Wednesday, March 23, 2016 // The Statement
4B
Wednesday, March 23, 2016 // The Statement
5B
Milan Crawford is used to being the only Black girl in the room. She attended Cranbrook-
Kingswood, an elite, predominantly white private school in Bloomfield Hills. She was also
competitive in swimming, a sport with notably few Black athletes.
But when on break during her freshman year, Crawford, now an LSA senior, told her family
members that she had pledged Alpha Phi, one of the University of Michigan’s 16 Panhellenic
sororities. In return, she remembers receiving looks of confusion.
Many of Milan’s family members were part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, a historically
Black Greek life council composed of nine fraternities and sororities known as the “Divine 9” on
their respective college campuses.
Crawford is one of few minority women in her sorority and within the University’s Panhellenic
community. Choosing to rush a Panhellenic sorority rather than one of the “Divine 9” was a
personal decision that came down to her comfort and experience operating in predominantly
white spaces — a multicultural choice many students on campus find themselves facing, even as
Greek life considers ways to approach diversity and inclusion.
***
Diversity, or lack thereof, isn’t an isolated challenge on campus.
This past September, University President Mark Schlissel launched a Diversity, Equity
& Inclusion Strategic Planning Initiative in an effort to improve the campus climate across
every school and college. A Diversity Summit held this past November additionally served as
a platform for students and faculty members to directly express their ideas and concerns they
have surrounding issues of equity and inclusion on campus.
While the planning process is underway, with the release of official plans scheduled for
Spring 2016, several programs have already jumpstarted the president’s push for an improved
racial climate, resulting in visible improvements on campus.
One such program, the HAIL Scholars program, short for the High Achieving Involved Leader,
seeks to improve the recruitment of economically disadvantaged, high-achieving students from
throughout the state through increased resources and full-tuition scholarships. While minority
enrollment increased this past year for the first time since 2005, diversity, equity and inclusion
on campus is still a prevalent issue not only within academic and administrative spheres, but
within the social one as well. Overall, underrepresented minority enrollment increased by 12.8
percent, and the number of Black students increased by 4.82 percent.
The University’s Greek life community is one in particular slowly working to improve
enduring racial divisions.
Twenty-five percent of this campus is involved in Greek life, and when the term “Greek life”
comes to mind, activities such as the Mud Bowl, Winterfest and St. Fratty’s Day undoubtedly
follow. Giant houses that line Hill Street and Washtenaw Avenue are common associations, but
what many don’t realize is that these fraternities and sororities comprise just two of the four
Greek councils on this campus.
Greek Life at the University is comprised of four groups: the Inter-Fraternity Council, the
Panhellenic Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Multi-Cultural Greek Council.
It’s been a tumultuous year for the University’s IFC/Panhellenic community following
several ski trips gone awry last February. Mary Beth Seiler, who has been the director of Greek
life at the University for the past 37 years, is also set to retire amid many reforms currently
underway within the Greek community. Each reform is set to combat such campus issues as
alcohol abuse, sexual assault, the relationship between the city’s police department and the
campus community and diversity.
Seiler said there is no denying that racism was once present in Greek life.
“Historically, honestly, there has been discrimination,” Seiler said. “Absolutely. That’s why
we have organizations that were founded as African American, Jewish, Catholic ... There was
outright discrimination. Nobody can really deny that.”
She added that the disproportionate sizes of the separate Greek Councils pose a barrier to
mixing and socializing between the councils. For instance, she says, a social event between a
200-person Panhellenic sorority and a 30-person NPHC Fraternity might pose discomfort for
minority students involved. In addition, IFC/Panhel’s Greek Week, one of their largest events,
falls around many NPHC organizations’ Founders Days — an important, busy season of tradition
within the NPHC community.
Nonetheless, Seiler said there has been a push within the past year to promote awareness
of the separate councils and their unique traditions within each organization. This push starts
with encouraging members of the four councils to attend the philanthropic, cultural and social
events of the four different councils.
“Are we where we want to be? No, absolutely not,” Seiler said. She noted that she strives to
improve relations and communication between the four councils, but that she also believes it’s
important for them to maintain their own identities within such diversity, equity and inclusion
efforts.
