Stuff Black Greeks Like… Mostly :)

Update from BGLO Observer

June 25, 2008 · 53 Comments

I have to take a break. My life is changing right now and I need time to adapt. I appreciate all the angry rants and cries to get a blog, but I need time to sort out my life right now.

With that, I am taking a break. There will be no blog this week, and I will update you on the status of next week. I am sorry, but this is my life and I have to take it by the reins, and I just don’t have the time right now.

Much love from BGLO Observer.

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Sorry! Blog Next Week

June 20, 2008 · 78 Comments

I’m having too much fun. Sorry for my niggardly ways! Back next week with more f*ckery!

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Blog will be late - POSTING FRIDAY!!!

June 18, 2008 · 202 Comments

I’ve got work to do today…surprised? I’m sure you understand. :)

I will try to get it out there by the end of the night. It is about half finished.

Later people!

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#27 Alphas - Extreme and Unsubstantiated Arrogance

June 11, 2008 · 436 Comments

This one took some time to write because I really wanted to get the Alphas good. I mean isn’t the speculation that the writer of this blog is showing favoritism to Alphas? HA! Had to put that to rest. I’m an equal opportunity offender when it comes to BGLOs.

They have so many good things going for them as a fraternity that I knew there is something deeper that must emerge, because no one is that perfect EVER, even if the Alphas seem to think that highly of themselves.

I thought about every interaction I have ever had with the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. I had to dig deep for this one only to find that what fuels Alphas is apparent on the shallow surface.

I have come to one conclusion: They are EXTREMELY ARROGANT and for what reason I haven’t the slightest clue!

Arrogant

1 : exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner.

synonyms see proud.

Have you ever been around Alphas that so arrogant, that you kinda just take it for granted? Like it is a part of them or something? I am well aware that people mistake arrogance for confidence, but this is definitely not the case here.

The Alphas are the victims of their stereotype of being intelligent and distinguished men. Many Alpha men are in the who’s who in the circles of society. Unfortunately it seems that they are now becoming so absorbed in their own perceived intelligence and greatness, that they have become increasingly impossible to talk to or deal with without an irrational intellectual beatdown or liturgical display. We (people with good sense not to argue with a fool) finally bow out gracefully because we are tired of them running their mouthes… they think it’s because they have won the argument.

The Alphas will remind you at every turn that they are the FIRST Black Greek Fraternity established on a college campus, and while it is true that they are the first fraternity of it’s kind to SURVIVE, they are certainly not the first of their kind to be formed. Alpha Kappa Nu was a short lived fraternity established in 1903 (at Indiana University) . They disbanded, but later some members of that fraternity  re-organized to found Kappa Alpha Psi in 1911. You also have Sigma Pi Phi (The Boule) which has established itself as a professional fraternity founded in 1904 even though they were not meant for college campuses. Whose first? It depends on who you ask.

How many chapters have the self-exalting “Arrogant” or “Bloody” moniker before their names? Give that a rest please. Do a search on google “Arrogant Alpha-Phi-Alpha” or “Bloody Alpha-Phi-Alpha” and you will find a host of chapter websites which proudly proclaim the aforementioned. When did being arrogant become a quality that one embraced as a good thing? If you read the definition of the word, it implies that you are EXAGGERATING about your fraternity’s accomplishments and the greatness and it’s members. You have unwittingly branded yourselves as a bunch of blow hards LOL! Even their motto is arrogant. “First of all, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.” HUH? OKAY.

I know for every “talented tenth” Alpha I find, I find about 2 who are ghetto, weed smoking, baggy pants wearing, hood rich Alphas taking five years plus to graduate because they are too busy partying and doing the fraternity’s bidding. They finally wake up and realize that all of their frat with good sense has already graduated and moved on to real life, and have left them in the dust… THIS IS THE ONLY REASON THEY CHOOSE TO FINISH THEIR DEGREES, for their arrogance won’t let them be viewed as anything less than superior. Alphas love being popular and being the center of attention, and you will hear about infamous ones who are known by everyone, and have probably slept with every woman (and possibly some men we don’t know about) in their groupie paths.

There is nothing more personally arrogant than the Alpha’s annual tradition of Ms. Black and Gold. I would expect nothing less than misogyny less from them than to judge a beauty pageant. At least they are giving away money to the poor things.

Because of their false sense of confidence, Alphas formally believe that they are mediators of the NPHC, because of this they STAY up in other organization’s business, proclaiming they know this or that, often inserting their unwanted opinions into conversations which have not a damn thing to do with them. They often write books about Greek life, providing commentary on other Greek orgs they have studied for years, only to miss the point entirely or make grave errors in the process. I mean you can always tell an Alpha, but you can’t tell his arrogant arse much. Even his blatant errors are correct in his eyes. They try to hold other BGLO’s to standards that they can’t meet themselves. It’s the double standard which is rarely talked about in which they hold. They will be the first ones trying to offer a counterpoint to an argument that doesn’t need one or was never asked for to begin with. If I could characterize some of the men of Alpha, they would remind me of the “educated” prison character played by Damon Wayans on “In Living Color… “The ambiquity that I feel never justifies itself. There is always the pungent odor of life’s CONSTIPATION, that seripticiously conflicts with the detrimental instability… give a 2,4,6,8 who do we appreciate…”

Ha Ha Ha! I always smile when I see that. :) Plain ole babble.

Speaking of this, their arrogance yields something hiding under the surface, their unreliability and the lack of confidence that they swear they have. That is what happens when you think of yourselves higher than you aught. You often take on tasks in which you do not have the capacity to execute.

What in the hayle has happened with the MLK memorial? Wasn’t that supposed to be built years ago? We saw that the Alphas were going to take this on as their baby and make sure that this monument to one of their greatest frat brothers would be erected in Washington DC. They came up with the idea to erect this monument for their frat brother since 1996, only to miss deadlines for ground and mishandle fund raising efforts. The Alphas screwed that up, thanks to widespread arrogance of thinking they could manage that task themselves. MLK meant something to this entire country, and here you have Alphas trying to get all the glory for themselves. Others had to jump in and help because of it. Hmph.

Alphas overall are really boring as hell to be around IMHO, and are often so wrapped up in themselves that they often don’t have room for anyone else in their arrogant bubble. Way to get rid of those gay rumors… It’s rare, but if you friend an Alpha that is confident in his own skin without the excessive self-glorification, you might have found a four leaf clover. There are some out there to the Alpha’s credit.

Their arrogance astounds me so, it really hurts my head thinking about it.

What is the moral of this blog if any? Alphas, your accomplishments should stand on their own, and you don’t need to arrogantly shout them from the rooftops. People may start to think you are hiding behind the real truth somewhere….

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Some Thoughts From BGLO Observer

June 10, 2008 · 26 Comments

Hello people, its Tuesday morning and I just wanted to speak my mind about this blog and others.

I started this blog with fun and purposeful intentions in mind to help BGLOs examine their purpose and charter a course for improvement into our next 100 years of existence. We knew we wanted to use jokes, laughter, and a bit of irony that would upset a lot of folks to get it done. I know that with the anonymity of the internet comes internet courage, trolls, and folks who have nothing to do on their lunch breaks but to cause trouble, and I have seen plenty of in the comment responses to this blog. That is fine, but I must come clean about something I have been feeling about the subject of Kimberly Torres.

I have been feeling rather bad for her, and as when I posted that first blog about her in #26, I wanted to bring to light that she is the reason you shouldn’t make ghosts, because she is the worst case scenario as to what could happen if things went awry. I still feel bad for her, even though her actions personally may have cost her membership in AKA. Yep I was really pissed to get an email from her threatening to sue me, (and I know it is her from the email address) but I may have been a little rash in posting it.

My point: I think we have gotten on her enough, and I have decided to take my previous blog down about her.

Do not think for one minute I cosign with what she did, but this is out of hand. Folks are calling this girl out of her name and making fun of her body and other stupid mess that has nothing to do with what she did, that was NEVER MY INTENT when I posted that blog. I must admit I got caught up with that mess too. I had to ask myself, WHAT IF IT WAS ME? I apologize to Kimberly and anyone else who was offended by that commentary.

