Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents an overview that I wrote about the history of and description about historically Black (African American) Greek letter fraternity and sorority strolling.
The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.
I wrote this essay and am publishing it because I couldn't find any detailed history and/or description online about this subject. Also, it appears to me that there's quite a bit of confusion online between the performance art of fraternity/sorority stepping and the performance art of strolling.
Additions and corrections to this essay are very welcome.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/02/pancocojams-posts-about-historically.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Pancocojams Posts About Historically African American (Black) Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Strolling".
Also, click the tag below to find pancocojams posts about fraternity and sorority stepping. .
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AN OVERVIEW OF HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER FRATERNITY AND SORORITY STROLLS
by Azizi Powell, latest revision: February 22, 2025
"Strolls" are loosely or tightly choreographed processional (vertical line) dances that are usually performed by a group of people that are members of the same Greek letter organization, or -in the case of unity strolls- by members of different Greek letter organizations. Strolls originated with and are still mostly associated with members of the historically Black (African American) Greek letter organizations (members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, informally known as "The Divine Nine".https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council) )
Strolls may be competitive or non-competitive events that can occur indoor or outdoor with notice or without notice (planned or seemingly spontaneously). In the case of competitive stroll events (known as "stroll-offs"), members of the Divine Nine fraternities compete against each other and members of the Divine Nine sororities compete against each other.
Certain non-competitive strolls (referred to as "unity strolls") are also performed to recorded music on the yard (a centrally placed university courtyard), or in a university gymnasium during half-time of a basketball game, or at other formal and informal events and gatherings. "Unity strolls" usually consists of multiple fraternities or sororities performing strolls in their own (separate) lines at the same time. Alternatively, unity strolls may consist of members of multiple Greek letter organizations strolling together in one vertical line, in usually staggered placements (such as a member of one organization standing behind a member of another organization). Some historically Black Greek letter organization strolls include members of other People of Color non NPHC fraternities and sororities and/or members of PWI (predominately White)Greek letter organizations).
More Descriptions of Strolling
Strolls (early name- "party walk") are processions (single line formations) in which two or more people move in a circular manner either straight forward or zig zagging while performing choreographed struts or dance like motions. Unlike Conga lines, strollers don't touch the shoulders or any other part of the body of the person standing in front of them.
The term "party walks" is an early (1990s) referent for strolls. That name reflects the history of that performance movement art. The spontaneous nature of early party walks meant that those processions weren't necessarily associated with a particular record. Although strolls now (in 2025) are usually performed to a specific R&B or Hip Hop record, in the 1990s, strolls might not have had anything to do with what record was being played or even if there was any record being played at all. Instead, a stroll could begin when one member of a specific fraternity, or sorority (or a fraternity's little sister group) spontaneously decided to "party walk". That person (silently or while chanting) started performing steps (movements) that were (are) associated with that organization. Technically, the party walk (stroll) began when another member of that organization joined that first person, thus creating a procession. Other members of that specific organization usually join/ed in the party walk/stroll which continued until the end of the record or (if they were strolling without a record) continued for one reason or another.
Strollers often chant their organization's signature call and "throw" (perform their organization's signature hand sign. Their facial expressions are usually confident, proud, and focused (since they are promoting their organization by these public strolls. Strollers may also chant words or dates that are associated with their fraternity or sorority such as their founding date. Strollers may also chant specific commands that are directed to the audience, such as to get out of their way (because they're coming through).*
Strollers represent ("rep") their particular organization by waring clothes in their organization's colors, by throwing their organization's hand sign, and by chanting their organization's founding date and other words associated with their organization. Strollers also "rep" their organization by performing movements and gestures that are associated with that organization such as Kappa Alpha Psi's shoulder shimmy, Alpha Phi Alpha's Ape walk, and Sigma Gamma Rho's "Shake That Monkey" butt twerking.
People who watch strolls may be silent or boisterous, depending on whether the stroll is planned o spontaneous, and/or dependent on whether the stroll is competitive or non-competitive. A cardinal rule regarding strolls is that no one is allowed to cut through a stroll line as doing so would be interpreted as disrespecting that particular organization is strolling. .
*My daughter recalls hearing members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity chant around 1989 at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania chant Pennsylvania "Que Pearls, get the f--k out the way while they were party walking. "Q Pearls" is one name for members of Omega Psi Phi's university based little sister group. "Q Essence" was another name wasn't used at Edinboro University.) The Ques who were strolling chanted directed those words to the Q Pearls because they felt were "hogging" the dance floor. My daughter said that she and the other Q Pearls may have continued party walking for a little longer, but eventually stopped their party walk out of respect for their "big brothers".
Purposes of Strolling
Strolling provides informal and formal opportunities for members of a specific Greek letter fraternity or sorority(or in the case of "unity strolls" for more than one fraternity or sorority) to "rep" (represent, promote, "big up", show off) their organization/s.
Strolling also provides opportunities for people to dance even if a person doesn't have a dance partner. Strolling helps build group esteem and strengthens the connection that strollers have with their organization itself and with other members of that organization. Strolling also helps reinforce the self-esteem of individual strollers because it provides opportunities for them to "show out" (show off) their dance (strolling) skills as long as they remain on beat and remain in that stroll line. Unity strolls provide opportunities for members of different Greek letter organizations to get to know each other and engage in activities together.
In addition, party walking (strolling) provides serious, but also fun opportunities for strollers (party walkers) to enjoy themselves. The seriousness of strolling is suggested by the rule mentioned earlier about how cutting into a stroll line is viewed as a definite breach of etiquette.
Blowing a whistle while strolling
A small subset of non-competitive strolls that I have happened upon in YouTube videos and YouTube video shorts document the custom among members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity strolling with the lead stroller blowing a whistle. It appears to me that the the lead stroller blowing a whistle is in imitation of the role of a drum major. However, unlike the drum major's whistle blowing, the lead stroller's whistle blowing doesn't appear to signal any movements or directions that he wants the rest of the group he leads to follow. Also, the lead stroller's whistle blowing doesn't signal for people to get out of the way. Nor does the lead stroller's whistle blowing appear to me to be musical (i.e. augmenting the sounds of the record that he and the strollers who follow him are moving to.) Indeed, I can't determine any meaning for the addition of the whistle in the APHIA strolls except for the visual connection to a drum major.
The earliest YouTube video that I have come across for this custom is a 2013 video of members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. I don't know if this is the earliest date for that custom among Alphas and I also don't know if any other historically African American Greek letter fraternities or sororities has the same custom of a lead stroller or any other person in that strolling group blows a whistle. Please share any information that you know about that custom of blowing whistles while strolling as well as any information that you know about the early days of historically Black (African American) Greek letter organizations strolling.
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