Remembering Good Times

The American South may be slipping in unwed pregnancies, but there's still some traditions that they're taking special care to preserve...racism!

University of Alabama alumnae are upset after members of Kappa Alpha Order, a white fraternity that traces its roots to the Civil War and Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, wore Confederate uniforms and carried battle flags had a parade. Past a historically black sorority. As the women celebrated the group's 35th anniversary. Uh, whoops!

The fraternity has been forced to halt its "Old South" festivities on some campuses because of claims of racial insensitivity in the past, and Alabama members have apologized for pausing in front of Alpha Kappa Alpha's sorority house during this year's parade. Alpha Kappa Alpha members said there was no confrontation or taunting, but they were shocked to see fraternity members in rebel uniforms and white women from another sorority in hoop skirts. "I don't believe these young folks were in any way trying to be racist," said an alumna who saw the parade (and happens to be associate education dean at Alabama), "but they were being insensitive. I don't think they understood the broader implications of what they were doing." Off the record, she said, "dumb-ass crackers".

While 71 alumnae sent a petition to Alabama President Robert Witt complaining about the use of Confederate flags and uniforms on campus, administrators haven't taken any formal action against the fraternity. Is it because he's a white male? Couldn't be...

Some sorority members said the only solution is to stop the Old South event.

Kappa Alpha was founded in 1865 at Washington & Lee University, and the group calls Lee its "spiritual founder." With 131 chapters from coast to coast, KA's "Old South" events were a fixture on many Southern campuses for years. But those celebrations have met resistance at some schools. The Auburn University chapter ended its annual parades in 1992 after black students confronted white students with Confederate flags. The chapter also stopped a tradition of covering the front of its house with a huge rebel banner. Kappa Alphas at Centenary College in Shreveport, La., moved their Old South events off campus in 2002 after drawing protests from the Black Student Alliance and others over the Confederate garb.

The University of Georgia chapter canceled its Old South parade in 2006 following complaints by residents of a mostly black neighborhood, and administrators worked with the group to come up with a compromise. There, members mounted horses and sorority members donned hoop dresses last month for what is now called the Founder's Day parade, but the festivities no longer include Confederate symbols and haven't created the same controversy as in the past. "The elimination of the Confederate uniforms has helped. They have taken away some of the visual stimuli that led to rage and anger on some people's part," said a staffer who oversees Greek life at Georgia.

At Alabama, Kappa Alpha said it was "sorry" for interrupting the sorority's anniversary ceremony. "The Old South celebration, including the parade, has been a Kappa Alpha tradition at Alabama for many years but we are sensitive to the concerns of students, faculty and the community," said the executive director of the Kappa Alpha Order. And they're aware of the power of tradition and history, like when Gov. George C. Wallace staged his "stand in the schoolhouse door" to protest forced racial integration of the campus in the 60's.

The school now has more than 25,000 students, and university provided statistics show that in 2007, 11% were black. Or 1650 if you're using 3/5th Compromise counting.