Dear GSU,
It’s been a great week. The Zeta Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated hosted their fifth program on Friday, September 29, 2017. The name of this event was entitled “Redflix”.
The ladies of Zeta Phi had a few questions for the audience about their opinion of the week’s events. They asked the audience how they felt about the programs, what their favorite topics were, how their program adaptations compared to the movie and tv series Dear White People, which character they related to best, and how they would better their communities by using the information they learned from Zeta Phi’s week.
Many expressed that they loved the creativity behind their messages and felt that the Zeta Phi chapter did an excellent job of taking the themes of Dear White People and bringing them to attention at Georgia State University. The more popular topics were “In my Black Skin” and “We Have Rights, Too”. A lot of the audience members stated that they struggled with loving themselves because of the color of their skin, and that they were happy that the issue of colorism in the black community was being addressed. Others said that they found the program “We Have Rights, Too” to be really helpful, because they were very misinformed and unaware of what their rights consisted of. The main character in Dear White People, Sam White, was the character that most attendees identified with. Most audience members felt that they had to “prove their blackness” much like the main character. However, Zeta Phi’s program really highlighted that you do not have to be a stereotype or fit one description to have a black experience. Audience members then expressed that they were excited to have this information to share with their communities through teaching, social media platforms, and even peer-to-peer outreach.
The ladies of Zeta Phi then showed the screening of the film Dear White People. Following the end of the film, the audience was asked two more questions: What themes from the movie could have been used to add another event to the Zeta Phi’s program, and why is it just as important to be inclusive as it is to love yourself and community? Some of the ideas were mental health, natural hair, the importance of education, and understanding how to manage finances. The audience members also said that they found inclusivity important, because you shouldn’t shun people of other races willing to help you in your fight for social justice. Often times we sometimes forget about privileges-such as being able-bodied, and that there is more to you then just being black. While being black is amazing in itself, you also the power to break the mold of being an archetype.
The Zeta Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta will be wrapping up their week of events on Saturday, September 30, 2017. The event, titled, “Down With the Divas” will be held off campus at Howell Park. If you are unable to come, don’t worry! Zeta Phi President Kelly Perry promises another week of events for the month of October. All pictures by Zeta Phi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta.