At Uconn, there is an apparent lack of black sororities, to put simply. According to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, four major sororities make up nine of the historically black fraternities and sororities. Yet, on the Uconn campus, only two are recognized according to the Uconn Greek Life Charter, that being Zeta Phi Beta and Sigma Gamma Rho. The unrecognized ones, however, are Alpha Kappa Alpha [AKA] and Delta Sigma Theta [Delta]. Delta's no longer being active for over ten years on the Uconn campus and AKA's for five have caused two collegiate cycles to have pass where black students haven't had the option to be apart of two of the four major black sororities. As anyone who is in Greek Life will tell you, there is no bond like a fraternity or sorority. It's a place where you are surrounded by people who have the same dreams, goals, aspirations as you. You engage in a type of friendship that goes beyond your fours in the college, some even lasting a lifetime. However, Uconn has denied this ability for eight straight years to its black students. There needs to be diversity within the Uconn Greek Life; to put simply, two is not enough!

In recent times Uconn has prided itself on being a campus of not only diversity but inclusivity as well. While in actuality, cases of blatant and covert racism have run rampant on their campus. With the current political and racial climate of America today, we as students believe that it is not only valuable but also imperative that black students at Uconn are given a safe space for them to embrace their culture and learn about it. These organizations have been at the forefront of change and civil rights since their inception. They are meant to give black students the necessary space to grow that the academic environment doesn't quite provide. To not have them a part of our community is an injustice to the people of color on this campus.

By signing this petition, you're helping us get one step closer to bringing more diversity to the Uconn campus but also no longer limiting black students' options and giving them more places to feel safe in.