Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the seventh post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Lambda Nu chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. does their founder's step after graduation
Brent Y. Published on Dec 17, 2011
Lambda Nu chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. does their founder's step after graduation
-snip-
location - Georgia State University
****
Example #2: Zeta Phi Beta love
Usmhonors, Published on May 10, 2013
****
Example #3: Iota Eta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta SET IT OUT at University of Alabama Spring 2014 Commencement
Taril Slater Published on May 4, 2014
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.- Iota Eta Chapter
****
Example #4: Zeta Phi Beta, Post FAMU Graduation
u4manPublished on Aug 4, 2014
While attending graduation at Florida A&M the sorority, Zeta Phi Beta graced the audience with a post graduation performance. It was cute and worthy of their sorority. ENJOY!
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label Black Greek lettered fraternities and sororities strolling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Greek lettered fraternities and sororities strolling. Show all posts
Monday, August 14, 2017
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the eighth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: BCU Iotas Centaur Walking at Graduation
americandream1Published on May 31, 2009
-snip-
"BCU= Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida [?]
****
Example #2: Iota Phi Theta - Centaur Walk & UF Graduation Fall 2010
tonystark1963 Published on May 6, 2010
My Fall 2010 graduation & another brother at the University of Florida (Gamma Omicron Chapter). We also did the Centaur Walk after.
****
Example #3: Michigan state Iotas centaur walk for the graduating bruhs
RO5TAILCLUB Published on May 4, 2013
Centaur walk at the Breslin center
****
Example #4: DeathRow Iotas 2017 Graduation
UAlbany Iotas Published on May 23, 2017
On behalf of the brothers of the Delta Rho "DeathRow" Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. , we would like to congratulate brothers Jarius Jemmott, Matthew Sierra, Richard Ogarro, Nathan Honegan, Cameron Crawley and Nicholas Reyes for graduating SUNY Albany with their Bachelor's Degrees. Keep paving the way brothers. OW OW!
-snip-
location ?
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the eighth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: BCU Iotas Centaur Walking at Graduation
americandream1Published on May 31, 2009
-snip-
"BCU= Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona Beach, Florida [?]
****
Example #2: Iota Phi Theta - Centaur Walk & UF Graduation Fall 2010
tonystark1963 Published on May 6, 2010
My Fall 2010 graduation & another brother at the University of Florida (Gamma Omicron Chapter). We also did the Centaur Walk after.
****
Example #3: Michigan state Iotas centaur walk for the graduating bruhs
RO5TAILCLUB Published on May 4, 2013
Centaur walk at the Breslin center
****
Example #4: DeathRow Iotas 2017 Graduation
UAlbany Iotas Published on May 23, 2017
On behalf of the brothers of the Delta Rho "DeathRow" Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. , we would like to congratulate brothers Jarius Jemmott, Matthew Sierra, Richard Ogarro, Nathan Honegan, Cameron Crawley and Nicholas Reyes for graduating SUNY Albany with their Bachelor's Degrees. Keep paving the way brothers. OW OW!
-snip-
location ?
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the sixth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: AH Sigma Graduation Tribute 2k11 at FAMU (Phi Beta Sigma's Got Soul)
Xavier Durden Published on May 4, 2011
The Brothers of Alpha Eta perform a tribute to its fraternity and graduating members. IYHIDM
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
****
Example #2:Spring 2011 GSU Graduation Sigma & Zeta Hymns
PiAlphaPBS Published on Sep 6, 2011
Spring 2011 Georgia State Graduation. Hymns by both Phi Beta Sigma & Zeta Phi Beta Twitter @PiAlpha & http://PiAlpha1914.org
-snip-
This video includes members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is Phi Beta Sigma's sister organization.
****
Example #3: Sigma Strolling After Graduating from Albany State
Ken Nesbitt Published on Mar 5, 2012
Watch OB Go OFF! GOMAB!
-snip-
location- Albany, Georgia.
