For the first time in the history of the University of Alabama’s storied Greek system, a Panhellenic sorority has elected a black president. Hannah Patterson, a 21-year-old Pittsburgh native, was voted president by the ladies of Sigma Delta Tau on November 6th.
In light of the circus act that quickly exploded into a national story earlier this fall when two students were allegedly denied sorority bids due to the color of their skin, this is a pretty remarkable page that has been added to Alabama’s history book.
The fact that Patterson’s election is news at all is, frankly, unfortunate. This, or any other racial milestone, shouldn’t be a story in 2013, but alas, that is where things stand.
That said, while it would be naive to believe that racism, institutional, de facto, or otherwise, is suddenly dead in the Alabama Greek system (and, to be blunt, in virtually any Greek system in the nation) with this election, it takes a foot to run a mile.
Only time will tell what ripple effects Hannah Patterson’s election will have throughout a campus that prides itself on Old Row. Hopefully, this is a start in the right direction to the day when race won’t matter at all on Alabama’s campus, and the only stories coming from Tuscaloosa that TFM reports on are pertaining to Nick Saban sacrificing the blood of innocent puppies to his master, Lucifer.
Congratulations to Hannah Patterson and the ladies of SDT. Tonight, even the staunchest War Damn Eagle fan should be tipping their caps and yelling, “Roll Tide.”
Image via ajc.com
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