@BowtiePrincipal . As a Black American man, a fraternity member, a family man, and a higher education professor, I have witnessed firsthand the powerful and positive impact that Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) can have on the lives of young Black men. Black fraternities have historically served as sanctuaries of brotherhood, leadership, scholastic excellence, and sociopolitical empowerment, helping to create networks of support that extend into professional and personal life. However, the persistent issue of hazing poses a direct threat to the very mission these organizations were founded to uphold. Hazing distorts the values of brotherhood and leadership, replacing them with fear, humiliation, and abuse—ultimately harming the physical, psychological, and academic well-being of young Black college men.
What is hazing? Hazing is broadly defined as: “Any action taken or situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.” Hazing encompasses actions leading to embarrassment, harassment, ridicule, emotional harm, or physical harm. It also includes, according to the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), psychological, emotional, and social manipulation. For example, if a prospective member is subjected to paddling, physical endurance tests (e.g., push-ups, running, wall sits, or other intense, forced exercise for extended periods), beatings and assaults (e.g., slapping, punching, kicking), sleep deprivation or being forced to stay awake for long periods; exposure to extreme weather (e.g., standing outside in cold or hot weather for long periods); forced consumption or making pledges drink large amounts of water, alcohol or other substances, including drugs. These activities are considered physical hazing, even if the prospective members are willing to engage.
Hazing is noted to be limited to physical abuse; it also includes psychological and emotional abuse. Intake activities that cause mental distress and humiliation are classified as hazing. For example, verbal abuse in the form of yelling, name-calling, or using embarrassing, degrading, or humiliating language is classified as an act of hazing. Public humiliation, such as forcing prospective members to wear embarrassing clothing or perform degrading acts, is a form of psychological hazing. Making threats and intimidating prospective members to instill fear of consequences for failure to follow directions or any form of disobedience is also classified as hazing. If prospective members are isolated, forced to line-up, blindfolded, and aggressively questioned, threatened, or intimidated, these acts fall under the category of hazing. Manipulating prospective candidates via mind games to create confusion or to impair decision-making is also a form of hazing.
For young Black college men, joining a fraternity is not just about social acceptance—it’s about connecting to a powerful legacy of Black leadership, empowerment, and social activism. For some, membership in a fraternity represents a pathway to lifelong professional networks and social status. When a pledge is threatened and intimidated with statements such as, “If you don’t comply, you will not be ‘made right’ and will never gain the respect of the brothers in this fraternity” the psychological impact of this statement is profound. It sends the message that acceptance and brotherhood are conditional—that the only way to earn membership is through obeying all directions and mandates and remaining silent when subjected to both psychological and physical abuse. Unfortunately, fear of rejection, social humiliation, and denial of the reward of “becoming a brother” overrides rational decision-making, leading to dangerous and often tragic outcomes, including hazing-related deaths.
Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) have taken concrete steps to address hazing and eliminate the physical and psychological abuse of prospective members, including zero-tolerance anti-hazing policies that outline specific consequences for engaging in hazing. In addition, reforms were implemented to replace traditional pledging practices and safeguard against potential hazing violations. Yet, we see a troubling pattern of young Black college men participating in underground pledging despite the well-established changes to the membership intake. Surprisingly, even though the revised intake processes are designed to eliminate physical and psychological hazing, many fraternity members and prospective candidates continue to seek out and participate in unsanctioned pledging processes conducted underground, in direct violation of fraternity mandates and explicit consequences, including immediate suspension, permanent expulsion, criminal charges, and dismissal from college. Why?
Is it simply resistance to change? Is it valuing the pledge process over membership intake? We need to ask an even more critical question, one that attempts to explore a root cause analysis of this issue: “Why do some young Black men participate in hazing despite knowing the physical, psychological, criminal, and academic risks, including potential dismissal from college?” This question invites reflection on issues of manhood, belonging and brotherhood, toxic masculinity and gender expectations, social status, peer pressure, and internalized racism and self-hate. I introduced internalized racism and self-hate as critical areas of exploration because they help explain why young Black men may unconsciously accept suffering and humiliation as the price of acceptance, mirroring historical patterns of racial oppression and dominance.