****
Example #4:
Theta Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. at the University of Alabama
cape3mpire Published on Dec 15, 2014
Graduation fall 2014
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the sixth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: AH Sigma Graduation Tribute 2k11 at FAMU (Phi Beta Sigma's Got Soul)
Xavier Durden Published on May 4, 2011
The Brothers of Alpha Eta perform a tribute to its fraternity and graduating members. IYHIDM
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
****
Example #2:Spring 2011 GSU Graduation Sigma & Zeta Hymns
PiAlphaPBS Published on Sep 6, 2011
Spring 2011 Georgia State Graduation. Hymns by both Phi Beta Sigma & Zeta Phi Beta Twitter @PiAlpha & http://PiAlpha1914.org
-snip-
This video includes members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is Phi Beta Sigma's sister organization.
****
Example #3: Sigma Strolling After Graduating from Albany State
Ken Nesbitt Published on Mar 5, 2012
Watch OB Go OFF! GOMAB!
-snip-
location- Albany, Georgia.
****
Example #4:
Theta Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. at the University of Alabama
cape3mpire Published on Dec 15, 2014
Graduation fall 2014
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the fifth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Delta Sigma Theta Sisterhood Step (Lambda Zeta)- Graduation 2012
XLNB, Published on May 14, 2012
The Lambda Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sisterhood Step
-snip-
location - University of Alabama
****
Example #2: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA ALPHA {DELTA SIGMA THETA}
MissAudrey0275 Published on May 6, 2013
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
****
Example #3: FMU Spr 13 Delta Graduation Stroll
Eric Wilson Published on May 12, 2013
****
Example #4: Morgan State University Graduation 2014 - Delta Sigma Theta
Michael Parker, Published on Jul 28, 2014
****
Example #5: UCF Delta Sigma Theta Spring 2017 Graduation
RAKCM Productions Published on May 16, 2017
University of Central Florida
-snip
The beginning portion of this video shows graduating members of a number of Greek letter organizations.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the fifth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Delta Sigma Theta Sisterhood Step (Lambda Zeta)- Graduation 2012
XLNB, Published on May 14, 2012
The Lambda Zeta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sisterhood Step
-snip-
location - University of Alabama
****
Example #2: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA ALPHA {DELTA SIGMA THETA}
MissAudrey0275 Published on May 6, 2013
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
****
Example #3: FMU Spr 13 Delta Graduation Stroll
Eric Wilson Published on May 12, 2013
****
Example #4: Morgan State University Graduation 2014 - Delta Sigma Theta
Michael Parker, Published on Jul 28, 2014
****
Example #5: UCF Delta Sigma Theta Spring 2017 Graduation
RAKCM Productions Published on May 16, 2017
University of Central Florida
-snip
The beginning portion of this video shows graduating members of a number of Greek letter organizations.
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the fourth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: . POST-GRADUATION "Q" STEP 2009 ||| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ||| MAY 2009
Harold Dale James Robinson II Published on May 15, 2009
****
Example #2: JAX State Graduation OMEGA PSI PHI Theta Eta
Qu3chainz Published on May 5, 2012
JACKSONVILLE STATE (THETA ETA No Place Greater) Que is in My Blood!! Dunn Dunn Spr 08 Deuce Dog Graduation friday May 4, 2012
****
Example #3: Omega Psi Phi Bruhz Settin It OWT @ ISU Graduation 2013!!!
Xavier Weatherford, Published on May 5, 2013
Zeta Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi SETTIN OWT Chapter Hop at Indiana State University Graduation 2013!!!!
****
Example #4: Omega Psi Phi - CSU Graduation 2016 - EH Ques
Jabriel Sharif Published on May 3, 2016
Chicago State University May 2016 Graduation
****
Example #5: The Men of Omega Psi Phi Eta Gamma Central State University 2016
Erica Beasley, Published on May 28, 2016
Proud Omega Mom
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the fourth post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: . POST-GRADUATION "Q" STEP 2009 ||| UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA ||| MAY 2009
Harold Dale James Robinson II Published on May 15, 2009
****
Example #2: JAX State Graduation OMEGA PSI PHI Theta Eta
Qu3chainz Published on May 5, 2012
JACKSONVILLE STATE (THETA ETA No Place Greater) Que is in My Blood!! Dunn Dunn Spr 08 Deuce Dog Graduation friday May 4, 2012
****
Example #3: Omega Psi Phi Bruhz Settin It OWT @ ISU Graduation 2013!!!