I was talking to a good friend of mine and told me about how grateful she was to have received mercy from the judge when she was a kid. She committed a felony when she was 16 and the judge let her off instead of giving her the maximum penalty. She changed her life around totally after that, and is now a lawyer with a family and successful career.

Sometimes you gotta learn to let stuff go. Greek life is not the end all, but some of us treat it like it is. No one is perfect, and we all have done something that warrants being ostracized.

Aren’t you glad someone had mercy on you? For those of you that believe in any sort of God he has mercy on us everyday we walk the Earth, and I thank Him everyday for that, even though I fall short of his expectations.

So as I clear my mind this morning I will let you know, that whenever I do not have peace about anything I have written on this blog, I will address it. I’m grown and I have come too far to let petty mess rule my psyche.

On another note get ready for another opinionated blog tomorrow!

If you are not here to have a good time, laugh, and learn something, find somewhere else to be an troll.

To the NPHC, Let’s get it going again with more blog topics!

Stay tuned, because all good things come to an end.

FYI! - All posts will be moderated from this point on.

Whew… I feel better now.

BGLO Observer

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#26 Making Ghosts

June 4, 2008 · 206 Comments

Hello all, Happy Wednesday!

My blog was going to be about another organization this week, but I decided to take a detour this week, being that it is so fresh on everyone’s minds.

BGLOs love making ghost members. We love it! I really don’t know why, because they cause a hell of a lot of more problems than they are worth, but we keep making them cause our members are pledge crazy and must make folks, even when there isn’t a snowballs chance in hell the chapter on campus is coming back.

What is a ghost do you ask?

Ghosts are people who are illegally pledged by members of Greek organizations. They can also be refered to as “renegades.” They are awaiting their turn to become “official” members of the organization. Some members of BGLO’s treat their ghosts with more respect than official members because of them having a process while other official members do not. Ghosts are usually known only to the people who pledged them or saw them online. They may know secrets, history, and everything else a official member of an organization may know, but they cannot go to official events etc. (well they shouldn’t go but some have) because they are not official members of the organization.

Ghosts can get made for various reasons. I’ll give but a few here.

1. A chapter plans to have an membership intake. They schedule the line to coincide with it, only to have the membership intake halted or canceled all together. The members of the chapter might decide to try again for an official intake and finish the underground line’s process. Thus making ghost members until official membership is offered.

2. A chapter may be off the yard for a while, and members despite the chapter being suspended, or simply inactive continue to pledge lines until the chapter comes back on the yard.

3. Ghost making other ghosts while real members of the org are unaware. Oh this one just kills me.

The whole ghost phenomenon is getting worse as time goes on. I mean think about it, you’re giving a person the notion that they have the same rights and privileges as a member who is official. That is a dangerous notion.

Ghosts are running around everywhere you turn. There are cities across America which you might see a line strolling full of these illegitimate members.

I cannot tell you how many times I have heard of ghosts who move on to become official members of the org they pledged underground. In my mind, that is the best possible case scenario for these ghosts. However, I have seen so many ghosts come out of pocket and not know how to stay low like a ghost should and end up getting all kinds of folks suspended because being “out there” exposes the chapter that pledged them.

Now you got these gay males running around thinking they are members of a sorority because some lonely broad decided to give her secrets away. (allegedly)

In the end it is not worth it for both parties, for the risks far outweigh the advantages.

OK people. You know I had to do it…

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Exhibit A as to why you shouldn’t make ghosts. Meet Kimberly Torres. Her name has been on the tongue of every Greek the past week because of the emails floating around with her pictures saying she is a perp.

But there is a twist to this story.

In a facebook note she posted that is again circling the internet in full speed, she claims that members of the sorority pledged her as a ghost and promised her official membership. If that is true, that is MESSY! I don’t know what to believe. Maybe the members that allegedly pledged her are refusing to come out because of the fear of getting in trouble. Maybe Kimberly is using the ghost excuse to scare up some sympathy from the very AKAs that want to whoop her a$$… who in the hell knows.

There is one thing that I can pull from the whole situation, and that is regardless of whether she was a ghost or not, she was BRAZEN enough to take a pic like this at Howard University, pose in countless other pics fooling other members into thinking she was a real member, and got called out on it. That is the way it goes in the Greek hood. If she is a ghost, she messed herself up. OF COURSE members who didn’t know you pledged (which is a rarity in itself) are going to question you. That is why they call you guys ghosts afterall. You are not to be SEEN! According to the emails Kimberly put her name on fliers as a contact, and promoted events for AKA! That is BOLD. Perpin their org and then taking dey money. LOL! She is out of her damn mind. She now has a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming official in anyone’s AKA chapter, but hopefully, if she is telling the truth, the women who made her will work to make her official when this all blows over, but if she hasn’t been initiated since she allegedly pledged in 2003, it’s probably never gonna happen.

Her story and others are exactly why making ghosts in this day and age should be looked upon with disgust. WHY? I can see if for some reason a line stops because membership intake stops, but again you can’t make those type of assumptions when it comes to this fickle process. I would much rather prefer that cats post-pledge than have ghosts ANYDAY! You are making people unsupervised agents, claiming membership in your organization where they have no liabilities and nothing to lose. They don’t pay dues, can’t go to a business session, or vote on any changes to set the org in the right direction. Then these fools go around an intimidate REAL members who pay dues and do service. Get the eff out of here with that! Did CALI convince anyone that making ghosts causes issues? They are gonna eff up and take a whole lot of cats down with them.

I’m all for pledging. Trust me when I say that, but I’m not looking down on a brother or sister who did membership intake only and are working their a$$es off for our orgs either. I wish they could do both and enjoy both sides of Greek life, but that doesn’t always happen that way. We as organizations need to clean up this mess we have made in openly accepting ghosts as part of our culture. I know every story is different, but overall, the ghost phenomenon gets a big THUMBS DOWN! Cut that $hit out!

Let the commentary commence!

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#25 Deltas - Being Ques

May 28, 2008 · 248 Comments

Upon observation of the wonderful ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, they remind me of the premise of that wonderful movie “Being John Malkovich.”

I believe a good amount of Deltas (Nice one here)

want to literally be QUES.

Why do you ask? Well this blog is about circumstantial evidence so let the public trial begin…

1. Obsessive use of hooks instead of their own sign.

Good lawd… the evidence is overwhelming on this blog LOL. The Deltas have their famous pyramid as their hand sign, but lately I haven’t seen the Deltas make good use of it. I mean, I can even understand the bond they have with Ques that they may throw up the sign probate, a stepshow, even in the occasional stroll, but that isn’t enough for Deltas at all. They ALL throw hooks in pictures with Ques, without Ques, and damn there everywhere! Dammit just be a damn Que then!

At least the one on the right is extra sure. The one on the left might actually be a Que.

Re-Damn-Diculous! A perfect time to throw a pyramid only wasted…. it only gets worse…

Not one pyramid…

Not a one. Geezus be a hazer and get these Deltas back in the CUT!

Are Deltas just highfalutin Que Pearls? I mean damn, I think there is a sinister motive here where some Deltas pledge their sorority, for these types just want to be close to Ques and don’t give a damn about being a Delta. I mean not one pyramid in the bunch, not one of their sorors comes to their senses in this pics and says “This $h!t is stupid. We have our own sign.” I think some of the ladies of Delta Sigma Theta aught to skip the Pyramid induction ceremony and just become a Lampado and pledge Omega Psi Phi.

2. Drawn out tributes at stepshows.

You know that in every Delta lies a Que wanting to come out, and stepshow tributes prove it!

Ok sororities do tributes at stepshows. Deltas do DO TRIBUTES. You should see some of these shows resembling a Que hop the ENTIRE TIME. They kick higher, their grit is meaner, their hooks are on point. You know they A$$es been practicing at home throwing that hook to perfection. LOL.

