Sororities at the University of Alabama are selective. For acceptance, they take into consideration grades and even letters of recommendation from sorority alumnae. But a recent article in the school’s student newspaper, The Crimson White, reveals that the applicant’s race may also play an integral role in the admissions process.
One of the sororities in question, Alpha Gamma Delta, recently rejected an African-American applicant who had a high school GPA of 4.3. According to the article, the student’s application was declined, despite reports that a majority of the young sorority members wanted to accept her. One sorority member, Melanie Gotz, accuses alumnae of blocking the acceptance of the young applicant—all because the recruit was black, she says.
The sorority’s national organization said it takes seriously any allegations that its policies governing the recruitment process are not followed. “Alpha Gamma Delta policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in all of its activities including recruitment.”
According to the University of Alabama’s Panhellenic Association website, by the end of the recruitment week, more than 80% of interested young women succeed in joining a sorority.
This Alpha Gamma Delta incident comes just three months after the 50-year anniversary of Alabama Governor George Wallace’s attempt to block two African-American students—Vivian Malone and James Hood—from enrolling at the University.
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Collier Meyerson