Greek life is a fundamentally broken system, made for white people and designed to propagate white Supremacy. While reforms have been enacted to improve inclusivity and tolerance, Greek life was never meant to be equitable for all groups. Whiteness, cisgenderism, heteropatriarchy, and classism are at the system’s very core. Today, this has created a de-facto segregation in Duke social life and culture. Interfraternity Council fraternities and Panhellenic sororities must be abolished.

To be sure, our goal is not to abolish historically Black National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) nor multicultural fraternities and sororities at Duke. We recognize these groups were founded to create a space for BIPOC when they were barred from joining white Greek organizations, and today they are a source of pride and empowerment for many individuals with marginalized identities. 

We also recognize that SLGs at Duke are capable of exhibiting similar toxic behaviors as Greek organizations. However, historically, traditionally, and structurally Greek organizations are not capable of completely reforming the toxic behaviors. We hope that SLGs are able to recognize and start conversations about the aspects of their own groups that contribute to the toxicity of social exclusivity before it ever gets to a point where it can no longer be reformed, as we see with Greek organizations.

This petition is intended to show the Duke University administration and executive members of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council organizations how many individuals are in favor of disbanding historically white fraternities and sororities and abolishing the Greek life system as a whole.

Those administrators and officials hold much of the decision-making power, and it is our hope that this petition will provoke long overdue conversations that lead to the abolishment of IFC fraternities and Panhellenic sororities at Duke. Greek life was made to be and has served as an oppressive and exclusionary system, and many Duke students have realized that it can never be truly reformed. 

By signing this petition, you join other students in voicing your support for the abolishment of Panhellenic and IFC groups at Duke.