Groove Phi Groove

[Cardiac]

I am a member of Groove Phi Groove and if you have questions about my brotherhood feel free to ask. ONE

[D.0.7]

what is Groove Phi Groove?

what are your goals?
what's your mission?
what's the requirements for your fraternity?
Are you fraternity based if so what campus or campuses are you all located on.

I personally haven't heard of Groove Phi Groove but i would like to know more if you don't mind me asking...

[Cardiac]

My brotherhood is a collegiate based organization founded at Morgan State University on Oct. 12, 1962.
Our goals are the unpliftment of the black man, the black families and the black community.
We have aproximatley 35-40,000 members and over 150 affiliate graduate adn undergraduate chapters from Boston to Los Angeles.
We don't call ourselves a fraternity because the origin of the word fraternal brotherhood meant they had sex with eachother but we call ourselves a social fellowship, because fellowship is the christain name from brotherhood and we call it a social fellowship because we share our brotherhood with everyone.
Finally my organization is not a greek lettered brotherhood cause greek letters were stolen from African People.
Our Phi is Khametic which symbolizes "The fire of Life" or the creative function of the male sperm. We take that to symbolize our abilities to grow as men and brothers.
The word Groove has two meanings. You can be in the Groove and handle your business and you can be in the Groove and have fun.
We believe that if you are having fun and taking care of business at all times then have that ability to grow as a man and as a brother you have what it takes to be a complete man.

http://www.gphig.org

I know it was kinda long but if you have any more questions hit me on Blackplanet.
http://members.blackplanet.com/fulltimegroove

[Senusret I]

Can you provide some documentation of this?

Originally posted by Cardiac
We don't call ourselves a fraternity because the origin of the word fraternal brotherhood meant they had sex with eachother

[OnePlus69Is70]

I'd also like some documentation, since you're wrong on at least two points. Some of your statements are, frankly, pseudo-anthropological nonsense, though I can easily imagine where you acquired them. Reading your note gave me the same sort of horror an astronomer must feel on meeting an astrologist.

First, as someone whose spent many years studying ancient languages and civilizations, I can say that Greek letters were definitely not "stolen" from any African peoples. The Greek alphabet is an adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet (the Phoenicians were the ancient people of Lebanon), from which the Hebrew alphabet was also derived. The Phoenician alphabet was developed from the Egyptian hierogylphic system of the Middle Kingdom, which either developed from or co-developed with (depending on which theory you believe) the cuneiform writing of Sumeria. The Egyptians were not Africans- they were Semites, the same linguistic/cultural group that produced modern Jews, Arabs, and Berbers. Their language is not related to any Bantu or non-Bantu language.

I don't know of any writing forms from the ancient sub-Saharan Africans, although I believe one developed in the Sagel region of the Western Sahara, I'd have to look it up. Cultural transmission is not theft- I won't even bother debating that, it's such a silly idea. And if we assume that it is, then the Greeks "stole" their alphabet from the ancestors of modern Arabs, who had busied themselves "stealing" it from each other for a couple millenia.

I also object to your statement that members of Greek fraternities had sex with each other. First, the idea that ancient Greek men were promisicuous homosexuals- and that that fact is either humourous or disgusting- is evidence of a lingering homophobia in our culture. The ancient Greeks did engage in homosexual relations, on about the same level modern Americans do, and were more tolerant of it. It was perfectly acceptable to them for two male best friends to have sex. Another persistent idea is that they had sex with young boys. They did have sex with what we would consider young boys- 12 and 13 year olds. But in the ancient world, it was not uncommon for a 13 year old to be married or at least betrothed- ancient adulthood began at 13, so in their view, this was sex between consenting adults. They were just as horrified at sex with 'children' as we are- they just defined the term differently.

Second, fraternities as they existed in ancient Greece were not fraternities as they exist in modern America. They were groups of men usually gathered around a charismatic leader for a common goal, usually learning- like the Academy in Athens. Their members probably did have sex with each other, but that was normal for their culture, as I've said.

Third, American fraternities were founded as literary societies, modeled on the salons of Enlightenment France. Many did not originally have Greek letter names. Greek letter names originally came from the habit of adopting mottos in Greek or Latin, and then using the first letters of the words of the motto as a name. This was part of a general fashion in early America to imitate the Greek and Roman civilizations. The word fraternity did not in English originally mean brotherhood- it meant something closer to our modern word comradery, which is why women's groups as well as men's were called fraternities.

I am sorry to go on at such length, but what you've said is ignorant nonsense of the sort that cannot be allowed to go unanswered. You are being fed theories that have been discredited many times by reputable researchers.

[TrojanGirl]

Bravo for a well informed and well written response!

TG

[Honeykiss1974]

History from their website:

Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship Incorporated was founded at Morgan State College on October 12, 1962. The purpose of the Fellowship is to promote academic awareness, good ethical standards and unity among college and graduate men, to create intelligent and effective leadership, and to study and help alleviate social and economic problems concerning society in order to improve the status of mankind.

