I’ve got a question for you.  What if black fraternities and sororities were asked by President Obama to place a moratorium on stepping for exactly one school year? Instead of devoting the time toward practicing and performing steps, or attending step show for that matter, they would instead use that time to create an innovative community service project, something that has never been seen or done before? 

Farfetched, you say?  Well, why not?  I happen to think that stepping has become an albatross for many of our chapters, a beast that threatens to make our organizations irrelevant in the 21st Century. And if we don’t own up to it, future historians will talk about us as being a bunch of empty performers, like circus clowns or modern day minstrels.

Wow. Even for me, that was a pretty heavy statement.  But think about this.  In the early 2000s, I was lecturing on the Divine Nine at an Eastern college that shall remain nameless.  A sorority member challenged me on my argument that stepping takes up too much our time and efforts in comparison to community service. So we did a quantitative breakdown of where her chapter hours were spent. 

She calculated that her chapter practiced at least one hour a day, beginning in September, for a February step show, and usually more on the weekends.  But for our argument, we conservatively estimated a two hours per day practice on Saturday and Sunday. That came out to around ten hours per week, or a total of 240 hours (10 whole days) devoted to stepping for one step show. She admitted that they participated in more than that show, and also did performances on their campus. I then asked her if there was any community service project her chapter did which took that amount of preparation? The answer was a resounding no.

Now before we go any further, I already know the arguments from fraternity and sorority members when it comes to stepping. I’ve heard them all before.  Well, there’s no reason why we can’t do both, stepping and community service.  Stepping is an important part of being in a BGLO.  We raise money by stepping. Stepping creates brother/sisterhood. But it’s a tradition, and we need to keep our tradition going. This is just another attack on young members by an older member. Kids are attracted to stepping, and then are attracted to going to college.  

Maybe. But the problem with stepping is that it has moved from being a reward for all of the hard work we’ve done through the year, and to become an ends to the means.  I joke that if you took pledging and stepping away from some black Greek members, they wouldn’t know what to do with their lives.

And stepping has begun to gain a pseudo weight of importance that trumps its actual relevance.  The whole Sprite Step Off kerfuffle, where white sorority members of Zeta Tau Alpha had the audacity to participate and win the grand prize, is a prime example.  By the reaction in the black fraternal blogosphere, you would have thought that Zeta Tau Alpha had not only won a step show, but had also declared the Negro National Anthem to be their new sorority song, and the red, black and green their new colors. And then came back on stage to slap the mamas of every black person in the country, while declaring that black folks food is bland and without seasoning and they can do better. I could go on.

The point is that stepping, according to the research of Dr. Walter Kimbrough, author of Black Greek 101, isn’t even a particularly old black fraternal tradition.  What we know as stepping doesn’t go back more than forty years at the most, and isn’t tied all of the myths I’ve heard black Greeks spout over the years. It doesn’t come from South African boot dances. It isn’t a result of World War II soldiers coming up and marching. Our founders didn't step. Yes, I actually had someone say that. Stepping is simply an evolution of probate shows, where dancing turned into stepping. That’s it.

So where are we now with the art form?  Well, when stepping first was codified, the NPHC organizations were in full control of it. They ran the step shows. They created the rules.  The money generated went straight into the coffers of the chapters, and was used for community service projects and scholarships. 

Today?  Often, the step shows are thrown by private promoters, relegating the BGLOs into the role of performer versus organizer.  Instead of receiving 100 percent of the revenue, black Greeks get pennies on the dollar, a shiny trophy, and the bragging rights to say that they are the 2010 STEPTHEBEST champions!  Meanwhile, the bulk of the money goes to the promoter, who usually gives some vague promise about donating “a percentage” to a charity. 

And what about the money won by the performers?  More and more, we’re hearing reports that the money doesn’t go to the chapter for community service projects and scholarships, but is split among the people on stage, something unheard of just ten or fifteen years ago.  And let’s not even get into black Greeks who are old enough to have mortgages, kids with tuitions, and full time jobs, forming traveling “all star” step teams.  It’s all become, in the words of the Monty Python crew, silly.

So is stepping evil? Of course not.  I happen to love watching our organizations step. But if your response to the hypothetical Obama request was that you couldn’t give it up for something deeper, then you know that stepping has become overly important.  And if that’s the case, black Greeks are sliding toward irrelevance. And there are no steps for changing that.  

Contact Lawrence Ross on Twitter: @alpha1906

Contact Lawrence Ross via email: alpha1906@gmail.com

Want the updated Divine Nine? Get it HERE

Hello everyone, and welcome to our weekly round up of the who, whats, whys and how in the worlds of black Greekdom.  But before we do that, I want to let you know that we're going to have some interesting blog entries coming in the next few weeks.  We'll talk about non African Americans in BGLOs, and then we'll talk about African Americans in predominately white greek organizations.  I'm going to have a few black Greek lists, and we'll talk about deference, and whether that philosophy has been warped to create an atmosphere where people who don't deserve respect, get respect. We'll talk about how Alpha is going green, and how some of the fraternities are amping up their big brother efforts. And lastly, more You Should Know... profiles are coming up.  So check the Divine Nine blog each day to see what I'm up to.  But now, let's get back to the news...and as always, if you don't see your organization in the listing, I didn't find anything in the news.  You can send news to me (as long as it has a news link) to alpha1906@gmail.com or on twitter: @alpha1906

In breaking news, Kappa Tavis Smiley is teaming with Alpha Cornel West, in a new radio show called imaginatively enough, Smiley & West.  I'm assuming that President Obama will receive a lot of attention...