When a root cause analysis is considered, we can better understand why changes in the intake process fail to uproot hazing. Hazing is seen as a symbolic way for Black men to reclaim and restore the masculinity stripped from them by white domination. This reflects internalized racism and self-hate—the belief that authenticity and acceptance can only be earned through suffering and submission, mirroring the historical dynamic where Black men were forced to endure pain and humiliation under white supremacy.
This may explain why those who endured the psychological and physical abuse of hazing base their manhood on their ability to withstand pain and inflict it on others. Surviving hazing has become a distorted marker of manhood, strength, and authenticity, with members sharing "war stories" to prove they were “made right” and not “paper”—a label given to members who entered the fraternity without being subjected to hazing. Those classified as “paper” are considered less manly, weaker, and inauthentic, reinforcing the toxic belief that true masculinity and belonging can only be validated through pain and suffering. This mindset reflects how deeply internalized racism and self-hate have influenced the culture of Black fraternities, distorting the true meaning of brotherhood, scholastic excellence, race pride, and commitment to racial uplift and service to marginalized communities.
This mindset reflects the psychological colonialism of Black men. It reflects internalized racism and self-hate. The “hazing” mindset mirrors the very systems of domination and control imposed on enslaved Africans to make them submissive to authority. Just as enslaved Africans were beaten and brutalized to break their spirit and force obedience, hazing reinforces the false notion that submission through pain and suffering is a necessary path to acceptance and belonging. The idea that loyalty and brotherhood are proven through physical domination and psychological control reflects the internalization of racist practices designed to dehumanize and subjugate Black people.
If fraternities are to reclaim their legacy of brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, service, and social activism, they must not only abolish all forms of hazing on paper; they must implement programs to address internalized racism, self-hate, trauma bonding, and toxic definitions of masculinity. Addressing these issues is essential because hazing is not just a behavioral problem—it is a psychological response to centuries of racial trauma and oppression. Without dismantling the internalized belief that suffering and domination are prerequisites for brotherhood, loyalty, acceptance, and manhood, the cycle of hazing will continue to replicate the same patterns of abuse and submission rooted in white supremacy. Confronting these broader psychological and cultural issues must occur before prospective members enter the intake process.
Mandatory pre-intake education sessions—attended by members and prospective members—should cover the harmful legacy of hazing within the context of slavery and Jim Crow segregation; the historical and cultural roots of internalized racism and self-hate; the history of Black fraternities and they ways in which they served as agencies of social uplift, political empowerment, educational activism, and economic development in Black and underserved communities during a time of open racism and racial segregation; how hazing is a reflection of white masculinity/supremacy and its capacity to dominate and subjugate others physically and psychologically without emotional attachment or moral conflict; deconstruction of the “paper mentality” with opportunities to openly challenge the belief that potential members must suffer to be accepted and that manhood comes from enduring physical and psychological abuse rather than demonstrating superior scholarship, and leadership and service in the fight for social justice.
Remember, hazing is not just a fraternity tradition—it is a symptom of the psychological scars left by white supremacy and internalized racism (self-hatred). Internalized racism leads to self-hatred because it conditions Black people to adopt the values and behaviors of white supremacy, including the belief that Blackness is inferior and that validation and acceptance must be earned through pain and dominance. When Black fraternity men internalize these false narratives, they begin to devalue themselves and others within their fraternity, including prospective members, leading to destructive behaviors like hazing.
For example, in the hazing process, older fraternity members who endured abuse themselves may feel justified in inflicting the same pain on new members as a way to “prove” their brotherhood, manhood, loyalty, and “worthiness for membership.” This reflects self-hatred because it reproduces the same patterns of domination and humiliation that were historically used to control and dehumanize Black men under white supremacy. Hazing becomes a twisted reenactment of racial trauma, where the abused becomes the abuser in an attempt to reclaim a false distorted sense of manhood and authenticity.
Black fraternities were founded to uplift the Black community and address societal oppression—not to oppress those seeking membership or engage in acts of brutality. Brotherhood cannot be built on abuse and trauma bonding but on trust, support, and shared purpose to uplift Black communities and fight for social justice in the broader society. The future of Black Greek-letter organizations depends on reclaiming their true mission—empowering Black men through scholarship, leadership, and service—and committing to noble aims and practical solutions to solving problems impacting Black communities and marginalized people. Hazing can no longer be seen as a path to developing men for the task of racial uplift and social activism; true brotherhood and manhood come from educating, elevating, and supporting potential members, not inflicting physical and psychological harm.
