The sororities at the University of Alabama were just officially incorporated in 2013, though the Panhellenic Association stays primarily white. According to the university’s paper The Crimson White, white trainees represented about 89 percent of prospective brand-new members however comprised about 85 percent of the UA undergraduate population in spring2021 Roughly 1.3 percent of promises determined as Black, per the paper, with 97 percent of the Black PNMs who finished the recruitment procedure getting quotes–“a higher rate than any other racial group,” The Crimson White kept in mind.
Bama Rush briefly enters into the history of the Divine 9, which are the 9 traditionally African American Greek- letter companies, consisting of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the very first African-American sorority on sorority row.
Rian, who is biracial, discussed why she chose to hurry outside the Divine 9.
“To be in a D9 sorority, I feel like there is a tie to history that you need to have,” Rian shares. “Even if I had become more comfortable with who I was in a racial sense, I still feel like I wouldn’t fit in there because I was raised by white people. I think they would have accepted me, but I think I wouldn’t have accepted myself enough to get the sorority experience I would have been happy with.”
Still, Rian noted she had actually handled microaggressions, while among the doc’s highlighted PNMs, Mikalya Miller, opens about the battle of being a biracial lady.
“Everyone just looks at you, if you have any drop of color in you,” Mikalya states. “It’s just awkward, I guess.”
