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There Goes The Neighborhood

Mike

Well-known member
TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- Days after the University of Alabama admitted that some Greek organizations excluded potential members based on race, women from at least two traditionally white UA sororities took to social media Friday afternoon to celebrate their groups' newest members, which include black students.

Halley Lindsay and Cami McCant are among those who are accepted invitations through the continuous open bid process, which was reopened by UA President Judy Bonner after the university landed in the national spotlight for racial segregation in its Greek system.

Lindsay accepted a bid Friday from Alpha Gamma Delta. McCant, a senior at the university, accepted a bid to Kappa Alpha Theta.

On Friday, Lindsay tweeted a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." Other posts on social media included the hashtag #makinghistory.


The move to integrate UA's sororities comes 50 years after desegregation of the university's student body when Gov. George Wallace stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium on June 11, 1963, in an attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from registering for classes.

On Wednesday, hundreds of students and faculty members marched on the university’s administration building with a banner proclaiming "The Final Stand in the Schoolhouse Door," calling for the end of racial discrimination everywhere on campus.

The groundbreaking sorority bids come at the end of a process that started in early August, when some asked if this was the year a Panhellenic sorority would offer a black woman a bid.


Despite having the largest sorority recruitment in the nation, no traditionally white sorority offered a bid to a black recruit at Bid Day on Aug. 17.


Almost a month later the university’s student newspaper The Crimson White published a report in which sorority women accused their advisers and alumnae of blocking them from offering bids to well-qualified black women.


As the story spread, major players were talking about segregation in the sororities. Gov. Robert Bentley spoke on the issue and said it was time for an attitude change. The Rev. Jesse Jackson came to the university’s campus to decry racial segregation in any of its forms.

After a Sunday night meeting behind closed doors with advisers to all Panhellenic sororities, Bonner mandated Monday that continuous open bidding happen in all sororities in an effort to achieve more diversity in the Greek system.


In a video statement released Tuesday, Bonner said that "the eyes of the nation are once again on the University of Alabama."


"If we are going to adequately prepare our students to compete in the global society, we simply must make systemic and profound changes," Bonner said.


The school’s Student Government Association announced Thursday that block seating at UA’s first home football game would be suspended. Generally, the Greek system takes up most of block seating in Bryant-Denny Stadium, and the SGA president, Jimmy Taylor, said he did not want the student body to appear divided or segregated.


Also on Thursday, U.S. attorney Joyce Vance announced that her office would be looking into allegations of racial discrimination in Greek organizations.
 

jigs

Well-known member
so, the official stance is, we don't like blacks, but we don't want to LOOK like we don't like blacks/..... very smooth....
 
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