Dr. Rashid Faisal is an Associate Professor and the Department Chair of the College of Urban Education at Davenport University. His expertise includes urban education, culturally responsive teaching, inclusive pedagogy, school leadership and principal training, ecological school systems, and the history of pre-Brown African American education.
What is hazing? Hazing is broadly defined as: “Any action taken or situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.” Hazing encompasses actions leading to embarrassment, harassment, ridicule, emotional harm, or physical harm. It also includes, according to the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), psychological, emotional, and social manipulation. For example, if a prospective member is subjected to paddling, physical endurance tests (e.g., push-ups, running, wall sits, or other intense, forced exercise for extended periods), beatings and assaults (e.g., slapping, punching, kicking), sleep deprivation or being forced to stay awake for long periods; exposure to extreme weather (e.g., standing outside in cold or hot weather for long periods); forced consumption or making pledges drink large amounts of water, alcohol or other substances, including drugs. These activities are considered physical hazing, even if the prospective members are willing to engage.
Hazing is noted to be limited to physical abuse; it also includes psychological and emotional abuse. Intake activities that cause mental distress and humiliation are classified as hazing. For example, verbal abuse in the form of yelling, name-calling, or using embarrassing, degrading, or humiliating language is classified as an act of hazing. Public humiliation, such as forcing prospective members to wear embarrassing clothing or perform degrading acts, is a form of psychological hazing. Making threats and intimidating prospective members to instill fear of consequences for failure to follow directions or any form of disobedience is also classified as hazing. If prospective members are isolated, forced to line-up, blindfolded, and aggressively questioned, threatened, or intimidated, these acts fall under the category of hazing. Manipulating prospective candidates via mind games to create confusion or to impair decision-making is also a form of hazing.
For young Black college men, joining a fraternity is not just about social acceptance—it’s about connecting to a powerful legacy of Black leadership, empowerment, and social activism. For some, membership in a fraternity represents a pathway to lifelong professional networks and social status. When a pledge is threatened and intimidated with statements such as, “If you don’t comply, you will not be ‘made right’ and will never gain the respect of the brothers in this fraternity” the psychological impact of this statement is profound. It sends the message that acceptance and brotherhood are conditional—that the only way to earn membership is through obeying all directions and mandates and remaining silent when subjected to both psychological and physical abuse. Unfortunately, fear of rejection, social humiliation, and denial of the reward of “becoming a brother” overrides rational decision-making, leading to dangerous and often tragic outcomes, including hazing-related deaths.
Black Greek-letter organizations (BGLOs) have taken concrete steps to address hazing and eliminate the physical and psychological abuse of prospective members, including zero-tolerance anti-hazing policies that outline specific consequences for engaging in hazing. In addition, reforms were implemented to replace traditional pledging practices and safeguard against potential hazing violations. Yet, we see a troubling pattern of young Black college men participating in underground pledging despite the well-established changes to the membership intake. Surprisingly, even though the revised intake processes are designed to eliminate physical and psychological hazing, many fraternity members and prospective candidates continue to seek out and participate in unsanctioned pledging processes conducted underground, in direct violation of fraternity mandates and explicit consequences, including immediate suspension, permanent expulsion, criminal charges, and dismissal from college. Why?
Is it simply resistance to change? Is it valuing the pledge process over membership intake? We need to ask an even more critical question, one that attempts to explore a root cause analysis of this issue: “Why do some young Black men participate in hazing despite knowing the physical, psychological, criminal, and academic risks, including potential dismissal from college?” This question invites reflection on issues of manhood, belonging and brotherhood, toxic masculinity and gender expectations, social status, peer pressure, and internalized racism and self-hate. I introduced internalized racism and self-hate as critical areas of exploration because they help explain why young Black men may unconsciously accept suffering and humiliation as the price of acceptance, mirroring historical patterns of racial oppression and dominance.
When a root cause analysis is considered, we can better understand why changes in the intake process fail to uproot hazing. Hazing is seen as a symbolic way for Black men to reclaim and restore the masculinity stripped from them by white domination. This reflects internalized racism and self-hate—the belief that authenticity and acceptance can only be earned through suffering and submission, mirroring the historical dynamic where Black men were forced to endure pain and humiliation under white supremacy.