“When we find those times we can actually collaborate and do something together — that’s
great, but the goal is not to do everything together necessarily,” Seiler said.
She went on to say that many people ask her about the inherent issue of inclusion in
organizations historically founded for certain races, ethnicities and religions within the
four councils. She explained that she believes the separate councils and individual Greek
organizations that cater to specific identities are an important source of comfort for students of
different backgrounds on campus.
“Not everybody wants to be in a 200-member sorority no matter what, so the fact that
there are options is good,” Seiler said. “And I
think, especially at Michigan, making your
organization intentionally diverse — and some
students feel like that’s what they should do
— you know, they should reach out more to
students with different identities, and while
that may sound very noble, you have to realize:
Well, maybe that’s not what they want.”
***
LSA senior Arnold Reed, a former Black
Student Union speaker, said his NPHC
fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, has been a source
of comfort for him as a minority student on a
campus with more than 43 thousand students,
less than 5 percent of which are Black.
While both he and LSA senior Reid
McManus, an LSA senior and former NPHC
council president, said equity and inclusion
between the four councils has gradually
improved on campus over the past year with
the creation of the Greek life task forces, they
added that the University has a long way to go
to achieve equity and inclusion.
Both Reed and McManus identified a
general lack of awareness among the four
councils as a major barrier between the
organizations. The councils don’t mix often,
they explained, due to a lack of knowledge of
each other’s traditions and events.
Reed said he would specifically like to see
more IFC/Panhel members demonstrating
a willingness to learn about NPHC’s unique
traditions, such as twirling canes — a tradition
sacred to Kappa Alpha Psi.
“When people see that for the first time,
they’re not really sure what to make of it,” Reed
said. “But I appreciate the organizations who,
when they see us do that, they’re respectful
and they say ‘Hey, what do you call that? What
is that? That’s really cool. What’s the history
behind it?’ As opposed to, I’ve had other
organizations when I’ve had it in my hand try
and grab it.”
Reed added that NPHC has a strong history
of reaching out to other minority groups on
campus, as demonstrated by its 27th annual
multicultural talents show “Night at the Set”
held earlier this year.
“I think just on an exterior level people tend
to feel more comfortable with people that look
like them,” Reed said. “Nothing is necessarily
wrong with that; however, our organization
has tried to make its recruiting efforts very
diverse ... I think it really just depends case by
case.”
And
while
he
understands
some
organizations
within
the
four
councils
choose not to interact with other councils
out of comfort, Reed says he is hopeful that
members within each community don’t feel as
though the opportunity to socialize with other
councils isn’t there.
“Whether or not you choose to interact with
each other across councils, I don’t want people
feeling as if there’s a wall there,” Reed added.
McManus
attributed
the
apparent
separation between the four councils to
potential differences in students’ motivations
behind joining Greek organizations in the first
place. NPHC, for instance, attracts students
seeking to continue the legacy of their parents,
aunts or uncles. Both McManus and Reed
chose to join Kappa Alpha Psi because of the
influence of family members who were also
members on their own college campuses. IFC
and Panhel, McManus said, is more of a social
draw for students than one of culture and
legacy.
McManus pointed out another potential
social barrier between students across the
University’s four councils: their pre-exposure
to different races and ethnicities. McManus
explained that, because he went to a diverse
high school, he came to the University with
a certain level of comfort operating in all
different racial and ethnic communities,
whereas some of his friends, in both NPHC and
IFC/Panhel alike, attended schools dominated
by a specific race.
“I don’t think there’s a divide in how we
socialize with each other,” McManus said. “I
think it’s that some people don’t know how,
just because they haven’t had to or haven’t
been exposed to it. I feel like a lot of the white
students that come to this University — they
don’t know about the organizations within the
NPHC and what they can offer. It’s not their
fault because they just haven’t been exposed
to it.”
McManus also pointed out a stereotype he
finds harmful that, he said, is often applied to
men and women of color who choose to join
IFC or Panhellenic organizations: that they
don’t want to be within their culture.
