Albion Legacy

This semester I had the privilege of going back to Albion College… I worked there for four years and had a great experience with an amazing Greek Community, supportive administration and I learned about Liberal Arts College education. It was a formative part of my career and it is when I was there that I first started speaking, mostly then as an Anti-Hazing speaker and then this little side business took off.

I have always shied away from doing”Diversity” presentations in Greek Life. I feel like most schools want the typical lecture we give Greeks… “Here is why you are bad, here is how to be less stupid.” It is usually counter productive when we force some type of “diversity” program down their throats.  I think it can actually increase cultural and racial tension… I was interestingly offered this gig around the time of the Ole Miss situation…. (my write up) So I took up the challenge… I will talk about Diversity and I will make this speech different…

Plus lets be honest this was a great excuse for me to get back to my old stomping grounds. It is a beautiful campus and where I learned to appreciate a small college, and value the Liberal Arts tradition.

I think that many diversity programs kinda have this theme, “You are a racist, here is how to be less racist.”

So I wanted to do something different… so my theme was “Assuming you aren’t a racist, here is how you can be supportive of diversity issues.”

That second sentence sounds like it might help open up better conversations right? Plus Albion had a little ace in their pocket I was able to research and talk about. I called it the Albion Legacy… so I was able to talk about the great track record Albion had of diversity as an institution and most importantly as Greeks. Many of the chapters there took black members before it was considered not only socially acceptable, but also when some of their national organizations outright banned it.

I was able to research Albion College’s response to when Zeta Tau Alpha suspended their chapter over “pledging irregularities” of a African American student in 1966. It was great to see how progressive and forward thinking the college was by reading some letters from the Dean of Students and the President’s response. Powerful stuff, and much of it the students didn’t know and was lost… or the irony that the old ZTA Lodge is now the Welton House on campus named for the first Black Alumnus of the college…

So I challenged the students to continue to live up to the “Albion Legacy” of diversity and inclusion. How are they being progressive? How can they be remembered as leaders in diversity in Greek Life? I challenged them to #BeBold and change things for the better.

The proof will be in the pudding… will they be #BeBold and be remembered? Or will they slip into obscurity? I hope to say I helped inspire their future positive action. I am confident the Albion students will impress me like they always have… IO TRIUMPE!