There are boundaries here which shouldn’t be crossed. Watch a stepshow where some Deltas are stepping in an stepshow, you would swear the tribute to Ques goes on for the entire show, hell you would think your watching the Ques hop.

3. Wearing Fatigues.

I think I can show you better than I can tell you.

Good lawd. They serious with it too! The one in the back is built like a linebacker. She’s on the right track.

Can you say GROUPIE? DAMN GIRL you breaking all kinds of Delta protocol with this mess! They should slap your prophyte’s mama. for this one.

It seems that the women of Delta love the whole persona of their brothers of Omega Psi Phi, but sometimes, I have a hard time distinguishing them from their ACTUAL brothers.

Yes the Deltas have a strong bond with the brothers of Omega Psi Phi (Coleman Love) which is certainly recognized by Greeks everywhere, but again where do you separate being a lady of Delta from being a man of Omega?

The ladies of Delta can be the classiest examples of being ladies there is… until that is they get around Ques. Good lawd, they lose their minds morphing into replicas of the Ques.

Here is some more. Go to the first minute past the PayKA’s

Well from observation, some Ques don’t have a problem with it, a lot of them I know do. At least respect their org when they ask you all to stop doing this. Then again, many of the Ques are putting you up to it, so what can I say? STOP THIS $HIT!

So do Deltas really want to be Ques? What is your verdict…. let the commentary commence.

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#24 The Ghetto Mentality

May 21, 2008 · 56 Comments

Ghetto:

1. (n.) an impoverished, neglected, or otherwise disadvantaged residential area of a city, usually troubled by a disproportionately large amount of crime

2. (adj.) urban; of or relating to (inner) city life

3. (adj.) poor; of or relating to the poor life

4. (adj.) jury-rigged, improvised, or home-made (usually with extremely cheap or sub-standard components), yet still deserving of an odd sense of respect from ghetto dwellers and non-ghetto dwellers alike

Happy Wednesday folks! OK another interesting observation as I attended some Greek events this past weekend.

I don’t really know why, but why is the Divine Nine going out in public looking more and more like ghetto children? I know many of us come from the ghetto to rise as college educated men and women, but we look more like the gold toothed, tatted up, bling-bling wearin, yuck mouthes that assault young viewers on BET and MTV nowadays. Aren’t we the “Talented Tenth” that is going to pull the race out of the shadows of slavery and poverty? I just don’t get why some of us Black Greeks continue to perpetuate this behavior.

Let’s see…

1. Wider access to education at HBCUs and other Colleges and Universities

It is a wonderful thing that more Blacks than ever are able to attend college these days. With greater access to college comes with the reality that more urban youth from the ghetto are able to have the opportunity to join our fraternities and sororities, which were only open to the elite in the Black community. It is a fact that Blacks from wealthier families could afford to send their children to college. In other words, more of your bougie and middle to upper class folks who have some taste, home training and good sense for the most part, dominated the ranks of BGLOs.

Now SheQuanda Watkins and Leroy Jenkins and nem who took some of their “tendencies” with them didn’t learn to put away childish things as a lady or gentleman and leave that ghetto mentality in the ghetto. Where do you think these tendencies rear their ugly head?

Look I’m from the ghetto too, and I know too well that you can take the person out the ghetto, but not the ghetto out of the person, but I wanted to be better than my circumstances, not revel in tackiness or a sub-standard way of living. WHO WANTS TO BE IN THE GHETTO? We all trying to pull our folks up out of there. Folks are now bringing their thuggish, pants saggin, chickenheaded, gold fronts wearin, blinged out ways into the organizations they choose and select other crazies to come in too with them. No wonder our organizations are going to hell in a hand basket.

2. The Gang Mentality.

One day I was showing some friends of mine from my hood of mine a tape of the Cal State Long Beach stepshow to show them a glimpse of sorority/fraternity life. One of my friends said, “Ooh I like their set! Them dudes go hard.” I was like OK. So I asked him what he thought about the show afterward and he said, “Y’all all gangs man… high classed boogie gangs… y’all got yo colors, yo calls, and yo gangster signs…” He was of course referring to our orgs fixation on hand signs, and calls and colors. I can’t say I disagree with him at times. To look at some the hazing we do as organizations, you might as well get jumped into the Crips or Bloods. At least I’ll get some street cred and a gun to fight niggas off. I suspect the Kappas in the pic above took my advice.

3. Lower Membership Standards

Yes people she is REAL. is she an AKA? Quite possibly.

With the rising amount of students who are able to go to college, mixed in with the poor membership standards of our chapters within our organizations, why are we surprised when we get the campus freak hoe, the chronic weed smokers, the brawlers, alcoholics, rough looking men and women whose concept of a “suit” involves the law, or super duper seniors as members who perpetuate the ghetto mentality? Who with half a brain can’t maintain a 2.5 GPA? Anyone can look good on PAPER, but it is the quality of selection of members which is the key to keeping folks who don’t know how to act OUT. We won’t succeed all the time, but MOST of the time, we will get the desired result.

4. A Disrespectful Culture

Yuk!

With kids cursing out their parents and the total disregard for rules and authority, why are we as members of BGLOs surprised when we encounter a member who is careless with our precious traditions? Following protocol or being a good member of an organization is the last thing on these folks minds… these days, it is all about status, who has the best strolls and/or steps, who pledged the hardest, who runs the yard (in the superficial things) who can bag the most chicks, and throw the hottest parties. Sounds hood level to me. Our orgs are becoming increasingly preoccupied with the things that do not matter in the big scheme of things.

Another interesting observation…. since when did Greeks ascribe to the “Stop Snitching” mentality? Someone told me Greeks wear the shirts because of folks who can’t keep their mouths shut about fraternity/sorority business, but why associate our orgs with a code has let many a criminal free to roam the street and do harm to our communities? Not snitching on your frat or soror for ANY reason is NOT the business, especially when they put the reputation of their organization, or someone’s life on the line… what is more important here?

We Greeks have totally lost our heads and forgotten what is important, the uplift of our communities so they are not considered the “ghetto” anymore. People are in pain and poverty, dejected, we had to live through almost 8 years of Curious George, and now we are in recession. PRIORITIES PEOPLE!

I wish I had four hands, so I could give that mess four thumbs down and a Rick James bitch slap!

I know I shall hear more about this subject… let’s get our stuff together Greeks!

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#23 Sigma Gamma Rho - Negative Stereotype Overload

May 16, 2008 · 155 Comments

It’s late, but it’s here!

Dang we don’t give the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho a break… I warn you that this blog won’t be any different.

Before there were Iotas, there were the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. for all Black Greeks to bash and clown. Founded in 1922, Black Greeks LOVE negatively stereotyping them because of their standing as the last organization to be founded in the NPHC… well before the Iotas came along. I tell you it’s one of the reasons that I respect the SGRhos so very much, for have earned their place among the members of the elite eight because of our relentless scrutiny of their sorority. They have so many negative stereotypes attached to them, whether its fair or not, that I decided to turn it into a blog.

Here is the list of the unending negative stereotypes concerning SGRhos (and some circumstantial evidences):

1. The only qualification to be a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., is you are a breathing female.

I SWEAR THIS IS A TRUE STORY!

Someone forwarded this to me… this was an internet add in the paper someone responded to for a sorority looking for members. This is what she got back… incriminating info removed. (I SWEAR THIS IS TRUE!)

Greetings,

My name is __ and I am the president of ___ chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.

My chapter is based out of ___,__ but we have several chapters in the ____ Metro area. The sorority was founded in 1922 at Butler University, Indianapolis, IN and is the first African American sorority founded at a predominately white institution. We have over 85,000 members, who faces and names you may have seen, such as MC Lyte and our newest member Kelly Price.

For more information please check out my chapter’s website www.___.org
and the sorority’s website is www.SGRho1922.org.

I hope to hear from you again soon!

Sincerely,

___President
___Chapter
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc

I know you think that is fake, but on my own life, its REAL. I was sooo upset and embarrassed for the SGRhos that one of their members thought advertising in the paper for membership was a good idea! Damn!

