When I look at Greek life, I see a natural segregation due to the history of the South. However, I am optimistic that Greeks will eventually strive for diversity without natural segregation occurring.
Something is wrong if a campus organization is not completely diverse. Greek life currently has three councils: the Interfraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council and the Collegiate Panhellenic Council.
Historically, African-Americans tend to be in the NPHC, and Caucasians tend to be in the other two councils.
From a historical perspective, I understand why three separate councils exist. In 1930, the NPHC was created by students from Howard University in Washington, D.C. because African-Americans were denied equal rights on the essential choices  to be made for Greek life.
However, some members admit that those who join a sorority or fraternity  traditionally made up of students of a different race will face judgment from their peers.
“I appreciate diversity,” said President of NPHC Auriell Celestine. “I see nothing wrong with going against the grain if that’s what you want to do… [But] when a black woman joins an organization outside of NPHC people might judge her or call her crazy. If a white woman joins an organization in the NPHC, people may say the same thing about her. [However] it is stated that the National Pan-Hellenic Council is historically black. It does not say it is strictly for black people. NPHC was based off of people of color who wanted to make a change in the community.”
Some students are able to go against the grain and join as a minority in Greek life. This factor is able to show how we are integrating even now in Greek life.
“The filling of a different environment and growing up in a predominately black high school, it was just a different experience to meet new people and gain knowledge of their culture because it helps me as a person in broadening my circle of influence,” said senior marketing major Devonte Bryant, a member of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. “At orientation, [Theta Chi] were the ones to speak out to me and told me to join a fraternity. At first I didn’t want to join Greek, but they spoke out to me and reached me.”
I had hopes that the students of Southeastern had improved in integration. I started to look through some old yearbooks to see when the NPHC first made their debut. I found a clear distinction.
I went from finding only Caucasian Greek members to suddenly African-Americans being pictured as well. It was like looking at two different school’s yearbooks, but in reality, it was only a one-year time span at the same university.
I found when the NPHC made its first appearance in the yearbook and most likely on campus. I was sad to learn that there were no introductions as to how the council was formed or a history of what the first people of the NPHC had to endure in order to be recognized on campus. I thought it would have been proper to have an introduction explaining what African-Americans had to go through to become a council on our campus, but when I looked at the yearbook, it was as if it wasn’t an important event.  
Another thing that shocked me was that even in the 1985 publication of the Le Souvenir Yearbook, Kappa Alpha wore Confederate uniforms. From further research after noticing this, I found out the uniform is not always a statement of racism but actually a memorial to honor all soldiers who have fallen in history.
I do not completely agree with this sentiment, but it reminds me of what one of my past African American English teachers told me. She said she didn’t get mad when other African-Americans hung the confederate flag because it was a part of her past and a people’s past is important in shaping the future.
“Kappa Alpha Order prohibits the use of confederate uniforms, flags and other trapppings in all activities,” said Jesse Lyons, Director of Communications and Editor of “The Kappa Alpha Journal. “We were founded upon the principles of gentlemanly conduct, with excellence as our aim, and those values remain the focus of the Order today.”
Other Greeks said they are open to new members of any race wanting to join the fraternity or sorority. But, I believe Greek recruiters need to be proactive by seeking diversity in recruitment. I am not saying that they need to meet a quota for different races. Rather, they should actively strive to talk to every race during recruitment. It may take time to fully integrate and null and void the natural segregation created by culture, but I believe it is possible over time to create a more diverse Greek system where you can’t tell the historically black council based on a simple observation.
This will be possible if Greeks continue to strive for excellence and continue to work together on projects that improve our campus and the community as a whole in which bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood of Greeks are developed and solidified.