Founding Dates And Locations For The First African American Greek Letter Fraternity & The Nine Historically Black Greek Letter Fraternities & Sororities

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents the name of the first African American Greek letter fraternity and that fraternity's founded date and location.

This post also presents a list of the nine historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities that are colloquially known as "the Divine Nine" with their founding dates and locations.

In addition, this pancocojams post presents information about the founding date and location for the  National Pan-Hellenic Council, as well as information about the purposes of that organization.

The content of this post is presented for historical and cultural purposes.
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In this post, the referents "African American" and "Black" are used interchangeably with "Black" meaning Black people living in or from the United States. Furthermore, the referent "African American" and the referent "Black" means "a person who has some Black African ancestry or a person who has all Black African ancestry".

This post doesn't mean that there are no other predominately Black fraternities or sororities or no other fraternities or sororities that have individual chapters that are predominately Black. 
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Click the tag given below for more pancocojams posts about historically Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities.

Also, click the tag listed below for information about the closely related subject "The talented tenth and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity/the Boule."

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THE NAME, FOUNDING DATE, AND FOUNDING LOCATION FOR THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATION

Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity - founded May 10, 1930 at Howard University in Washington, DC.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Pi_Phi 
"Sigma Pi Phi (ΣΠΦ), also known as The Boulé, founded in 1904, is the oldest fraternity for African Americans. The fraternity does not have collegiate chapters and is designed for professionals at mid-career or older. Sigma Pi Phi was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania"...

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MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL [Read information about the NPHC below.]

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. - founded December 4, 1906  z

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Alpha
"Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (ΑΦΑ) is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year at Cornell University but later evolved into a fraternity with a founding date of December 4, 1906"...

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - founded January 15, 1908

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Kappa_Alpha
"Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (ΑΚΑ) is the first intercollegiate historically African American sorority.[3] The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C."...

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Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Inc. -founded January 5, 1911  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kappa_Alpha_Psi
"Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (ΚΑΨ) is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington."

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Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. - founded November 17, 1911 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Psi_Phi
"Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (ΩΨΦ) is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, the first at a historically black university, ...[on] Howard University [Washington, D.C.]".. 

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Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc - founded January 13, 1913

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Sigma_Theta
"Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (ΔΣΘ) is a historically African American sorority... Delta Sigma Theta was founded on January 13, 1913 ...at Howard University in Washington, D.C."

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 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.- founded January 9, 1914

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phi_Beta_Sigma
"Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (ΦΒΣ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914"...

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc - founded January 16, 1920
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeta_Phi_Beta
"Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (ΖΦΒ) is a historically African American sorority [that was founded] In 1920 [at] Howard University [Washington, D.C.]"...

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Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.- founded November 12, 1922 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigma_Gamma_Rho
"Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (ΣΓΡ) is a historically African American sorority, international collegiate, and non-profit community service organization that was founded on November 12, 1922 ...[at] Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana."

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Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.- founded September 19, 1963 

"Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (ΙΦΘ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) in Baltimore, Maryland"...

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*INFORMATION ABOUT THE NATIONAL PAN-HELLENIC COUNCIL (NPHC), ALSO KNOWN AS "THE DIVINE NINE") 

From  https://www.nphchq.com/
"The National Pan-Hellenic Council, affectionately known as the “Divine Nine,” is composed of the following member organizations (listed in order of their founding):

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Founded on May 10, 1930 at Howard University in Washington, DC, the chartering organizations were:

 

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

In 1931, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., joined the council, followed by Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in 1937.

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. joined the NPHC as the ninth affiliate member in 1997.

The purpose of the NPHC shall be to foster cooperative actions of its members in dealing with matters of mutual concern. Thus, NPHC promotes the well-being of its affiliate fraternities and sororities, facilitates the establishment and development of local councils of the NPHC, and provides leadership training for its constituents."...

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