KNOWLEDGE IS POWER —

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Knowledge is empowering; knowledge is heartbreaking; knowledge is healing; knowledge is scary; and knowledge is humbling. Ultimately knowledge is power, but it only becomes powerful when paired with action. As an organization, we mourn the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey, and countless others who have lost their lives or who have suffered oppression and racial injustices. We stand with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students, advisors, alumni, staff and every ally of the black community against systemic racism, racial injustice, senseless violence, and oppression.

 

We make this stand in word and in action, with the knowledge of our own organization’s history. We were founded in 1923, and like many organizations of this time, Phi Eta Sigma was a space exclusively held by white men. We have grown and evolved over the course of our history, and as the nation’s oldest national honor society recognizing first-year students, we are also a diverse organization recognizing students without discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation.

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The motto of Phi Eta Sigma can mean so much more than words on paper or a screen. We encourage everyone, and especially our members, to gain and use knowledge to learn, to reflect, and to act in ways that will bring healing, justice, and ultimately peace to our communities. We are committed to providing resources and opportunities to assist in the process. The resources include, but are not limited to reading and viewing lists and recommendations, online discussion groups, and focused educational sessions at national and regional conferences and events.

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The words of former national president, C.M. Thompson, in 1959 still, and maybe especially now, ring true. “The past belongs to others; the present is ours; combined, they shape the future. Let us resolve, then, to pay homage to the past by setting high standards for the future. We can do no less”.