Eighteen former University of Alabama student leaders have published an ad in the school’s student newspaper calling for increased diversity within the school’s Greek system.
The alumni, which include a past Alabama state attorney general and the son of a former Alabama governor, were responding to an article published in last week’s Crimson White that alleged several cases of racism within some of the school’s sororities.
The former student leaders paid $1,000 for the ad, which demonstrates the public encouragement of “diversity among the University’s white and black Greek fraternities and sororities.”
In the Sept. 11 article, writers Abbey Crain and Matt Ford wrote that at least two black female students were denied admittance to the school’s chapter of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority because of their race. The article also characterizes the school’s Greek system as “almost completely divided along racial lines.”
In response to the allegations, the University of Alabama demanded several changes to its sorority system that would make the recruitment process less strict for potential members.
University President Judy Bonner acknowledged the school’s segregation problem in a video statement, saying “Our Greek system remains segregated and chapter members admit that during the recruitment process that ended a few weeks ago decisions were made based on race.”
“While we will not tell any group who they must pledge, the University of Alabama will not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” she added.
U.S. District Attorney Joyce Vance has also taken notice of the situation and has begun reviewing the situation as well.
“We have talked to a lot of people in Tuscaloosa (Alabama),” she told The Associated Press. “What we see now is a community that is trying to transform itself, and we will do anything we can to assist in that.”
