![]() Although Phi Beta Sigma is considered a predominantly African-American fraternity, its membership includes college-educated men of African, Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian descent. Today, the fraternity serves through a membership of more than 200,000 men in over 700 chapters in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. The fraternity expanded over a broad geographical area in a short amount of time when its second, third, and fourth chapters were chartered at Wiley College in Texas and Morgan State College in Maryland in 1916, and Kansas State University in 1917. It is the only fraternity to hold a constitutional bond with a historically African-American sorority, Zeta Phi Beta (ΖΦΒ), which was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., through the efforts of members of Phi Beta Sigma. The fraternity exceeded the prevailing models of Black Greek-Letter fraternal organizations by being the first to establish alumni chapters, youth mentoring clubs, a federal credit union, chapters in Africa and a collegiate chapter outside of the United States. Brown, wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service while taking an inclusive perspective to serve the community as opposed to having an exclusive purpose. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as charter members. ( ΦΒΣ) is a historically African American fraternity. Subjects: African American History, Groups & Organizations Terms: 20th Century (1900-1999), United States-Washington D.Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Newton, and National Football League stars Jerry Rice and Emmett Smith. Congressman, Black Panther Party Founder Huey P. Rod Paige, former Secretary of Education in the George W. Prominent Sigmas include Kwame Nkrumah, the first Prime Minister of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first President of Nigeria, the scientist George Washington Carver, James Weldon Johnson, civil rights leader and composer of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (the Black National Anthem), Dr. In 2001, the fraternity opened the Sigma History Museum, a traveling exhibit which focuses on the history of Sigma and its impact on the nation. The Sigma Education Program provides services and assistance to graduates and undergraduate students, raises funds for scholarships and sponsors lectures, college fairs, and mentorship programs across the nation. The Sigma Wellness Program focuses on healthy lifestyles through education. Project Vote continues to register voters while Phi Beta Sigma Capitol Hill Summit allows fraternity members to discuss critical issues with U.S. (Sigma Economic Empowerment Development) which continues to champion African American business but which also provides financial literacy classes and promotes home ownership. Today the initiative is promoted through Project S.E.E.D. The fraternity allowed over fifty black businesses to exhibit at the convention to help them establish a national market for their products. Sigma and Zeta are the only constitutionally bound sister-brother organization among black Greek-letter groups.įrom its founding the fraternity believed it should be a vehicle for delivering services to the African American community. The founders showcased that idea with the fraternity’s motto, “Culture for Service and Service to Humanity.” One of its earliest programs, the Bigger and Better Negro Business initiative, began at the Sigma national convention in Philadelphia in 1924. Langston Taylor helped to establish the first “sister” sorority to a black fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority at the Howard University Campus. Also by that date, Phi Beta Sigma members Charles R. The fraternity grew quickly across the nation with chapters from Maryland to Texas by 1920. Alain Leroy Locke, a 1907 graduate of Harvard University who in 1908 entered Oxford University in England as the first African American Rhodes Scholar. ![]() The fraternity, seeking to broaden its appeal beyond undergraduates, also initiated a number of rising scholars in the black community including Dr. They also wanted to create an inclusive organization that did not discriminate by racial background, family background, or social status.īy the summer of 1914 Phi Beta Sigma had grown from the three founders to over 14 members in its Alpha Chapter at Howard University. The founders wanted the organization to be “a part of” rather than “apart from” the community. Brown on the principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service. (Sigma) was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 14, 1914, by three college students, A. ![]()
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