CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

African American Women In Greek Life

Diamond 243

For my research paper I would like to write about how African American Sororities originated. In looking at these sororities I would like to report on some of the women who founded these organizations, such as Ethel Hedgeman Lyke, who founded the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at Howard University in 1908. I would also like to do research on Charles Robert Samuel Taylor, Pearl Neal, Myrtle Tyler, Viola Tyler, and Fannie Pettie who all played a role in founding Zeta Phi Beta at Howard University in 1920. This particular story is very interesting because it was initially a man who wanted this sorority created, which brings into question many of the ideas we have talked about in class regarding African American men versus African American Women and how they relate to each other in family and social situations. I would also like to consider what it means to be a part of these organizations and how they reflect on the strong family values that we have learned about through watching Daughters of the Dust and reading Jesus, Jobs, and Justice and Aren't I a Woman. There are a number of women I could talk about in reference to the African American Sororities, but I'm also interested in the African American women who tried or successfully became a part of sororities that were mostly white. I would like to learn about their struggles in doing this and what aspects of their lives allowed them to do so.

https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2015/program/207