In other Kappa news, Nupes from the South Miami area get a mention for their community service work...While Alabama Kappas get a write up about their Kappa League efforts with the youth...And here's a cautionary example of what happens when your organization hazes.  You may find yourself smeared by association, even if you had nothing to do with it.

Fort Worth, Tx Zetas have a Bowl for Kids' Sake Event coming up in October...At the University of Houston, Zetas held a memorial for their soror, and are organizing to create a foundation in her name...And you can check out pix of St. Pete Zetas and Sigmas doing community service in Florida.

Birmingham Omegas held an educational forum at their house, targeting the high dropout rate of high schoolers...and Florida Omegas continued the theme during their statewide workshop on the topic. In the sporting news, two Omega high school head coaches, from the same college chapter even, go head to head in an important rivalry game.

At Penn State, Alpha Kappa Alpha members are hosting a book club and are selling orange ribbons in support of a local girls shelter...AKA at the University of South Carolina Aiken are promoting domestic violence education...And AKA's in New Jersey win a grant to create a proper headstone for a Revolutionary War slave named Caesar...

Meridian, Mississippi Sigmas get some television coverage for their new inductees...And in Tennessee, members of Phi Beta Sigma hold their annual Sleep Out for the Homeless.  In less happy news, one person was killed and four injured outside of an off campus Phi Beta Sigma party near Seton Hall.

Battle Creek, Michigan Deltas talk about their work in an article...Deltas at Cal State Fullerton held a breast cancer awareness forum...And Michigan Deltas help organize and participate in an AIDS walk.

The Alphas at the University of Rochester face a university investigation after a recent party that got out of hand...Phoenix Alphas mourn the loss of a brother...Also in Arizona, a former Alpha General President speaks at a luncheon, advocating for the MLK Memorial in DC. 

Salisbury SGRhos are participating in a take a loved one to the doctor drive...

That's it for this week.  Check back next week for more news and notes!

Wanna know a pet peeve I have with our Divine Nine organizations? We’re great at listing all of the notable achievers from the era when television was broadcast in black and white, but we’re terrible at spotlighting current members who are breaking barriers in HD. Sure, we all know that so and so did this and that in order to make sure that we no longer have to sit in the colored section, or be called colored for that matter. But the question often asked is whether we’re still nurturing achievers today. I say yes, and that’s why I’m launching a series called You Should Know This… where I’ll profile Divine Nine members who are making their mark today. And today’s subject is Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority member and Mary Kay National Sales Director, Caterina Harris.

Now for full disclosure, I’ve known Caterina like forever, and when I say she’s my sister, I don’t just mean in the Alpha/AKA way. She’s my stromie, my gurl, and is even responsible for introducing me to my wife over two decades ago. So I always take great delight in dropping her name to any random Mary Kay consultant I run into.

“Do you know Caterina Harris?” I’ll ask casually. “She’s my friend, you know.”

The consultant’s eyes will inevitably widen and their mouth will drop, as though I’d told them that I was President Obama and I’d like them to come to the White House for dinner. You see, Caterina is sorta a big deal. A really big deal in Mary Kay.

“It all began when I was looking to make some money for grad school at USC,” Caterina remembers. “I met a Mary Kay recruiter while I was working for a non profit youth program.”

That was over twenty years ago, and this five-foot dynamo rapidly rose through the ranks of Mary Kay, becoming first a consultant, and then a director, and now, the first black National Sales Director west of Texas. With only 300 members, National Sales Director is this highest rank in Mary Kay. And again, that makes Caterina a big deal.

For those unfamiliar, Mary Kay is a multi level cosmetics company founded by Dallas entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash, who started the cosmetics company in 1963, after having been passed over for a promotion because she was a woman. In the era of Mad Men, Mary Kay Ash’s idea that any woman should be able to own a business was revolutionary at the time, and is what attracted Caterina.

“I found that my niche in life is to empower women, particularly black women,” Caterina said, a graduate of Mills College in Oakland, an all women college that stresses empowering women. “Women work in Mary Kay for a season, a reason, and therefore a lifetime. In the past twenty years, I’ve help thousands of women, and helped train on the corporate level. I think my secret is that I don’t particularly have a knack for sales, but I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

With millions of pink clad Mary Kay consultants around the world holding skin care classes and operating their own Mary Kay businesses, Mary Kay annually sells over $2.5 billion dollars worth of cosmetics and skin care products.

