Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternities & Sororities Unity Steps, Unity Strolls, & Stroll Offs (information & videos)

Harold Brown, Oct 21, 2016

Vanderbilt NPHC Homecoming Unity Step 2016 [Tennessee]

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Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- October 23, 2026

This pancocojams post presents information about and YouTube videos/video links of historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities' unity steps, unity strolls, and stroll offs.

Click the African American fraternity and sorority steppin and strolling tag below or tags with the fraternity's or sorority's name to see how the signature ways that organization steps or strolls.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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Click the tags below for more pancocojams posts on stepping and strolling.

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/11/saturday-night-lives-skit-strollin.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Saturday Night Live's Skit "Strollin’" (video, information, lyrics, and comments)". That skit parodies the "Stroll to the Polls" voter outreach projects by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sororiy, Inc and other historically Black Greek letter organizations which have received a lot of recent attention.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWilCKWiH2A&ab_channel=11Alive for an October 19, 2020 YouTube video entitled "Atlanta 'Stroll to the Polls'" is a video of  the "Stroll to the Polls" voter outreach efforts. The name "Stroll to the polls" is an adaptation of the Black American churches voting outreach effort named "Souls to the polls". The word "souls" in "Soul to the polls" has a religious meaning and-at the same time- refers to its colloquial meaning as a referent for Black people.

The word "strolls" in the name "Stroll to the polls" also has a double meaning: It refers to the act of walking and also is a nod to the historically Black Greek letter fraternities' and sororities' traditions of "strolling".  

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DISCLAIMER
This pancocojams post doesn't provide examples of all of the different ways that BGLO originated unity steps and unity strolls are presented.

For example, this post doesn't showcase any videos of unity steps or unity strolls that include representatives of sororities or fraternities that aren't members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC, also known as the "Divine Nine").  

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INFORMATION ABOUT HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATIOS (BGLOs) STEPPIN AND STROLLING
[written by Azizi Powell, Oct. 31,2020]

Additions and corrections are welcome.

STEPPIN[G]
Steppin (Stepping) is a syncopated, choreographed group performance art that occurs at competitive "step shows" and other venues. The performance art of steppin originated among historically Black (African American) university based Greek lettered fraternities & sororities.

I've seen the 1940s given as the date that historically Black Greek lettered organizations began steppin'. I'm willing to accept that 1940s date as long as it's understood that the beginning of what steppin has become didn't look like steppin now.

In her book Soul Stepping Elizabeth Fine quotes a 1924 Howard University student newspaper The Hilltop article entitled "Hell-Week" in which members of Omega Psi Phi and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternities are described as pledges "dancing about the campus..." (p.15).

 That dancing or marching on campus that is documented in that book didn't look the same as the Black Greek lettered organizations' steppin' styles that developed in the 1980s and 1990s. Elizabeth Fine  wrote that "The shift from the old-style circular stepping of the 1940s and 1950s to the increasingly complex synchronized movement style of the 1980s and 1990s attests to the new role stepping has in asserting black cultural identity" (p. 6).
-end of quote-

The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) consists of nine historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities. Here's a quote about the members of the NPHC from http://www.blackgreek.com/divinenine/
"Collectively, these organizations are referred to as "The Divine Nine." Each of these fraternities and sororities is rich in history - ties to one or more of these organizations may be found in many college-educated Black families in the United States.

• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Founded 1906, Cornell University
• Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Founded 1908, Howard University
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Indiana University
• Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Founded 1911, Howard University
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Founded 1913, Howard University
• Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Founded 1914, Howard University
• Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Founded 1920, Howard University
• Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Founded 1922, Butler University
• Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Founded 1963, Morgan State University"
  -end of quote-

Each fraternity & sorority has its own distinctive way of stepping. Some organizations usually step with props such as canes which are twirled, thrown between team members, and rhythmically hit on the ground. However, other fraternities or sororities never use canes. One of those organizations which never uses canes, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., has distinctive hopping movements, and actually prefers the reference "hops" rather than "steps" to describe their routines.

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Click https://thedailyaztec.com/98827/artsandculture/fraternities-and-sororities-step-into-a-part-of-black-culture/ "Fraternities and sororities Step into a part of black culture" by Devin Whatley, Staff Writer. February 18, 2020

I agree with most of the content of that article, except for the point that is often made- that BGLO steppin has its source in South African boot dancing. My position is that gumboot dancing is just one of the dance forms that influenced steppin, and I don't believe that many African Americans who were stepping "way back in the day" knew anything or very much about South African boot dancing. 

My position is that 19th century Black American Buck dances, Wing dances, and Jigs had much more influence on historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority steppin than South African boot dancing.  Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A34OD4eA17o&ab_channel=DukeUniversity  for a demonstration of these dances by Duke University professor Thomas F. DeFrantz. Professor DeFrantz describes Buck dances as those which were very percussive, and weighted down into the foot.  From that description, it seems clear from that description & his demonstration that Buck dances is one of the sources of Steppin. 
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INFORMATION ABOUT HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK ORGANIZATIONS' STROLLS
Since at least the 1990s among historically Black Greek lettered organizations (BGLO), the performance art of has been added to  many step routines, particularly at the end of those routines when leaving the stage.  "Strolls" are also performed at BGLO events instead of steppin.

