By: Kennia Coronado
This past weekend, UW, celebrated its 112th annual Homecoming celebration. For some students and families, this might have been their first Homecoming. For others, this is a family tradition that traces back generations. While celebrating a loved UW tradition, it is not that long ago that minoritized populations were not allowed to attend an institution like UW—primarily based on the color of their skin.
Historically Black Colleges, also known as HBCU's, were created to provide educational opportunities to people of African descent. However, HBCU's legacy did not just stop at providing African American populations with higher education. They were also instrumental in creating sisterhoods and brotherhoods at Predominantly White Institutions (PWI's) as universities became integrated. The Divine Nine—the historical Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs)—provided more than comradery to members, they set the tone for other minoritized populations to create organizations that responded to the needs of their peers on and off-campus.
Today, at UW, you can find D9 sororities and fraternities, as well as many other multicultural greek letter organizations. Now a tradition, the Multicultural Homecoming Yard Show, is an event where any of the multicultural greek letter organizations at the University can showcase their best strolls and stepping routines. In attendance were not only current students but alumni that proudly repped their sorority and fraternity, as well being UW alums. Only three organizations won awards, but all sororities and fraternities brought out their best on that stage! We love to see it!