Not to mention the honorary members they tout… Hattie McDaniel is probably the most notable as well as others, but what the hell kind of community service has Kelly Price or MC Lyte done? Go to their website, and while other honorary and notable members are mentioned, they put them to the forefront. OK.

2. They are hard up for members and will accept anyone.

The SGRhos do have the lowest membership numbers concerning sororities in the NPHC. Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta boast over 200,000 members each, while Zeta Phi Beta boasts 125,000 members. SGRho’s website lists a membership of only 85,000. Are the SGRho’s just elitist and only accept the cream of the crop concerning members? Are they a victim of bad stereotyping that labels them negatively so women are drawn to the other sororities? Is it that no one wants to be an SGRho? Is their membership just made up of insecure rejects from the other three sororities?

Damn that was harsh… “shrugs shoulders.”

3. Women only join SGRho because they couldn’t get into the other NPHC sororities and therefore are rejects.

Looking on many college campuses today you might ask the question: Sigma Gamma WHO? Because IF they can be found on campuses from their low numbers, inactive chapters, or the nonexistence of chapters, you might find anywhere from 1 - 10 members sprinkled here or there on a campus. This is one sorority that will never have to worry about huge lines, because they almost always never have them. Go to an SGRho probate, and try to find a line that has more than 10 members. Hell thats a positive quality when you think about it, for you wouldn’t see a line of 200 + women coming into their sorority, but then again I can’t imagine them gathering that kind of interest on one campus… hell in one city.

If you can find me a probate with SGRhos with over 25 members, you will get a blue and gold star.

OF COURSE I don’t think that this is true for all the SGRhos, but like I said about stereotypes before, someone has observed the behavior pattern before from more than one of of the members… just like Blacks like watermelon and chicken. ;)

4. There all fat, and raggedy looking, and unattractive.

Um… nothing wrong with being fat, or unattractive for that matter according to who you ask, but what happens when your sorority is known for having members that are ALL fat AND unattractive and on top of that raggedy looking? Yeah I have seen my share of fat and unattractive SGRhos. Yep every sorority has those but the SGRhos seem to pull em like there was a sale for plastic surgery down at the local Dunkin Doughnuts. People also say they are extremely skinny with no shape, or worse UNATTRACTIVE women. OF COURSE there are beautiful SGRhos, but ladies… some of your members could use a dose of confidence. You usually see one fine SGRho with some pretty good to average looking ones then that butt ugly a$$ one…

This isn’t where’s waldo… she is easy to spot.

There is always one to spoil it for the rest…

Like that email said going around the email world… hem her a$$ up for doing this unacceptable mess.

5. They are down to earth but anti-social and independent.

I guess because of the low membership numbers SGRhos get the rep of being anti-social, only hanging with other members of their sorority and shunning other Greeks. Who wants to hang with Greeks who make fun of you in the shadows anyway? SGRhos are known for being to themselves and not really associating with other Greeks, of course it not true always… THIS IS A STEREOTYPES BLOG! And while being down to earth isn’t a bad thing, some might translate that into shyness, while being shy and down to Earth in the showy Greek world really doesn’t get your organization noticed… except by other shy down to earth people. Take the advice of this email floating around the internet and introduce yourself to at least one Greek outside of your sorors once a week. AT LEAST unlike the Iotas, members of the NPHC KNOW your organization exists… act like it.

6. THEY REALLY WANT BROTHERS, and they only emphasize that they have no brothers because they can’t get any male org (Except the Iotas) to claim them.

As part of the SGRhos claim to independence, they swear up an down that they do not need a brother organization to claim them. OK, fine, but no one NEEDS a brother/sister connection, we just like em A LOT. You can’t tell me that SGRhos don’t get a tinge of jealousy when they see Deltas hang tight with Ques, the Zetas hanging and Sigmas, and the AKAs with the Alphas. Can you blame them? The Kappas over the last few years have straight sh!++ed on the SGRhos and have made it abundantly clear that they have no sister organization, basically tossing “Indiana Love” on its a$$ and doing away with any connection your orgs may have

This is what I STILL DON’T GET…

Even after the disrespectful slight from the Kappas, the SGRhos STILL CARRY CANES to observe their ties with the Kappas and rep them real hard at some of these stepshows, while they don’t do a call or anything during a show unless you’re doing a tribute to them with… CANES. Can somebody say enough? I know they taught you how to use those canes, but dammit if I would continue to pay homage to members of an org that treats you like a step sister. I’m sure SGRhos have other reasons for carrying em they will invent to defend themselves here. LOL

Of course… there are always Iotas…

They are wrong as hell for this picture… she can’t even fit through the got damn door. I guess the Iotas like em thick.

Because of this and many other stereotypical notions, the SGRhos will continue to be the last created, least appreciated sorority in the NPHC.

I like the SGRhos, as a matter of fact I have never met an SGRho I didn’t like, and I have seen their sorors defy the stereotypes shown above… but that in itself is a rarity.

You have a stereotype that I forgot about… POST.

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#22 The “Phi Beta” Family - The Blue and White Weekend

May 7, 2008 · 87 Comments

Ok back to business as usual…

This blog has really got me paying attention to the Greek world more closely than ever, and I have noticed a peculiar pattern of behavior from the members of Phi Beta Sigma and Zeta Phi Beta… the Blue and White family… whether it’s a bad case of countryitis, their poor attempts at dissing other orgs, or just straight coonery when they get together, all of this is put on display the now infamous Blue and White Picnic.

This would have been just like any other picnic given by brother/sister orgs, but their recent antics have put them on the map recently. A group of Zeta Phi Beta members thought it was a good idea to do this…

The pictures went all around the Greek world via email and caused quite the stir. We Greeks in the NPHC were boiled over with laughter by the sight of these unsightly Zetas. They were gallivanting around their picnic telling the world they look good in any color… that is up for vote and my vote is HELL NO. Now other sororities have done this MESS too, but this was EXTENSIVE and EXTRA. With her ole sweaty booty…

We already know about the Zetas and Sigmas being country as all hell, and while the NPHC tries to give them the benefit of the doubt, they remove all doubt when you observe them for yourself during the Blue and White Picnics.

The Blue and White Picnic in Gainesville, Florida is where the “Zeters” and “Sigmers” let it all hang out. They come from all over the country to be in the COUNTRY to act COUNTRY AS HELL.

Got damn that is country as hell! That looks like my crazy cousin on the left having an orgasm in the middle of the doggoned park. LAWD that hair! That eyeshadow? Is this a B.A.P.S. convention?

I have no words for this negro. Its about 1,000 degrees outside and you have on a damn wig? What part of the game is THAT? Lookin like Joe Dirt BLACK… FOUL PLAY! No wonder she has a frown on her face.

Who in the hell left the rainbow gate open? He/she thought he was cooking with gas too lookin like a broke a$$ Katt Williams. Jacked up a perfectly good picture.

HAYLE NAH… sorors don’t let sorors wear tacky a$$ paraphernalia spray painted at the local piggly wiggly.

WOW… talk about organizational aspirations. WTF is this! Tomfoolery that is what it is. Gee… the Zetas like wearing the letters and colors of other orgs. Do us a favor and go back in time and get rejected by the org you REALLY wanted to join. Stop embarrassing your sorors and SIT CHO ARSE DOWN!

Upon observation for the last few years, it seems as if Sigmas and Zetas are a family which can’t distinguish who they are without pointing out some flaw in another organization, or claiming in some capacity they were the first to do something that another organization is already famous for using. For instance, let the cane thing go Sigmers. Who gives a damn who had canes first? The Kappas need them to at least look like men under all that damn makeup they wear anyway.

They seem like they are trying to hard to establish an identity, but I’m gonna help them today…

Just look what y’all did to this poor SGRho? She done lost her mind being around all this country bama nonsense.

These picnics have produced pics and videos of some of the most foolywang members of Greekdom that I have ever seen. Some of their sorors and frat seem to agree with me, for there is an etiquette thread posted in a facebook group highlighting WHAT NOT TO DO during their weekend.

