The University of Alabama was also the first school to test the Supreme Court Brown vs. The Board of Education desegregation battle (passed in 1954). In 1952, before Brown was the law of the land, a young black woman named Autherine Lucy was accepted to the University of Alabama. Once the university realized she was African-American, they told her state law did not allow her to attend. Marshall and other lawyers worked with Lucy to sue the university. After years of courtroom battles, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1955 that Lucy could go to the University of Alabama. (Source)
University of Alabama’s newspaper, The Crimson White, decided to examine the exclusively white sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, as well as other fraternities and sororities at the University that were not allowing students in based solely on their skin color.
“Are we really not going to talk about the black girl?”
The Crimson White reported Melanie Gotz’ conversation with her chapter during sorority recruitment. The alumnae reportedly took her out of the bidding due to a technicality, but Gotz was convinced they needed to remove this prime candidate for their sorority because, “People are too scared of what the repercussions are of maybe taking a black girl.”
A student at the University of Alabama and contributor for The Crimson White explained on AC360 that the black and multiethnic sororities and fraternities at the University of Alabama were more inclusive, but the white sororities and fraternities were not.
In fact, out of all the traditionally white sororities and fraternities at the University of Alabama, only one has ever taken in a black student, but it was years ago and unfortunately did not break the segregation tradition.
It looks like the coverage from The Crimson White‘s journalistic investigation did bring about change. Just ten days after the publication reported about the issue of greek integration, the University President revealed that 15 black and minority students were offered places in traditionally white sororities.
Do you think the pressure will bring about a legitimate positive change, or do you think this is only to appease the masses which are putting pressure on the Greek system at the University?
