as experienced by African American males. Following data analysis, two general themes emerged: (1) teaching persistence and leadership and (2) expanding worldviews. Findings from this study inform higher education administrators, advisors and staff about how African American male students construct manhood as members of BGLOs.

Teaching and Learning Guide for Black Greek‐Letter Organizations

Sociology CompassVolume 8, Issue 5 p. 571-587 Teaching & Learning Guide Teaching and Learning Guide for Black Greek-Letter Organizations Devon R. Goss, Devon R. Goss Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorDenishia Harris, Denishia Harris Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorDeronta Spencer, Deronta Spencer Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorMatthew W. Hughey, Corresponding Author Matthew W. Hughey Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut Correspondence address: Matthew W. Hughey, Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. E-mail: matthew.hughey@uconn.eduSearch for more papers by this author Devon R. Goss, Devon R. Goss Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorDenishia Harris, Denishia Harris Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorDeronta Spencer, Deronta Spencer Department of Sociology, University of ConnecticutSearch for more papers by this authorMatthew W. Hughey, Corresponding Author Matthew W. Hughey Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut Correspondence address: Matthew W. Hughey, Department of Sociology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. E-mail: matthew.hughey@uconn.eduSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 April 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12159 This guide accompanies the following article: Parks, Gregory S., Matthew W. Hughey, and Rodney T. Cohen. ‘The Great Divide: Black Fraternal Ideals and Reality.’ Sociology Compass. Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume8, Issue5May 2014Pages 571-587 RelatedInformation

Complicit in Their Own Demise?

Violent hazing has been a longstanding issue within African American, collegiate fraternities and sororities, otherwise known as black Greek‐letter organizations (BGLOs). This article investigates how and what hazing victims know about their hazing experiences. Additionally, the article examines how victims' knowledge of hazing may hold serious implications for tort defense doctrines like assumption of risk and comparative fault. Specifically, the authors conduct two studies—one quantitative and the other qualitative—to find that not only are BGLO pledges aware that their pledge experiences are likely to involve mental and physical hazing, but that they believe such experiences will likely continue throughout the entirety of their induction process. Moreover, appreciation for hazing experiences is often captured in the fraternal chants, greetings, and songs they learn or create, which together reflects some understanding of danger and risk. The authors contend that these elements of black “Greek” hazing culture may serve as evidence of assumption of risk or comparative fault.

Black, Greek, and read all over: newspaper coverage of African-American fraternities and sororities, 1980–2009

Moving out of the shadows of their secret roots, African-American fraternities and sororities or ‘Black Greek-Letter Organizations’ (BGLOs) have recently witnessed an explosion of attention. From Hollywood depictions to academic scholarship, BGLOs' form and function, in a world increasingly hailed as ‘post-racial’, is increasingly interrogated. Activists, members, and scholars commonly argue that BGLOs suffer from a dearth of quality media representation; they are propelled into mainstream discourse only in relation to tales of violent hazing or coverage of stepping. Yet, no empirical work to date has considered this topic. Moreover, given current theoretical debates over either the one-sided framing or the fragmented state of racial media representations, we examine a random sample of the last thirty years of US newspaper articles on BGLOs (N = 1,917). While findings are mixed, we illuminate clear patterns that simultaneously constrain and enable the representation of BGLOs and African-American civic participation.

Student Affairs Professionals, Black 'Greek' Hazing, and University Civil Liability

Violent hazing within black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) has cost lives and millions of dollars in civil damages to BGLO members, BGLOs, and host institutions. To date, little scholarship has focused on the role of the law as it relates to BGLO hazing. This article explores the role student affairs professionals play in BGLO collegiate chapter advising and how their advising may place their academic institutions at risk for hazing liability. Prophylactic measures are recommended.

White Boys Drink, Black Girls Yell...: A Racialized and Gendered Analysis of Violent Hazing and the Law

In the past several decades, legal scholars have directed a modest amount of time and energy toward the issue of hazing. However, only within the past couple of years has there been any concerted effort to investigate the intersection of African American fraternities and sororities — also known as Black Greek-Letter Organizations (“BGLOs”) — and the law, particularly including hazing issues. The recent emergence of this scholarship is in striking contrast to the long and storied history of these organizations. Despite their longevity and accomplishments, information about BGLOs has largely been confined to their own internal texts. It was not until the mid-1990s that scholars generally began to investigate these organizations. It took almost another decade for public works on these groups to appear. Shortly thereafter, a proliferation of BGLO scholarship appeared. In this article, the authors theorize that legally consequential behavior is influenced by race and sex. Specifically, this article contends that hazing, as a form of legally consequential behavior, manifests itself quite differently within BGLOs than within their white counterpart organizations. Specifically, this article finds that hazing in Black fraternities is more physically violent. The authors contend that prevailing and yet provincial notions of Black masculinity in the United States underscore the violent nature of Black fraternity hazing. Section I provides an anthropological history of rites of passage, as well as the evolution of collegiate fraternity and sorority hazing. Next, Section II analyzes the legal implications of hazing in both the criminal and civil realms. Section III reviews the study of hazing in White fraternities and sororities, as well as Black fraternities and sororities. The article concludes in Section IV with an empirical analysis, via an archival study and a large national survey, of how race and gender intersect to predict different forms of hazing among fraternity and sorority members, and why race and gender intersect to create a unique variant of hazing within Black fraternities.