If one were to take interest in learning more about the organizations of The NPHC and pursued further knowledge through the organizations themselves, they’d hear and read words like scholarship, sisterhood, brotherhood, service, uplift, and responsibility. This is because the ideals and principles on which each of these organizations were founded upon are incredibly noble and admirable. That’s undeniable. These organizations represent prominence and unity in The Black Community and have a large impact on many college student’s lives and higher learning experiences.

With all of that said, there are traditions practiced by these organizations on a large scale that do much to undermine and sabotage the very basis under which they were founded.  Many argue that Black Greek Culture is broken or tainted due to acts such as hazing and the blatant and intentional process under which people change (for the worse) after gaining entry into an organization.  The same organizations that were meant to serve as a shining light of hope and unity for African Americans everywhere are being damaged from the inside out. The members of these fraternities and sororities, who don’t seem to understand the responsibility of being said member, engage in widespread reckless behavior.  Keep in mind, that we are discussing a culture here. This is not the fault of any individual.  A bit of a mob mentality and complacency on behalf of national chapters can be very much to blame.

Let’s begin with the obvious: Hazing is bad.  Its common practice for people to turn their heads and ignore reprehensible behavior.  This holds particularly true within the Black Community (no snitching).  Pretty much each organization of The NPHC will give their scripted BS statement about how their organization is a “non-hazing fraternity or sorority” while pretty much anyone that hears will know they are “a hazing fraternity or sorority”.  Quite frankly many members of these organizations have a hard time keeping a straight face when they make the statement.  Step one in tearing down something that was meant to be noble and good is now in motion.

Organizations will tell interested parties to their faces that they don’t engage in the illegal act known as hazing, they will post it on their website and put it in their pamphlets, but you better believe that in most cases you will experience some form of mental/physical anguish in order to gain entry into their organization. Organizations and IG’s will ignore the homoerotic undertones of stripping another grown man naked, bending him over and paddling him in the rear and the ego feeding smug exchanges between existing members and interested parties.  Pledges themselves in many cases see a serious problem with attaining membership into the organization of their choice based on personal merit alone, without going through some type of hazing process. People may attempt justify these actions by saying everyone has to earn their way through a right of passage, or if you are truly dedicated and want with all your heart to be a proud member of this organization you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. Those are cute ways of displacing accountability for acts that offending members and pledges alike know for a fact is wrong. What’s disturbing is that authority doesn’t seem to step in until a pledge is brutally injured or in severe cases killed. It’s extremely difficult to believe that national organizations are completely oblivious to the fact that hazing is a common occurrence. It would be equally acceptable to believe that they simply turn a blind eye like everyone else does until it goes a little too far. Incidents in which criminal charges are brought upon members for behavior that was previously encouraged and celebrated have occurred in several instances. In all instances the offending members took the brunt of the punishment.

This mob mentality and cultural acceptance causes young men and women that otherwise know right from wrong to act in a manner that is criminal and disgusting, ignoring the personal conflict they may have with treating fellow scholars so poorly.

The Greek process has become the ultimate power trip.  You take two students of very comparable or identical standing. You give Student A: 3 letters and 2 colors on a jacket or t-shirt, you give Student B: the desire to wear those 3 letters and 2 colors. You will now see student A test and prod to see how much control he can truly have over Student B. If Student B isn’t willing to degrade and humiliate himself to the satisfaction of Student A, it is now determined that “he didn’t want it bad enough”.  A vicious cycle has been set in motion, in which very qualified young men and women are denied entry into organizations over petty personal issues with existing members or those qualified candidates or completely turned off to the idea of joining the organization because of what they witness.  There are students that fit the description of men and women that these organizations are supposed to seek out, instead the petty ego tripping and poor representation shown in various college settings encourages certain students to steer away from NPHC organizations.

What’s shocking and upsetting to those that desire to be members of The NPHC for the right reasons is that: The behavior that would be deemed unacceptable or detrimental to society in almost any other arena is accepted so widely in a culture that was built upon the principles and values mentioned in the opening paragraph.  Can we not have anything worth having for long before it becomes tainted and corrupt? Organizations that are supposed to build lifelong friendships, brotherhoods and sisterhoods are used for popularity boosters. These organizations cause neophytes to harbor lifelong resentment for prophytes and power hungry college students to abuse their newly attained status in the black college community.  Otherwise good kids get swept up into a culture deceives and manipulates freshman girls for sexual purposes and somehow justifies the celebration and glorification of celebrating parties and male reviews with more enthusiasm and excitement than community service events and scholarly achievement. If there’s a social event coming up you’ll have fliers jammed in your face and you’ll see strolls and hear chants about said event for a week leading up to the date. If there’s a community service event you’ll receive a facebook message (maybe) and the date will come and go quietly like any other on the calendar.  Students are given on average, a 4 or 5 year window to graduate college. Many students, in seeking to gain entry into a Greek Organization will push back and postpone their graduation date semesters at a time for their opportunity. The process they must endure in order to gain entry has a negative impact on their health and in many cases their grades.  It is my honest opinion that once it reaches this point, the idea has been lost and the process is counterproductive.  While it is known that one attends College for more than the educational experience, yet its foolish to neglect the education in hopes of attaining something you may not get to enjoy and be a part of some day.

At the end of the day the young men and women that seek to be members of these organizations need to decide if they’re doing so for popularity and glamor or for prestige and honor. At some point we have to stand up and no longer allow people to think that earning their letters is a free pass to do wrong without reprimand.  Hold yourself to higher standards, even when you think people aren’t looking . . . because they are.

I must be clear when I say this. It is not my opinion that these Black Greek Organizations are irrelevant and bad in totality. There is a sense of togetherness and discipline that is gained and appears to be evident on most any campus in the nation.  I’m simply stating that all the good you do does not give you a free pass to have the bad you do be swept under the rug and ignored by everyone. There are too many NPHC members getting by, shamming on work, treating members of the community they claim to lead poorly, and accepting full responsibility of the reputation of their organizations only when it serves them best.  Yes we are all human, none of us are perfect, but once you’ve allowed yourself to take advantage of the status you’ve attained by manipulating and mistreating others for personal gain or temporary satisfaction you have officially pimped your organization and its founders. You’ve pimped the core values and principles and you’ve fed fuel to the ever growing stigma that Black Greek Life is consumed by.   I’m aware that not every member of every organization acts this way, but I also feel that if you aren’t making the decision to be an agent of change from the inside out, if you sit idly by while these things are going on, if you don’t love your brothers and sisters enough to call them out when they’re out of line, then you are guilty as charged.  It can’t not be lost on these individuals how much of a positive impact they can have on things in our communities.  The responsibility is extremely powerful and the consequences of a leader’s actions permeate with strong force throughout all aspects of the lives of those following.  I ask that if you are a member of these organizations, that you take time to remember and appreciate the fact that you are more than a popular person to be seen and paraded around.  How you treat people and the example you set are all under heavy watch by young impressionable minds. After all, you are leaders.

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3. Blown out of Proportion
4. Self-Genocide: The Death of a Nation
5. Big Rims and Shiny Chains, L.A.M!!!!!!