The Gazette

Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: News

Many people have misconceptions of Black Greeks because of things they've observed in movies and on campuses across the country.

Last Monday the members of the Beta Epsilon chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. attempted to clear-up common some of those misconceptions through a workshop with Attorney Rasheed Ali Cromwell.

Cromwell graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Cromwell went on to law school at Texas Southern University. He founded and is currently executive director of the Harbor Institute, a company based out of Washington D.C. that empowers students to excel.

Cromwell, who is a member of Omega Phi Psi Fraternity, Inc., has conducted research on Black Greeks / those within the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) for the past 10 years.

After conducting research, Cromwell and his team came up with nine misconceptions of African-American Greek lettered fraternities and sororities:

9. All we do is stomp the yard.

8. There is no divinity in the divine nine.

7. Community service is only educational and social in nature.

6. We are Black Greeks.

5. Being a member makes you a leader.

4. If they agree then we can cop a plea.

3. They come to us; we don't go to them.

2. Beef with my brothers means beef with all the others.

1. Pledging provides premium product.

During the workshop Cromwell focused on the misconception "All we do is stomp the yard." He said non-members are not aware of Greeks' actual involvement on campus and Greeks' actual purpose. He also said members tend to lose sight of their real purpose because they are focusing on other things such as stepping and strolling.

Cromwell said movies such as "Stomp the Yard" and "Drumline" have given people false impressions of what those in Black Greek fraternities and sororities are like. Cromwell said stepping wasn't recognized by any Greek-letter organization until the mid 1970s, and was originally from Africa and part of a rite of passage ceremony for boys.

"What about the upcoming presidential election. What about the net-worth of young black people…these are things we [Greeks] need to be focused on, not stepping and parties," Cromwell said. "We need to reevaluate what we are teaching."

Cromwell said the misconceptions can be changed if Greeks choose to follow four principles: remember to respect your roots; be competitive and not adversarial; promote programs more than promoting parties; and expect a lifetime commitment of service.

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