This may explain why those who endured the psychological and physical abuse of hazing base their manhood on their ability to withstand pain and inflict it on others. Surviving hazing has become a distorted marker of manhood, strength, and authenticity, with members sharing "war stories" to prove they were “made right” and not “paper”—a label given to members who entered the fraternity without being subjected to hazing. Those classified as “paper” are considered less manly, weaker, and inauthentic, reinforcing the toxic belief that true masculinity and belonging can only be validated through pain and suffering. This mindset reflects how deeply internalized racism and self-hate have influenced the culture of Black fraternities, distorting the true meaning of brotherhood, scholastic excellence, race pride, and commitment to racial uplift and service to marginalized communities.
This mindset reflects the psychological colonialism of Black men. It reflects internalized racism and self-hate. The “hazing” mindset mirrors the very systems of domination and control imposed on enslaved Africans to make them submissive to authority. Just as enslaved Africans were beaten and brutalized to break their spirit and force obedience, hazing reinforces the false notion that submission through pain and suffering is a necessary path to acceptance and belonging. The idea that loyalty and brotherhood are proven through physical domination and psychological control reflects the internalization of racist practices designed to dehumanize and subjugate Black people.
If fraternities are to reclaim their legacy of brotherhood, scholarship, leadership, service, and social activism, they must not only abolish all forms of hazing on paper; they must implement programs to address internalized racism, self-hate, trauma bonding, and toxic definitions of masculinity. Addressing these issues is essential because hazing is not just a behavioral problem—it is a psychological response to centuries of racial trauma and oppression. Without dismantling the internalized belief that suffering and domination are prerequisites for brotherhood, loyalty, acceptance, and manhood, the cycle of hazing will continue to replicate the same patterns of abuse and submission rooted in white supremacy. Confronting these broader psychological and cultural issues must occur before prospective members enter the intake process.
Mandatory pre-intake education sessions—attended by members and prospective members—should cover the harmful legacy of hazing within the context of slavery and Jim Crow segregation; the historical and cultural roots of internalized racism and self-hate; the history of Black fraternities and they ways in which they served as agencies of social uplift, political empowerment, educational activism, and economic development in Black and underserved communities during a time of open racism and racial segregation; how hazing is a reflection of white masculinity/supremacy and its capacity to dominate and subjugate others physically and psychologically without emotional attachment or moral conflict; deconstruction of the “paper mentality” with opportunities to openly challenge the belief that potential members must suffer to be accepted and that manhood comes from enduring physical and psychological abuse rather than demonstrating superior scholarship, and leadership and service in the fight for social justice.
Remember, hazing is not just a fraternity tradition—it is a symptom of the psychological scars left by white supremacy and internalized racism (self-hatred). Internalized racism leads to self-hatred because it conditions Black people to adopt the values and behaviors of white supremacy, including the belief that Blackness is inferior and that validation and acceptance must be earned through pain and dominance. When Black fraternity men internalize these false narratives, they begin to devalue themselves and others within their fraternity, including prospective members, leading to destructive behaviors like hazing.
For example, in the hazing process, older fraternity members who endured abuse themselves may feel justified in inflicting the same pain on new members as a way to “prove” their brotherhood, manhood, loyalty, and “worthiness for membership.” This reflects self-hatred because it reproduces the same patterns of domination and humiliation that were historically used to control and dehumanize Black men under white supremacy. Hazing becomes a twisted reenactment of racial trauma, where the abused becomes the abuser in an attempt to reclaim a false distorted sense of manhood and authenticity.
Black fraternities were founded to uplift the Black community and address societal oppression—not to oppress those seeking membership or engage in acts of brutality. Brotherhood cannot be built on abuse and trauma bonding but on trust, support, and shared purpose to uplift Black communities and fight for social justice in the broader society. The future of Black Greek-letter organizations depends on reclaiming their true mission—empowering Black men through scholarship, leadership, and service—and committing to noble aims and practical solutions to solving problems impacting Black communities and marginalized people. Hazing can no longer be seen as a path to developing men for the task of racial uplift and social activism; true brotherhood and manhood come from educating, elevating, and supporting potential members, not inflicting physical and psychological harm.
Dr. Rashid Faisal is an Associate Professor and the Department Chair of the College of Urban Education at Davenport University. His expertise includes urban education, culturally responsive teaching, inclusive pedagogy, school leadership and principal training, ecological school systems, and the history of pre-Brown African American education.