
The month of January is brimming with commemoration and historic recognition for Black leadership, such as national acknowledgement of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Jan. 20, and the international celebrations of the founding of five of the nine Black Greek letter organizations (BGLO) that comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council, known as the Divine Nine.As citywide celebrations and communal gatherings immerse across D.C., the men and women of Kappa Alpha Psi (founded January 5, 1911), Phi Beta Sigma (founded January 9, 1914), Delta Sigma Theta (founded January 13, 1913), Alpha Kappa Alpha (founded January 15, 1908), and Zeta Phi Beta (founded January 16, 1920) honor the legacies of the Black leaders who opted to create social change in civic action, community service, personal excellence and kinship. “What Founders’ Day means to me is an opportunity for us to celebrate our unique brotherhood, bringing brothers together from all sorts of backgrounds, from different parts of the world, but also to commemorate the legacy of our revered founders and to truly focus on the work that we’ve been doing centered around brotherhood, scholarship and service,” said Dr. “Flapp” Cockrell, Phi Beta Sigma’s international executive director, in a video statement.
As five organizations in the Divine Nine – which also includes: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity – celebrate their institutional roots in January, the anniversary underscores the principles of leadership and social justice that brought the BGLO’s into fruition.Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., gather in a prayer circle following the concession speech of fellow member and then-candidate Vice President Kamala Harris on Nov. 6. In an emotional display, the sorority sisters sang the words to their founder’s song and held hands as Harris’ presidential run came to an end. (Jada Ingleton/The Washington Informer)Further, Founders’ Day celebrations uplift the continued work by Divine Nine members to empower generations of Black leaders and inspire world changemakers over a century later.
“I know real power when I see it… I learned about the Divine Nine a long time ago,” said President Joe Biden at a Black History Month reception in 2023, touting the influence of historically Black fraternities and sororities, including that of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. “We see the vibrancy of Black culture and history enriching all of American life,” Biden continued, “history that can’t be buried because it lives in the soul of this nation.”
AKA: ‘Commitment to Soaring to Greater Heights’ Though the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) was officially organized on May 10, 1930, the first intercollegiate African American sorority was founded on Jan. 15, 1908. Like the Council, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) was established on the grounds of Howard University, guided in a mission for like-minded women to uplift one another and leverage their talents for the benefit of others.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, founded 117 years ago, stands with unwavering dedication to continue our founders’ mission, making a positive impact that resonates in present-day society,” said Danette Anthony Reed, International President and CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in a statement to The Informer. The Greek women, who don pink and green and proudly raise their pinkies, hold themselves to a high standard of scholastic and moral achievement that represents an impassioned commitment to serving all of humanity. With more than 360,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters across 12 nations and territories, AKA’s continue to drive social justice through advocacy for economic wealth, environmental reform, among other communal initiatives.“Through various community service initiatives, advancing educational opportunities, promoting economic awareness, and advocating for social justice, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® continues to empower and uplift individuals while honoring its founders’ vision,” Reed said. “The organization’s enduring commitment to SOAR to greater heights is a testament to its profound influence throughout the years.”Kappa Alpha Psi: ‘A Transformative Experience‘Kappa Alpha Psi, which celebrated its founder’s day on Jan. 5, remains rooted in its institutional mission of advancing the current and next generation of formidable leaders, including local chapters’ work to: host philanthropic initiatives, increase voter registration, and promote mental wellness in the DMV area. Omobolaji “BJ” Teriba, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi’s Xi Rho chapter, reflected on the 2025 anniversary in a personal reflection on Medium, calling his initiation into Kappa Alpha Psi a “transformative experience” that he considers his “greatest source of mentorship.”
“Learning of ideals the founders laid out and building a bond with my eventual brothers on campus was a foundational experience to my development as a man,” Teriba wrote. “All in all, my message is simple: thank you Kappa Alpha Psi for 113 years of achievement and counting. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”A Day of Remembrance for Phi Beta SigmaLocal Founders’ Day recognition for Phi Beta Sigma, founded on the campus of Howard University, included fraternity networking events and gatherings in commemoration of 111 years of brotherhood. “Founders’ Day celebrates the fraternity’s history and the vision of our three founders–a day to reflect on the principles the fraternity was built on, to honor the legacy of those who came before, and to reaffirm the commitment to the values of Phi Beta Sigma,” said junior Abel Yonas, of the Almighty Alpha Chapter. Despite low temperatures and mountains of snow, many Sigmas gathered before the Greek monument on Howard’s campus at midnight on Jan. 9 to sing the words of their founder’s song, embrace kinship and stroll to NPHC classics, a staple of Greek culture.Yonas, who celebrated his first founder’s day this week, considers the national anniversary a reflection of the importance of BGLO’s and their lifelong impact.
“[Divine 9] organizations have played a major role in shaping Black culture, supporting education, and driving social change,” he told The Informer. “Being a member of Phi Beta Sigma means being part of an organization that values brotherhood, scholarship, and service leadership. It’s about making a positive impact in the community…and striving for excellence in all areas of life.”Devastating Divas: Passing the Torch of ServiceFor Howard alumna Deborah Peaks Coleman (Class of 1978), joining Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.’s Alpha Chapter was a matter of heeding the university’s instilled motto of “truth and service.” “As students at Howard, it was drilled into us that we had a responsibility to our community to uplift and empower others through service, so that we could all have what is part of the American dream,” said Coleman, who served as a president of the Alpha Chapter. “[The Deltas] first public act was trying to get the right to vote for women, and that’s something that we continue to do.”Founded Jan. 13, Delta Sigma Theta amplifies its motto of “Intelligence is the Torch of Wisdom” through action in scholarship and service. Most recently, the coined ‘Devastating Divas’ reaffirmed its legacy of uplifting women’s rights in a partnership with the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation to fund initiatives that honor suffragettes of the 19th and early 20th centuries.“Delta’s imprint in making the Women’s Suffrage National Monument a reality is a tribute to all Black women whose names may not have made the pages in the history books, nor recognized from a podium,” Dr. Thelma Daley, 16th National President of Delta Sigma Theta, told The Informer in July. “Black women from all walks of life played a pivotal role in the passing and ratification of the 19th Amendment, and as Delta rises, they, too, will rise.”
ZPhiB: 105 Years of Finer Womanhood The first sorority established in sisterhood with a fraternity (Phi Beta Sigma), the women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., continue to reflect its foundation of transforming society.Since its founding on Jan. 16, 1920, Zeta Phi Beta – nicknamed ‘Finer Women’ for the sorority’s ideals in Finer Womanhood – has been a sounding voice in various issues including education, mental health, elder care, mentorship, and domestic violence. Initiatives at the forefront of the sorority’s efforts include: Adopt-a-School Program, Autism Awareness Education, Domestic Violence Programmatic Initiative (DVPI), in addition to core international projects and collaborations. With Founders’ Day celebrations set for Jan. 16, the sister sorority plans to commemorate the day of honor with a weekend of community service and fellowship–an exemplar of the Divine Nine vision to empower and shape the future of civil liberties. “We all have our different colors, our different histories and the things that we specifically highlight within our organizations in terms of the work that we do, but at the end of the day, we’re all doing work,” said Zora Allison, a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta’s Quintessential Alpha Chapter. “There’s a common goal between all Divine Nine organizations to better the conditions of not just the Black community, but everyone around, and that’s such a beautiful thing.”
Source: Washington Informer