Quote:
Originally posted by Wolfman
In fact the history of the development of Greek-letter fraternities at HBCUs parallels that at other colleges and universities. This has been somewhat obscured by focusing on the historical trajectory from Alpha Phi Alpha to those groups founded at Howard that have made a lasting impact through their longevity.
In truth, there were local African American fraternities at HBCUs that predated this period. As Dr. Herman Dreer rcounts in the Introduction to his oeuvre,The History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the lifespan of these groups were about two years. Their major goal was to put on a "prom" where faculty and spouses were invited. These groups also had pennants with their names, some Greek-lettered and some named after Greco-Roman philosophers or movements. Similarly, at HBCUs the literary/debating societies had a formative influence on the development of Greek-letter fraternities. Bishop Edgar A. Love, a Founder and first Grand Basileus (national president) of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,Inc. served as president of the Kappa Alpha debating society at Howard during his matriculation there.
This is the broader context which has not been fully exegeted and interpreted by historians of Greek-letter fraternities at HBCus.
"Que Psi Phi 'til the day I die!"
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Good stuff, Wolfman!
I think it's high time we dug up some info on these now-defunct Black GLOs and do some research on them. As you indicated, the history of Black Greekdom is a lot bigger than the current roster of NPHC orgs, and I think we are doing ourselves a disservice by ignoring them.