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I was wondering how many local high schools have these all white social clubs? We are a successful African-American family and my daughter attends Sheffield High School and I believe the Sub-Debs are a racist group. I know there use to be the Vanity Club at Deshler that was white girls only. Do they have these at Muscle Shoals and Florence? The mail out these invitations or whatever you want to call them and then these girls bring them to school bragging to all the other girls who didn't get invited. And a lot of the school personnel is heavily involved with the group. Does anyone else think this is wrong?

Concerned Parent
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I know Florence has an african american social club called ZURI, but it's just not for Florence High School girls, its open to all the girls in the surrounding schools. And then they have several majority white clubs such as NENON, STARDUST, and unsure of others. I graduated when it was still a Bradshaw & Coffee and there were only the all white social clubs as what seems to be the problem in your daughter's school. The african american ZURI social club is pretty new...just since the reconcilation of the schools I think. I really don't think it's any different from pledging sororities in college, it kind of prepares them for it. Maybe your daughter would be interested in the ZURI club.
[quote]And then they have several majority white clubs such as NENON, STARDUST, and unsure of others. I graduated when it was still a Bradshaw & Coffee and there were only the all white social clubs as what seems to be the problem in your daughter's school.[/quote]
OMG! They still have nenon and stardust. God, those are such a joke. They were around when I was in school (mid to late 80s). I can't believe they still exist.

I think they should be banned, too.
I belong to a large local discussion group. There are some lovely members who are black whom I would like to know better. When I sit at "their table" which they have created, I get the distinct feeling that I should move. So it works both ways! Back to the high school social clubs, they should be banned.There are many reasons besides being black that keep lovely young girls out. I can make you a list! As I once told a young black friend who felt someone was discrminationg against her, "It's not particularly a black/white thing- she thinks she is better than most white persons too!
When my girls were in Bradshaw High in the mid-to-late 1980s, the SASC's (Silly-Ass Social Clubs) were in full swing. Every Spring,they ripped around the streets of town in little motorcades, "rushing" incoming freshman girls. Part of the "rush" experience consisted of festooning the front door and porch area of our house with little dinky hand-made signs and placards proclaiming the privileges of joining whatever club was committing this vandalism on the house.

Not content to deface the exterior, this gaggle of giggling teen airheads next entered the house and proceeded to similarly defile the rushee's bedroom. They scotch-taped maybe 40 or 50 pieces of paper all over the doors and walls. It was littering on a grand scale and at the time my daughters thought it was fine business, so we put up with it.

Each spring during that era, the wanton honking of automobile horns could be heard around town, with each club having a distinct pattern of honking, so that those "in the know" could tell which bunch of teen airheads was driving by just by listening.

I was very pleased when neither of my girls stuck with the SASC's more than the first year. Both found the club thing to be immature and generally a waste of time.

The whole SASC business has tapered off a lot. There were maybe 4 or 5 clubs back in the 1980s. I think they are down to maybe two clubs in Florence. I hope this represents progress toward ultimate extinction of the whole elitist concept.
Last edited by beternU
unique1, my daughter was attending Sheffield High and was under a great deal of peer pressure to "give it up".She is a virgin and guys were always asking her when she was gonna give it up and girls were always telling her it (sex) was no big deal.She loved her school and the classes but I withdrew her at the end of the year last year. She got her G.E.D and is now starting college on Feb. 3rd.She gets depressed at times because she really misses school but the peer pressure there was just too much for her to handle. We tried going to the principal about it but he was very uninterested and said there was nothing he could do about it.

It's a shame school authorities in Al. are not proactive in a no tolerance policy, at least not in sheffield.

On another note and not to be racist, but why are so many black girls at Sheffield high pregnant?

I hope all goes well for your daughter,if she needs an understanding ear pm me and I will give her my daughters number.
High preganancy rates among black teen girls is nothing new. 20 years ago, when teaching in Florida, it was a common 'belief' among black teen girls that if you weren't pregnant by the time you were 14, 'something was wrong'. Sadly, it's not uncommon to see a 12 year old black teen pregnant today.

Not to let teen boys off the hook, but again, 20 years ago in Florida, a 'club' was discovered in Jacksonville, wherein teen males were 'racking up points' among their peers to see how many girls they could get pregnant.
I thought the main purpose of sororities is to see how quickly they can empty parents' bank accounts. Wink

I'm sure someone somewhere has had a great experience being in a sorority. I've just never been a fan. Maybe it's because we didn't have them at the high school I attended? When I got to college, the sorority girls I met seemed to hide behind an image, fake, as if there were pressure within the club to conform to a certain image or something. It just wasn't for me. My advice is to tell your kid to be glad she's not a part of something that disgusts both of you.

As an adult, I do see it as a racket...felt the same way when my daughter was cheering. Our girls went to "Nationals"...turns out anyone can go to Nationals as long as you pay up. A small fortune later, I finally told her that we were fine with her cheering, but she'd need to get a job to pay half the expense. She went back to basketball. Smiler
I have "ascending" degrees from three universities. I am continually solicited for scholarship fund donations. I do not plan to donate to a sorority sister's social life by enabling her to have more spending money. There are other ways to support one's alma maters! My daughters were excluded because of the color of their father's collar!
[quote]I have "ascending" degrees from three universities. I am continually solicited for scholarship fund donations. I do not plan to donate to a sorority sister's social life by enabling her to have more spending money. There are other ways to support one's alma maters! My daughters were excluded because of the color of their father's collar![/quote]


Good choice, I have worn both collars, am the same person, and it's amazing how many people want to, or don't want to, be "friends" depending on your collar.
Unfortunately, I was in Stardust when I was in high school. I quit after the first rush. I could not stand sitting there and listening to the superficial girls blather on about so-in-so being too fat to offer a bid to, or too weird, or poorly dressed, etc. I hated it. During my time in high school, Stardust nor Nenon had any black members. Anybody that skipped that mess was better off on account of it.
quote:
Originally posted by unique1:
I was wondering how many local high schools have these all white social clubs? We are a successful African-American family and my daughter attends Sheffield High School and I believe the Sub-Debs are a racist group. I know there use to be the Vanity Club at Deshler that was white girls only. Do they have these at Muscle Shoals and Florence? The mail out these invitations or whatever you want to call them and then these girls bring them to school bragging to all the other girls who didn't get invited. And a lot of the school personnel is heavily involved with the group. Does anyone else think this is wrong?

Concerned Parent


Why would you want your child to "belong" to a private group of social elitist with a membership made up of shallow, pretentious girls who clearly want only NEW members who mirror their own image and walk their walk...in other words why would you want to "belong" where you are NOT wanted???
Reminds me of:

"I would not join any club that would have someone like me for a member." Groucho Marx

My daughter goes to FHS and is not in a social club. She has friends that are in them and friends that are not. Her big sister wanted her to join, but she is more of an independent thinker. She didn't like a lot of the attitudes/actions that are associated with them. I think they are a ridiculous thing to have in high school. It is a hard enough place to fit in without adding more pressure.

On another note, I think it strange that more people attend the Social Clubs' Homecoming Parties than the school sponsored Homecoming Dance. The school didn't even have one the last 2 years. As highly as I think of the Florence City School System, their school spirit is greatly lacking. Since we are relatively new to the area, is this something that we will have to build up to, given enough time separate from Coffee and Bradshaw?

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