Book description
The first African American fraternities and sororities were
established at the turn of the twentieth century to encourage
leadership, racial pride, and academic excellence among black college
students confronting the legacy of slavery and the indignities of Jim
Crow segregation. With a strong presence that endures on today's
campuses, African American fraternities and sororities claim legendary
artists, politicians, theologians, inventors, intellectuals,
educators, civil rights leaders, and athletes in their ranks.
In this second edition of African American Fraternities and
Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision, editors Tamara L. Brown,
Gregory S. Parks, and Clarenda M. Phillips have added new chapters
that address issues such as the role of Christian values in black
Greek-letter organizations and the persistence of hazing. Offering an
overview of the historical, cultural, political, and social
circumstances that have shaped these groups, African American
Fraternities and Sororities explores the profound contributions that
black Greek-letter organizations and their members have made to America.
New in the second edition:? Examination of the relationship between
Christian values and organizational identity? Investigation of hazing
rituals? Survey of academic performance in black Greek-letter
organizations? Discourse on notions of masculinity in black
Greek-letter organizations? Accounts of the professional lives of
black Greek luminaries
""One of the first scholarly works published on BGLOs,
African American Fraternities and Sororities not only provides a
history of these overlooked organizations and their impact on America
but serves as an unbiased testament to the intellect, dignity,
commitment, and courage of the 'Divine Nine' in their struggles
against recial injustice." -- Tennessee Historical
Commission" --
Tamara L. Brown, associate professor of psychology at the
University of Kentucky, is a founding member of the Pi Mu chapter of
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at Longwood University in Virginia. Gregory
S. Parks, assistant professor of law at Wake Forest University School
of Law, is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He is the editor of
Black Greek-Letter Organizations in the 21st Century: Our Fight Has
Just Begun and coeditor of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, the
Demands of TranscendenceClarenda M. Phillips is professor of sociology
and chair of the Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Social Work
at Morehead State University.
