Know Our Letters: The Divine Nine

This article is part of our Fall 2020 print issue. See the full, digital version of the issue here.

Let’s make something clear: our system is broken. We’re not just talking about the justice system, the education system, or the healthcare system, but rather any organization that promotes a white-dominated elitist society—including Greek life.

Models Madison Holmes, Alicia Powell, Jewel Tillman photographed by Chloe Darrow.

While the Panhellenic Association (PA) and Interfraternity Council (IFC) strive to support organizations with sound morals, they historically have and continue to engage in racial and economic discrimination. This elitist exclusivity and racial isolation on majority-white campuses has influenced minority groups to form their own Greek organizations. Most notable is the historically Black umbrella organization, the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).

Founded at Howard University in 1930, the NPHC is a historically Black council made up of the “Divine Nine”: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. In addition to the desire to benefit the greater good, especially within the Black community—though organization members can be of all races—this council stemmed from the struggles Black students still face today: racial isolation and injustice.

“We were founded during a time of voter suppression, women being unable to vote and segregation,” says Alicia Powell, president and social media chair of Elon University’s Xi Omicron chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. “People’s rights were not humane. Black people, still to this day, we struggle with it. My founders dealt with so much pain and suffering just for being Black and existing.”

These organizations, all of which have chapters at Elon, aim to improve systems that once worked against their founders. This often comes in the form of voter-registration events, food stability efforts, and overall civil action and education. Yet, the impactful work that each of these groups partakes in is rarely recognized by the Elon community—both students and faculty.

This lack of recognition might be because of NPHC’s small but mighty size of 30 participants, which has ultimately caused members of the council to feel as if their voices aren’t always heard.

“Sometimes it feels like we are in a vacuum where we don’t get heard because the other organizations are so much larger and make up more voices,” says Jewel Tillman, president of Delta Sigma Theta at Elon. “Right now, the Greek life administration is trying to do focus groups to get everyone in Greek life’s opinions, but people in the NPHC have questioned why they even want to hear from us because our voices so often get trampled by everyone else.”

In order to amplify their voices and increase their exposure on campus, National Pan-Hellenic members hope to collaborate with IFC and PA on Elon’s campus.

“I would really love to have collaboration between us and the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils,” says Madison Holmes, president of Kappa Alpha Psi at Elon. “I want people to know what the letters on our shirt mean. When we throw our events, it’s usually the same people that always come, and they are all from the Black community. So, getting more people that are not Black to come to our events—we would really like that.”

While this collaboration is desired, it has proven difficult to create unity as a result of differences in operation between the NPHC, IFC, and PA as well the disparity in funding for each group by the administration.

“Sometimes, it feels like we are on the back burner during larger organization meetings we have, where all the information we are getting is about IFC or PA organizations,” says Tillman. “We can feel a little left out because we feel like some of the information that is said doesn’t apply to us. So, that’s been one challenge: how can we amplify our voices to get through to the administration that we need certain types of support and communicate that there are differences in how we operate?”

In order to bridge the gap between NPHC, PA, and IFC organizations despite differences in operation, Powell says the administration and the Greek community need to put more effort into fostering those relationships.

“I do wish we did more volunteering together,” she says. “I wish we could make a statement as a whole council, just as a Greek council, instead of all the separation. I wish we were supported. I wish there was more that Elon did to unite the councils. I know they are trying, but it’s just the principle of it. You want people to want to do it, we shouldn’t have to always be reaching out.”

The lack of support members of NPHC feel isn’t limited to Greek life, rather it is felt from the university as a whole. After the recent tragedies with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others, NPHC members have felt that their role on campus is now to be the spokesperson for racial injustice—finally being recognized but at a serious emotional cost.

“Outside of our council, just being a member of the greater Black community at Elon, we are always asked to talk about race to different audiences, and honestly it’s tiring,” says Holmes. “I’m fine talking about things that have happened, but sometimes people can get triggered with what is going on, and they don’t want to relive traumas that they possibly went through.”

In order to feel more supported, both as Black students at Elon and members of the NPHC, unity is key. How does this unity come about? By all members of the Elon community attending NPHC events, supporting historically Black organizations and their campaigns on social media and reaching out to their members to collaborate with campus activities, fundraisers, and additional opportunities. Ultimately, students and faculty alike—especially those that are members of or advisers to IFC and PA organizations—must recognize and engage with NPHC.

“We want to be recognized. We want people to know about us and support us. Because it is a Greek council. We should be united,” says Powell. “Unity and allyship is so important during this time because we have to condemn racism and hate. There’s so much more that needs to be done.”

Elon’s National Pan-Hellenic Council Instagram: @eu_nphc

https://xiozetas.weebly.com/ Instagram: @xiozetas

https://kappaalphapsi1911.com Instagram: @nutheta_nupes

https://www.deltasigmatheta.org Instagram: @iconic_io