It was never on my collegiate bucket list to join a sorority — yet I’m now preparing to jump headfirst into sisterhood, philanthropy, and Greek life during my senior year. Sounds strange, right? While sorority life has its charms and principles, I’ve always been afraid to join because of the negative connotations associated with rushing that I’ve read about online and from my friends’ firsthand experiences with sororities at their respective colleges. It wasn’t until I returned to my mom’s hometown for the summer and had the opportunity to speak with my extended family members who were involved in Greek life that I began to see joining a Greek organization in an entirely new perspective.
While there are multicultural Greek organizations available on my college campus, the thought of being involved in a Divine Nine Organization piqued my interest the most over this past summer. The National Pan-Hellenic Council — commonly known as The Divine Nine — is a worldwide collaboration of nine historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities. The organization was created in the 1930s and has since promoted, uplifted, and supported African-American students and the community as a whole through public initiatives, programs, and charity.
I had felt drawn to the idea of joining a Black-led organization since the beginning of my undergraduate years. I spent my whole life attending primarily white schools and have always felt out of place, as I was the only Black girl in most of my classes or friend groups. I yearned for a sense of community on campus, particularly a sisterhood where I could be seen. When I heard about the Divine Nine from a former roommate who was debating whether or not to pledge, I thought of joining as well. I decided not to join at that time because my roommate had also decided not to, and the thought of going through the process on my own made me feel uncomfortable. Instead, I eventually found my community through other campus clubs.
I’m currently entering my senior year, however, and I feel that this is the moment to accomplish everything I had hoped to do during my college years. I promised myself when I was a freshman that I would not graduate from college with any regrets, and the main one that came to mind was my regret at not joining the Divine Nine. A huge fear of mine was joining as a senior, as it’s less common for someone entering their senior year to join Greek life — it’s stereotypically incoming first-years or transfers looking to make friends in a new environment that sign up for recruitment. I worried that I’d arrive too late, that people would have already formed cliques, or that I’d be wasting my time attempting to join something when I planned to graduate in the spring semester.
My mom and I spent the summer of this year visiting her extended family in her hometown. There, I was able to speak with cousins, aunts, uncles, and family acquaintances I hadn’t seen or spoken with in years. They asked about the organizations I was a part of during my time in college and my aunt was one of the first to ask about my Greek life endeavors. She is a current soror in a Divine Nine organization, celebrating 50 years of service to the organization this year.
She told me about our family’s long connection with the Divine Nine, which started with my uncle joining Phi Beta Sigma over 60 years ago. She talked about their activism with the organization, networking capabilities, and how many of my cousins were members of the Divine Nine in their college years. She mentioned the many friends she made during her time in the organization, and how she still keeps in touch with the majority of them. She also shared that being involved in a sorority helped her grow as a person and increased her confidence.
It was fascinating to see how my aunt portrayed the idea of joining a Black-led sorority. I liked the idea of being understood on a deeper level and having more of a voice in helping to better the Black community, which was something I initially couldn’t find when I joined other organizations with a lack of Black representation. It also tapped into a buried longing that I still desperately wanted, even as a senior: sisterhood.
I told my aunt about my ongoing concerns about pledging as a senior, and how I felt like I was too late and they wouldn’t accept me. My aunt said it didn’t matter as long as it was something that I wanted. She mentioned that even though she graduated decades ago, she still receives networking opportunities as a soror. My cousin even recently joined a Divine Nine post-grad, and it took her years to be accepted into the graduate chapter. My aunt warned me that joining after graduation could be a more difficult process, so now is a better time than any.
While I have yet to go through the process at my school, I have been excited to share my pledging plans with my friends and family. I want those who are thinking about joining a sorority later in their undergraduate careers to know that it’s alright to do so and that it’s never too late to do something that was meant for you or that you’re passionate about. My biggest regret was that a year from now, post-undergrad, I would regret not taking advantage of the opportunities that were presented to me. Even if I am not admitted into the sorority I am hoping for, I would be able to say that I tried, and that’s all that matters.