African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision

by Tamara L. Brown (Editor), Gregory S. Parks (Editor), Clarenda M. Phillips (Editor)

African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision explores the rich past and bright future of the nine Black Greek-Letter organizations that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. In the long tradition of African American benevolent and secret societies, intercollegiate African American fraternities and sororities have strong traditions of fostering brotherhood and sisterhood among their members, exerting considerable influence in the African American community, and being on the forefront of civic action, community service, and philanthropy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Arthur Ashe, Carol Moseley Braun, Bill Cosby, Sarah Vaughan, George Washington Carver, Hattie McDaniel , and Bobby Rush are among the many trailblazing members of these organizations. The rolls of African American fraternities and sororities serve as a veritable who's who among African American leadership in the United States and abroad. African American Fraternities and Sororities places the history of these organizations in context, linking them to other movements and organizations that predated them and tying their history to one of the most important eras of United States history―the Civil Rights struggle. African American Fraternities and Sororities explores various cultural aspects of these organizations such as auxilliary groups, branding, calls, stepping, and the unique role of African American sororities. It also explores such contemporary issues as sexual aggression and alcohol use, college adjustment, and pledging, and provides a critique of Spike Lee's film School Daze, the only major motion picture to portray African American fraternities and sororities as a central theme. The year 2006 will mark the centennial anniversary of the intercollegiate African American fraternity and sorority movement. Yet, to date, little scholarly attention has been paid to these organizations and the men and women who founded and perpetuated them. African American Fraternities and Sororities reveals the vital social and political functions of these organizations and places them within the history of not only the African American community but the nation as a whole.

Genres: History, African American, Nonfiction

512 pages, Hardcover

First published March 11, 2005

Reviews

[Monique]

African American fraternities and sororities have worked tirelessly for over 100 years to break down institutional educational barriers and establish organizational safe havens for their members. The nine historically black fraternities and sororities are: Alpha Phi Alpha founded in 1906 at Cornell University; Alpha Kappa Alpha, founded in 1908 at Howard University; Kappa Alpha Psi, founded in 1911 at Indiana University; Omega Psi Phi, founded in 1911 at Howard University; Delta Sigma Theta, founded in 1913 at Howard University; Phi Beta Sigma, founded in 1914 at Howard University; Zeta Phi Beta, founded in 1920 at Howard University; Sigma Gamma Rho, founded in 1922 at Butler University; and Iota Phi Theta, founded in 1963 at Morgan State University. The rolls of BGLOs are a genuine who’s who in the African American community such as: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Bill Cosby, Hattie McDaniel, Lena Horne, Arthur Ashe, George Washington Carver, Dorothy I. Height, Shirley Chisholm, Bobby Rush, Carol Moseley Braun and countless others. This books offers scholarly research on pertinent to the success of BGLOs such as: origin and evolutions of fraternities and sororities; civic and political organization led by BGLOs; the importance of brotherhood and sisterhood; the differences between Black and White fraternal organizations; and the importance of higher education and the inclusion in BGLOs.

[Abby]

The collection of authors in this book provides an in depth and wide lense look into the history of Black Greek Letter Organizations and those histroical moments, and other organizations that have influenced them over time. It has provided me with a great foundation for working with NPHC organizations.

[Keya M]

Excellent educational read on the origins of social and community orgs.

[Gail Johnson, Ph.D]

A good book of the who's who, structure and how African American Fraternities and Sororities got started. Basically, a social science research on the black college life, from the 1900's through World War II, civil rights movements and up to 2005. It covers hazing, origin of stepping and calling, meaning of the Greek-Letters and the Divin Nine just to name a few. lastly, there is a discussion on Spike Lee's "School Daze" (Jane and Julian) movie. A good book for high schoolers who are planning on going to college and pledging.