As a white guy who was never in a fraternity it seems like the black fraternity/sorority experience is much different. Everyone I know who was in a non-black fraternity made a big deal about it while they were in school. They would go back to homecoming events for a few years after then mostly forgot about it beyond a couple of friendships. The black fraternity members I know continue to post about events and reunions well into their 50s (so far). It seems to be a more enduring part of their lives. Don’t get in between two Q Dogs when they meet. I’m not surprised that the bond is still strong with VP Harris especially since she went to Howard. Black fraternities and sororities are particularly strong at HBCUs.
This. As a semi-white guy who was in a fraternity this is the typical scenario. In addition, even while in school there was close to zero interaction with chapters at other colleges or with the national organization. Chapters at different schools would be jock houses, nerd houses, head houses. Nothing in common except for the name.
I wasn’t in a fraternity either but when they were trying to sell us on the idea of pledging, they talked up the lifelong connections and how it would help later during job searches. It doesn’t seem to be the case for the “white” fraternities though maybe it is for the black ones.
There are traditionally Jewish sororities that are much like the Black women’s sororities, valuing education and networking. Astronaut Judith Resnik, who died in the Challenger disaster, was a member of one at Carnegie Mellon, Alpha Epsilon Phi, of which I know other women members today.