"Strolls" are usually performed in a vertical line to recorded music, usually from the R&B/Hip-Hop records.  The terms "strolls" refer to the strutting, dancing leisurely walk that the organizations' members perform.  Notice that BGLO originated "strolling" and steppin are group activities (i.e. They can’t be performed by just one person.)

 “Party walks” is an earlier name for "strolling". That referent derives from members of one or more historically Black Greek letter organization/s seemingly spontaneously performed at parties (dance gatherings), usually to certain recorded R&B/Hip Hop music.

Like "steppin", "strolls" can be performed as a non-competitive activity or as a competitive event.  

Non-competitive BGLO strolls are during historically Black Greek organizations' social events. performed at any number of picnics, wedding receptions and other social events that are hosted or attended by members of Black Greek letter organizations.

Some BGLOs perform non-competitive "unity strolls" in which members from different historically Black Greek letter organizations stroll together in one vertical line or in a circle formation (with staggered, separate placements for members of different fraternities or sororities).

Another form of Unity strolls are when multiple organizations perform their distinctive strolls in the same performance space at the same time or take turns for each group to perform their signature stroll by themselves. In this form of the Unity stroll, each group performs to their own "signature" record.   

Competitive strolling are referred to as "stroll-offs". ("Stroll competitions" or "stroll comps" aree the earliest referents for these events.)

During a stroll off, a BGLO fraternity competes against another BGLO fraternity or more than one BGLO fraternity in one separate competitive round or more than one round. Likewise, a BGLO sorority  competes against another BGLO sorority or more than one BGLO sorority in one separate competitive round or more than one round. 

Stroll offs can be held as a separate event or stroll offs can be performed during intermission for another event such as a university basketball game.

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In this 2015 pancocojams post http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/04/african-american-examples-of-walk_11.html"African American Examples Of Walk Arounds - Cakewalks And Other Non-Religious Examples", I maintain that historically Black Greek letter fraternity and sorority strolling should be considered as a contemporary example of a non-religious Black American "walk around" (circular dance movement) performance art tradition.

Other historical and contemporary examples of Black American non-religious walk arounds are "the cakewalk", "Chicago stepping" (dance), and "Detroit stepping" (ball room) dance. The "ring shout" is a historical example of a Black American religious walk around.

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EXAMPLES OF BGLO UNITY STEPS
This video and these video links are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

1. This video is given at the top of this pancocojams post.

2. NCAT GREEK UNITY STEP 2013 [North Carolina A&T] 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcZNIoa9n6E&ab_channel=KristianDixon

Kristian Dixon, Aug 30, 2013

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2. UCA Greek Unity Step [University of Central Arkansas]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbsZ2bmMAMQ&ab_channel=BreyionnaNashay

Breyionna Nashay, Sept. 20, 2013

On Tuesday, September 17, 2013, members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council at the University of Central Arkansas came together and put on a yard show for NPHC Week! Shot & Edited by: Breyionna Nashay Flowers @AllHailTheACE ...@UCA_Deltas @BETA_DELTAQUES @UCA_Alphas @UCA_AKAs @UCA_NUPES @UCASIGMAS @UCA_Zetas

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EXAMPLES OF BGLO UNITY STROLLS

This video and these video links are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

1. NSU's NPHC Unity Stroll [Norfolk State University in Virginia]

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PMA6thsens,Apr 9, 2012

The National Pan-Hellenic Council of Norfolk State University doing their unity stroll during the Spring 2012 Battle of the Bay Step Show hosted by Hampton University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fszyhM6Ajsk&ab_channel=PMA6thsense
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Representatives of each of the four Divine Nine sororities performed this stroll. 

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2. SCSU Divine Nine Greeks 2014- Unity Stroll [South Carolina State University]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yhgR4Ce9Ks&ab_channel=WeAreOVEN

We Are OVEN, Feb 24, 2014

*Please Watch In 1080p!* The Beta Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, The Beta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, The Alpha Lambda Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, The Alpha Xi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, The Eta Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma, The Psi Alpha Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta, and The Zeta Kappa Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Stroll Together To Snootie Wild's "Yayo" (Cameo Appearance at the end from the Gamma Nu Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi)

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3.  Southern University Greeks Strolling On the Yard 🔥 [Louisiana]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nlBrity8n4&t=831s&ab_channel=TRIN

TRIN, Mar 30, 2019 

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EXAMPLES OF BGLO STROLL OFFS
This video and these video links are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

1. NPHC Fall 2016 Stroll-Off

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Oct 5, 2016  #geauxcajuns

The sororities and fraternities of UL Lafayette's National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) held a stroll-off by the Student Union this afternoon. Members of UL Lafayette's historically black Greek organizations incorporate dance moves and signature fraternity/sorority movements into their strolling, represent their organizations at stroll-off competitions. Congratulations to all the participants! #geauxcajuns #ulgetinvolved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qKbRIL-Xxc

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2. Stroll Off 🔥 | Alcorn State University Greeks 2023 | Greek Night

Mfcool Productions, Mar 1, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_S23Iby1dY&t=45s

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3. NPHC 2012 Stroll Comp Round 2: AKA

unccgogreek, Feb 21, 2012

annual NPHC Stroll Comp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAszI6B22oo

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