Xavier Weatherford, Published on May 5, 2013
Zeta Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi SETTIN OWT Chapter Hop at Indiana State University Graduation 2013!!!!
****
Example #4: Omega Psi Phi - CSU Graduation 2016 - EH Ques
Jabriel Sharif Published on May 3, 2016
Chicago State University May 2016 Graduation
****
Example #5: The Men of Omega Psi Phi Eta Gamma Central State University 2016
Erica Beasley, Published on May 28, 2016
Proud Omega Mom
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the third post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos that document the post-graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
One post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Pi Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, singing hymn for the new GRAD, May 2010
kutklose05, Published on Jun 24, 2011
-snip-
location- Northern Kentucky University
****
Example #2: Kappa Alpha Psi Hymn (Pi Phi Graduation 2K12)
Andrew Ibeh Published on Sep 24, 2012
Spring 2K12
-snip-
location ?
****
Example #3: 1911 Kappa Graduation
James Hightower, Published on May 14, 2014
Brothers of Eta Omega performing 1911 after graduation
-snip-
location ?
****
Example #4: UT Nupes of Kappa Alpha Psi Spring '14 Graduation
Jeremy Dudley Published on May 26, 2014
Iota Delta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi - University of Texas
Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the third post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos that document the post-graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
One post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
I've included no comments from these videos discussion threads and no editorial comments besides the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Pi Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, singing hymn for the new GRAD, May 2010
kutklose05, Published on Jun 24, 2011
-snip-
location- Northern Kentucky University
****
Example #2: Kappa Alpha Psi Hymn (Pi Phi Graduation 2K12)
Andrew Ibeh Published on Sep 24, 2012
Spring 2K12
-snip-
location ?
****
Example #3: 1911 Kappa Graduation
James Hightower, Published on May 14, 2014
Brothers of Eta Omega performing 1911 after graduation
-snip-
location ?
****
Example #4: UT Nupes of Kappa Alpha Psi Spring '14 Graduation
Jeremy Dudley Published on May 26, 2014
Iota Delta chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi - University of Texas
Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the second post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome", either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letter initials. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
-snip-
To expand on my comment that I don't know when these BGLO post- graduation customs began, I should disclose that in 1966 I pledged and crossed over to (became a member of) Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). However, shortly afterwards, I decided to become inactive in that organization and focus on my involvement with a Newark, New Jersey based afrocentric cultural organization. Since that time, except for periodic direct and online contacts and attendance at a few step shows, I haven't had any association with BGLOs. Therefore, when I happened upon videos of the BGLO post-graduation customs a few days ago, it was the first time that I was aware of those customs.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post showcasing Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
Most of these posts feature no comments from these videos' discussion thread and I've added no editorial comments to these posts except for the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated..
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: FAMU's Beta Alpha Chapter Singing After Graduation in Spring 2012
enkore1908, Published on May 1, 2012
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: FAMU's Beta Alpha Chapter Singing After Graduation in Spring 2012
© 2012 L. Moore
-snip-
"FAMU" - Florida A & M University
****
Example #2: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA ALPHA {ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA}
MissAudrey0275, Published on May 6, 2013
****
Example #3: Class of 2016 UNT Grad / Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΑΚΑ)
Chaz Digital, Published on Sep 6, 2016
Showing Love to my Sister Jazmine & all of her Friends and Sorority Sisters!
She Finally Made it! Seeing her cross that stage was just one small feat in comparison to all of the other great things she is doing in her life! All in all . i can truly say I am proud of the Woman that she is becoming, she couldn't have made me proud!
