The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities

National Bestseller!

America’s black fraternities and sororities are a unique and vital part of 20th century African American history, providing young black achievers with opportunities to support each other while they serve their communities and the nation.

From pioneering work in the suffragette movement to extraordinary strides during the Civil Rights era to life-changing inner-city mentoring programs in the 1990s, members of these organizations share a proud and vital history of brotherhood, sisterhood, and service.

Today, America’s nine black fraternities and sororities are almost three million members strong with chapters at major universities and colleges, including Stanford University, Howard University, and University of Chicago.

This revised and updated edition includes details highlighting the Centennial celebrations for both Alpha Phi Alpa and Alpha Kappa Alpha; updated photographs; new statistics; celebrity interviews, a new foreword, and much more.

Includes Interviews With Famous Members Of The Divine Nine—
From John H. Johnson and Dr. Gwendolyn Goldsby-Grant to Star Jones and Shaquille O’Neal

Plus Inspiring Profiles Of Other Famous Members—
From Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald to Toni Morrison and Colin Powell

Fully Illustrated With Fascinating Photographs!

• In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement
• Disciplining Women: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Black Counterpublics, and the Cultural Politics of Black Sororities
• Oh To Be A Delta Girl
• African American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision
• Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities
• Blackballed: The Black and White Politics of Race on America's Campuses
• Our Kind of People: Inside America's Black Upper Class
• Jewels: The Story of the Founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
• Black Greek-letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century: Our Fight Has Just Begun
• True Gentlemen: The Broken Pledge of America’s Fraternities