Reviews
African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Visions
Black Issues Book Review Best Book of 2005
"[Black Greek-letter Organizations] have historically served important civic functions for black America--and this fine anthology has more than empirically established that claim."—Journal of Southern History
"A well-researched piece of history that clearly shows the glue that binds these organizations and how the foundation was there long before their existence."—Delta Journal
"The essays explore the struggles, intentions, triumphs, and setbacks of a determined group of nine black, Greek-Letter organizations. . . . Descriptions of courageous and steadfast men and women who labored long and hard to develop a spirit of cooperation among collegiates and a committment to building 'a better society for all' emblazon each chapter. This book is a resource that every college library and every chapter of every BGLO should own and circulate to keep its history alive."--Black Issues Book Review
"Comprehensive. . . . Explores the founding of the groups, their culture and traditions, as well as how their existence fits in with other movements in African American history."—The Crisis
"The only objective study of BGLOs of which this bibliographer is aware that provides an authoritative, comprehensive study of these organizations and has designed a therapy for ridding them of the cancer that is eating away at them."—Dunbar on Black Books
"Tackles a range of topics and perspectives of Black Greek life. . . . A comprehensive study drawing from the various perspectives of its contributors helping to fill the gap of research on this subject."—West Oak Lane Leader
"Cogently details how Greek-letter organizations influenced successive generations of leaders in business, politics, health and science, social justice and artistic expression."—Hartford Courant
"The honorable and courageous history of the black Greek-letter organizations has often been overlooked and obscured by social jealousy and faulty information. And maybe even faulty expectations. Yet these 'divine nine' have shaped not only the history of African Americans but the history of America. The brothers and sisters who have pledged their best to each other and to their times have always risen to the occasion. Their good names, their fortunes, and their lives have been risked to uplift the downtrodden and gentle the arrogant. African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision is an important look at the glorious contributions they have made."—Nikki Giovanni, (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority), University Distinguished Professor and Professor of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
"An immensely scholarly volume with more depth and insight than any other study of these organizations."—William Nelson, (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity), Professor of African American & African Studies, Ohio State University
"The volume provides a rich history and greater understanding of the roles Black Greek Letter Organizations have played in African American heritage and culture."—Lynda Brown Wright, (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority), Educational Psychology Chair, University of Kentucky
Critical Race Realism: Intersections of Psychology, Race, & Law
The introduction of new methods in the social sciences to the law promises to revolutionize how legal scholars approach the study of race. —Jeffrey Rachlinski, Professor at Cornell Law School
Black Greek Letter Organizations in the 21st Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun
…[C]an research establish that members of BGLOs are more activist, public service oriented or philanthropic than other African Americans? More or less likely to finish their undergraduate studies? More likely to earn graduate and professional degrees? To contribute to African American organizations? To make an impact in our community? Is the BGLO experience instrumental in, or incidental to, the development of African American leadership? These are questions that would be answered with the development of scholarship around BGLOs. This is a scholarship that Gregory S. Parks has begun with his work, including the important work that emerges in this edited volume… –Dr. Julianne Malveaux, President, Bennett College
…Our Fight Has Just Begun is a must read for anyone interested in the future of BGLOs, generally, or their own! –Sylvia Cyrus-Albitron, Executive Director, Association for the Study of African American Life and History
Comprehensive and thorough in its scholarship, Black Greek Letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century … is a must read for members of the organizations, prospective members, the general public, and especially for student service personnel. –Robert L. Harris, Jr., Vice Provost and Professor of History and Africana Studies at Cornell University, and co-editor of The Columbia Guide to African American History Since 1939
… More than a history of the “divine nine,” Our Fight Has Just Begun guides the reader through 21st century of Black Greekdom... Can the fight be won? The authors are plainly honest in this smart, engaged scholarship about what it will take for BGLOs to remain contributory and relevant. –Robin Means Coleman, Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Afro-American and African Studies at the University of Michigan
As recently as fifteen years ago, the body of critical scholarship on Black Greek Letter Organizations was negligible. And yet at various points in history, these organizations have played seminal roles in the African American freedom struggle. Now, with the appearance of … Our Fight Has Just Begun, Gregory S. Parks and other contributors have stepped into this breach with an ambitious collection of essays. –Kenneth R. Janken, Professor of Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Rayford W. Logan and the Dilemma of the African-American Intellectual
In the history of American fraternal orders and college fraternities, African-American contributions have long been overlooked. Dr. Parks has successfully organized a distinguished group of scholars and writers who have created a book that fills this oversight… –Mark A. Tabbert, Director of Collections, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, and author of American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities
This work is incisive as to the actions Black Greek Letter Organization’s research can examine; scholarship is a critical need in our community and has a chance to be achieved with some guidance and inspiration from our groups. We commend the writers for their in depth comments and thoughts and for a retelling of the history of these important groups. –Cornell Leverette Moore, Grand Sire Archon of Sigma Pi Phi
Our Fight Has Just Begun is a masterpiece of multidisciplinary scholarship that clearly demonstrates the contemporary relevance of black fraternities and sororities by critically examining their remarkable history and thoroughly analyzing their present-day problems. It lays the groundwork for a fertile new field of scholarly inquiry and is a must read for anyone interested in African American culture and community. –Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Assistant Professor of History and The Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University
… In assembling an impressive range of scholars, research methodologies, and disciplinary frameworks, Gregory Parks has given this under-researched topic the level of critical attention that it deserves. In particular, the contributors reject purely romantic or cynical postures in favor of theoretically sophisticated and personally informed investigations into the contours, complexities, and contradictions of BGLOs. This volume will stand as a central text for anyone interested in the rich legacy and vibrant future of Black sororities and fraternities. –Marc Lamont Hill, Assistant Professor of Urban Education & American Studies at Temple University
Gregory Parks' latest contribution to the documentation and analysis of historically black fraternities and sororities should be celebrated and widely read. The impact of these groups on African-American and mainstream American life in the 20th century must be understood. And Our Fight Has Just Begun will offer considerable insight into their unique histories, challenges and modern-day issues. –C. Brian Williams, Founder and Executive Director, Step Afrika!
As a fraternity man, I thought there was very little left for me to learn about the Greek experience. This book proved me terribly wrong. It's a must-read, must-have and the most comprehensive examination of Black Greek. –Derek Fordjour, Producer, Black Sorority Project