Singing these exact words still resonate with a great feeling of pride throughout all of my body, and like most greeks, I hate to see my fraternity put in a bad-light. However a self-imposed instance of negative publicity is always worse than a media-exaggerated perceived one. After the non-indictments of law enforcement personnel directly involved with the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner that seem to have no justification beyond race, I am amazed me the silence of the black greek organizations that encompass the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
Don't get me wrong, the NPHC did issue a statement after the non-indictment in Ferguson, and Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Delta Sigma Theta have recently spoken up now that protests have escalated due to the non-indictment in Staten Island. Well, that should be enough, right?
For me, it simply isn't...
I did not pledge the NPHC, AKA, or DST, so I shouldn't be bothered with the contention expressed by any of these organizations, but I am. The NPHC has said that they will continue to fight for the rights of black and brown people through peaceful protest and policy implementation. That should be enough, right?
Well that was grand! What did AKA and DST follow that up with?
Much of the same message, EXCEPT, these ladies cautioned their members NOT to wear any letters or insignia to these protests. You mean to tell me, letters that one worked hard to wear they can't wear to a protest putting their organization in a positive light for what may very well prove to be the civil rights struggle of our generation? Spare me the rhetoric regarding violent acts that may be associated with the organization because if we were doing a much better job of safeguarding the prestige of our organization members would know that in letters you are representing something much larger than yourself. (But that's another argument for another post)
Yet, Kappa Alpha Psi is still silent...
THEN TODAY HAPPENED...in fact, right when I was writing this piece.
I posted a rant that inspired this posting to my Facebook page, and in the course of criticizing Kappa and the rest of the NPHC I was encountered with two posts that allowed me to become further enraged with Kappa. The first, a post from a good friend of mine, was the following:
Of course, posting something like this he would happen to be an Alpha, but either way it denounces the whole sentiment of not wearing your letters to participate in these demonstrations. However, it still falls short of the level of involvement I'd like to see from our organizations and the statement that I feel should be made in light of these circumstances. Shout out to Alpha Phi Alpha.
But what did make me proud to be a greek was that same friend posting a letter from Zeta Phi Beta in which the ladies of Zeta have taken a stand and are using these incidents as a platform to launch a new social action directive in 2015.
But my beloved Kappa is still silent...
How is it that a black greek letter organization founded on the campus of a predominately white institution is quiet. I would spout off a certain incident that makes me feel like Kappa should be at the forefront of such matters but Nupes should know what I'm talking about. I'm just upset at the lack of response from what I always thought to be the talented tenth of our people.
Last time I checked, Kappa had an objective to inspire service in the public interest...but maybe I'm just dreaming...
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