"Mother's Prayer" (also known as "Don't Let My [Daughter, Son] Pledge" (Sings The Names of Rival Sororities Or Fraternities)

RMARTIN1111 Published on Nov 13, 2012

Don't let my daughter go Delta no no, Don't let my daughter go Zeta no no no, Don't let my Daughter Sigma Gamma Rho...Let my daughter pledge Alpha Kappa Alpha -- MU PI Chapter....
-snip-
The lyrics for this example are given below. The title of this video is "Lord, Lord Oh My Lord". Those words begin this video clip of that sorority/fraternity song.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Revision - April 21, 2023

This pancocojams post documents several examples of historically Black Greek letter organizations songs or chants with the theme "Don't let my [daughter or son] pledge (or "go") ____ (names of rival Greek letter organizations). Let my [daughter; son] pledge (or "go") ____ (name of the organization whose members are chanting)."

Most of these examples of this sub-set of sorority/fraternity chants is from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., a historically Black Greek letter sorority. One example is from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, a historically Black Greek letter fraternity.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who are featured in the embedded YouTube video and thanks to the publisher of that video on YouTube.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
I consider fraternity & sorority chants and vernacular to be cultural artifacts which deserve to be collected, preserved, and studied. That said, I also believe that fraternity & sorority songs and chants should only be recited and/or performed by those persons who are affiliated with the specific organization that is associated with that particular chant.

As is the case with chant examples that are performed by two or more Greek letter organizations, I'm not which organization was the first to perform "Don't let your [daughter, son] pledge" types of chants.

I'm also interested in documenting any example of this type or chant/song that is performed by PWIs (predominately White sororities/fraternities. "PWI" (Predominately White Institutions) is the acronym that is commonly used to refer to institutions (in this case, university/college based Greek letter fraternities and sororities) which historically prohibited Black people and other People of Color from becoming members. For the most part, these organizations remain predominately White.

For the folkloric record, if you know any other example of these chants/songs, please share the words or a link to their words or a video of the example in the comment section below. Thanks!

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - AKA My Mama’s Prayer (Don’t Let My Daughter Pledge)

misspriss4000Dec 13, 2019

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - Mama’s Prayer (Don’t Let My Daughter Pledge)” Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha pi.

PIP LLC, Jan 15, 2019

Virginia State University.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4 - Gamma Theta Spring 18 Mama's Prayer

Khayla Toyer, Mar 29, 2018

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LYRIC EXAMPLE #1
(Lead)
When I was a young girl
My mother, she knelt down to pray
She said
Lord, oh my Lord
Lord, oh my Lord
She said
Lord, oh my Lord
(Lead and group)
Don't
let my daughter go Delta no no,
Don't let my daughter go Zeta no no no,
Don't let my daughter Sigma Gamma Rho...
Let my daughter pledge Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Mu Phi Chapter
Mu Phi Chapter
-snip-
These are the lyrics for the first video that is embedded in this pancocojams post. According to a commenter, the lead singer's first name is Kiersten and this chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha is in Spelman University (Atlanta, Georgia).

*transcription by Azizi Powell. Additions and corrections are welcome.

This transcription doesn't include the exclamations such as "Sing it!", "Yeah!" and "What did she say?".

Explanations:
Delta= Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Zeta= Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Sigma Gamma Rho- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Alpha Kappa Alpha = Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Mu Phi Chapter= a chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

All of these sororities are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council "a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council

Note that there are other predominately Black fraternities and sororities besides the organizations that are members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

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The word "go" in this example (and in Example #2) may be a later substitution for the word "pledge".

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LYRIC EXAMPLE #2:
THE ONLY FRATERNITY
Don't let my son go Alpha,
A dying mother said.
Don't let him go Kappa,
I'd rather see him dead.
Don't let him go Sigma!
It's just a club you see.
But let him go Omega!
It's the only Fraternity.
-http://eoques.com/files/reclamation-retention_handbook.pdf The Episolon Omega Chapter Reclamation Kit Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 2008, [retrieved 8/12/2012; This link appears to no longer lead to that Omega Psi Phi Fraternity site.]
-snip-
Explanations:
Alpha = Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Kappa = Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Sigma= Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Omega= Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
-snip-
Another historically Black Greek letter fraternity, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. was founded in 1963 and became a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. The fact that this fraternity isn't mentioned in this chant may suggests that this chant is older than 1963 or 1967 or it may suggests that the Iotas are still not as widely known as the other Divine Nine organizations.

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