On Black Greeks in the media.
“Major news organizations have proven to be in need of more thoughtful coverage of Black America. That is why it is imperative that we have our own voices in the media. Black Greeks play a role as curators of history inspired by how we are socialized to communicate the stories of our organizations.
Probably the most noted social justice voice is that of Roland Martin’s (Alpha Phi Alpha) who uses TV One (founded by Alpha Kappa Alpha member Cathy Hughes) as a platform to present a more robust picture of Black America to the public. Also in the thick of today’s social justice debates are Marc Lamont Hill (Kappa Alpha Psi) and Melissa Harris-Perry (Delta Sigma Theta) who provide scholarly perspectives on major news networks. There are also Black Greeks who are active members of the National Association of Black Journalists working to ensure that black journalists are heard in news rooms across the country.
Not to be ignored are the online voices. A big part of Black America’s story is HBCU media. HBCU Lifestyle co-founder Richard Gibson is a member of Phi Beta Sigma while HBCU Digest’s Jarrett Carter (Alpha), HBCUStory’s Crystal deGregory’s (Delta), and HBCU Buzz editor-in-chief Tommy Meade, Jr. (Iota Phi Theta) also serve as significant voices. Finally, two visible social justice contributors are Black Greeks Speak and D9 for Real Change.”
Francis also writes about education, philanthropy and other areas where Black Greeks are of use to Black America, head over to HBCU Lifestyle to read more here.
Halima Leak Francis, who contributes to HBCU Lifestyle, is a charitable giving professional and sociology instructor. She graduated from Hampton University where she was initiated into Zeta Phi Beta and Halima earned her master’s in Educational Sociology from New York University. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the NYU Steinhardt School of Education where her research focuses on organizational capacity building and fundraising.
