At the University of Alabama, 21 Black Women Accept Bids to Join Sororities

One year after a major uproar when it was revealed that no African American women were offered bids to join sororities at the University of Alabama, the university reports that all 21 Black women who registered for sorority recruitment received a bid to join one of the Greek organizations and all 21 women accepted their invitations. All 16 sororities on campus offered bids to African American women and Black women accepted offers at 10 different sororities.

Deborah Lane, the associate vice president for university relations at the University of Alabama, said in a statement that “we have not reached our destination, but we will continue to move forward with resolve, energy, and enthusiasm. And, while numbers are not the only measure of success, they do indicate that we are making progress.”

But the university has a long way to go. All told, there were 2,276 women who registered for sorority recruitment and 2,054 were accepted into membership. Thus, the 21 new Black sorority members make up just one percent of all new members. African Americans make up 13 percent of the undergraduate student body at the university.