Here’s to the Divine Nine And Black college men! Where my Greeks at?
Episode 24Play
As the brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated gather in Tampa, Florida this week for their Grand Chapter meeting, Kevin “Boss” Ross discusses his history with the Greek organization, why the Divine Nine (the dominate black fraternities and sororities) matter and the state of African-American men in college.
FULL TRANSCRIPTION BELOW:
You are now listening to TheGrios black podcast network, black culture amplified. Hi, I’m Kevin Ross. And this is The Podcast. Here’s To The Divine Nine And Black College Men! Where My Greeks At?,
I was in high school grooving to the extended version of “Got To Give It Up” by Marvin Gaye with the men of Phi Beta Sigma. I distinctly remember asking my older brother if we could nevertheless go back to the fraternity house across the street
and a few doors down because the crowd over there was noticeably livelier and the women. Oh, much better looking. When I returned to that packed crimson and cream castle where we initially started. That’s when I fell in love. It was 1980.
Now, 70 years prior circa 1910 in Bloomington Indiana, young black men were preparing to become some of the first initiates to launch what is now known as the Noble Greek organization, Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated. Yo, yo! Now, ironically,
I fell out of love with Kappa three years later when I didn’t make Morehouse Colleges’ fall in 1983 pledge line in Atlanta. Can you believe I, me, I was told I wasn’t humble enough, admittedly, they were right. I wasn’t.
2,183 miles and four years later however, I resumed my love affair with Kappa in Los Angeles with the graduate chapter. I was 24. Within months of crossing I entered law school then I started working, next a family, you know what life got in the way of Kappa
and while I pop up here and there, my presence at fraternity meetings or events was sparse to say the least.
Then suddenly my youngest hits high school and to his chagrin is literally forced to join my frat’s guide ride program for high school males called Kappa league. He absolutely hated the idea of going until he did.
Ultimately, he embraced it, which truth be told became the reason why I’m back into the fold. Now, over the last few years, I have rediscovered what Kappa truly means to me.
Being part of a brotherhood, irrespective of which organization you claim is really about iron sharpening iron, right? The phrase iron sharpens iron is actually found in Proverbs 27 verse 17 quote “As iron sharpens iron. So one man sharpens another” unquote.
Now, clearly there’s mutual benefit in the rubbing of two iron blades together, the edges become sharper, making the knives more efficient in their task which is to cut and slice and in other words, to, to do the job they were intended or they were created to do. See, I believe God put us here to improve, to polish, to enhance and better each other. And see when the Kappa founders attended college, similar to the founders of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
Black students were few and far between on mainstream campuses. They, they rarely saw one another and, and they actually were discouraged from participating in school functions or even take their meals with the white students. They actually needed each other to keep their sanity while in the process of achieving. Now, it’s been said you cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him find it within himself.
See, that’s what Kappa did for me and what Omega Psi Phi along with Phi Beta Sigma both which started at Howard University. Clearly, that’s what’s been done for its members. Look sustaining Black male collegiate organizations is just important, which is why I’m taking the time to share this with you. Why? Because educational and economic outcomes for African American men have profound implications for the prosperity
of black families
and for the broader race.
Check this out each year in this country.
You with me? Roughly 320,000 African American boys start 9th grade, about 160,000 finish. So we lose half between 9th and 12th grade
and when it’s all said and done only 8,000 end up being prepared, interested and capable of attending traditional competitive colleges. Now, let’s look at the 2023 top black colleges per U.S. News and World Report
and see the percentages in terms of gender. We start at number 10, North Carolina A&T which is in Greensboro, North Carolina, 61% women. Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, 71% women.
Number eight Delaware State University in Dover, Delaware, 67% women. Number seven on the list Florida A&M in Tallahassee, Florida, 66% women. Number six Hampton in Virginia, 66% women. Xavier New Orleans, number 5, 76% women.
Number four, ranking Morehouse. Well, it’s an all black male institution, so there are no women there. But again, number three, in terms of top schools, Tuskegee University is 63% women. Number two, Howard University in DC, it’s 72% women.
And then of course, the number one HBC University Spelman is 100% women. Where are the men? What we continue to experience is a world where all these incredible black women are succeeding.
Yet often find it difficult to find a companion of the opposite sex on their educational level, if that’s something that they want. That’s a problem. Which is why I’m an advocate for more black boys going to college and, and building a support system around them so they ultimately graduate.
So when it comes to African American fraternities, there’s simply another tool in the arsenal to achieve this goal. Beginning this week, July 18th the Kappas are convening to celebrate their 86th grand chapter biennial meeting. Did I say that right? Biennial?
Now at this conclave, thousands are descending as we speak on Tampa, Florida to attend workshops, seminars and engage in fellowship with one another. My youngest son will be among them. Yes.
The one who wanted nothing to do with Kappa League ends up going to college deciding he wants to pledge and is currently serving as a voting delegate for his chapter as his dad and fraternity brother, I couldn’t be more proud.
As men it is our responsibility to hold each other up irrespective of what you pledge when you pledged or where you pledge doesn’t matter if it was an alumni chapter or undergrad, if there were 40 online or you just recently crossed on a line of one. The altruism remains priceless.
So hats off to Black Greeks in general and the nupes in particular for 112 years of being in the business of building men through this fidelity of brotherhood. Show me who you walk with and I’ll show you who you are. The struggle continues my friends. And so it is.
I’m Kevin Ross and this is The Podcast powered by TheGrio. Follow me @IamBossRoss on Instagram and Twitter. Thanks for listening. See you next time.
