American Greek fraternal organizations and sororities have been a major part of African-American history for over a century in the United States but not only have they been important in United States history in the African-American history in general they’ve been a very vital part of Detroit’s black history
We’re going to take a tour of this history and these historic places in the city of Detroit that are tied to these African-American Greek letter fraternities and sororities we are now at the home for the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternal fraternity house so the chapter is the gamma Lambda chapter in
The city of Detroit now Alpha Phi Alpha of course is the first African-American Collegiate Greek letter fraternity founded in 1906 at Cornell University but Detroit’s chapter will be founded a few years after that and not only will they be founded they’ll be led by some of the most prominent African-American
Detroiters in history there’s been two Mayors in the city of the Detroit were part of Alpha Phi Alpha Kwame Kilpatrick and Dennis Archer the Alpha Phi Alpha Gamma Lambda chapter moved into this house in 1939. they are the first African-American fraternity and a Greek letter organization to own their own
House in the city of Detroit at 269 Erskine we have the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity house another African-American fraternity founded in 1911 they’re right around the corner from Alpha Phi Alpha’s house or at 239 Elliott also in Brush Park one of his most well-known members is a man named
Dr ocean sweet and so Kappa Alpha Psi has enjoyed an important history in the city of Detroit and they’ve owned their fraternity house in the city of Detroit since 1945. at 235 East Ferry Street we have the fraternity house of the new omega chapter of Omega sci-fi
Omega sci-fi is a the second Greek letter fraternity to own African-American Greek letter fraternity to own their own home in the city of Detroit and they own it in this Cultural Center neighborhood in the city of Detroit a couple of blocks away from the Detroit Institute of Arts and the
Charles H Wright Museum of African-American history the Detroit Historical Museum and the campus of Wayne State and they buy this home in 1942 and they would get their home being the second fraternity black Fraternity in the city of Detroit to own their own home in 1942 just three years after
Alpha 5. at 24 760 West Seven Mile is the Detroit alumni chapter of Delta Sigma theta’s Center in 2010 they moved from a smaller building a little a few miles down the road to this 50 000 square foot building they moved into this car dealership transformed it to a Event Center
Headquarters meeting place office building and really Brain Trust of the alumni chapter of the Detroit Delta Sigma Theta they’ve been a vital force in the city of Detroit and they’ve been in the city of Detroit for years for decades and they’ve owned their own house but
They’ve moved from a house to a center of 50 000 square foot facility that is a major part in the city of Detroit at 24 760. Seven Mile Road at Seven Mile in Grand River Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Incorporated is the oldest black Greek letter sorority in this country so as we
Are at the 100th anniversary of the akas the akas of course are profoundly involved in Detroit’s history although they do not have a sorority house in the city of Detroit the alpha Royal Omega chapter the Detroit Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority has a foundation and that Foundation has a headquarters
In downtown Detroit at 1525 Howard Street it’s been there since 1987 so for 35 years after kappa Apple sorority Incorporated at least to Alpha Royal make a chapter has had a building that houses the headquarters for their Foundation African-American Greek letter fraternities and sororities are a major
Part of American History a major part of African-American history and a major part of Detroit’s black history one of the major reasons why is because in what these organizations represent is scholarship these are people who have gone to college who are in college and come out and become leaders they become
Leaders in medicine and so many of the African-American doctors come out of these Greek letter fraternities and sororities they cut they their leaders in in law many of them end up as as attorneys and politicians of course two Mayors have been members of Greek letter fraternities of the city of Detroit two
Mayors of the city of Detroit have been members of African-American Greek letter fraternities and they are they have been a major plank in Black leadership and black success and so as the African-American Community looks at these organizations they’re looking at people who have excelled in college people have excelled
In business people have excelled in their careers and professions and people who have excelled in political leadership the fact that these organizations still have houses speaks to their determination and their ability to to weather the storm and they’re still around to the in the city of Detroit to this day
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