Over the last century black college fraternities have been an integral part of the fabric of the Black American culture these groups have literally been the backbone of black college student survival and advancement and its members have gone on to advance the interests of black people globally post their time spent matriculating on college
Campuses prominent black figures around the world have pledged into black Greek lettered organizations from the United States Vice President kamla Harris to Dr Martin Luther King Jr from Dr Bernard a Harris Jr the first black astronaut to walk in space to Michael Air Jordan from Dr
Betty shabaz to zorer hon and Dr huie P Newton black Greek Collegiate life has permeated Society in every field of human endeavor today’s black college frats and sares are affectionally known as the divine nine alpha alpha Alpha Kappa Alpha Kappa Alpha Sai Omega SciFi Delta Sigma Theta F Beta Sigma Zeta F Beta
Sigma gamma row and Iota F Theta While most tend to believe that black Collegiate Greek began in 1906 such is not the case a fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized Society of men Associated together an environment of companionship and Brotherhood dedicated to the intellectual physical and Social
Development of its members the terms fraternity and Society are often interchangeable while black Greek letter societies and fraternities are not secret societies like any other family they do have confidential information that is esoteric and or private and for members only here are the four black frats that got their start prior to
1906 gamma 5 founded March 1st 1905 at Wilbur Force University HBC gamma 5 was primarily African-American fraternity founded on March 1st 1905 at Wilberforce University historically black college and university in the state of Ohio by Gus Williams Dr lackley Edwin Clark is notable as being one of the forerunners an African-American
Collegiate fraternal scene the group was the sole fraternity on campus until the year 1912 Charles F Potter the fraternity historian stated in the foreen yearbook of 1923 that the fraternity was for a Time merely local the fraternity grew to at least three other chapters and existed
On and off for many years but the last known documentation of this frat occurred in 1947 Pi gamma Omron fraternity was founded in 19 1905 at the Ohio State University in Columbus the fraternity’s initial group consisted of 12 members unaware of previous black college frats they branded themselves as the first
National Greek college fraternity for black people started by black students the fraternity intended to Charter Chapters at Hampton Wilberforce Fisk and the University of Chicago and Indiana W Davis and Elma shackford were the two co-founders of Pi gamma Omron fraternity Alpha Kappa new 1903 Indiana University Bloomington Indiana Alpha Capa new fraternity is
Linked directly to Kappa Alpha new which later changed its name to Kappa alpas side the lineage continued as Alpac capanu founder Sterling mcel Wayne although not pictured in the group photo went on to continue the legacy of the fraternity of racen at Indiana University as records show that he is
Still on the scroll of Kappa Alpha new now Kappa alpas side the first black documented Collegiate fraternity is beta cap Papa Sigma founded in 1890 on Wilbur Force University’s campus and HBCU Beta Kappa Sigma affectionately known as the black cats had brothers from all over the country in their frat
They didn’t ask for permission or look for validation from the University or the state government to establish themselves as a fraternity and were never quote unquote officially acknowledged as such during those times however it was not unusual for society not to acknowledge the humanity or manhood of black men who were recently
Up From Slavery one of the men in the photograph is Captain Charles Young Who later became an army officer an expert M maker and musician Charles young is the second person from the left and the second row from the the front a Kentucky native raised in Ohio he graduated from Ripley
Colored high school in 1880 he won an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1884 and in 1889 became the third African-American graduate of the school young taught military science at Wilbur Force University and later served in the Spanish American War as the major in
Command of the 9th Ohio voluntary infantry he had an exceptional military career highlighted by his appointments to serve as military at T to Haiti and Liberia he commanded troops in the punitive expedition in Mexico and during the Filipino Insurrection he was a superintendent of squalo and General
Grant National parks at the offset of World War I young was the highest ranking africanamerican in the Army rather than promote him and place him in position of authority over white soldiers the Army involuntarily retired Young from active duty substantially because of quote unquote ill health there you have it the
First four black Collegiate fraternities to exists prior to 1906
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