Georgia Sorority Members Ordered to Undergo Race Sensitivity Training
ATHENS, Ga.
A University of Georgia sorority accused of evaluating a potential pledge on the basis of race will undergo sensitivity training, according to an agreement with the university.
A resolution released last month says Alpha Gamma Delta and the university agreed that some sorority members “may hold personal attitudes toward African American women which do not reflect the values of Alpha Gamma Delta or the university.”
It also says one or more members “may have made unacceptable comments concerning racial issues.”
The sorority agreed to educate its members in racial sensitivity and to ensure its members feel comfortable in confronting and reporting any inappropriate comments they might hear within the chapter.
In turn, the university lifted an interim suspension that prohibited the sorority from holding any social functions.
Details of educational sanctions have not been worked out, says Dr. Richard Mullendore, vice president for student affairs.
In an Aug. 29 letter to university officials, Alpha Gamma Delta member Allison Davis accused her sorority sisters of having said, “If we had a Black girl in our sorority, none of the fraternities would want to do anything with us.” Davis also said the members questioned why a Black wanted to attend rush at an all-White sorority (see Black Issues, Sept. 28).
Davis, who is from Brentwood, Tenn., has since withdrawn from the university.
“This issue has spawned an incredible amount of conversation on our campus,” Mullendore says. “It’s an issue many of us feel strongly about, and it goes beyond the Greek system. How do we, as an institution, educate our students and prepare them for the world beyond the University of Georgia?”
According to the resolution, Alpha Gamma Delta also agreed to take a leadership role in increasing “awareness and appreciation” for the value of racial diversity in social organizations on campus.
The resolution was signed by Mullendore and Suzanne Spicer, international president of Alpha Gamma Delta.
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