I know some of you are going to Blue and White Weekend in Gainesville, FL next weekend to hang out with the Blue and White crew and have a good time. But there are rules that must be gone over before you head to Gainesville, FL…

All paraphernalia must be Royal Blue and Pure White. Neutral colors like khaki, black, and gray/grey are straight. Navy and Carolina blue are definite hell nos (I’ve seen it before)! That “we look good any colors” s*** is un-f**king-acceptable. All para must fit, not be faded, and not be tacky (spray-painted shirts ).

LMAO&ROFL! You know it’s bad when folks had to speak out on that mess!

While we’re at it, I’m down for a little calling and chanting in the mall but do we have to hop it out like the club?! It looks like a terrorist attack in the food court.

Obey the damn law. Why risk going to jail.

And there is nothing more countrified ghetto than taking over the Gainesville mall chanting and strolling like they you ain’t got no damn sense… as if white people need MORE reasons to be scared of Black people? DAMMIT!

The behavior was so bad in the mall, it is reported that arrests were made and they made those rowdy folks leave the mall and the Paramount Hotel in which many of them stayed for the weekend…

Although we come to have a Great time, remember our principles. Sometimes we’ve been known to be distasteful.

That is the f**king understatement of the century.

I give it to the Blue and White Family, you do have lots of fun at your own expense. Keep the foolywang pics coming! I need fodder for my next blog!

.

Geesus….

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# 21 Strolling, Strutting, Party Walking Etc.

May 5, 2008 · 22 Comments

What Black Greek doesn’t like to stroll? (the word I will use for the duration of the post) It is one of the many ways in which Black Greeks show unity and have a good time doing it! Today I will explore the varied world of strolling. At first I thought this would be a relatively short blog, but I see potential. Read on.

For a change there is no sarcasm here… Black Greeks LOVE ALL ASPECTS OF STROLLING.

Strolling is a dance which was popularized by Black Greeks in which members of an organization express pride and unity among its members by moving together in a line while doing the same dance movements. Greeks do this to express pride for their organization. In this line, members may use their organization’s call, sign, or historical information, ritual/custom dances, etc. while incorporating some of the hottest dances of their time. All of this is done through movements that are unique to the organization. I do not personally know how strolling has evolved over time, but it has been around for well over 30 + years in the writer’s estimation, so this is a wonderful custom that has survived the test of time. You can see a stroll after every stepshow performance, during Greek parties, picnics, or even on the yard during a Greek function. It is so well liked by Greeks, bystanders at parties and others. So much in fact that it is now being done by other Greeks outside of the NPHC. Here are some good examples, these are the strolls from the ATL Greek Picnic Competition last year:

Deltas

AKAs

Zetas

Kappas

Alphas

SGRhos

Sigmas

and Iotas

You may see the Alphas train, AKAs throw up mirrors, the Kappas shimmy, the Omegas Hop, the Deltas duck walk, the Sigmas throw a dove, the Zetas do their “Ee-i-kee” call, the SGRhos throw their famous “Sigma” handsign, or the Iotas throw in their Bow and Shield. Every organization adds their custom flair to their strolls. DO Enjoy watching, as each organization has a unique way and style of strolling. GDI, if you are watching a stroll DON’T Emulate the stroll or cut in between members of the line. It is a sign of disrespect. If you need to get through or bypass a line in a party, (especially with these humongous lines were bringing in these days) please be respectful and wait until the organization’s line has passed you. Most parties tend to become very crowded and space can get tight, so please do not be offended if you’re bumped by strollers which will happen almost 100% of the time. Greeks, try to adhere to the rules too, for I have seem many a fight start because someone cut a stroll line…. you wouldn’t want anyone to do it to you now would you?

I have seen other issues other than folks cutting stroll lines. Diss strolls are becoming increasingly popular too. Diss strolls are made to be disrespectful to another organization. Members of that org may express their dislike of that org, simply exclaiming that there is “no other way” than joining their organization with some sort of movements.

Zeta Phi Beta Diss Stroll

Kappa Alpha Psi Diss Stroll

A stroll may not be totally dedicated to dissing other orgs, but you may see some references to other organizations by way of imitating the other org’s movements, their hand signs being broken, slapped, or possibly thrown to the ground and stomped on figuratively, much to the oohs and ahhs of the crowd that watches. I think strolling in all of its forms is fun, and long as no idiot takes it seriously, because at the end of the day, no matter how many insults are thrown, we are all NPHC at the end of the day.

1. Being that the main purpose of strolling is unity, there are some issues that I must bring up… it pains me to see organizations so fragmented at an event that different chapters are doing different strolls, but you never see them do any one stroll unified TOGETHER at one time during the night. There is nothing wrong with debuting your chapter’s new stroll, or if you are a superstar and want to do a super physical stroll with your sorors or frat, but it just shows the rest of the Greeks in attendance that there is little unity among your organization’s members.

2. The sororities (and some fraternity members) used to have protocol that they would NEVER stroll to a song that was sexually explicit, featured too much cursing, or disrespected women. When I was a neo, I saw the sorority women stop in their tracks when a song like “Do Do Brown” or anything like it played because of the sexually explicit lyrics. It was an outward sign that the sorority did not support this type of music. I guess these new school Greeks threw that out the window because sorority girls are poppin they cucchi’s and sliding down poles better than the strippers now… it is just a sign of the unfortunate times. What is up with these strolls getting more vulgar and sexual these days? I mean I don’t mind seeing the women “drop it” sometimes and the men flaunt their sexual prowess sometimes, but show some class about it please.

3. At stroll competitions can we please stop doing 1,000 strolls on the stage at one time?! One good stroll is better than 3 or 4 going on and taking away from the enjoyment.

4. I love unity strolls with other members of the NPHC, and I believe it should be encouraged. Here are some great examples on youtube.

5. I can see why folks have a cow when other NON-NPHC orgs stroll, but what can we do about it? NOTHING! Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery people, so instead of tripping about it, embrace it, and love it!

So have fun NPHC! I love to stroll and I hope you do too.

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#20 Ques - Setting the Black Race Back 400 Years

May 2, 2008 · 154 Comments

The members of Omega Psi Phi are an interesting bunch. They can be your high powered lawyer, doctor, preacher, or teacher if many of them wanted to. Many are intelligent and can be seemingly honorable men of character and perseverance. Just look at the listing of notable men of Omega from Michael Jordan to Bill Cosby. Their achievements cannot be downgraded by anyone… well… except by their current members who are working their hardest to set the Black race back 400 years with the constant parade of questionable behavior that the author just cannot understand nor comprehend. They seem to love being the biggest circus acts of the NPHC, and I, the innocent bystander is just chronicling my experiences being in their presence.

They seem to be trapped in a weird sort of backwards time warp, taking one step forward and two thousands steps backward. With their recent behavior if you judged them by it you would think they are nothing more collectively than drunken sideshow acts who use the fact that they are “The Bruhs” to reek havoc on the civilized world. I make no attempt here to inwardly understand the Omega mystique, but outwardly, what I see produces the brand of minstrel show antics that I think they should be ashamed of. They seem to like perpetuating the “DAWG” image that I will speak on today.

The men of Omega refer to themselves as “The Bruhs,” and will have a problem with any fraternity who refers to themselves with the term. They are in the writer’s opinion, the hardest pledging dudes in the NPHC, but I think all that hard pledging has zapped that part of their brains which exercises good judgment. The Bruhs like to set “owt” hops where they stroll and think that gives them the right to knock any man, woman and child out of the way because of it. Every Black Greek and other innocent bystanders have been victims of overzealous ignorant displays from Ques. In further efforts to be “owt” Ques goes to the last mile to be the life of the party, and will tear your nearest club, stepshow, or yard up… from excessive drinking of that infamous “Omega Oil,” to groping and disrespecting all females within a 2 ft. radius of them. If you are a female and want to attend a Que party, prepare to have your personal space violated… hell that could be ANYONE who attends a Que party. The Ques are so inappropriate they will hop anywhere, whether it be your local church service, the supermarket; spontaneously in the middle of the street they don’t give a hot damn! There is nothing worse than a well dressed man all of a sudden show signs of retardation when he gets around his frat, and the Ques are infamous for it.

