Women of different cultures, races and religions have more qualities in common than they might think. They can have similar experiences such as heartbreak, rejection, educational trials and monumental experiences encapsulating girlhood.

Diarra Niang, the University of Utah’s Delta Gamma VP of finance, said, “The purpose of a sorority is bringing women who have likeminded values together, empowering each other to get through their college years and ensuring that you have people to fall back on during hard times.”

However, this is daunting for minority women. A large majority of sororities across the nation are made up of white women. Historically, sororities have been built with efforts to exclude minorities, creating safe spaces only for a select group.

Sororities at the U need to change their practices to allow for more groups of marginalized individuals to want to join their organizations, thus creating diverse and more meaningful environments.

The Exclusive Nature of Sororities

When sororities were founded, their function wasn’t to exclude. They were formed to empower women and grant them a space in educational environments. Women, even with challenges in achieving a formal college education, created communities.

Though rooted in feminist ideals, the truth is the opposite. In the 1800s, only wealthy white women could attend college. The impacts of sisterhood and confidence in newfound resources were only accessible to a certain demographic.

Within sororities, there is the matter of alumni priority, which undermines the self-foretold “High Ideals” of the U’s own Alpha Phi Chapter. There cannot be special treatment given to those who were privileged enough to have roots within the organization. 

Alpha Phi declined to comment after being reached out to for an interview.

Delta Gamma and Reluctance Towards Inclusion 

Progression towards inclusion isn’t in its primary framework. 

“We had a conference this summer where we collectively voted to keep DEI as a position because we do think it’s important,” Adi Edmonds, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Delta Gamma said.  

There is hope for change. Some sororities like Delta Gamma value diversity enough to keep the program, even with recent legislation in Utah limiting certain entities to practice DEI. However, it’s important to look at the discrepancies still present. 

The focus of DEI in Delta Gamma involves internal education.

“My role is keeping the chapter educated on holidays,” Edmonds said. “One that we did this year was Ramadan, and I think it’s important just to create a sense of support for women that are of the Muslim faith.”

The problem with focusing internally is that interested minority women outside of sororities still have reservations. While the women within Delta Gamma may be gaining more cultural knowledge, the women on the outs are still in the same positions they have been in.

Joy Lin, the internal vice president for the Asian American Student Association said sororities have a very “curated image.”

“In terms of diversity, there is not that much within sororities,” Lin said. “There’s a very specific brand that they’re trying to push. It might not be as inviting to minorities.”

Despite Delta Gamma keeping DEI around, there is little action enticing minority women to participate in Greek life. This disinterest should be an issue for sorority leaders. They must tailor their events and approaches towards minorities to include more women; a perfect example being the University of Southern California’s Tri Delta Chapter‘s DEI initiatives.

Bridging the Gap 

Even within Delta Gamma, it seems an internal focus isn’t working effectively.

Regarding ratios between white women and minority women membership, Edmonds said it’s probably half and half. But Niang said its “definitely not 50/50,” though she didn’t have a specific percentage. 

Minorities don’t have a difficult time recognizing when they look different from the women around them, but that experience is difficult for white women in sororities to understand. The most obvious issue between the two evaluations is that white and minority members view the demographics within their sororities differently. 

“Going through recruitment as a person of color, I was kind of just iffy,” Kira Johansen, Delta Gamma’s president said. “I wondered if girls were going to be looking at the color of my skin.”

While Kira did feel this way in the beginning, she was able to make her way to the president position and be the first Asian American to hold that title in “at least four years.”

Because Delta Gamma has minority women in leadership positions, it could allow for crossover between different organizations. If sororities are based upon supporting fellow women, leaders must work alongside minority-focused organizations at the U.

Alex Tokita, president of AASA, said he thinks there could be crossover with fundraising projects.

“AASA does service projects a lot,” he said. “In realms where common interests intersect, there can be collaboration.”

Johansen said working with any organization is possible.

“When we hold our fundraising events, people think that it’s only for the Greek community, which is false,” she said. “It’s for anyone who wants to come.”

There is a clear connection between minority-focused campus organizations and sororities at the U that must be fostered to create lasting partnerships and mutual appreciation.

An invisible line exists that can only be dismantled if sororities adhere to promises of sisterhood and reach out to organizations that may feel intimidated by Greek life’s strong presence and abundance of financial resources.

Sororities were made to push for equality in education.

This motive must be preserved by aiming to continue long-standing traditions of sisterhood, compassion and service.

Progress isn’t done through disparaging Greek life, nor is it done by ignoring the racial inequalities within the formation of sororities themselves.

Instead, these communities must value different cultures, identities and individuals and push toward their alliance with minority students at the U.

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@avery_ichimura