However, when i stopped to think, I realized that I must not be the first dark-skinned guy to consider joining a white fraternity. I know more black people who had joined white frats than the number of white people who pledged to black fraternities/sororities. In fact no matter how hard I rack my brain I can not think of one white person that I know in a black frat. Is it easier for a black person to join a white Greek organization than for a white person to join a black one?
The 'reason' behind joining a fraternity or sorority is to be able to network and meet people of like-mind striving for success in the future. Nevertheless the truth behind most people's immediate motives for joining Greek-life are the social perks and extracurricular activities.
A concerning development to the majority of black women is the growing number of well-known black men dating women outside of their race. This 'plague' has seemingly infected the common black man and it is becoming a rare thing to see a black couple on a predominantly white campus. White social Greek events have a fun, welcoming atmosphere that can be enticing to black males on such a campus.
One joins a frat/sorority because one feels comfortable enough around other members or potential members and because they are attracted to the opposite sex in the corresponding frat/sorority.
Lets break-down the different groups involved:
White Girls- The relationship between whites girls and black girls is a strained one. We all know the beef black girls have with white girls, so to see a white girl willingly put her self in a hostile situation is unlikely and happens to be a very rare occurrence. On the other hand jungle fever is a growing deadly disease that seems to only affect white girls. The disease causes them to become enamored with dark-skinned men to such a degree that is described as 'feverish'
Black Girls- Unless they were brought up amongst white folk most black girls do not feel comfortable being around white people 24/7.In addition it is a rare thing to find a black girl who prefers white guys to black guys.. (unless they have had bad experiences with black guys in the past)
Black Guys- Most black guys are comfortable around white dudes ( some even prefer their company) and because almost all black guys have some level of attraction to white girls (snow bunnies) this is the group where the most crossover happens
White Guys- Most have black friends but don't really feel comfortable being around them exclusively, in addition most are not attracted to black girls.
(THESE ARE GENERALIZATIONS)
Black Guys may be the demographic that most commonly breaks the mold when it comes to Greek-Life; but in all seriousness, hopefully there comes a day where the color of your skin doesn't dictate who you pledge for. I think it is a positive thing for a black fraternities/sororities to have white members and vice-versa. It would represent another step in the progression of society and would signal an increased unity within the country.
Being a black man in a white fraternity I feel obliged to add that also that black fraternities are not as big on some campuses than they are at others. For example, in some of the southern states such as Georgia or Alabama; at the schools in these states predominantly black fraternities have greater power and influence on campus (note: movies such as Drum Line), therefore attracting more white males. However on the west coast we see a trend of white fraternities that are dominant on campus, thus attracting people of all races due to their reputation alone. I would also like to add that being in a fraternity is like joining a club on campus, except it is a club that has numerous commitments. This club involves numerous perks such as organized partying ( a huge benefit for college students who like to party- who doesnt?), networking, philantropy opportunites, leadership building, communication skills improvement etc, even acting as an academic incentive for college students to do well in school. As some fraternities, such as my own, have a GPA requirements (mine has a 2.75 GPA. This club however extends outside the college and encourages a person to even join other clubs in the process. Overall, race becomes irrelevant when discussing fraternities as in different states there may be a different dominant race of fraternity on campus, it is essentially joining people of the similar interests together in a club, that holds a power on campus. giving Greek Life more pros than cons...
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