Delta Gamma

BLM

We, Epsilon Xi Chapter of Delta Gamma, stand in unity with the black community and condemn acts of racism, bigotry, and hate against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other victims of racial injustice and police brutality. Our hearts hurt for the lives lost and affected by these acts of hate against black America.  

As women who acknowledge Greek Life is an inherently exclusive, yet inclusive system for typically privileged communities, we call on ourselves to hold each other accountable and intentionally think of: Who am I leaving out, by being in? As racism and classism permeates our flawed Greek Life system, it is imperative to acknowledge that our own social circles, organizations, clubs, and even academic institution are not immune to acts of prejudice and racial discrimination. Whether implicit or explicit, this hatred ideology enable systems of oppression that lead to racial injustices like the murder of George Floyd. We must do better. We must go beyond being not racist, and being anti-racist. We must take a hard look at ourselves and become active agents of change who do not perpetuate a culture of complacency and apathy to maintain our privilege. Silence is violence, and we’re no longer sitting idle by it. 

To our DG Family, Greek Life Community, and overall Lafayette community, we empower you to activate your sense of empathy. Beyond tone-deaf statements and actions, we encourage you to check your privilege and think deeply about your positionality on this campus. As we continue to navigate our predominantly white and wealthy campus community, let’s hold ourselves accountable. The killing of George Floyd is an overt example of racism, violence, and hate that we actively condemn. Nonetheless, let us be weary that the invalidation of the lived experiences of people of color, microaggressions, color blindness, and overall implicit racism that exists in Greek Life, and overall campus culture, cannot continue to prevail under our watch any longer. Let our wrath, anger, and frustration with the current state of our country become a positive catalyst in our new call-to-action. As we continue to navigate a “new normal” in a society imperiled by inequality, what will you do today? How will you speak out against a system that benefits you, yet systematically marginalizes others? How will YOU lean into the uncomfortable and finally recognize that, stronger together, we’re the positive change that we’re waiting for?

Maria Salmeron, President 

Resources to Educate Yourself  

Books

  • Beloved by Toni Morrison 
  • The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley 
  • Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
  • White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo 
  • How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi 
  • Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander 
  • Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis 
  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates 
  • The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin 
  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
  • All American Boys by Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds

Films/Videos/Shows

  • When They See Us on Netflix
  • 13th on Netflix 
  • Time: The Kalief Browder Story on Netflix 
  • I Am Not Your Negro on Amazon Prime, Youtube
  • The Hate You Give on Hulu
  • Dear White People on Netflix

Podcasts

  • "About Race by Panoply" hosted by Anna Holmes, Baratunde Thurston, Raquel Cepeda and Tanner Colby)
  • "Pod for the Cause" by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
  • "1619" by The New York Times 
  • "Code Switch" on NPR

Articles 

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