10/16/2020
Today is the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month, and to celebrate, we would like to share an upcoming article about Rhodes' Latina-based Sorority Chapter.
Rhodes College Welcomes Latina-Based Sorority Chapter
by Mariam Khayata '22
In the fall of 2019, a group of ten Rhodes students founded a Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. chapter at Rhodes College. The Lambda Pi Chi Sorority Inc., also known as the Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad (LPC) – Latinas Promoting Community –, is a national Latina-based, but not Latina-exclusive sorority, originally founded at Cornell University in 1988. Established to “empower women by providing a supportive network dedicated to their personal and professional advancement,” LPC is an inclusive Hermandad – sisterhood – that celebrates the Latinx community and culture. At its core, LPC is deeply committed to activism, social justice, community, and public service.
Approaching its one-year anniversary, the Rhodes College LPC chapter is the first in the Mid-South. The Hermanas – sisters – worked to bring LPC to Rhodes as an inclusive space that celebrates and empowers Latina women, diversifying Greek Life at Rhodes. Welcomed with open arms by other Greek organizations at Rhodes, LPC Chapter president, Mildred Vázquez ‘21, notes how comforting it was for Rhodes’s Hermanas to receive this support. “Prior to being an organization on campus, a lot of our members were nervous to see what kind of reaction other Greek organizations would have to us. It was so heartwarming to see other organizations congratulate us and show us support. Their continuous support has made us feel at home at Rhodes and has shown us that Greek life can look many different ways,” says Vázquez, an Education and Psychology major.
At the heart of every Hermana is her love for community. That is why LPC’s national philanthropy initiatives are Proyecto H.A.C.E.R and Project L.E.A.A.P, focusing on empowering underprivileged communities. Proyecto H.A.C.E.R. provides minority and low-income women with resources to further their education and career goals. Project L.E.A.A.P, Latinas Educating on AIDS Awareness and Prevention, works to disseminate HIV/AIDS information to the Latinx community. The Rhodes LPC chapter fundraises and donates to these impactful projects and additionally plans to host panel events discussing HIV/AIDS in the Latinx community.
As a newly founded chapter, LPC’s past programming include: volunteering for the Mid-South Food Bank on MLK Service Day; hosting a Valentine’s Day fundraiser featuring Mexican pastries; collaborating with the Rhodes Latinx Student Association on Noche de Celebracion – A Night of Celebration –; and fundraising for CasaLuz, a Memphis-based nonprofit organization working to prevent domestic violence in the Spanish-speaking community and to promote equal access to justice. LPC’s events center around community empowerment, education, service, and personal and professional development. During this virtual semester, the Hermanas have been fostering community through virtual check-ins, Netflix watch parties, game nights, and a fall retreat. They cherish each meeting or event as an opportunity to uplift and support one another.
As the Rhodes Hermanas celebrate one year of being a part of an established LPC chapter, they reflect on the comfort and empowerment that Lambda Pi Chi has provided them. “The more I learned about the Sorority and met Hermanas from all over the country, the more I felt like I had a true place and purpose. Lambda Pi Chi is a mechanism by which I can serve my community more broadly, celebrate my culture, and build bonds with like-minded women,” says Diana Miranda ‘22, an English major, Latinx Studies minor, and Bonner scholar. As the Rhodes Latinx student population grows, Miranda hopes that incoming Latinx students will view LPC as an inclusive and empowering space and feel more welcome, safe, and comfortable at Rhodes.
