Black Greek letter organizations are well known among many college campuses and around the world.The nine Pan-Hellenic organizations, also known as the “divine nine,” include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity.
After graduation and many years after students involved in these organizations become alumni, they still wear their paraphernalia proudly and strive to uphold the organization’s principles and purposes daily. While providing community service and promoting academic excellence are only a few aspects these organizations aim to achieve, many people wonder why and how these organizations were established.
Black fraternities and sororities were founded to initially uplift themselves collectively as a group through times of turbulence and brutal discrimination. In the early 1900s, African Americans were not given privileges as their white counterparts were in terms of social events. Therefore, the black Greek-letter organization was formed to provide a positive atmosphere and a social support group to allow members to rise above the oppression that they were faced with on a day-to-day basis.
Also, these organizations were founded to render service to humanity. All of the Greeks, despite their many differences, principles and goals, are evolved around community service which is the means of empowering the world one organization at a time.
A brief history of the divine nine:
1.Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was the first fraternity established on December 4, 1906 on the campus of Cornell University.
2. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was the first black Greek-letter sorority established on the campus of Howard University in 1908. Its 20 founders set Alpha Kappa Alpha’s roots around the principles of scholarship, leadership, and success.
3. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. was the second fraternity established on April 15, 1911 on the campus of Indiana University. Kappa Alpha Psi was the first organization named Kappa Alpha Nu. Its founding principles are to unite, encourage, promote, assist, and inspire.
4.Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was the third fraternity established on Nov. 17, 1913 on the campus of Howard University. Its three founders based its principles on manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and upliftment.
5. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was the second sorority that was established on the campus of Howard University in 1913. Founded by 22 founders, it was established on the principles of sisterhood, scholarship, and service.
6. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was the fourth fraternity established on Jan. 9, 1914 on the campus of Howard University. Phi Beta Sigma’s principles are brotherhood, scholarship, and service.
7. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was the third sorority established on Jan. 16, 1920, also on the campus of Howard University. The five founders established it on the principles of scholarship, sisterly love, and finer womanhood.
8. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., was the fourth and only sorority founded at a predominantly white university. It was established on Nov. 12, 1922 on the campus of Butler Univeristy. Its principles are sisterhood, scholarship, and service.
9. Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. was the fifth and final fraternity established on Sept. 19, 1963 on the campus of Morgan State University. It was founded on the principles of scholarship, leadership, citizenship, fidelity, and brotherhood.