They also have the tendency to strip down to NOTHING during these parties, with their preferred loin cloth being a Crown Royal bag, a diaper, jock strap, or the waistline of a pair of jeans that are hanging on for dear life trying not to fall to the ground because the a$$ of the wearer is hanging out for all to see…even children. And LAWD don’t let the Ques national anthem ATOMIC DOG play… you might as well clear the floor and run for your life, because they are taking over the dance floor and stepping on anyone who gets in the way. Fully embracing their image to act foolywang, they can be seen “walking” their brothers across any camps during a probate fully equipped with dog collars and walking on concrete knees to hands. What would possess college educated men to resort to such public displays of niggerdom?

You will probably get a dissertation to explain the display of coonery from that special member of Omega I like to refer to as their “spokesman.” It’s the straight man of Omega who isn’t pissy drunk, or acting a fool (usually the designated driver or money collector at the door who will probably graduate on time) carefully explaining to the rational people and bystanders why his fraternity brothers are embarrassing themselves. “It’s the Bruhs, that’s how we like to have fun…” What is most puzzling to me is that the women ESPECIALLY the Deltas seem to love that mess! They take that mess on the regular for the sake of “Coleman Love.” Y’all can have that $#!t. I’m sorry but that is a NO GO. It is time to expose this nonsense for what it is: an EXCUSE to disrespect women, and to openly be ignorant coons who love to revel in their boyhoods and flash women like two year old boys who discover they have penises. Yeah it’s harsh, but that is the nature of this blog. Is this the legacy we have left to the young Black boys of America? Take a bow, you inspired another generation of men to be like you… drunken, cooning, pledged dropouts. STOP SETTING THE RACE BACK!

Very recently the media has seen very good examples of niggerish behavior from them Ques. Lost on the road to Jena was an opinion commentary by the St. Petersburg Times in which the Ques set out on a mission with a news reporter to participate in the rally for the Jena 6. Not only did they get lost, but apparently stayed drunk and were fighting the whole time and actually missed the march, but were more content to take pictures in front of the Jena sign to “say” they were there. I was embarrassed for them and for the entire Black race after reading about that experience. What happened to behaving in front of company and not exposing all the family’s dirt? Idiots!

OK speaking of such things, someone needs to get Rev. Jeremiah Wright and muzzle him… yes he is a member of Omega Psi Phi… and let the world know it recently at The National Press Club’s conference, throwing up hooks, dancin and cooning like he doesn’t have the good sense God gave him, making things a lot worse for Barack Obama, the first viable Black Presidential candidate, to get elected. Instead of chillin in the cut and keeping his opinions to himself, Rev. Wright insisted on doing things the Omega way, performing quite the minstrel show for the White people of America to further damage Obama’s reputation. So bad that Obama had to distance himself publicly from the man who he once defended. All of Black America thanks you Rev. Wright for possibly effing up this grand opportunity. I’m not going to throw you under the bus, because you’ve done a pretty good job of that yourself recently…

Look at “Man Tan” go! I mean he had me there until…. well you’ll see it yourself.

Dang Revvy Rev. you know the white folks don’t like black men who hold them accountable for their mess. SHUT UP (for now) and then when Obama is president, you can come to the White House and turn it Black, but show some DISCRETION.

Now I don’t wanna oversimplify this blog, for I know members of Omega Psi Phi who do not act this way or do they EVER want to be referred to as “dawgs” or maintain the negative image. I know Ques that embrace the “dawg” image and go on to do great things in their lives. Lets face it, for much of their history Ques have been known for their outgoing personalities and antics. Honestly with the right members it can be playful and endearing, even funny… sometimes extremely gay, but lately with these new school of Omegas, I have seen more of this negative brand of behavior, only using it to be a$$holes to others and it deeply concerns me, especially when I see this ish on the national scale.

I will probably spend a lifetime trying to figure out this enigma that is the Ques, and their continual pursuit to be the absolute worst examples to Black college men ever, but despite all this, I still like the Ques. Who would we have to shock us with controversy and cause fights at our parties? Charge it to my love of irony.

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#19 Assuming that All Alphas/Kappas are Gay

April 24, 2008 · 43 Comments

OH boy, I’m dying laughing about this blog ALREADY!

There is some incriminating evidence online and abroad that would assume to your everyday person that all Alphas and Kappas are gay. Do I know some Gay Alphas? YES. Kappas? YES. Heck I know gays from all the NPHC, (Except Iotas for I don’t know any Iotas really well) and it seems the MEN are the most freaked out about the unwanted stigma. We Black Greeks like to make fun of them and speculate about it.

I will start with Gay Phi Gay… I mean the Alphas. Who knows how the rumors got started with them. Maybe some of their brothers on campus didn’t feed into the stereotype of being women chasing Negroes. Maybe its because of their intellectual stereotype, maybe its because someone has seen ONE (or maybe more) Alphas who they know are gay, but that is no reason to stereotype the ENTIRE fraternity. Oh I have seen some GAY ALPHAS in my day, but they are a few people, not everyone and I’m smart enough not to associate them with the entire fraternity.

Some Alphas have gone out their way to denounce the gay rep their fraternity receives in very vocal ways. There is an Alpha by the name of Rashid Darden that posts a long standing blog called Old Gold Soul (Good blog check it out) and he wrote about a sequence of messages he received from his own fraternity brother:

Anyway, I was merely sending messages to folks I thought might be interested in checking out Old Gold Soul. I get a message saying “No disrespect, but are you GAY???” I say “Yes, it says so right there on the website. No need to capitalize it; it’s not the only thing that defines who I am. :-D I hope you signed the guestbook!” To which he responds “You should have pledged Kappa.”

At this point, I am like oooooh-kayyyy……do we REALLY believe that only gays should pledge Kappa and there are no gay Alphas? Get a fucking CLUE. And besides, Kappa Alpha Psi is a fine organization with straight people and gay people, just like all the major black fraternities — just like any fraternity.

So I say to him “But I am not a Kappa, I am an Alpha. Thanks for your support!”

I really wanted to say a whole lot of other things….it was very tough to not stoop to his level.

So then this dude says “Don’t even respond….you are a pillow biter. And besides, you are grad chapter…weak azz.”

So of course all the thoughts are coursing through my head, like how he seemed to have difficulties forming simple sentences, how “pillow biter” was my pet name for his father, how his little podunk school in the midwest certainly could have taught him to be more tolerant, and how his chapter shouldn’t have made a CAT brother such as himself. “Love for all mankind” remember?

But all I simply said was “I appreciate the exchange we are having! I hope to come to your region soon to discuss my novel and all the issues raised in it!”

A$$hole.

But I knew this would happen sooner or later, and I’m cool with it. Throughout this whole process, there are going to be people who resent the fact that I am a gay black Greek telling the story of a gay Black aspirant to a fraternity. No, it’s not MY story….I write fiction. But it is the story of many people who have pursued and are in black fraternities.

It just sucks….a black man can’t get unconditional support from other black men nowadays, even if they wear the same letters.

It is an unfortunate discourse, but it shows at least one of their fraternity’s brother has issues with the fact that the blog writer was gay or that any of his fraternity brothers could be too.

OK we might have some twang here…

There is also another openly gay Alpha by the name of E. Lynn Harris who is a prominent author was recently featured in an prank email going around cyberspace around 2006 saying that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was promoting vanity license plates (traditionally with fraternity/sorority letters represented in diagonals on the plate) with (AΦA/AΦA) with the phrases “We stand behind our brotherhood” and “Taking Brotherhood to new levels.” One of the fictional characters who spoke in the email was named “Sherman Bottoms.”

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!

The email was of false of course, but funny as all hell!

