In light of the recent increase in anti-racist discourse and the Black Lives Matter movement, we as the Panhellenic community wish to recognize our history and our privilege as well as our dedication to learning and improving. Panhellenic sororities across the nation were founded on ideas surrounding exclusion and white supremacy, initially created to be a place for white women. Regardless of intention, we recognize that there are traces of bias and racist practices present at the root of our organizations. We as the UCSB Panhellenic community take a strong stance against racism, and we recognize that there is work to be done. We have been engaged in important conversations to identify where racism is present in our organizations and are working towards tangible changes to make our sororities more inclusive. We are continuing to educate ourselves on our privilege and issues of race while taking steps to combat racism in our individual organizations and on a Panhellenic level. We hope to recruit new  members who are eager to take these steps with us, who are also passionate about continuing this conversation and educating themselves. We will continue to update our website with more information on the steps we are taking to combat racism and other forms of oppression present in our community. This discussion does not end anytime soon and will continue to be a priority for our community and council for many years to come. With our new member selection process being the first of many steps towards this commitment, we hope for a future in which systemic racism and oppression have been eradicated from our organizations.

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Phi Sigma Rho is a social sorority for women in engineering and the natural sciences. Their sorority strives to provide balance between their sisters’ social and academic interests, offering career-building workshops and lively social events. They are a strong, tight-knit community of women in STEM, and their sisters will support you through all of your social and academic endeavors. After all, their motto says: “Together We Build the Future!” If you’re interested in joining their sisterhood, fill out the Recruitment form linked here!