On the night of October 7, 1975, more than 300 students at the University of Virginia (UVA) stormed Carr’s Hill to confront President Frank L. Hereford about his conspicuous absence at the Student Council’s Open Forum on Minority Affairs.  The spontaneous protest occurred minutes after Council President Paul Freeman abruptly adjourned the forum upon word that Hereford had been spotted in attendance at the premiere of “The Threepenny Opera,” held at the Culbreth Theatre.  At one of the more contentious moments in the forum, when African American students complained about Hereford’s absence, Freeman informed the crowd that UVA’s President wanted to hear the students’ concerns but a previously scheduled luncheon in Washington, DC prevented his attendance.  Frustration quickly turned into outrage when Eston E. Melton, the editor-in-chief of the Cavalier Daily, revealed that Hereford had been seen at Culbreth Theatre.   Disgruntled students then marched to Carr’s Hill to “demand an explanation for Hereford’s failure to attend the forum.” His absence, in the view of many students, confirmed their growing belief in the administration’s disregard for the concerns and needs of African American students.

The period between the spring semester of 1974 and the fall semester of 1975 had been a rather tense period on grounds as students protested Hereford’s membership in the all-white Farmington Country Club, questioned other University administrators’ commitment to diversity, and railed against a University-Union sponsored debate featuring William Shockley, a Nobel Prize winning physicist who promoted the theory of black genetic inferiority.  Counted among the students most consistent demands was the establishment of an Office of Minority Affairs, which would come into existence after a series of protests and negotiations initiated by both African American and white students.

Especially important in the creation of what would become the Office of African American Affairs were students like Freeman, Linda Quarles of the Black Student Alliance, and Leroy Hassell, among others. In the video below, one of the individuals working for the creation of OAAA, Charles “Corky” Conyers reflects on the politics behind its creation.

2012 Final Exercises

Late in the spring of 1927, the noted black monthly, The Messenger Magazine, published a titillating piece entitled “What Good Are College Fraternities.” Here, James W. Ivy and Raymond W. Cannon offered opposing views on the political and cultural utility of black Greek life.  A graduate of Virginia Union and a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Ivy had an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of Black Greek Life.  Such knowledge led him to the view of black fraternities as merely “social organizations” devoid of intellectual depth, political consciousness, and transformative potential. Noting the “disintegrating effect of college fraternities upon college life and student activities”, Ivy offered a stinging rebuke of “frat life” from the perspective of an insider:  “The alleged premise that college fraternities are working for the welfare of the school community and the ultimately triumph of the race is in truth altogether fantastic.” To prove his point, Ivy noted the differences in the quality and democratic nature of student governance before and after the arrival of fraternities. “During my early years in college,” he explained, “it was the ambition of every talented student to rise to some position of influence in the one or the other of these organizations. Any student with ability had an equal chance with all the others. True there were at little politics, but it never mattered much. If you had the goods your fellow students would quickly recognize it.”  According to Ivy, the “advent of the frats” imperiled this system of meritocracy. “College organizations are now the arenas where “frat” politicians demonstrate their knowledge of Mark Hana and Tammany Hall. Candidates are now put forward because they belong to this or that “frat” and not because of their abilities to capably fill the offices in question. If it is found that one fraternity alone cannot dominate the organization, two of them will combine against their more hated rival and there will be a pooling of the offices.” [1]

Ivy’s negative assessment received a strong rebuke from Raymond Cannon, the president of Alpha Phi Alpha.  With painstaking detail, Cannon challenged the portrayal of fraternities as having a negative influence on campus life.  As he explained, “I have frequently heard it said that the fraternities play politics, even to the point of splitting the college into fractions. Any right-minded individual can readily see that this is ridiculous. Fraternities have the welfare of the college at heart. In fact, the influence of some fraternities has helped to make some colleges what they are.” Fraternities, he continued, “teach a respect for the rights of others and a brotherly love. The personification of virtue, the sanctity of the home and abhorrence of all evil are indelibly impressed upon the minds of all members…Every effort is exerted to stimulate the ambition of the members to attain the highest possible scholarship and intellectual achievement.” [2]

Today, several of the issues raised in the debate between Ivy and Cannon echo on colleges across the country, including the University of Virginia.  As many are well aware, Black Greek Letter organizations have been a permanent presence on UVA’s campus since 1973, when the Lamda Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi arrived on grounds.  Since then, black fraternities and sororities have made important contributions to student life. Moreover, many NBGOs have launched important service projects designed to assist the larger Charlottesville community. In fact, for several students, sororities and fraternities provide a direct link to black Charlottesville.

Zetas and Sigmas at UVA Football Game, Early 1980s

 This does not mean, however, that BGLOs have not been held up to critical scrutiny.  Criticisms of black Greeks have ranged from their alleged failure to adopt a more explicitly political character to their purported role in the segregated nature of student life on grounds. If nothing else, these criticisms have ignited vibrant conversations around the true meaning of integration, as well as the importance of maintaining certain cultural and family traditions.

Alphas

The definitive history of black Greek life at UVA has yet to be written, but hopefully as we enter another season of 40^th anniversary celebrations, we can gain a deeper understanding of this important aspect of the University’s history.

Here’s a video collage of interviews conducted by two of my former students, Shannon Davis and Roxanne Campbell (who did most of the cinematography). In 2012, Shannon and Roxy began interviewing alums and documenting the activities of Black Greeks at UVA.

[1] Messenger Magazine, 1927.