In 1894, New York passed the first anti-hazing law in the U.S. after a tragic incident at Cornell University, where a group of students filled a freshman banquet hall with chlorine gas, killing one staff member and injuring several others.
Fast forward nearly 150 years, and 43 states plus Washington, D.C., have their own anti-hazing laws. On top of that, many organizations, including fraternities and sororities, have their own strict policies against hazing.
Despite these laws and policies, hazing still happens—whether it’s silly tasks, humiliating pranks, or dangerous rituals—on college campuses, in law firms, private clubs, and exclusive organizations all across the country.
The death of 20-year-old Caleb Wilson, a junior mechanical engineering student at Southern University and A&M College, in February, after he allegedly participated in a fraternity hazing ritual (even though the fraternity itself doesn’t condone hazing), has left many asking: Why is hazing still a thing?
Byron Hurt, the award-winning director of the 2022 documentary Hazing, spoke with The Grio about how deeply ingrained hazing is in our culture, largely because of “tradition.” According to Hurt, there’s this belief that in order to be seen as credible and valuable in a group, newcomers need to endure some kind of difficult, challenging, or even painful process—something that those who came before them have gone through.
Hurt explains, “There’s an overvalue of tradition—‘This is what we do, this is what we’ve always done, and this is how we measure good, credible members versus members who are not good or who have no credibility.’” This mindset can create a situation where some feel like, “You have to go through this process in order to earn my respect or to be accepted into my group.”
As a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (though speaking not on behalf of the organization), Hurt knows firsthand what this kind of groupthink feels like. Now, he’s using his platform to spread awareness and work toward ending hazing.
One part of ending hazing, Hurt believes, is understanding how complex it is, especially in Black organizations, where the legacy of violence and oppression can play a role in perpetuating the practice. “There are more layers to the culture of hazing in Black organizations than there are in white ones,” Hurt explains. “White organizations don’t have the same cultural background and history that we have as Black people in America. They haven’t experienced the same level of oppression, trauma, and violence, and those things get passed down from generation to generation.”
He argues that elements of white supremacy, internalized victimization, and oppression can sometimes play out in Black-exclusive groups.
As for whether going through a tough initiation makes someone a more committed member, Hurt points out that it’s not always the case. He notes there are plenty of examples of members who didn’t go through a grueling process but ended up being some of the most dedicated and active in their group. Meanwhile, there are also cases of members who were hazed hard but ended up being less than committed.
