i want to bring in nathan james. he's a junior at the university of alabama who's been writing columns about this subject for the student-run newspaper, "the crimson white." james, thanks very much for being with us. >> so how long has this been going on? i mean, okay. >> segregation? >> yeah. is this the first year african-americans have actually been invited to join some sororities? >> there has actually been one in previous years at least that i'm aware of. carla ferguson in 2003 was admitted to a traditionally white sorority. at that point in time we all thought that was the end of segregation here on campus. obviously it wasn't. the last that i'm aware of and to the best of my knowledge actually the only african-american who's been accepted into a traditionally white fraternity or sorority. how have these sororities defended this practice? how have they justified this? >> really the defense that's been used in every case pretty much has been that it's a private organization. and that therefore it has the right t

i want to bring in nathan james.nior at the university of alabama who's been writing columns about this subject for the student-run newspaper, "the crimson white." james, thanks very much for being with us. >> so how long has this been going on? i mean, okay. >> segregation? >> yeah. is this the first year african-americans have actually been invited to join some sororities? >> there has actually been one in previous years at least that i'm aware of. carla ferguson in 2003 was admitted to a traditionally white sorority. at that point in time we all thought that was the end of segregation here on campus. obviously it wasn't. the last that i'm aware of and to the best of my knowledge actually the only african-american who's been accepted into a traditionally white fraternity or sorority. how have these sororities defended this practice? how have they justified this? >> really the defense that's been used in every case pretty much has been that it's a private organization. and that therefore it has the right to make its