This is a youtube video of some Iotas making fun of Alphas for a stepshow teaser:

The Kappas do not get off with a get out of jail pass here. They get clowned too.

By the way, it was pretty GAY (but funny) of the Iotas to do this to begin with…

As for the men of Kappa Alpha Psi, what can I say, I think the gay backlash Kappas get stems from the fact that they are pressed to be playboys, yet have been seen honoring some mannerisms that might be considered gay such as the mirrors, extreme metrosexuality, and embracing the “pretty boy” image, not to mention that “I’m pretty on my left” chant. The Kappas are ASKING to be called gay. What man in his right mind wants to be referred to ad “pretty?” Heck they use mirrors more than the AKAs do.

I remember a flyer for a fictional party a while ago depicting some really gay behaviors, depicting that the men of KAPsi were promoting “the coming out party of 2005″

I really think folks like getting on the Kappas!

OK I admit it I do too. Again I don’t assume just because I know gay Kappas that they are all gay…

Ok this Kappa is REALLY GAY!

He’s got on skroller colors and everything! LMAO!

Being gay and being in a fraternity of men is one of the cardinal sins of the Greek world. (supposedly) Men who want the reputation of being lady killers DON’T want to be associated with any “faggotry” as I have heard it said over and over again. The inner fighting that goes on amongst fraternity members who are come out of the closet, or even suspected as being gay can be outright harsh and cruel. I have seen members dissasociate themselves with particular members because they are gay. Do I think it’s right? Maybe, maybe not. I can’t tell anyone who to have close ties with, and I know within my organization I do not associate with certain characteras that irk me, but they are still my FRATERNAL. I won’t disown any member of my org just because I don’t agree with the way they choose to live their lives. I do not agree with homosexuality as a whole, but I also agree that people have a choice as to live the way they please. That doesn’t mean I (or anyone else for that matter) has to like it or accept it. If you’re gay and want to be a member of an BGLO, the first response you would probably hear is “Don’t!” but if you do, there will be an “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy thrust upon you (pun intended LOL) on which you will have to receive, (HA) or OPENLY reject. If you don’t want to join a fraternity’s chapter with such overwelming homophobic values, well, you’re probably more than welcome to find yourself another frat, because their attitudes aren’t going away any time soon.

I have mixed feelings on the subject… we are selective organizations by nature, so in essence, what would be wrong (other than for moral reasons) with rejecting a person for membership regardless of why you’re doing it? Sororities reject women because a chick slept with her man, or even another soror’s man, or simply for other reasons that I might find stupid. Men reject other men for a myriad of reasons that has nothing to do with their credentials for membership. I think that is just fine. It’s their chapter vote and they can do what they please with it. Selective membership is what makes our orgs as “elite” as they are, and when we went away from that, BGLO’s took some of the luster off their elite reputation.

So if the majority of the fraternity members in the chapter decide to reject you if you’re gay, well why would you want to be a member of that chapter? The organization is bigger than the chapter dynamic, and if it’s really in your heart to persue your organization of choice, I say try again, or go grad… just know what your up against.

Gays have always existed, and they aren’t going anywhere. Whether you agree with them or not in your fraternity or sorority, at least respect the man or woman who you PLEDGED to call frat or soror.

So lets settle this! Who’s the gayest? Lets have a vogue off!

Werk it Bitches!!!

Maybe if we are tolerant enough, this will be the next Greek fraternity stepshow :)

Answers from the last blog. (To the best of my knowledge) I asked a lot of people and primarily relied on the fraternity/sorority websites for guidance.

Jasmine Guy is a Zeta. - FALSE

Tisha Campbell is an AKA -FALSE - Just because GINA said that her sorority colors were pink and green on Mattin does not mean Tisha is… fictional characters people!

Quincy Jones is an Alpha/Que? - according to both Ques and Alphas BOTH are FALSE.

Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura Family Matters) is a Delta - FALSE Laura was a Delta NOT Kellie.

Keisha Knight Pulliam (Rudy Cosby Show) is a Delta -TRUE She pledged at Spelman.

W.E.B. DuBois is an Alpha - TRUE

Sylveena Johnson (singer) is a Zeta - TRUE

George “P-Funk” Clinton is a Que - FALSE, although y’all should make him an honorary I swear!

Morris Chestnut is a Sigma -FALSE according to a OLD Sigma I know… OK put it to bed already.

Jackie Robinson is an Alpha - Alphas tell me this is FALSE.

Debbie Allen is a Delta -FALSE. She was supposed to be on the line for AKA Alpha chapter at Howard where her sister Phylicia Rashad pledged, but no go.

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#18 Notable/Honorary Members

April 22, 2008 · 50 Comments

Every Greek organization has its share of notable members, even some famous ones that they like bringing to the forefront when speaking about their organization. BGLO’s are no different. We LOVE talking about our notable members whether they were initiated through normal means or granted honorary membership. I just want to share some of my observations with you on the subject.

There are many notable members of our BGLOs. Here are a few that you will find splattered on the websites of BGLO’s everywhere:

Alphas - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Duke Ellington, Lionel Ritchie, Thurgood Marshall, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., David Dinkins, Cornell West.

Some less honorable: Former DC Mayor Marion (Tyrone Biggums) Barry, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick with his money stealing cheating A$$… accused of 12-counts complaint charging perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct. What is up with Alpha mayors and controversy?

AKAs - Maya Angelou, Jada Pinkett Smith, Phylicia Rashad, Rosa Parks, Star Jones, Donda West (Kanye’s Mom), Loretta Devine, Alicia Keys.

Some less honorable: Karyn McConnell Hancock: The AKA who recently was charged with faking her kidnapping in order to escape tax debts and her own life’s mess. This makes the chick posing spread eagle with AKA para on pale in comparison.

Kappas - Arthur Ashe, Tavis Smiley, John Singleton, Cedric The Entertainer, Johnnie Cochran, Penny Hardaway, Percy Sutton, Wilt Chamberlain.

Some less honorable: Bob Johnson: The founder of the network that is poisoning the minds of Black folks everywhere; BET. Nothing worse than sending an whole generation to hell. THANKS BOB!

Omegas - Michael Jordan, Steve Harvey, Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Cosby, Count Basie, Vince Carter, Rev. Jessie Jackson, Carter G. Woodson.

Some less honorable: Have you seen the Ques LATELY? Geesus.

Deltas - Lena Horne, Aretha Franklin, Carol Mosely-Braun, Mary McLeod Bethune, Hazel Johnson Brown, Ph.D, Natalie Cole, Vashti M. McKenzie, Shirley Caesar.

Some less honorable: Christine Beatty: The Delta who was having an affair behind her own sorority sister’s back with the Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick and accused of 12-counts complaint charging perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice, obstruction of justice and misconduct. Talk about sisterly relations! He must have really been putting it down for you to do that to your soror.

Sigmas - George Washington Carver, Bobby Jones, Huey P. Newton, Emmit Smith, Morgan Freeman, A. Phillip Randolph, Blair Underwood, Malik Yoba.

Some less honorable: Rick James (This has not been confirmed nor denied) LOL The milk’s gone bad!

Zetas - Zora Neale Hurston, Ester Rolle, Sarah Vaughan, Ja’net Dubois, Madame C.J. Walker, Melba Moore, Vanessa Williams (Soul Food), Minnie Ripperton.

Some less honorable: Dionne (I needs my weed) Warwick, as if her psychic friends network wasn’t bad enough putting her up there with Ms. Cleo, Their Current Grand Basileus Barbara C. Moore.

SGRhos - Hattie McDaniel, Victoria Rowell, Brenda Joysmith, Mother Love, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, Lorraine E. Hale, Kelly Price, Lana Michele Moorer “M.C. Lyte” .

Some less honorable: I couldn’t realty find any SGRho’s with any dirt on em. Maybe its because no one wants to … I will leave that up to you all.

Iotas - Calvin Murphy, T.C. Carson, Spencer Christian, Desi Arnez Hines.