Caterina, who is deeply religious, believes that she’s doing God’s work by fulfilling her potential in Mary Kay. Her priorities are God, Family and then Mary Kay. And she feels that you only get where you want to go by helping others reach their goals.

“Give me one year with a part time consultant and you may end up like me, hanging out 20 years later,” Caterina said. Right now, she has over 1000 Mary Kay consultants and directors under her tutelage. “But even if it’s just for one year, I can guarantee that you’ll be more driven and focused toward your career, financial and personal goals.”

Oh, and what about those famous pink Cadillac’s Mary Kay is known for giving their top producers?

“I’ve had twelve and right now I’m driving my pink Cadillac XRL,” she laughs. “In April, I’ll get lucky number 13, a pink Cadillac Escalade.”

Pink seems to suit this AKA, and the green that comes with a successful career ain’t bad either.

Caterina Harris

Contact Lawrence Ross on Twitter: @alpha1906

Contact Lawrence Ross via email: alpha1906@gmail.com

Want the updated Divine Nine?  Get it here!

It's time to take out the old wallet and pull out the chapter dues for the year. And that got me thinking. We like to brag to white fraternity and sorority members that the difference between our organizations and their organizations is that we belong to our organizations beyond college. We’re supposedly active from the day we’re initiated to the day we die because of the importance our principles and deeds hold in our lives.

And for many of our members, that is true. They’re dedicated to their organizations, donate countless hours toward the work of the organization, and put in a yeoman’s effort when others are too tired to try. But what we don’t like talking about is the fact that for the great majority of fraternal members, their fraternal experience ends when they leave their college campus. So if that’s the case, if they’re not going to do the work of the organization, shouldn’t we consider ending their official association with the fraternity or sorority? Maybe it’s time to revoke the automatic lifetime membership and make members earn it through their lives?

For all of the talk about the importance of making people pledge in order to get into the fraternity or sorority, we as members are remarkably silent on keeping the people who are already members accountable. Yes, we like to spout the cliché that the ‘real pledging begins once you cross’ but in reality, that’s not the case. Once you’ve been initiated, there’s really nothing anyone can do about making you actually work for the organization. Yeah, there’s peer pressure, and no one wants to be termed a ‘shirt wearer’, but the reality is that despite everything, the overwhelming majority of members are not financially active. They are frat and sorors in name only.

Over the past 30 years, the financial activity rates for black Greek members have been abysmal, with one in 10 fraternity members staying active, and about four in 10 sorority members remaining active in their organizations. This number transcends the argument that the pledge system is to blame for the inactivity rate, since the numbers have pretty much remained consistent, whether it was the aboveground pledge period of the 1980s or the Membership Intake Process of the ‘90s and ‘00s.

And over the years, we’ve developed varying rationalizations to excuse the numbers by blaming everything except the inactive members themselves. We have the people who say that their organizations are too expensive when it comes to dues and other expenses, yet didn’t balk when they were asked to pay to get on line. We have others who proclaim a difference between being financially active and being fraternal, and will yell from the rafters that no matter how much their inactive members shirk their responsibility, they’re just as valuable as the financial members. Or they deny that being financial is actually important, that it’s only one element of being a brother or sister. And that one can be fraternal without it.

And yet, it is because of these legions of inactive members that dues are extraordinarily high, and the expenses for convention, particularly for black fraternities, which have only a few thousand registered attendees compared with the tens of thousands of registered attendees at sorority conventions, are astronomical. It is because of these inactive members that community service projects are less effective, and fundraising remains rudimentary at best.

So what is the solution? How about making membership contingent upon how financially and fraternally active you’ve been? Perhaps every five years, you’ll sit before a board and they’ll assess your continued commitment to the organization? If you fall short, then the organization has the right to either demand payment for the short fall, or they can permanently revoke your membership. If you have extenuating circumstances, like loss of a job or other circumstances, you could then go on a probationary period. The idea is that if the organization is no longer working for you, and you don’t believe in the organization enough to pay or work for it, you no longer have the right to call yourself a member.

Maybe each organization can have a drop squad rapid reaction unit, where they come to your house and buy back your para? Your membership is being foreclosed on, and you now must now say that you “were” a member of XYZ fraternity or sorority, versus that you “are” a member, because you let your membership lapse.

And what if you want to get back in the good graces of the fraternity or sorority after you’ve had your membership revoked? Well, we can have a new process where you have to demonstrate that you understand the history and requirements of the organization. And you have to show up for X amount of community service events and demonstrate the principles and ideals that you’d originally dedicated yourself to. Pay your dues and your back dues. And after that, you’d be allowed to retake your oath and be put in good standing within your organizations, with the caveat that this is your second and last chance.

The glossy numbers we in the Divine Nine like to trumpet as our total membership don’t look so good when you account for the dead weight. Perhaps it’s time to get the attention of the inactive by letting them know that membership is not a right, but a privilege. Now the cliché of pledging begins after you cross just might come true.