From Fear to False Fraternity was more than thirty years in the making. It began when this writer noticed that on college campuses the so-called "black leadership" consisted of either athletes, elitist negroes who knew nothing about black culture, or fraternity boys. The latter group was often a combination of the first two. Needless to say their frat came first and many activities were used as recruitment tools to promote "Greekdom," a foolish belief that black people had Greek roots and cultural commitments. This fraternity/sorority infection is a divisive measure. At a time when black unity is of paramount importance, these negroes are competing against one another in the name of "fratdom," hazing other black people and working with the system to sponsor activities that do more to offset black progress on campus than to expand it. This tendency is then expanded into the community through the workforce and these individuals use their "network" to hire and help others who are also "members." Like the black church which is also highly competitive, the black fraternity is not about "brotherhood" as the name implies and as they claim. They are a part of the system and are devoid of historical understanding. Malcolm X once taught, A man has to act like a brother before you can call him a brother ... If you are the son of a man who had a wealthy estate and you inherit your father's estate, you have to pay off the debts that your father incurred before he died. The only reason that the present generation of white Americans are in the position of economic strength that they are is because their fathers worked our fathers for over 400 years with no pay ... Your father isn't here to pay his debts. My father isn't here to collect. But I'm here to collect and you're here to pay. (Malcolm X, 1970: 123 - emphasis added). Black fraternities and sororities claim to be about "community service" but have done little more than pacify black people through entertainment, freakishness and frolic. In this book a brief background on the white fraternal order, which these negroes mimic with black freemason groups and the black fraternity, is provided. The concept of "all-white and all-male" prompted black people to imitate what they saw, which included the cultural linkages. Instead of doing what I have proposed - create a Pan African Panhellenic Council - these negroes claimed to be "black" but continue to refer to themselves through their activities, their rituals and their symbolism, as "Greek." In this book issues of hazing, alcohol and drug abuse and sexual abuse by white and black frats will be explored. The sorority is not much better in its claims to be about "womanhood" while really lulling black young women to sleep with mix-and-match color schemes, flowers, self-deflating rituals and an on-going commitment to "Greekdom." The money they spend on hotels for their conferences, workshops and meetings is astronomical. Black fraternities and sororities are among the most reliable assets the white man ever had. In a section titled, "Bring in the Clones," I document the history of each of the black fraternities and sororities. Issues most germane to black progress are addressed, including critical analyses of books written by the men who "discovered" the fraternity system. My proposal for a Pan-African Fraternity Council was made more than 30 years ago and is now being offered in this book. Ideas, proposals and paradigms can be found within these pages. Read, learn and enjoy
About the Author: Matthew C. Stelly is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee working on a degree in Urban Education and Community Policy. He holds three Master's degrees: Urban Studies (1982), Urban Education (1983) and Political Science (2000). He is the former editor of the Milwaukee Courier newspaper, former director of the Great Plains Black Museum and the Plano (TX) African American Museum, and lead archivist for The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) in Dallas, Texas. Stelly has more than 2,500 articles in print and has won two national essay competitions. He is the founding director of the largest African-American neighborhood group in Nebraska, the Triple One Neighborhood Association and Parents Union. He is the father of five children - Mandla, Malik, Clariece, Charisse and Shannon -- and remains actively involved in community organizing and neighborhood development in several cities, including Milwaukee and Omaha.