Some less honorable: I really couldn’t that many Iotas, honorable or not. That is not a joke people. ;-)

It is no secret that many of our organizations get our prominent members from honorary membership, which is a process in which an organization will bestow membership on an individual they deem worthy of membership. Ideally, their lives will demonstrate a commitment to the ideals, principles and service the organization holds dear. Realistically, that doesn’t always happen. I have always liked the principle of honorary membership, and it should be a great and cherished honor an organization gives to an outsider, but it presents some problems to me as well as other members of the NPHC.

Your “average” member of a BGLO, has attended college, and has met the requirements (no matter how lax they may be) by applying for membership either on the collegiate or graduate level. Based on their grades, community service and other factors depending on the organization, they were accepted or rejected.

It seems as if we don’t count honorary members as “real members” of our orgs, even though many were given some initiation rite, whether it was similar to the initiation of members in chapters or not. In many orgs, they are not given the same privileges as a member who is not honorary. Many members of the NPHC believe that because they don’t go thru the pledging or intake process as other members do, they only get in because of the prestige or the amount of money they have.

Some feel as if their letters are just being given away, while some members ask these questions: “Are these members “reppin” us as hard as we are reppin them?” One might ask? Do they do any service or participate in the national organization after being initiated? Do these members contribute financially to the organization? Should they? “Why can’t the person just apply for membership into a chapter if they are truly interested in membership?”

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity makes it known that they do not, nor have they ever, accepted honorary memberships… well any more.Alphas no longer accept them. Other organizations while they have accepted honorary members in the past have sworn up and down that they do not use this avenue of membership except for the highest of candidates.

I’m just a little intrigued about two members who were given membership into Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma. Frederick Douglas and George Washington Carver were both granted honorary membership into A Phi A and PBS respectively, HOWEVER Frederick Douglas DIED on February 20, 1895, almost 11 years BEFORE the founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. In 1921, members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity designated Frederick Douglass as an honorary member of the fraternity. Please explain to me how a DEAD man can pledge?

George Washington Carver was indeed alive during the time Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded, however he was granted honorary membership on February 20, 1938, and there are questions to him being “aware” of this honor during the time because he died about five years after that. (I know someone will straighten me out on this one LOL)

With all the talk about our prominent members there are some who are just mentioned for name recognition, and don’t do jack scrap for their org. There are some members who are indeed active and have contributed much. While I think the honor should be given in RARE circumstances, let’s please not use this membership designation to “pad” our famous membership rosters.

Now let’s clear up some misconceptions, you have questions in your head about that famous person who one sorority/fraternity claimed to be a member only to be WRONG!

Lets play a game: True or FALSE. Don’t cheat!

Jasmine Guy is a Zeta.

Tisha Campbell is an AKA

Quincy Jones is an Alpha/Que?

Kellie Shanygne Williams (Laura Family Matters) is a Delta

Keisha Knight Pulliam (Rudy Cosby Show) is a Delta

W.E.B. DuBois is an Alpha

Sylveena Johnson (singer) is a Zeta

George “P-Funk” Clinton is a Que

Morris Chestnut is a Sigma

Jackie Robinson is an Alpha

Debbie Allen is a Delta

I’ll give the answers in the next blog. Now speculate away.

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#17 Exalting their Chapters over the Entire Organization

April 16, 2008 · 17 Comments

I am all for exhibiting pride in the chapter in which you pledged, crossed, mipped etc., but what happens when that pride goes too far?

Keep reading.

It’s bad enough you have to deal with arrogance from other organizations who think their org is better than yours for whatever reason, and ignorant GDIs who don’t even think your organization should exist, but now the average member has to contend with “super chapters” within their own organization whose members collectively think their chapter is somehow transcendent above the national organization. YES… This trend is becoming popular amongst chapters of many of our NPHC, so in line with all of my other blogs, some Black Greeks like it, others like me, don’t.

 

Reason #1: Arrogance on the Chapter’s Part Passed down by Stupid Prophytes.

You’ve seen them wearing their chapter’s letters on the front of their shirts more often than the actual organization’s letters. “My chapter” this and “My chapter” that, and some other chapter exaltation you might possibly hear from these “Super Greeks.” Some even have made up silly chapter traditions and challenge other members of their organization on that mess. Some even recklessly disregard the rules of their org, and cause serious harm to their pledges and their organization because they want to maintain their status of being perceived as “the best.” Frankly, this is annoying as hell. Again these are some of the types of behaviors which exalt the chapter over the organization, and you really, really suck CAT balls if you perpetuate it. Hey if you like it, other morons will love it and eventually pass it on ***Gag***

Reason #2: Single Letter Chapter Pride Running Amok.

From Alpha to Omega, we as an organization love our single letter chapters, for they were around during the important beginnings of our organizations. We cannot overlook their history and their importance, but I think some members of these chapters have truly lost their minds, shading members of THEIR OWN ORGANIZATION because they have one letter vs. our two or three. Then when they say their chapter’s name, it is said with the same arrogance that makes you want to slap a Negro. I just want to make it very clear in this blog that whether you have one letter or three, we all made our vows to our organizations, and your vows weren’t any more important than our vows. Not to mention that single letter chapters (especially at HBCUs) are KNOWN for huge lines, and rampant skating. Yes, I went there. You’re gonna have a bad day if you step to me regardless of chapter with that nonsense. Please remember that PRIDE goes before falling through a stack of paper. Then they assume that we as members who were made in double or more letter chapters hate on THEM. LMAO! OOOOOOOOOOK.

Reason #3: The “My Chapter Goes Harder Than Yours” Syndrome. XY chapter does it this way and XY chapter doesn’t do that, we are not like THOSE chapters. OK fair enough… AB chapter chooses to do something differently than you chapter. (And it doesn’t conflict with the traditions or rules of their org.) Who in the hell made you the authority in how other chapters conduct their business? That presents problems of its own. How some about these chapters will go and see your chapter’s pledges, and because they don’t measure up to their standard (which is usually crazy anyway) they go back and badmouth the line they just saw to boost their own chapter’s rep. I shouldn’t even have to say this, but you MUST be careful as to who you let see your pledges for this VERY reason. Why do some chapters have the unmitigated gall exalt their chapter at the expense of another?

B!+(#a$$ness personified. I think some of these chapters need a “re-education” in what brotherhood/sisterhood is all about. Hell, some of you never received a “formal education.” It is in the nature of the beast. Within our community we form classes to distinguish ourselves from the rest, but that should not occur for the purpose of tearing each other apart, and especially not from within our own organizations. This simply points to the fact that chapters don’t know their Greek protocol. The organization as a whole ALWAYS takes precedence over the chapter because if there was no organization, there would be no chapter. Get it? Good.

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#16 Crossing/Line Jackets

April 13, 2008 · 28 Comments

Your typical crossing/line jacket.Crossing jackets are great, and we Black Greeks like em a lot. We especially love putting so much info on them that you’d think you’re reading a novel when you encounter one of us. They express pride in our organizations, as well as identify us personally with our group, chapter and the line we crossed the “sands” with. Some of us crossed the sands, but you’ll find MIPers with these jackets as well where most of them wear their made up line names and numbers to fit in. Many jackets are worn with just the organizations crest on the left side of the jacket, while the letters are over the right hand side of the jacket. (Some old school BGLO members say the letters take precedence over the organization’s crest, and they should be placed over the heart while others do not observe that rule, so you may see a jacket with the reverse happening.) A line jacket is usually given to new members of an organization after which they are introduced and revealed to the Greek community as members of an organization.

Some have really bad line names, or a really high a$$ line number, or maybe they don’t like sharing them with the public, so they put their organization’s crest or mascot on the back instead. Some simply want to make a statement and they put an alias or other popular name of theirs on the back of a jacket. You will find line brothers and sisters with these jackets identical to each other decked out in the latest designs displaying their “information.” They carry with them a kind of status and pride that should be admired. Some are really nice and inventive, some are just plain ole tacky and loud…

Jackets are a personal preference, but I prefer to highlight some of the best and the worst here.

By the way