Alabama's Segregated Sororities
episode
Campus Files: Scandals, Secrets & Crimes at American Universities
31 min
1 speaker
2 chapters
transcribed
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How does the University of Alabama's Greek life reflect segregation?
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I want to take you to a scene in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Men are in Confederate uniforms, women in antebellum hoop skirts. They're marching through the streets of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This isn't a scene from the Civil War. This is Old South, an annual parade at the University of Alabama. It's hosted by one of the fraternities. Noticeably absent from the parade are any Black men or women. Because at the time of this scene, fraternities and sororities remain segregated at the university. The year? It's 2013. I'm Margo Gray. This week on Campus Files, the University of Alabama reckons with its segregated sorority system. So I am from Alabama and went to University of Alabama from 2010 to 2014. This is Abby Crane. She's a third-generation University of Alabama student.
Really not a whole lot went into choosing my school. My dad went to Alabama and my grandfather on my mom's side went to Alabama. Abby grew up watching Alabama football, which has a nearly religious following. Ask anyone at Alabama and they'll tell you that football is one of the two dominant forces on campus, the other being Greek life. Alabama actually has the largest Greek system of any university in the country, with over 12,000 members. To put that in perspective, Alabama has more Greek members than Notre Dame has students. I want to say it's like 25 to 30 percent of the total student population, which honestly is less than you would imagine, but it's just so visible. The sorority houses are right across the street from the stadium. The fraternity houses are the first thing you see when you drive into Tuscaloosa on campus.
They're these huge antebellum-esque houses, like the visibility of them kind of shows the weight we put into it. The fraternity and sorority houses look more like mansions. Many of them have Greek columns, grand staircases, and crystal chandeliers. They cost millions of dollars to maintain. It's a literal manifestation of the worth we put into Greek life. The social currency of Greek life was a really big deal. And I remember as a freshman, they'd be like, are you in a sorority? What sorority are you in? Like, that's immediately what they ask you. And like, there's an assessment someone can make from what sorority you're a part of. The competition to get into one of these sororities is intense. Sorority recruitment, also known as RUSH, starts before freshman year even begins.
I was a senior in high school and was actually going to these things called pre-RUSH parties. where sororities will invite you to these group parties in your hometown. They'll memorize names before these parties. They'll have a list of attributes being like, she was homecoming queen, she was a national merit scholar. So they do know a good bit about who you are if you're coveted by the sororities. The recruitment process officially begins in early August, right at the start of the school year. Early August in Alabama is the hottest of hot. It's like 90% humidity, no amount of hairspray, can tame the frizz, you're dripping sweat. Rush lasts for nine days, broken up into several rounds. During the first round of Rush, freshmen visit the sorority houses, where they're greeted by sorority members chanting in the doorway.
I remember showing up for my first house. Everyone stood in front of the doors. The doors flew open and they started singing a song, like yelling at us with these huge smiles and this huge hair and the head movements and the hand movements. Everything was so coordinated and exaggerated and girly. Delta Gamma, I'm so happy that I am a Delta Gamma. Once inside the sorority house, freshmen are pulled into a flurry of conversation with sorority members. Lots and lots of small talk.
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Chapters
2 chaptersSpeakers
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