Recently across the United States, the fight for equal rights and the “unapologetic existence of Black America” (Talia Evans Farkas, MC 18 - resigned from chapter) has brought hundreds of thousands together. While we see the events of today unfolding on the news, we must remember that the bigotry and hatred exiling BIPOC communities extends way beyond Pi Beta Phi’s history, Emory University’s community, or any city we may live in. The fight for respect, love, and equality is our reality. Black Lives Matter. They matter today, tomorrow, and forever. “As members of Pi Beta Phi, we are wonderful advocates for literacy efforts, so why have we failed to do the same for Black America?” (Evans Farkas).

A member who recently resigned from chapter (anonymous, MC 19) eloquently said:

“Pi Phi supports literacy efforts through minimal volunteering and charitable donations merely to offset the antiquated and bigoted norms that have inevitably lead to scandals. Sororities only have philanthropies so that they can justify their relevance to college campuses and the greater society. Pi Phi headquarters and chapters nationwide do not truly care about literacy, but rather, the image of caring about literacy. If they were committed to improving literacy efforts in the United States, Pi Phi would focus on the systemic issues that maintain the high rates of illiteracy in the United States, such as the low and unlivable minimum wage that forces parents to get multiples jobs, low-quality school systems, including a lack of qualified teachers and safe infrastructure, in low-income neighborhoods of color, and the constant threat of violence and death that plagues Black children. Systemic racism and classism are the roots of illiteracy in America. Without addressing these issues and utilizing their pervasive platform and resources to implement change, Pi Phi is merely offering feel-good band-aid ‘solutions’ to a problem they contribute to and profit off of.” 

Many have been very vocal about our displeasure with the way past and current leaders within Pi Beta Phi have handled criticism, mistreated their sisters, promoted a culture of bigotry, and simply made their sisters feel unwelcome. It has been nothing less than unacceptable. We would also like to make it known that almost ONE-THIRD of Pi Phi’s current initiated members have already resigned from the chapter, and ANOTHER ONE-THIRD are seriously considering resigning at this time. That is MORE THAN HALF of a chapter…. gone. Many sisters have been hurt, disgusted, and embarrassed by the way Pi Phi leadership, both past, and present, have acted, including at the first town hall meeting (facilitated by Nationals) on June 10th, 2020. Many are tired of being asked to be nice and respectful, while as members they have been disrespected by leaders within the chapter. 

Numerous times, sisters have written formal letters to Emory Pi Phi calling for change; calling for apologies; calling for anything. But due to the responses many received (which have either been even more hurtful, or NO response at all), they refuse to speak to anyone on the chapter’s Executive Board or AAC Leadership Team without a member of Nationals present in the conversation. Truthfully, these sisters have been too generous with dancing around truths and trying to shelter Pi Phi’s leaders, and many are done with that. Change needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.

KEY ISSUES THAT SHOULD RESULT IN PI PHI BEING REMOVED FROM EMORY INCLUDE:

1. The covering up and hiding of sexual assaults. Numerous sisters have bravely come forward with their trauma, and the Pi Phi exec board has made jokes about it, called them liars and said their assaults never happened, and blatantly tried to brush the situations under the rug to “prevent Pi Phi’s name from being tarnished with stories of assault”. This is not only problematic, but borders on criminal.
2. The support of past and present racism and homophobia, which has resulted in the loss of nearly ALL LGBTQIA and BIPOC members.
3. Hazing allegations in which exec board members hosted “pregames” for new members. One new member was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning, and Pi Phi refuses to address this.
4. Chapter advisors supporting the toxic and criminal actions of present exec board members (regarding rape apologists, racists, homophobes, and more).

If Emory Pi Phi does not believe in the validity of BIPOC sisters, LGBTQ+ sisters, and sisters who have experienced gender-based violence, we need to reevaluate their place on Emory’s campus. 

As we conclude this letter, we would like to remind everyone that when we do not stand up for what is right, we are complicit in whatever is happening. We truly have all been guilty of that. We implore you to actively support this call for change, and to help us remove Pi Beta Phi from Emory University’s campus.