-snip-
"UNT"= University of North Texas
****
Example #4: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Alpha Chapter from FAMU 2016 Graduation Songfest
Sharayne Douglas, Published on Jun 18, 2016
Alpha Kappa Alpha Beta Alpha Chapter from FAMU Singing After Spring 2016 Graduation
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
This is the second post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases four YouTube videos of members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome", either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letter initials. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
-snip-
To expand on my comment that I don't know when these BGLO post- graduation customs began, I should disclose that in 1966 I pledged and crossed over to (became a member of) Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). However, shortly afterwards, I decided to become inactive in that organization and focus on my involvement with a Newark, New Jersey based afrocentric cultural organization. Since that time, except for periodic direct and online contacts and attendance at a few step shows, I haven't had any association with BGLOs. Therefore, when I happened upon videos of the BGLO post-graduation customs a few days ago, it was the first time that I was aware of those customs.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post showcasing Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
Most of these posts feature no comments from these videos' discussion thread and I've added no editorial comments to these posts except for the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated..
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: FAMU's Beta Alpha Chapter Singing After Graduation in Spring 2012
enkore1908, Published on May 1, 2012
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.: FAMU's Beta Alpha Chapter Singing After Graduation in Spring 2012
© 2012 L. Moore
-snip-
"FAMU" - Florida A & M University
****
Example #2: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA ALPHA {ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA}
MissAudrey0275, Published on May 6, 2013
****
Example #3: Class of 2016 UNT Grad / Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΑΚΑ)
Chaz Digital, Published on Sep 6, 2016
Showing Love to my Sister Jazmine & all of her Friends and Sorority Sisters!
She Finally Made it! Seeing her cross that stage was just one small feat in comparison to all of the other great things she is doing in her life! All in all . i can truly say I am proud of the Woman that she is becoming, she couldn't have made me proud!
-snip-
"UNT"= University of North Texas
****
Example #4: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Beta Alpha Chapter from FAMU 2016 Graduation Songfest
Sharayne Douglas, Published on Jun 18, 2016
Alpha Kappa Alpha Beta Alpha Chapter from FAMU Singing After Spring 2016 Graduation
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations' Custom Of Post-Graduation Stepping & Strolling - Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Edited by Azizi Powell
This is the first post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
****
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post showcasing Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the post showcasing Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
Most of these posts feature no comments from these videos' discussion thread and I've added no editorial comments to these posts except for the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Alpha phi alpha 2012 Morehouse graduation
86009742 Published on May 20, 2012
-snip-
location- Atlanta, Georgia
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Example #2: Kappa Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Charter Step
XLNB Published on May 13, 2012
-snip-
location - The University of Alabama.
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Example #3: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA NU {ALPHA PHI ALPHA}
MissAudrey0275 Published on May 6, 2013
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
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Example #4:The Tau Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha (Fall 2015 Graduation)
Quinton Washington Published on Mar 7, 2016
The bruhs of the TX chapter doing a step for the family and friends after the fall 2015 graduation ceremony.
-snip-
location- University of West Georgia
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Example #5: Morehouse College Graduation 2017 Alpha Phi Alpha
wearyourtshirt Published on May 22, 2017
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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This is the first post in a pancocojams series that showcases selected YouTube videos which document the post graduation custom among historically Black Greek lettered organizations of celebrating a member's or members' university graduation by spontaneously stepping or strolling or participating in a unity sing.
An additional post in this series also documents the custom in at least two universities of a historically Black Greek letter organization stroll that includes all or most of the nine member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
This post showcases five YouTube videos of members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. performing post-graduation stepping, strolling, or unity circle singing.
Click the "post graduation BGLO stepping and strolling" tag below for other pancocojams posts in this series.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Best wishes to all those whose graduations are documented in this post and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these videos.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT
This pancocojams series documents the seemingly spontaneous customs among members of historically Black Greek letter organization (BGLO) of celebrating their own university graduation and/or other members' university graduation immediately after the graduation ceremony by performing group strolls or group steps while singing certain organization songs and chants.
From the YouTube videos that I've found to date (August 2017), it also appears that instead of stepping or strolling, or as a prelude to those performance activities, sometimes members of historically Black Greek letter organizations also celebrate their graduation and other members' graduations by singing an organization hymn or hymns while standing in a unity circle. People forming the circle stand with linked arms (in the same manner of the "We Shall Overcome"), either with or without swaying back and forth that is done while singing that civil rights song. The songs that are sung during the unity circle may be classified as "organization hymns".
