KANSAN Comment
Tokenism revisited
The word has come from Mt. Olympus accompanied by the sting of "blacklash."
Greeks want to integrate, blacks want to separate.
The Greeks say there are no token Negroes in the system. In lieu of the fact that there is only one black in the entire system, it is a little hard to swallow isn't it?
The Panhellenic rush system does not allow sororities to rush students who have not participated in formal rush—ergo, no black students in sororities. Perhaps it's time to change the ancient Olympian ways.
Black students claim they have no desire
to participate in a white institution. They say separatism, not integration, should be the byword for 1969.
Why live where you're not wanted?
Any way you look at it—the whole system smacks of racism.
On the KU-scene, racism is no longer exclusive to whites.
If the Greek system is to survive and retain its campus relevance, change must come from within and be accompanied by a willing interest from blacks. Together they can make the Greek system one of "brotherhood." (JKD)
What is tokenism?
By JOHN HILL
The hang-up with Greeks and blacks is tokenism.
Tokenism means a fake show of equality. But it does not apply everywhere.
Tokenism is a self-fulfilling kind of an accusation; to accuse is also to convict. And then all whites involved in anything which has only one black are then found guilty of falsely implying brotherhood or equality.
This is unfair and illogical; following this to its logical end would mean that there can exist no possible situation where one Negro could legitimately be involved with whites in some organization. And this is absurd.
This over-concern with tokenism is slowing up the process of the black man attaining full stature in society and at KU. Ironically, it is the white liberals who are so quick to raise the cry of tokenism, and cause this.
One black student is now a member of an otherwise all white fraternity system—but no responsible or respected fraternity leader is smugly pointing to him and saying, in effect, that everything's fine now concerning the fraternity system and black students.
Not everything is fine. And the Interfraternity Council leaders are very much aware of it.
But the combination of the
self-fulfilling nature of the connotation of tokenism, and the high degree of consciousness of it, is causing some very real problems for everyone involved:
- Many black students are thinking twice about joining and suddenly becoming part of the headlines, and being thought of by some to be tokens or Uncle Toms.
- The concerned fraternity man is in a bind. If he actively seeks out black students to rush and plodge, is this not finally real tokenism? Or is it just a sincere attempt to overcompensate for overlooking black students in the past? Either way, tokenism can be accused. And believed, simply by the illogic that one black would exist among many whites.
- Blacks who might be pledged during a time of publicity and pressure might never be sure as to whether or not they were tokens to some degree. And again with pressure to pledge black students, who can their white fraternity brothers ever really be completely sure of their own motives?
What is the fraternity system supposed to do about black students? Nothing at all? This hardly seems to be a self-respecting approach to what is a real problem, and moral issue.
Yet publicity, pressure and an over-consciousness of possible tokenism has put the fraternity
system in a bind, where whatever they do now, they are subject to criticism.
The one black student in the fraternity system was pledged at a time of no publicity, and no pressure to pledge a black student. Thus, integration came as it really should-naturally and sincerely.
Yet this situation is what is called tokenism—only by virtue of the fact that one black lives with whites.
Now, efforts are being made, and to a great extent by the University Daily Kansan, to make the pledging of black students an "issue." with the subsequent pressures, publicity, and problems.
And it is very wrong to assume that unless pressure is brought, a black man does not have a fair chance at being pledged. A number of fraternities were quietly rushing black students prior to recent editorials; fraternities care and are concerned.
But creating an issue out of it makes many black students shy away from consideration of pledging, which may now be occurring.
It would seem that integration of fraternites need what many will not give it - time.
As well as the absence of pressure and publicity so that sincerity might be allowed to take their place in a genuine pursuit of brotherhood.
Greek letter explains situation
To the Editor:
I would like to respond to the editorial concerning Greek tokenism in the Feb. 10 UDK. While I would readily agree with several of JKD's points, I also feel that some misconceptions and exaggerations expressed by her should be pointed out.
First of all, there is the idea of Greek recruitment. It is quite true that fraternities recruit many of their members by going out and competing for the men they desire as pledges. On the other hand, sororities are specifically prohibited from this type of activity by the university. No girl can even be approached unless she goes through rush. The first step in integrating sororities, then, is to appeal to minority students to turn out for rush.
Secondly, there is the question of whether Greek houses are WASPish by
I believe that the WASPish aspect of Greek houses on this campus can be changed without great resistance from within the housesbut the impetus will have to come from the outside, with large numbers of minority students participating in rush
conscious choice, or simply by habit. I would maintain that there are many more Greeks ready to accept minority "sisters" or "brothers" than most non-Greeks assume. Sororities can prove nothing, however, until we have minority rushees. That some fraternities are learning the limitations of applying unbrotherly standards to prospective brothers is at least suggested by the "token" black in the AKL house.
At this point, it is doubtful whether many of the most energetic and intelligent minority students can be persuaded to place themselves in
the position of rushees. It is neither uplifting nor pleasant to be processed and judged by strangers-doubly so when you may feel that your chances of acceptance are limited by prejudice. Greeks stand to gain by overcoming this apprehension in potential rushees; the KU Greek system cannot exist much longer as it now stands without becoming a haven for racial misunderstanding and submerged panic.
I would be very pleased if my sorority could be among the first to pledge a minority coed in the near future-not as a token gesture, but because there are many wonderful non-white and non-Christian girls at KU, and we are only hurting ourselves by missing out on their companionship.
Pamela Budd
Sigma Kappa
'I always get dizzy on those big motha pedestals anyway.'
A black position
By PHYLLIS JONES Kansan Staff Writer
This over-inflated egotistical view extends to his fraternities and sororites. Although, supposedly, there is no constitutional clause barring a person because of race or color, it is an unwritten law that blacks do not participate in white rush.
One of the many indications of the white man's superiority complex is his belief that the black man wants to "integrate" his social groups.
White liberals, usually independent, are outspoken critics of the Greek system. By criticizing this segregated system, they are working for "the Cause" and at the same time, soothing their guilt feelings about living in a segregated neighborhood.
Neither the racist not the liberal can understand why the black man no longer wants to be "accepted" by whites.
The irony of the situation is that black students do not want to pledge white Greek organizations.
The "white liberal" urging token integration has become a ludicrous character.
Membership in white organizations is not relevant to the black man's struggle for survival in a racist society.
As a result of the black cultural revolution now taking place in this country, emphasis of the black man is now on black unity and black awareness.
The black student has re-evaluated his ideas of what is desirable and relevant to his needs as an oppressed person and has redefined his values from a black concept. In other words, he has "gotten himself together."
For those blacks who want to join Greek organizations, black students have their own black fraternities and sororities.
Contrary to a previous writer's view, integration is not the word for 1969, but, rather, separation. Not Jim Crow "separate but equal," but, separation on the black man's terms.
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