LeagueofFriendshipRepresents Progress,Tradition,andLegacy
By the dawn of the twentieth century, Black Americans, two generations beyond slavery, reached a level of social progress, despite intense racism and a host of privations heretofore inconceivable. Out of this flourishing period of BlackExcellencearoseaLeagueofFriendship.This constellation of organizations represented a veritable brain-trust. Their importance to America was evident in the significant role they played in shapingthenation.The originstoryoftheLeagueof Friendship begins in 1904 with the founding of Sigma Pi Phi by pharmacist Henry M. McKee. Although Blacks had established mutual aid societies, these organizations lacked the same professional and social benefits as white fraternities. Recognizing this gap, MeKee, along with five other Black men, founded an organization to address this issue. He envisioned an organization that combined the traditions of Yale University’s Skull and Bones and Phi Beta Kappa, uniting successful, educated Black men of good character based on friendship and brotherhood. Between 1906 and 1963, nine similarly modeled organizations collectively known as the Divine Nine were established: Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta. The Divine Nine and Sigma Pi Phi together form the League of Friendship. The first half of the 20th century witnessed significant social movements involving Black Americans impacted by members of this august body. For example, the first
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Cover page of“Before YouPledge: Essential Information YouShould Know about Black Greek LetterOrganizations and the Dynamics in a Culture of Hazing” by Dr. MichaelJ. Winfield, Sr.
movement in which Delta Sigma Theta participated was the suffragette March in Washington, DC, on March 3, 1913. Seven years later, on August 18th, 1920, Congress approved the 19th Amendment, givingwomentherighttovote.TheroleofDeltaSigma Theta in securing the vote is undeniable. By 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt created an informal Black Cabinet that included members of the Divine Nine and Sigma Pi Phi. Moreover, during World War II, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta supported the expansion of women's roles in the defense industry. By 1945, they helped establish the American Council on Human Rights, advocating for justice and equal opportunities. By the 1960s, the Divine Nine collaborated in the civil rights struggle. For example, Phi Beta Sigma’s A. Philip Randolph proposed the March on Washington, Omega Psi Phi’s Bayard Rustin organized it, while Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. of Alpha Phi Alpha delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, shadowed by Sigma man John Lewis. In the magazine Voices, columnist Erika D. Smith writes about Shelby D. Boagni of Alpha Kappa Alpha and her friendship with KamalaHarris,whowereroommatesatHoward.Inthearticle“HowKamalaHarris’Decision to Join a Sorority Helped Her Become Vice President.” Smith emphasizes the benefits of belonging to a Black Greek Letter Organization, highlighting the importance of community service and close bonds of friendship. Echoing this view, legislative bodies in Indiana and Maryland recently passed resolutions recognizing the contributions of BGLOs to the nation. Nevertheless, detractors question the legitimacy of Black Greek Letter Organizations, wondering why Blacks choose to join, given that many Greek traditions were stolen from ancient Egypt. That said, it is important to note that members do not claim to be Greek unless they are, in fact, Greek nationals. Instead, BGLOs are modeled after the first collegiatefraternityinAmerica,PhiBetaKappa,establishedin1776attheCollegeofWilliam and Mary. However, one could argue that if Greeks stole from Egypt, then BGLOs are simply reclaiming these symbols to represent their organizations. To illustrate, the “Phi” symbol in Groove Phi Groove is different from the Greek“Phi.”Instead, it is derived from ancient Kemet and symbolizes male reproduction and ongoing growth and development. It is possible that
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the Greek Phi was appropriated from the Egyptian “Phi” through cultural diffusion. Interestingly, sixBGLOs include the symbol“Phi”as partoftheir name. The book "Before You Pledge: Essential Information You Should Know About Black Greek Letter Organizations and the Dynamics of Pledging in a Culture of Hazing," with a foreword by J.T. (Ted) Childs Jr., highlights the significantrole of The League ofFriendship in the growth andprogress ofBlack Americans during the first half of the 20th century and beyond a must read for understanding this history.
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