Black culture has embraced Greek life on college campuses dating back to the early 1900s. With a common goal in mind to create a sense of community and a unique experience for young Black men and women in higher education, the “Divine Nine” was created over a span of 50 years.
The majority of the D9 organizations were formed on the legendary campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., besides a few that were founded on other campuses throughout the U.S. The first-ever all-Black male fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, incorporated on the New York State campus of Cornell University on December 4, 1906. The sophisticated ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. followed their lead with the first all-Black sorority being incorporated on January 15, 1908.
Setting the tone for other groups of Black men and women with common goals, other frats and sororities formed, including Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity (1911), Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (1911), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (1913), Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity (1914), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority (1920), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority (1922) and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity (1963).
Each of the D9 groups were established with unique core values respective to their organizations, with an objective to educate and uplift the Black collegiate community.
Becoming a member of one of the prestigious D9 organizations usually takes place during undergraduate years or at the graduate level. However, there are some celebrities who have been inducted into Black Greek organizations due to their work in their respective fields.
Here’s VIBE’s top 10 celebrity sorors who celebrated their Greek organization’s founders’ day this week.