The National Pan-Hellenic Council, sometimes called “The Divine Nine,” are nine historically Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities that have played a pivotal role in shaping Black American life and culture. The first of these organizations, Alpha Phi Alpha, was founded in 1906.
Recently, the Center for Brooklyn History (CBH) expanded its collections with hundreds of photographs and documents from the Gamma Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. These provide important insight into the activities of Black Greek life illustrated by award ceremonies, membership materials, charitable programs and more.
They will have a special program that starts with a presentation by CBH Special Collections Cataloger Deborah Tint highlighting key materials from the newly processed Gamma Iota Lambda Chapter archives.
This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring four leaders and experts — Lurie Daniel Favors, Esq., Executive Director at the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College; Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, the author of Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities; Maya E. Latimer, president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of New York City; and Dr. André McKenzie, whose doctoral dissertation examined Black Greek-letter fraternities at four historically Black colleges and universities, 1920-1960.
The panel will shed light on the Council’s origins, their fight against segregation during the Jim Crow era, their contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, and their commitment to public service. They explore how the Divine Nine differ from white fraternities and sororities and the challenges and triumphs they have faced over the decades.
This event will take place on Monday, May 5, at 6:30 pm at the Center for Brooklyn History, at the Brooklyn Public Library, 128 Pierrepont St, in Brooklyn.
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