2 Storied Black Sororities—AKA and Delta—Won’t Let Their Members Protest While Wearing Greek Letters [View all]

[KamaAina]

http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2014/12/aka_dst_members_can_t_wear_letters_at_protests.html

Collectively known as the Divine Nine, black fraternities and sororities have long been central to the African-American college experience—standing as vanguards of social justice, community service, black excellence and achievement.

So it has been surprising and, to many members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., disappointing that they’ve been forbidden by their respective organizations from wearing their Greek-letter paraphernalia while participating in protests that have been sparked around the country to voice anger and frustration at nonindictment decisions for former Ferguson, Mo., police Officer Darren Wilson and New York City police Officer Daniel Pantaleo....

The directives have come down as students at several black colleges, notably the Atlanta University Center—which includes Morehouse College, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University—have become visibly active in speaking out against injustice in the Ferguson and New York City cases.

And given the histories of both sororities—and the legacies of such illustrious AKAs as C. Delores Tucker, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King; as well as Fannie Lou Hamer, Myrlie Evers-Williams and Mary McLeod Bethune, all members of DST—some young activists have rejected their organizations’ national directives because they believe that the directives run, fundamentally, in opposition to the values upon which these sororities were built.

I am posting this as penance for jocularly suggesting to my AA friend who posted this to her FB that the fictitious "Beta Lambda Mu" would disagree. She replied "This subject is not available for humor." Thus endeth my clunky white attempt at solidarity.