Thursday, January 14, 2010

Nation's Oldest Black Fraternity Rocked By Hazing : NPR

Nation's Oldest Black Fraternity Rocked By Hazing : NPR: Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc, the nation's oldest black Greek-lettered fraternity, recently placed a moratorium on all membership intake. The decision comes after a prospective member was reportedly hazed and critically wounded following an initiation exercise, leading the group's president to denounce the behavior. But some say the strong rebuke is long overdue for a practice that is far too commonplace within some Greek-lettered organizations. Host Michel Martin speaks with Lawrence Ross, author of the book, The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities, about the significance of the decision. Ross is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.