“A lot of people say ‘Oh, they’re washed.
They don’t wanna be with their culture,’
” McManus said. “But I mean, I’ve talked
to them, and they’re actually really cool
individuals. They just decided that’s what they
wanna do just because they grew up around
not really knowing the African-American
community.”
In reference to the stereotype, McManus
added: “I don’t like that. A lot of my friends are
white, and if I had joined an IFC fraternity I
wouldn’t want that.”
***
Looking back on her time at the University,
Crawford says her experience as a member of
Alpha Phi was only positive. She said she feels
fortunate she has never experienced instances
of racism as a minority woman in a Panhellenic
sorority.
She did, however, say that national headlines
following instances of cultural appropriation
and racism in Greek organizations — both at
the University and on other college campuses
— upsets her. In 2013, for instance, the
University’s chapter of Theta Xi planned to
hold a “ratchet” themed party, complete with
an offensive Facebook event description and a
photo that parodied Black culture.
“You hear that and you’re just like ‘Why
the hell would I wanna join or be a part of
anything like that?’ ” Crawford said. “And it
makes sense. I don’t know how you change an
entire culture.”
“It’s kind of opened my eyes, and I don’t
wanna say that I’ve been ignorant this whole
time, but I’m starting to see things and realize
that ‘OK, I understand that I’m the only African
American in my pledge class or chapter, but
how can I use that to educate my peers?’ ”
Crawford said. She added that, as a woman of
color operating in an overwhelmingly white
space, she often feels lacking in a space for
open dialogue.
“When things like that tend to come up I’m
silent — and I don’t like that I’m like that,”
Crawford said. “I’m not very open about
throwing my opinions on people, but when
things like that come up, I feel like me speaking
up can give my friends a new perspective, but
I guess I’m not comfortable having those types
of conversations around them.”
On the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion
efforts on campus, Crawford says she sees
significant room for improvement within the
IFC/Panhel community. She recalled telling
her mother she was excited after seeing three
or four girls of color walk through the Alpha
Phi house during a recent formal recruitment
process.
“I wish that it was something that wasn’t so
rare. It’s slowly but surely getting better, but
there needs to be so much more that’s done,”
Crawford said.
Crawford echoed McManus’ thoughts on a
severe lack of education and awareness among
IFC/Panhel organizations of the traditions
and events of MGC and NPHC organizations.
For instance, she said she believes a mandatory
community meeting, held earlier this year by
Schlissel to address issues of alcohol abuse,
sexual misconduct and other issues that have
put Greek life at the center of attention both
on campus and across the nation, was the first
time members of all Greek life organizations
came together.
She added that the IFC/Panhel could
significantly benefit from increased interaction
with the MGC and NPHC communities.
“There’s
just
so
many
different
perspectives,” Crawford said. “You learn
so much from someone who is completely
different from you. There’s people from so
many different backgrounds and so many
different cultures and so many races and I feel
that Panhel and IFC is very closed off to that
and I think it’s a problem.”
To minority women thinking of rushing
Panhellenic sororities, Crawford highlighted
confidence and self-awareness as crucial
pieces of advice.
“Always make sure that you’re confident
in yourself,” Crawford said. “When you hear
these disgusting things in the news, and you
hear these headlines, and you hear what’s
going on and you’re hearing about the Black
Lives Matter movement, it’s really easy in a
situation where you are the minority to start
not to be self-aware and you start feeling
uncomfortable and feeling judged. It’s really
easy for that to happen.”
Divided We Stand: Greek Life at the ‘U’
By Lara Moehlman, Daily Staff Reporter
DAVID SONG/Daily
LEFT: LSA senior Milan Crawford is a member of Alpha Phi, a Panhellenic Sorority. RIGHT: LSA senior Reid McManus is the former National Pan-Hellenic Council president.
DAVID SONG/Daily
LSA senior Arnold Reed discusses racial relations in Greek life.
“Whether or not you
choose to interact
with each other across
councils, I don’t want
people feeling as if
there’s a wall there,”
Reed added.
“Historically,
honestly,
there has been
discrimination,”
Seiler said.