The first African American fraternities and sororities were established at the turn of the twentieth century to encourage leadership, racial pride, and academic excellence among black college students confronting the legacy of slavery and the indignities of Jim Crow segregation. Black Greek-letter organizations were also created to foster a sense of community among African American students on college campuses, and among their ranks are legendary artists, politicians, theologians, inventors, intellectuals, educators, civil rights leaders, and athletes. Nikki Giovanni, Cornel West, Martin Luther King Jr., Shaquille O'Neal, Toni Morrison, Bill Cosby, and W.E.B. DuBois are all members of black fraternities and sororities, and these groups continue to have a strong presence on campuses today.
Offering a comprehensive overview of the historical, cultural, political, and social circumstances that propelled the creation of these groups, this collection of original essays references the profound contributions that black Greek-letter organizations and their members have made to American history. The contributors also examine current black Greek life and culture, addressing issues such as hazing and branding that are, perhaps unfairly, often at the forefront of discussions about these organizations. African American Fraternities and Sororities is the authoritative history of these influential and sometimes controversial organizations.
Tamara L. Brown, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, is a founding member of Pi Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at Longwood College in Virginia.
Gregory S. Parks, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kentucky, is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
Clarenda M. Phillips is assistant professor of sociology at Morehead State University.
Reviews:
"The honorable and courageous history of the black Greek-letter organizations has often been overlooked and obscured by social jealousy and faulty information. And maybe even faulty expectations. Yet these 'divine nine' have shaped not only the history of African Americans but the history of America. The brothers and sisters who have pledged their best to each other and to their times have always risen to the occasion. Their good names, their fortunes, and their lives have been risked to uplift the downtrodden and gentle the arrogant. African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision is an important look at the glorious contributions they have made."--Nikki Giovanni, (Delta Sigma Theta Sorority), University Distinguished Professor and Professor of English, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
"An immensely scholarly volume with more depth and insight than any other study of these organizations."--William Nelson, (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity), Professor of African American & African Studies, Ohio State University
"The volume provides a rich history and greater understanding of the roles Black Greek Letter Organizations have played in African American heritage and culture."--Lynda Brown Wright, (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority), Educational Psychology Chair, University of Kentucky
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