The songs and chants that are sung during these BGLO post-graduation activities appear to be usually ones that express the members' love for their organization, and their appreciation for and devotion to that organization, rather than those songs and chants that put down (diss) other BGLO fraternities or sororities or those songs/chants that focus on sexual topics. From watching YouTube videos of these BGLO post-graduation celebrations, it appears that the circle songs are more solemn than the strolling and stepping songs or chants. The video publishers of these BGLO graduation song videos often refer to these songs as "hymns".
From the videos that I've found to date, these BGLO post-graduation customs most often occur in the Southern region of the United States, which makes sense since that is the region where most historically Black colleges and universities are located. I've found more videos of this custom from FAMU (Florida A & M University) than any other university, which could suggests that these BGLO post-graduation customs might have originated at that university. However, there may be other explanations for the large number of YouTube videos from that university. And there are YouTube videos of these customs from other regions of the United States.
The YouTube videos that I have found document that these historically Black Greek letter organizations' post-graduation activities suggests that they usually spontaneously occur outdoors immediately after the graduation ceremony. However, there are some videos of stepping indoors in the auditorium at the end of the graduation ceremony, or stepping in the auditorium hallways after the graduation ceremony.
I don't know when these BGLO post-graduation customs began. My guess is that the standing in place circle singing began first. This guess is based in part on a comment from one of the showcased Kappa Alpha Psi' videos that includes the comment "Celebrating graduation with my boys the traditional way". And based on the history that I've read about historically Black Greek letter organizations, my guess is that the post-graduation custom of BGLO strolling started after the unity circle singing, and then the custom of stepping came later.
The earliest YouTube videos that I have which document these customs are from 2009 -a video of Alpha Kappa Alpha strolling at FAMU and a video of Iota Phi Theta doing their Centaur Walk step at BCU, Bethune Cookman University[?].
As these videos document, members of historically Black Greek letter organizations who are graduating from a university usually wear a kente cloth stole in the colors of their organization and with their organization's Greek letters. Graduating BGLO members may also wear a kente cloth stole with the red, black, green, and gold color combinations that may be the most familiar kente cloth combination among African Americans. A number of African Americans associate Ghana's and The Ivory Coast's traditional kente cloth and those particular color combinations with African cultural pride if not afrocentricity.
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE FORMAT FOR POSTS IN THIS SERIES
This pancocojams series includes a post of selected videos of each BGLO performing these post-graduation customs*. These posts are published in the order of the date of that organization's founding.* With the exception of the post showcasing Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the post showcasing Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, all of the posts in this series showcase every post-graduation video of the featured BGLO that I have found to date (August 14, 2017).
I've also found two videos of post-graduation unity steps or strolls that are performed by all members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, i.e the "Divine Nine") that are active at a particular university. Those videos are showcased in a separate post in this series.
*As of this date (August 15, 2017), I haven't found any YouTube post-graduation videos for members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. However, it's likely that members of that organization also practice this custom. if you know of any Sigma Gamma Rho post-graduation videos, please share those links in the comment section below.
Most of these posts feature no comments from these videos' discussion thread and I've added no editorial comments to these posts except for the locations of the university.
For the historical and folkloric record, in the near future I plan to try to add the names of songs/chants that are performed in these post graduation videos, as well as links to as many of the words to those songs/chants that I can find or that I can transcribe from these videos. Any help regarding that project would be greatly appreciated.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1: Alpha phi alpha 2012 Morehouse graduation
86009742 Published on May 20, 2012
-snip-
location- Atlanta, Georgia
****
Example #2: Kappa Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Charter Step
XLNB Published on May 13, 2012
-snip-
location - The University of Alabama.
****
Example #3: FAMU GRADUATION 2013: BETA NU {ALPHA PHI ALPHA}
MissAudrey0275 Published on May 6, 2013
-snip-
"FAMU" = Florida A & M University
****
Example #4:The Tau Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha (Fall 2015 Graduation)
Quinton Washington Published on Mar 7, 2016
The bruhs of the TX chapter doing a step for the family and friends after the fall 2015 graduation ceremony.
-snip-
location- University of West Georgia
****
Example #5: Morehouse College Graduation 2017 Alpha Phi Alpha
wearyourtshirt Published on May 22, 2017
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Visitor comments are welcome.
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