The Global Citizenship & Human Dignity initiative was created to meet the needs of today’s college students. This initiative aims to create a meaningful and purpose-driven curriculum and programming around race and racism, LGBTQ+ awareness and support, and mental health within the Fraternity & Sorority Life community at the University of Arizona. All are welcome in our Greek community. However, just saying those words are not enough. We must put our words into action.
| ETHNICITY | COUNT OF PERSON | PERCENTAGE |
|---|---|---|
| African American | 76 | 1.4% |
| American Indian | 21 | 0.4% |
| Asian | 153 | 2.8% |
| Hispanic | 872 | 15.9% |
| Non Resident Alien | 39 | 0.7% |
| Pacific Islander | 6 | 0.1% |
| Two or more races | 296 | 5.4% |
| Unknown / Other | 65 | 1.2% |
| White | 3,964 | 72% |
| Grand Total | 5,492 | 100.00% |
Antiracist Virtual Speaker Series
We commit to bringing an antiracist speaker to the Arizona Greek community every two years. Last year for Fall 2023, Fraternity and Sorority programs invited Odell Bizzell to facilitate The Talk: A Diversity/Inclusion Conversation That Must Be Had. His engaging and interactive presentation helped students learn about the intersection of leadership and diversity and how to become more effective leaders in a diverse world.
As part of this presentation, students were able to:
- Explore the relationship between empathy and social responsibility
- Consider how to respond positively to those with opposing views
- Develop a community on campus to champion worthwhile causes
- Begin to understand how to facilitate important conversations with peers through the lens of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect.
In 2020, we brought the author of the Los Angeles Times best seller, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities, and Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses, Lawrence Ross. This lecture on campus racism was a frank look at how a legacy of white racial supremacy in the United States led to incidents like fraternity members singing about lynching black people, the events in Charlottesville, VA, and other examples of racism that have occurred on college campuses. This program operated under the premise that you're not responsible for your actions if you're ignorant of why something is racist. As a result, participants at the University of Arizona learned about the legacy of racism, while getting a call to action to change that legacy to be anti-racist.
Antiracist Book Club
Each semester, Fraternity & Sorority Programs hosts an antiracist book club. Our book club is a fantastic way to discover new reading material, support authors, and maintain connections.
Fall 2023 Book Club
Fraternity & Sorority Programs is excited to host the Fall 2023 Anti-Racist Book Club! This semester, we will be reading and discussing "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" by Emmanuel Acho. Books will be provided at no cost to participants. Click here to sign up for a session. SOE points available for participating Chapters.
Please register by Monday, October 9, 2023. Questions? Contact Laura John at LauraWester@arizona.edu.
Anti-Racist Book Club Schedule
Session One: Wednesdays 7:00-8:00 PM | 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, & 11/15
Session Two: Thursdays 11:00-12:00 PM | 10/19, 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, & 11/16
We will be meeting in the Student Union Memorial Center, Room 412.
EDL 396A - Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Fraternity & Sorority Life
To understand the complexities of race, ethnicity, and culture in present-day collegiate fraternity and sorority (F&S) life, it is imperative to engage with the histories of this social establishment. Fraternity & Sorority Programs will offer this 3-credit course each spring semester. The class will explore the history of race and racism in fraternity/sorority life through the themes of exclusion, racial uplift, and cultural relevance.
Fraternity & Sorority Programs Staff ‘Safe Zone’ Trained
Safe Zone is a campus-wide training program committed to making The University of Arizona a safer, more welcoming, and inclusive environment for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) community. The program intends to shift the campus climate through education. Each Fraternity & Sorority Programs staff member will complete a general education and ally development course.
“Greek Ally Training” for Greek Students
This program is referenced from the LAMBDA 10 Project. The training will be at least two hours in length (it can be divided into two sections if preferred). It will be facilitated by a campus professional staff member and/or trained peer educators who are knowledgeable about LGBTQ issues. A Greek Ally participant can participate in the LGBTQ Affairs general ally training, followed by a session on how to apply the concepts to the Greek community. As part of the training, a panel of LGBT students or recent alumni (including Greek-affiliated members if possible) can be incorporated.
Implementation in 2023
BIPOC Addiction & Mental Health Support
One of our core areas of focus is curating mental health resources for/by the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community.
- Black College Students Support Guide
- Resources to Support Latinxs
- Resources to Support Native and Indigenous Peoples
- Resources to Support QTBIPOC
- Resources to Support Asian Americans
- QTBIPOC Well-Being and Mental Health: How Communities Can Help
The National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE®)
NCORE® is designed to provide a significant forum for discussion, critical dialogue, and exchange of information as institutions search for effective strategies to enhance access, social development, education, positive communication, and cross-cultural understanding in culturally-diverse settings. Fraternity & Sorority Programs commits to attending and bringing student leaders.
Delegation at the National Black Greek Leadership Conference (NBGLC), the National Cultural Greek Leadership Conference (NCGLC), and the Out & Greek Institute for LGBT & Ally Fraternity & Sorority Leaders
The National Black Greek Leadership Conference (NBGLC) was created in 1986 to give undergraduate members of Black Greek-Lettered Organizations the opportunity to network and dialogue on issues that faced them on predominately white campuses and to celebrate the fellowship among the Divine Nine.
Since 2010, AFLV West's inaugural year, the National Cultural Greek Leadership Conference has rapidly grown as an important part of the AFLV West experience and given cultural Greek students a chance to connect with and learn from similar leaders across the country. All AFLV West sessions are open to all attendees, and we have sessions with content specifically tailored to cultural Greeks.
Campus Pride is the leading national educational organization for LGBT and ally college students and campus groups. The organization initiated its Lambda 10 Project in 1996 to create visibility and support for LGBT members in fraternities and sororities. Lambda 10 works actively to develop resources and educational materials to educate on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression as it pertains to the fraternity/sorority experience. Since 2013, AFLV and Campus Pride have embarked on a strategic partnership to present the Out & Greek Institute in conjunction with AFLV West.
Do the Work
The thought of educating yourself on racial injustice in the world can be overwhelming and intimidating. But change must occur. That is why we love Rachel Cargle's #DoTheWork online resources. It is designed to be an eye-opener and a call to action for those who seek to be allies to the Black community. It is a course comprised of 30 modules. Modules can be completed in 15 minutes or less. Each week a new module is included in FSP Weekly, but you can always access them on her website.