Letter to the Editor: Why Greek life should be abolished
In the wake of the killing of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, almost every organization has released statements of solidarity with the Black community. Some statements express explicit support for Black Lives Matter, while some take on a more palatable stance of standing for equality.
The resonance of the Black Lives Matter movement prompts us to critically examine our own communities for racial injustice and disproportionate representation. In this vein, sororities and fraternities at USC are among the campus organizations that have released statements. While this may seem like the correct response given the circumstances, words can only do so much. Their statements against racial injustice feel empty and insincere considering the irony that these organizations, specifically Panhellenic and IFC, exist within a glaringly racist institution: Greek life.
Being labeled racist makes people and groups uncomfortable, but in unpacking that discomfort, we must question why it is more offensive for Greek life to be called a racist institution than it is for it to actually be a racist institution. Until the late 20th century, most fraternities and sororities did not accept nonwhite members, which is why Black college students had to create their own Greek organizations. Although fraternities and sororities are not officially segregated anymore, these organizations still employ “legacy” preference in their recruitment, which is an outdated way of keeping the same families — and as a result, the same race — of white people in their rosters.
Moreover, it is no secret that there is an unofficial but understood hierarchy to these campus organizations. As you go up the “ranks,” the membership is evidently whiter. The explicit and alarming message behind this is that whiteness is what is considered valuable. There are, of course, some people of color in Greek organizations; yet, particularly in organizations that are “higher ranked,” these individuals are often tokenized and serve as examples for the organizations to turn to in an effort to dispel claims of racism. These members typically adhere to the same standards of beauty, stem from the same high-income bracket and wear the same brands of clothes, all while enabling the organizations to give off the facade of diversity.
Members of Greek life may want to defend their recruitment process for being unbiased, and I would implore them to provide data comparing the demographics of Greek members to the demographics of the student body or even to the demographics of those who undergo the recruitment process. Currently, such data do not exist, but it’s clear to any student that Greek rosters do not reflect the demographics of USC’s student body. Additionally, there is no transparency in the Greek recruitment process. The organizations provide vague statements about potential new members having the right “vibe” or “fit” for their organizations. Yet when the organizations are homogenous to begin with, they are likely to only “vibe” with people similar to them.
Not only are Greek organizations racist, but they are also elitist. Joining Greek life is a form of self-segregation hidden within a thinly veiled ruse of philanthropy. The earliest fraternities were secret societies for the wealthy. Today, the only difference is that they are not secret anymore. In their defense, some may point out that they raise and donate money to their respective philanthropies, but fraternities and sororities still hoard much more wealth than necessary. No other student organization has dues even close to those of Greek organizations, which charge fees far higher than what an average student’s budget allows for. The new-member fees for a sorority at USC, from a document USC Panhellenic released in 2019, ranged from $1,954 to $3,217 for the semester. This is an unnecessarily high cost to join a “philanthropic” organization — perhaps, because it’s less about philanthropy and more about the mansions they inhabit.
Furthermore, these institutions provide professional networks for members that give them lifelong advantages, despite the fact that membership in a Greek organization has no relevance to professional capabilities. This network parallels the Trojan Family network that USC prides itself on, which is likely a reason why fraternities and sororities have been able to thrive within the University for so long. However, when the organizations are made up of the wealthiest and mostly white students, this practice of cronyism only perpetuates race and class division by helping the same group of people maintain their status and denying the possibility of socioeconomic mobility.
Beyond being harmful to the USC student community, Greek organizations also contribute to the unnecessarily large police presence in the area around USC. Only 22% of USC students are in Greek organizations, yet the Row, lined with its mansions, requires constant patrolling. Beyond gentrifying South Central, USC is also putting its surrounding community at risk by enabling the existence of organizations that increase police presence. As we have all come to know, Black Americans are much more likely to be stopped by police and are twice as likely as white Americans to be killed by police. Latinx Americans are also killed by police at disproportionate rates. An increased police presence caused by the weekly parties hosted by USC’s fraternities only puts people of color at and around USC and South Central at greater risk.
If USC were to put an end to Greek life, it could turn the houses that host these parties on the Row into more student housing. Currently, USC provides a mere two-year housing guarantee to its students. Students are left alone to find housing in the middle of their second year, often forced to deal with corrupt landlords. By turning the current Greek-owned houses into housing available to all students, USC would not only be able to provide more of its students with housing but also put an end to the weekly parties that require increased policing. If USC is really committed to being an equitable institution, then it should take this step in that direction.
President Carol Folt sent out an email to the USC community at the end of last month in which she wrote, “It will be challenging to confront directly issues like racism in our community, but we must.” If this is truly the case, then let us start with our Greek organizations. They create a divide among students and put the greater South Central community at risk. Moreover, if USC wants to rid itself of its “spoiled children” image, especially after its admissions scandal, it cannot associate itself with these elitist organizations.
Until Greek life is banned at USC, the University is actively endorsing classism and racism. Racism is a violent act, one evidently integral to Greek life. The current moment that we find ourselves in necessitates action that is definitively anti-racist. In engaging in the lengthy, difficult and crucial work of eradicating racism in our communities, it becomes increasingly clear that we must end Greek life.
Sahiba Gill
USC Class of 2021