List of African-American fraternities

African American fraternities are social organizations that historically recruit (mainly) Black college students and provide a network that includes both undergraduate and alumni members.

History

Prince Hall Freemasonry (PHA) is the first historically Black fraternal organization. The first Greek Letter fraternal organization was Alpha Kappa Nu at Indiana University in 1903. Wilberforce University is where Gamma Phi was established in 1905. Sixty miles away at Columbus, Ohio in March 1905, Pi Gamma Omicron was founded at Ohio State University (formation originally reported in the Chicago Defender in 1905). CC Poindexter, a graduate of Ohio State University, went on to Cornell University, where he established the Alpha Phi Alpha Society. This society became the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Established in December 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha was the first Black intercollegiate (having more than one college chapter) fraternity. It still exists today.

Alpha Phi Alpha's success inspired the founding of other Black Greek intercollegiate organizations. Today, these organizations (fraternities and sororities) are known collectively as the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and emphasize public service and civil rights. Some non-NPHC Black fraternal organizations, such as the Swing Phi Swing and Groove Phi Groove, do not solely use Greek letters in their names.

The first Black professional Greek fraternity, Sigma Pi Phi, was established in Pennsylvania in 1904.

Early formation (attempted or not existing today)

Name	Year formation attempted	Incorporated	Collegiate	Greek lettered
Alpha Kappa Nu	1903	No	Yes	Yes
Pi Gamma Omicron	1905	No	Yes	Yes
Gamma Phi [1]	1905	No	Yes	Yes
Gamma Tau[2]^:34	1934	No	Yes	Yes

Fraternities

Name	Founded	Incorporated	Collegiate	Greek lettered	NPHC
Prince Hall Freemasonry	1775	Yes	No	No	No
Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World	1897	Yes	No	No	No
Sigma Pi Phi	1904	Yes	No	Yes	No
Alpha Phi Alpha	1906	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Kappa Alpha Psi	1911	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Omega Psi Phi	1911	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Phi Beta Sigma	1914	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wine Psi Phi[3]	1959	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Nu Gamma Alpha[4]	1962	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Iota Phi Theta	1963	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Malik Sigma Psi (also known as MALIK Fraternity)	1977	Yes	Yes	No	No
Phi Delta Psi	1977	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Sigma Phi Rho	1979	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Beta Phi Pi [5][6]	1986	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Megisté Areté (Christian)[7]	1989	Yes	Yes	No	No
Phi Rho Eta	1994	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

Sororities

Name	Founded	Incorporated	Collegiate	Greek lettered	NPHC
Alpha Kappa Alpha	1908	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Delta Sigma Theta	1913	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Zeta Phi Beta	1920	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Sigma Gamma Rho	1922	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Iota Phi Lambda	1929	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Eta Phi Beta[8]	1942	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Tau Gamma Delta[9][10]	1942	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Gamma Phi Delta	1943	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Zeta Delta Phi[2]^:100	1962	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Kappa Theta Epsilon	2009	Yes	No	Yes	No

Other

Name	Founded	Incorporated	Collegiate	Greek lettered	NPHC
Groove Phi Groove - males	1962	Yes	Yes	No	No
Swing Phi Swing - females	1969	Yes	Yes	No	No
Malika Kambe Umfazi - females[2]^:107	1995	Yes	Yes	No	No

See also

• National Pan-Hellenic Council
• Greek letter society effect on youth identity
• Racism in Greek life

Notes

1. The History of Fraternities and Sororities in America
2. Walter M. Kimbrough (2003). Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. ISBN 978-0-8386-3977-1.
3. Elizabeth Calvert Fine (2003). Soulstepping: African American Step Shows. University of Illinois Press. pp. 159–. ISBN 978-0-252-02475-7.
4. Black History Month the Divine Nine
5. Beta Phi Pi History
6. Seo, Byung-In, and Aaisha N. Haykal (2018). Chicago State University. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 45 of 127–. ISBN 9781467129794.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
7. Sisterhood acts on foundations of Christianity, friendship
8. Nina Mjagkij (13 May 2013). Organizing Black America. Routledge. pp. 195–. ISBN 978-1-135-58123-7.
9. National Council of Negro Women, Inc. NATIONAL AFFILIATES ASSEMBLY
10. The Pittsburgh Courier from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Page 6 August 14, 1971