Black sororities, fraternities are opposing Florida's 'appalling' curriculum changes

Members of a nearly 100-year-old group of Black fraternities and sororities are speaking out against Florida's "harmful and discriminatory policies," including the approval of the controversial new African American history standards.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity announced last week that it won't hold its 99^th General Convention in Orlando in 2025, calling Florida "hostile" to the Black community. The announcement came shortly after another historically Black fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, said in a news release that it was joining a "broad coalition of organizations in solidarity against insensitive, discriminatory, and racist policies being promoted in the State of Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis and his allies."

"I don't think that the the folks who are creating these policies really understand how the blowback from this will occur, in terms of the activism that will be generated from our college students to activism that will be generated from our alumni members. ... This is in our DNA of fighting and winning and we will fight and win," said Lawrence Ross, Alpha Phi Alpha member and author.

What is the Divine Nine?

The "Divine Nine" is a nickname for the National Pan-Hellenic Council coined by Ross in his book "The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities."

The council was founded at Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington, D.C., in 1930 by Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta. It expanded to include Alpha Phi Alpha and Phi Beta Sigma in 1931, Sigma Gamma Rho in 1937 and Iota Phi Theta in 1997.

Ross said the nine fraternities and sororities were created because of "a need for mutual support" as more Black students began attending colleges and universities at the turn of the century. He said there are now more than 750 chapters of these organizations worldwide.

What is an HBCU? Everything you need to know about historically Black colleges or universities

Not all members are Black − Willis Lonzer, general president of Alpha Phi Alpha, noted the fraternity has been interracial since 1945 − but the needs that sparked the creation of the Divine Nine organizations remain today, according to the NPHC. The council said its primary purpose continues to be community awareness and "educational, economic, and cultural service activities."

Ross said what sets these sororities and fraternities apart from their predominantly white counterparts is their lifelong commitment to community service and social activism. He said college chapters and alumni groups work together, often with other organizations like the NAACP and National Urban League, on a variety of initiatives to support the African American community.

Ross noted the groups have produced alumni who have played major roles in the civil rights movement, including including civil rights icons John Lewis (Phi Beta Sigma) and Martin Luther King Jr. (Alpha Phi Alpha). Other famous alumni include Vice President Kamala Harris (Alpha Kappa Alpha), who has spoken out against Florida's new curriculum; former professional athletes Colin Kaepernick (Kappa Alpha Psi); Michael Jordan (Omega Psi Phi); and director John Singleton (Kappa Alpha Psi).

"It's a wonderful concept, the idea of being able to not only just get a education for your own edification, but to also be able to do it and give back to the community that you were brought up in," Ross said.

What have the Divine Nine said about the controversy in Florida?

Lonzer said his fraternity has been concerned about DeSantis' policies for some time.

Earlier this year, there was concern that a proposed bill in the Florida legislature might ban fraternities and sororities that fought for diversity, equity and inclusion. After protests from Greek-letter organizations, the Senate version of the bill removed a provision about "campus activities" and DeSantis signed the bill into law in May.

That came after DeSantis' administration said it was banning the national Advanced Placement course on African American studies and the "Stop WOKE Act" restricted how race is discussed in schools, colleges and workplaces.

Lonzer said the "final straw" came July 19 when the Florida Board of Education unanimously approved a new social studies standard for African American history, which critics slammed for downplaying the state's role in the historic oppression of Black people and suggesting enslaved people developed skills that could have benefited them. He said this led Alpha Phi Alpha to stage an economic protest − the fraternity said its 2025 convention was expected to generate an estimated $4.6 million for the state.

"In Florida's case, we want to let people know that we have a choice where we spend our money, and we want to be respected when we spend our money," he said.

The political action committees of the NPHC's fraternities issued a statement in June supporting the NAACP's travel advisory for Florida., which warned that DeSantis' policies were undemocratic and "openly hostile" to people of color and who identify as LGBTQ+. Alpha Phi Alpha's decision to pull its conference out of Florida earned a standing ovation during a recent Iota Phi Theta meeting, according to Walter L. Fields, the fraternity's director of communications and chair of its political action committee.

"We view the actions of Governor DeSantis as politicizing public education, to the point that he is engaging in discriminatory behavior that is not only impacting Black children, but all children," Fields said.

Stacie Grant, International President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, echoed the concerns expressed by the Divine Nine's fraternities.

"It's appalling to think that a new Black history curriculum would include information for investigating slaves developing skills like agriculture and blacksmith and carpentry when we know how horrific the transatlantic slave trade was and what it did to those who were enslaved in this country," Grant said.

At least nine other organizations or associations relocated conventions in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale because of the political climate, according to local media reports. Rasheeda Liberty, International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho, said her sorority will also not hold any national conventions in Florida "until we have some sound policy that really speaks to our principles."

Liberty, also the chair of the NPHC's Council of Presidents, said the organization respects the decision of other members to continue holding events in Florida. She said the council is looking to collectively release a statement to the Florida Board of Education and find ways to provide educational materials students may not be able to access through school.

She compared the decision to move events out of Florida to Disney's feud with DeSantis and said the financial effect will be huge.

"We are the second-largest organization of the Black community next to the Black church," she said, noting the nine groups have a combined 2.5 million members.

"I don't think people understand the financial impact of organizations that large."

Contributing: C.A. Bridges and Ana Goñi-Lessan, Tallahassee Democrat; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Divine Nine: Black sororities, fraternities speak out on Florida