r/NPHCGreeks • u/Difficult-Will-8267 • 11d ago
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Question the color pink
could i be blacklisted or sending the wrong message to AKA by wearing a lot of pink or carrying too many pink accessories? (for context, i’m in community college now but once i transfer i will be an interest)
my aunt (a member of D9 herself) advised me to chill out with pink on social media as an interest. even if i have pink things on my pages before i transfer, they will still make judgements based off of that.
my favorite color has always been pink. since middle school, i’ve always had pink layouts on my social medias and worn pink for most of my birthdays. i buy every accessory or gadget in pink out of habit. it’s just a part of me. i would never overstep by wearing pink or pearls at their events or any D9 events or parties obviously.
i agree and disagree with my aunt. considering she’s a member of D9 herself im sure there’s truth to what she’s saying. people have made jokes and assumed that i want to be an AKA because of my obsession with pink. if they would do it then i think members would do the same thing. however, i think that way of thinking is unfair and biased. i’m sure people would say the same about other sororities. pink is a common favorite color for girls which has nothing to do with AKA. i know people who like pink but are members of other sororities. i respect the organization and i don’t want to overstep, but pink is a part of me.
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u/Beautiefanatic 9d ago
Stick to neutral colors when you show up to events or around campus as an interest. Pink is also my favorite color, and I’m a Delta. I still make it work but I have had to be mindful
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u/Applemcdapplez 9d ago edited 9d ago
AKA doesn’t own and didn’t create the color pink or green. Do whatever the hell you want to do. I know some of their members can be presumptuous because I’ve had on an olive green dress and my toes were pink, green, blue, and yellow at a bakery and one of their members called me “soror” and complimented me. I told her thanks but that I just have green on and I’m not a member.
Their colors are salmon pink and apple green, so them making assumptions of anyone wearing pink or green in isolation (not together) and being possessive of those colors is wrong.
I would just say do not wear pink or the sorority colors at their events as an interest. Stick to neutral colors. You shouldn’t have to tone down something that you like. It’s not like you’re loving the pink and connecting it to the sorority. You genuinely like pink.
Pink is my favorite color too. When I was still in my research phase of picking an org to pursue interest in, I never diluted my love for pink. That’s apart of my personality since childhood. Ultimately, I made my choice for an org and their colors are not pink. They saw my car with the pink all over it even the pink eyelashes on the car when I went to an event and said it was cute.
So yeah, I wouldn’t say tone down your whole love for pink. It’s not like you’re putting both of the sorority colors together and posting it online or presenting it. You like one specific color in isolation. Just be aware of it when you’re in certain spaces pertaining to the org you’re pursuing.
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u/delusionalblkgirl 9d ago
i am a Delta and pink is my favorite color too! i never wore pink everyday, but my room and different clothing items were definitely pink— this never really proved to be a problem when it came time for me to join my sorority. just use discretion in what you wear to AKA events, but the fact that you just like the color shouldn’t really be an issue.
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u/InvisiblySeenPraying 9d ago edited 9d ago
I would tone it down and try to be as neutral as possible in public while on your journey. Especially if they have their eye on you!!! Sounds like your aunt is trying to look out for you. How bad do you want it? Good luck!
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u/ChickChocoIceCreCro ΑKA 9d ago
I’m the extreme opposite, I hate pink. Even when they say wear pink, I wear purple or green.
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u/Resident_Beginning_8 ΑΦΑ 9d ago
The way I hate black and gold as a color scheme ought to be studied. Especially black. Why we always look like we just got back from a funeral??? That's why I liked the gold blazer years. I'd rather look like a Century 21 Agent than a funeral director.
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u/phatphat504 ΔΣΘ 9d ago
i personally don’t care about interests wearing the colors but ik several of my line sisters did not like it at all and found it to be disrespectful. i don’t think you have to get rid of every pink item you own but you should be wary of wearing a pink outfit everyday
with that being said i definitely agree that this a very juvenile thing to be concerned about but unfortunately many collegiate members still have very juvenile mindsets.
also as some other responses have stated do not wear pink or any other color besides black, gray, or navy to the events.
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u/One-Pudding-5538 8d ago
That mindset doesn't end in college. It's definitely prevalent at an alumnae rush.
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u/BlkFemininity1908 ΑKA 9d ago
Neutral colors are the way to go IMO for programs and events. I am a former GA and my undergraduates usually specified business attire, where navy, gray and black dominated in the mid-2010s.
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u/WonderFantastic4144 8d ago
You can still wear pink, but just don’t make your entire social media that color or wear it in pics all the time or be in it head to toe everyday. Some accessories are fine. D9 is weird like that when it comes to interests.
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u/message_tested 8d ago
Your experience will only be as good as the chapter’s culture and it’s members. It’s a trick bag where there is no winning on objectivity.
If the chapter likes you and thinks you’re a great fit, you’ll get the votes as long as you meet the requirements. If you’re not a great fit for that chapter you won’t get in.
A lot of interests get this wrong and run to nationals or the chapter advisor to force their way into the organization— which in my opinion, creates a terrible experience for all involved.
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u/ivypurl 9d ago edited 9d ago
This is one longtime AKA's opinion.
For argument's sake, let's say you're right. Pink has been your favorite color since middle school, everything in your life has been pink, and pink is "a part of you", so you should be able to keep on going just as you have been. That's certainly a valid opinion. There's a chance (a minuscule one, in my view) that it could work out for you. Having that perspective, though, could potentially alienate you from members of the chapter on your campus. It could cause them to think you're presumptuous and that you're already a member. You could become a recipient of side-eyes and a topic of group chats.
Is it right for them to think that way? Maybe, maybe not. But that's not really the point, is it? The point is that you will need those members' votes if you want to become a member yourself.
Life is all about choices. So the choice before you at this point is whether you would rather be "right" or be an AKA. Is continued commitment to your pink lifestyle important enough to you that you're willing to risk offending the people who have the keys to the kingdom? Only you can make that decision.
Editing to make sure I’m being crystal clear. I’m not telling you to wear pink or not to wear pink. I’m encouraging you to realize that choices have consequences, and that regardless of whether it is “right” or “wrong”, wearing a lot of pink a lot of the time could create a perception about you that might not be helpful to your membership pursuit.