Historically black fraternities and sororities continue to make a powerful impact on the black community from activists to athletes entertainers and now the first black woman Vice President of the United States all part of black Greek organizations I was determined from a young girl to join Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Incorporated these
Organizations came into fruition in the 20th century black students were often banned from joining social organizations on campus those early 1900s black people particularly in the South were ostracized they were in some cases demonized and marginalized that’s Cedric Robinson he’s been a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated for 40 years and
Serves as the frisco alumni chapters historian he says predominantly white campuses fostered an environment of racial isolation for black students the fact that they were working their way through college and so forth and so on they wouldn’t see other black students on campus for sometimes weeks at a time
There were a few attempts at creating black Greek letter organizations beginning in 1903 with Alpha Kappa new but the lack of steady membership caused it to fail three years later in 1906 Alpha Phi Alpha overcame that hurdle seven students banded together to combat their isolation at Cornell University as
The name suggests the divine nine is made up of five fraternities and four sororities totaling nine Greek organizations Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Incorporated founded in 1908 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and Omega Sci-Fi fraternity Incorporated in 1911 Delta Sigma Theta sorority Incorporated in 1913 Phi Beta Sigma fraternity
Incorporated in 1914 Zeta 5 Beta sorority Incorporated in 1920 Sigma gamma rho sorority Incorporated in 1922 and Iota Phi Theta Incorporated Fraternity in 1963. it was very important for those young men and women who were founding these organizations during those those years in order to be able to
Have a sense of community a sense of belonging and to be able to sort of have strength in numbers each group has their own distinct colors meaningful symbols and history these nine organizations formed in 1930 and make up what is now the National panhellenic Council the divine nine name comes from a book
Called The divine nine a history of African-American sororities in America the akas in Tulsa say the divine nine became a necessity our ancestors had to band together in order to develop groups so that African Americans would have a voice social justice and civil rights are the Hallmarks of the organization’s Delta
Sigma Theta Incorporated marched for the right to vote in Washington in 1913 to help pave the way for African-American women in politics these beautiful well-educated ladies walked behind other women that did not look like them during women’s suffrage movement movement the divine nine shared a commitment to academic achievement and to uplift the
Black community Through service and scholarship we were able to in one day have 2.6 million dollars donated to hbcus through our AKA endowment Fund in Fort Smith Arkansas the Deltas are getting people to the polls we are in the partners in education the voter registration and we do provide scholarships Robinson
Says they are able to help young men try to guide them on financial matters and other things things that they’re going to need to know to thrive uh in the world but these organizations are not just for college students once you become a member are you a member for
Life you can join an organization years after graduating from a university membership has spread not only nationally but globally with chapters in Asia the Caribbean Europe and Africa so how does one choose that right Organization for them you need to do some some homework and understand you know what these organizations are about
And then match them up to your own personality for many it made them feel like home I immediately gravitated toward cap Alpha Psi because of the people the young man that I saw um who were already members of the organization and how they carry themselves for others they were
Influenced as children but I think back to all the ladies that influenced my life growing up one thing they all had in common were they all were women of Alpha Kappa Alpha it’s a legacy and a legacy that will continue on it feels wonderful that the uh the Youth of today
Continue to carry on the legacy of the organizations that these young men and women started more than 100 years ago trace and Bragg now news
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