Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been celebrated as places where Black culture is honored, and their student bodies reflect the diversity of the Black experience, with the first being The African Institute, established in 1837 — almost 40 years after John Chavis became the first African American on record to attend college. These institutions produced some of the greatest minds in science, philosophy, civil rights and leadership, with many emerging during the late 19th century, immediately following the Emancipation Proclamation. As they navigated the complexities of racial identity, Black students and professors at these institutions sought to create spaces for people who shared similar values, one of the earliest being Beta Kappa Sigma (the Black Cats) founded in 1890 at Wilberforce University, a private HBCU in Ohio.
Black Greek life, rooted in educating Black Americans about their culture, ancestry and civil rights, maintains discretion due to efforts to preserve tradition and the lack of media representation. The Technique spoke with two seasoned members of National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations: Joseph Lumpkin (Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., University of Georgia, 1994) and Devine Wright (Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., University of South Carolina, 1999), to explore the rich histories, connections to various civil rights movements, and enduring bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood. Their stories offer deeper insight into the significance of Black Greek life, often overlooked in mainstream narratives.
When discussing the origins of these intercollegiate organizations, Lumpkin highlighted how early membership often reflected internal divisions within the Black community, shaped by white-imposed standards of beauty and worth. Practices like the “paper bag test” and judgments based on social class — criteria rooted in harmful stereotypes favoring lighter skin and looser curl patterns — shaped who was deemed suitable for membership and reinforced certain perceptions of these organizations.
“You’re talking about the first generation of Black people to go to college. You have the NAACP, the Urban League, the UNIA, the Rastafarians, … and everybody’s trying to figure out what it means to be a Black American because that hasn’t been established yet. [The early founders of NPHC organizations] were basing it on skin tone, they were basing it on hair texture, they were basing it on where you were from [and] what kind of job your parents had,” said Lumpkin.
While these organizations serve as beacons of hope for civil rights and exemplars of Black excellence, their origins were rooted in a context that inadvertently reflected Black eugenics. In the early 1900s, when many of these organizations were founded, Black elites were predominantly fairer-skinned individuals, reflecting broader societal dynamics. This pattern echoed W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of the “Talented Tenth,” which emphasized only a select, educated group of black people (often lighter-skinned) could contribute to the advancement of the race.
Mainstream media often overlooks these organizations and their membership, reducing Greek life to a Eurocentric, party-driven social scene focused on alcohol, with public attention primarily arising from hazing incidents. However, these organizations have deep ties to the civil rights movements with prominent members of African American history being members of NPHC themselves such as Thurgood Marshall and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr ( Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.), Langston Hughes (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.), and Shirley Chisholm (first black women to be elected to Congress and run for president, member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. ). Additionally, several political leaders, including former President Bill Clinton — an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. — have been part of these organizations, underscoring the far-reaching influence and significance of NPHC membership. In fact, A. Phillip Randolph — “The Father of the Civil Rights movement” who worked closely with Dr. King — was a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and planned many marches on Washington, plenty of which were planned at the fraternity’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Lumpkin and Wright also shared their personal experiences with civil rights movements as members of their respective organizations during college. “When the white fraternities decided they wanted to have something called ‘The Glory Days of the South’ where they came marching down Milledge Avenue in Confederate uniforms, carrying Confederate flags on horseback, all the [Black] fraternities got together and created a human wall to stop them … All the Black frats, we led it but all them [sic] Black students came along with them,” recounts Lumpkin.
For many young college students, this was their first experience being part of something bigger than themselves, contributing to a movement that had begun long before they were born. These experiences often serve as a “coming of age” for these students. Such was the case with Devine Wright, who reflected on her college years as a time when she was very shy yet found herself drawn to pledging a sorority. This decision ultimately connected her to various civil disobedience movements, including efforts to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse, where it had flown since 1961.
“I remember my first time being in a protest and being in a march … I was twenty and I was just like ‘Wow I’m doing something that’s meaningful.’ But I had to learn, too, that we had to be committed to that fight because we still didn’t move it. … I think they moved it from the State House dome to a statue of this dude named Wade Hampton, who was a super racist [man]” remarked Wright.
Beyond their role in civil rights activism, these organizations also fostered cultural pride and spiritual education, helping members reconnect with their African roots and instilling a deeper sense of purpose.
“Have you seen the movie The Color Purple? The scene where the little boy and the little girl get their faces cut? [The filmmakers] kept flipping over to a scene showing kids in Africa at the same time [as Celie was shaving Mister]. They had just finished a passage rite — the part where you get scarification that shows you as a full member of that tribe. That is where we get the process from,” Lumpkin explains, showing the Sigma symbol (Σ) branded on his arm. “That’s the whole purpose of [the branding] — so I can do the exact same thing my ancestors did thousands of years ago.”
Lumpkin emphasizes that it’s important to recognize these organizations as more than just sources of entertainment, perception sometimes fueled by trends on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where younger members frequently showcase strolling and other performances. This narrative can be further compounded when alumni parents fail to emphasize that these organizations represent more than just flashy letters on a jacket. They are living symbols of traditions that connect members to their African and Caribbean ancestry.
The African roots of NPHC organizations are evident in their global influence, with leaders like Nigeria’s first President, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, both pledging Phi Beta Sigma at Lincoln University. Publicized aspects of NPHC life, like stepping and strolling, are rooted in African rhythms, call-and-response and synchronized movements. These traditions parallel elements found in many African cultures, including the Gullah Geechee people — descendants of enslaved Africans living primarily along the southeastern U.S. coast — and secret societies like Poro and Sande, which arrived in the U.S. as early as the 17th and 18th centuries. Poro, a male initiation society, taught young men their roles in the community while maintaining spiritual practices. Sande, its female counterpart, prepared young women for adulthood and preserved female traditions.
“Of course there is the social aspect, and that was a big part of my personal development and the relationships I made, but it is not about stepping. It’s so much more than strolling at a party or being in a step show … It was about participating in the community service — whatever [initiatives] our national organization was pushing,” recounts Wright, expressing her displeasure with stereotypes surrounding her sorority, particularly the notion that AKAs fit a specific image and are superficial. As a darker-skinned woman with coarser hair, Wright challenges those assumptions admitting she personally didn’t encounter any pushback for her appearance when going through the initiation process.
Despite differences with predominantly white Greek organizations, the emphasis on community and brotherhood/sisterhood remains strong with a guarantee of lifetime membership. Both Lumpkin and Wright shared personal stories of how their communities extended beyond university. Lumpkin recalled how his fraternity and its sister Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. supported him emotionally and financially after his daughter’s passing. Wright reflected on a recent trip with her Sorors, highlighting the enduring bonds of love and friendship nearly three decades later.
The legacy of NPHC organizations stretches far beyond their founding, weaving together a rich tapestry of shared history, purpose and resilience. Their influence persists not only in the stepping and strolling but in the quiet moments of unity and strength that continue to inspire generations. What remains is the unbreakable thread of Black excellence, a testament to the enduring bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood that shape not just their members, but the world around them.