What do the letters mean?

The "G" (Groove not Gamma)
During the 1960's, the word "groove" was popular among young Blacks. Websters dictionary defines the verb groove as "to perform deftly or smoothly." As a noun, groove is defined as "a fixed routine in the affairs of life." Hence to go "against the groove" means to work in opposition to the current establishment. Finally, "Groovin'" was also associated with "socializing" or "fellowshipping". All three of these descriptions combine to form the basic essence of our Social Fellowship.

The "Phi"
In Secrets of the Great Egyptians, Peter Thompkins tells us that the Khemit people of Africa (Ancient Egyptians) originated "Phi" as a symbol of the creative function of the male reproductive system and more loosely as "reproduction in endless series". It was a symbolic representation of "the fire of life". This symbol of fertility was adopted in our name to stand for our continual growth and development. Our Phi should in no way be confused with the greek symbol Phi, which takes on the same look but a totally different meaning.

Keeping in step with the reawakening of what has been termed, Black Consciousness, our 14 founders incorporated the prominent cultural and nationalistic ideologies and creeds of the Black Power Movement into an organization that was envisioned and is manifested as a positive alternative to the current fraternal establishment and not an antagonistic organization to the established Black fraternal system or as another Black fraternity without Greek nomenclature

At present, the Fellowship has more than 30,000 members, and more than 150 affiliate graduate and undergraduate chapters throughout the United States. The membership includes a wide-range of backgrounds and occupations, including but not limited to, accounting, engineering, government, medicine, law, information technology, business entrepreneurs, professional athletes, education, skilled crafts, human resources, real estate, protective services, clergy, and the armed forces.

The Fellowship's governing structure center's around the National Conclave, which convenes annually to review and approve major business. Between Conclaves the Executive Board of Directors ensures that major business is properly executed through the Fellowship's administrative officers known as the Directorate Staff. The Fellowship's overall structure is ranked-ordered as follows:
The Conclave
The Executive Board of Directors
The Directorate Staff
Regional Offices
Chapters
Individual Members

Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship, Inc.,
G PHI G, and The Groove Fund, Inc. are registered with the United States Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(7) and 501(c)(3) tax exempt entities, respectively, while both have articles of incorporation on file with The State of New Jersey. In addition, the Fellowship's name, letters and emblem are registered with the United States Patent & Trademark Office.

"Through Loyalty & Integrity We Shall Achieve Greatness."


To ONEPLUS69is70:

A lot of what you have said can be considered "pseudo-anthropological nonsense", depending on who you ask. I can find information from other historians and scholars that is exactly contradictory to what you're saying. No to be mean or anything, but he was just telling history about his organization. Isn't that what this thread is about?

[OnePlus69Is70]

The combined work of actual anthropologists over decades cannot be dismissed as ignorant nonsense- and copying their web page hardly consistutes an academic refutation of my statements. The fact that Peter Thompkins is mentioned removes any kind of credibility from the paragraph- the word pseudo-anthropology hardly does the man justice, he's a crank. He belongs in the same category as people who write about the secrets of Atlantis and Lemuria- although he's probably worse than those people, since he wrote falsities about ancient Egypt, a place that actually existed. The fact that anyone would base anything besides a bad sci-fi novel on anything he wrote scares me. Want proof? Take any of his books to an actual Egyptologist, and listen to the hooting laughter. He didn't restrict his writing to just ancient history, either- I particularly enjoy his crackpot theories about plant telepathy, though you'll find he also wrote about the Mayan pyramids, various ancient obelisks, and other favorites of occultist authors. He and Edward Cayce would have gotten along great.

I'm sure Groove Phi Groove is a fine organization, with wonderful members, but its founders obviously didn't believe in careful fact checking. The fact that they prosper despite the invalidity of their founding ideas is either a testiment to the strength of their organization or a demonstration on the irrelevance of a fraternity's founding principles, I'd rather not consider which.

[Honeykiss1974]

Originally posted by OnePlus69Is70
The combined work of actual anthropologists over decades cannot be dismissed as ignorant nonsense- and copying their web page hardly consistutes an academic refutation of my statements. The fact that Peter Thompkins is mentioned removes any kind of credibility from the paragraph- the word pseudo-anthropology hardly does the man justice, he's a crank. He belongs in the same category as people who write about the secrets of Atlantis and Lemuria- although he's probably worse than those people, since he wrote falsities about ancient Egypt, a place that actually existed. The fact that anyone would base anything besides a bad sci-fi novel on anything he wrote scares me. Want proof? Take any of his books to an actual Egyptologist, and listen to the hooting laughter. He didn't restrict his writing to just ancient history, either- I particularly enjoy his crackpot theories about plant telepathy, though you'll find he also wrote about the Mayan pyramids, various ancient obelisks, and other favorites of occultist authors. He and Edward Cayce would have gotten along great.

