Diversity in Black Greek Letter Organizations : Breaking the Line

Starting in the early twentieth century and still thriving in the contemporary era, Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) provide social support, networking opportunities, and service for the Black community. Although BGLOs have always been majority-Black organizations, there are small numbers of non-Black individuals who choose to pledge their membership. Diversity in Black Greek-Letter Organizations: Breaking the Line explores the experiences of these non-Black members who have immersed themselves in organizations rich with Black history and culture. Through in-depth interviews with thirty-four such members, Wendy Marie Laybourn and Devon R. Goss reveal how and why these individuals come to identify with organizations designed for the uplift of races other than their own. For non-Black BGLO members, the association with a Black organization provides them the opportunity to consider the meaning of racial inequality and their own racial identities. Although many non-Black BGLO members recount challenges to their membership, the participants in Diversity in Black Greek-Letter Organizations ultimately find a sense of belonging with their Black brothers and sisters, which Laybourn and Goss argue can provide an example of the challenges and promises of cross-racial interactions as a whole.

Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) arose in the early 20th century in response to racial and social exclusion encountered by Black students on college campuses and within historically White fraternities. Founded and formulated around the ideas of Black community, uplift, and independence, the invitation of non-Blacks into these BGLOs raise important questions about the opportunity for membership in these organizations to impact those for whom the space was not originally intended. Using this as a starting point, Breaking the Line asks: How is the color line built and maintained in the contemporary college environment? What role do BGLOs play on college campuses in the 21st century? What happens when individuals cross color lines by joining Greek letter organizations that differ from their own race? How does this identification process and experience shape their racial identification? How do non-Black members make sense of their experiences as BGLO members? Finally, how does membership affect non-Black members beyond college?

Although BGLOs may be seen as resource-rich organizations that distribute material resources to traditionally marginalized and under-networked Black members, Breaking the Line argues that symbolic identities, belonging, and boundary work are also being accomplished in these organizations. Whereas these symbolic boundaries are not directly observable, they manifest in the stories people use to make sense of their actions. Through thirty-four in-depth interviews, Laybourn and Goss observe how non-Black BGLO members define themselves in relation to others and how they go about the ongoing accomplishment of identity work in their majority-Black networks and communities.