Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities - Zeta Phi Beta Sorority

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Zeta chapters throughout the United States (from 2010-2017).

This is the third post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.

Click the "Black sorority hair styles" tag below for those posts.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. In addition, thanks to the publishers of these videos.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.

I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.

*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...

Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha

Delta Sigma Theta

Zeta Phi Beta

Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".

The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:
After watching twelve YouTube Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Zeta Phi Beta chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.

Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads. However, none of the discussion threads had any comments about hair.]

Example #1: Every beat of my heart - Pi Mu Chapter Zeta Phi Beta



jmarce1971 Published on Dec 1, 2010
Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta singing

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Example #2: Carolina Greek Explosion Stroll off - Zeta Phi Beta



MagicVideos Published on Jul 31, 2013

The Lethal Lamda Mu chapter performing at the #CGE2013 Carolina Greek Picnic in Charlotte, North Carolina July 27th.

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Example #3: CAU’s “Prolific” Psi Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta - Founder's Day Yard Show [Clark Atlanta University]



emmanuel11246 Published on Jan 18, 2015
-snip-
6:10 of this video showcases a steppin performance by members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the brothers of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

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Example #4: Blue and White BBQ: Zeta Phi Beta. Mama Jama UCF 2015



RAKCM Productions, Published on Apr 16, 2015

University of Central Florida

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Example #5: Zeta Phi Beta WINS 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic stroll off (Official Video) #AGP2016



Atlanta Greek Picnic Published on Jun 13, 2016

The Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc WIN the 2016 Atlanta Greek Picnic Stroll off. Saturday June 11th, Morris Brown College.

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Example #6: Zeta Phi Beta, Alpha Chapter - Howard 2016 Step Show



Kaelan Laurence Published on Oct 25, 2016

The winners of the 2016 Howard HC step show

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Example #7: ZETA PHI BETA GAMMA CHAPTER FALL 2016



Chinedu Nwokeafor Published on Nov 3, 2016 (Morgan State University)

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