I'm sure Groove Phi Groove is a fine organization, with wonderful members, but its founders obviously didn't believe in careful fact checking. The fact that they prosper despite the invalidity of their founding ideas is either a testiment to the strength of their organization or a demonstration on the irrelevance of a fraternity's founding principles, I'd rather not consider which.

Calm down dear

I was not trying to refute your stement, but rather POST their history for those that don't know anything about them. If you're looking for an argument, please do a search. I believe there is a thread on GC alread about this topic. Post there..............

As I said before, this thread is about G Phi G

[bolingbaker]

about Groove Phi Groove. It's obvious that your fraternity was founded on ideals similar to the ones espoused by the fraternities and sororities we're more familiar with. I was surprised to hear that G-Phi-G is almost fifty years old and has a large number of chapters and an active alumni base. Congratulations on your deserved success and prosperity.
Here's my question: What is the practical relationship between G-Phi-G and the other Black Greek organizations? I have friends who are Kappas, Alphas and Omega Psi Phi, and while they may be well aware of G-Phi-G I have never heard them mention it. I have a 1977 copy of Baird's Manual which lists Groove Phi Groove as a "service" fraternity at Morgan State along with Alpha Phi Omega and Iota Phi Theta. An asterisk in Barid's indicates that G-Phi-G is a local organization, which suggests that at least until 1977 G-Phi-G had not yet expanded to become national. Does G-Phi-G function within the Black fraternity system (ie. play sports, have parties, do philanthropy), or does G-Phi-G maintain a separation, or distance from the other more traditional Black Greeks? Also, since G-Phi-G was founded for the elevation of young Black men, do you have any white members?
Thanks. Groove Phi Groove is an interesting and certainly unique concept, and one that has obviously found success.

[Tom Earp]

Great reading from you both! There is a lot of info that I was clearly not aware of!

As we all know, there are Organizations that pop up from time to time that have one thing in interest, other peoples money!

If they do good for the people, I wish them the very best!

I have always said if you want an answer to something, GC is the best place to come!

We have some of the brightest and smartest people in the world!

We may not always get along, but that is being a family

[Cardiac]

If you doubt the truth of my statements I suggest you read "Secrets of the Great Pyramids" and "Stolen LEgacy". I don't claim to know the whole story about anything and I too am a major in African Studies at My school and I can state from Fact not speculation. Also While it pertains to "Greeks" much of their Architecture, mathematics and literature were stolen from a much more ancient african civilization. If you date the Pyramids and the Sphnix (A greek word) any archeologists will tell you they date as far back as 5000 bc at least some of the artifacts and some even older. They definitely predate the Romans, Greeks and Pheonecians by centuries. Africa is the Motherland and even though there is evidence that say that the human existence evolved in both Africa and SOuth East Asia around the same time, the fact is the majority of accomplishments that we credit Europeans with were founded in Africa. Think the Pyramid is a triangle so how did Pythagorus create his theorum.

Also if you have had any studies on European history the fact that Greeks practiced Homosexual behaviors in Public Bath houses also true. Read a Book.

To move on Yes we do have members of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. My lb is Italian and I have met a couple white and plenty of spanish brothers.

Also we have never sought to completley seperated ourselves form the "Black Greek lettered Organizations" completely because we beleive all black men and women are vital to the success of the black communities and we do different activities with the members of the "Noble Nine" organizations on many school campuses. We step becuase it is of African Origin and we party cause we want to have fun too.

I just want to say thanks to the positive replies I have recieved since I started this forum and anyone who wants to discuss and ideas or just inquiry about Groove feel free to keep on writing.

[Cardiac]

I know that age has always been relevant to the time period you lived in and the fact that I said that Fraternal brotherhood meant they had sex with eachother is what it was meant by.

I guess you would also ignore the fact that Greeks also veiwed women as only good for procreation and that they didn't believe that the only true love was between to men.

We can also talk about how for thousands of years in their culture women could not be seen alone outside of their homes or they'd be considered out of place. They were treated the way that Women are being treated now in some middle eastern countries. Be it culture, practice or religion fact is fact.


One Book has never told the whole story, Religious scholars will tell you that unless you read The Bible, the Torah and the Quron you can't fully appreciate the whole picture.

[PiKA2001]

Good words. I myself am very pissed off how the entire world STOLE from Africa. What were they thinking? Ignorance is only bliss to the ones who are ignorant, to the rest of us they are a pain in the ass.

[theta sig agd]

Ok, Maybe I am just nieve, but why is it that historically black groups feel only other blacks can help black communities??? I have never meet a white AKA....just wondering.

Why not just help human communities...does the rest really matter all that much!!??

I am also not fond of the word "stole" I dont believe any one "stole" anything. The world evolves and culture and language are not execptions.

Looking at continents yes, Egyptians were African but as stated earlier the people themselves were not, they were Semenites. There is a difference....