ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated (ΑΦΑ) is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African-Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on December 4, 1906 by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of Brotherhood among African descendants in this country. The Fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The Jewel founders and early leaders of the Fraternity succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity.
Chapters were chartered at Howard University and Virginia Union University in 1907. The fraternity has over 290,000 members and has been open to men of all races since 1940. Currently, there are more than 730 active chapters in the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia.
International website: www.alpha-phi-alpha.com
Mid-Atlantic Association: www.mightymaac.org
Delta Lambda Chapter: www.deltalambda.org
Rho Tau Lambda Chapter: www.rhotaulambda.org
Beta Alpha Lambda Chapter: www.apa-bal.org
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (ΑΚΑ) is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African-American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of twenty students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Forming a sorority broke barriers for African-American women in areas where little power or authority existed due to a lack of opportunities for minorities and women in the early 20th century. Alpha Kappa Alpha was incorporated on January 29, 1913.
Consisting of college-educated women of many diverse backgrounds from around the world, the sorority serves through a membership of more than 250,000 women in over 900 chapters in the United States and several other countries. After the organization's establishment over a century ago, Alpha Kappa Alpha has helped to improve social and economic conditions through community service programs. Members have improved education through independent initiatives, contributed to community-building by creating programs and associations, such as the Mississippi Health Clinic, and influenced federal legislation by Congressional lobbying through the National Non-Partisan Lobby on Civil and Democratic Rights. The sorority works with communities through service initiatives and progressive programs relating to education, family, health, and business.
International website: www.aka1908.com
North Atlantic Region: www.akanorthatlantic.org
Upsilon Epsilon Omega Chapter (Baltimore County): www.akabaltimorecounty.org
Epsilon Omega Chapter (Baltimore City): www.epsilonomega.org
Rho Xi Omega Chapter: www.rhoxiomega1988.org
KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (ΚΑΨ) is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African-American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin. The fraternity has over 150,000 members with 721 undergraduate and alumni chapters in every state of the United States, and international chapters in the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, Japan, United States Virgin Islands, Nigeria, and South Africa. The fraternity has many notable members recognized as leaders in the arts, athletics, business, civil rights, education, government, and science sectors at the local, national and international level. Kappa Alpha Psi sponsors programs providing community service, social welfare and academic scholarship through the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation and is a supporter of the United Negro College Fund and Habitat for Humanity. Kappa Alpha Psi celebrated its 100th anniversary on January 5, 2011.
International website: www.kappaalphapsi1911.com
Baltimore Alumni Chapter: www.benchmarkkappas.org
OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated (ΩΨΦ) is an international fraternity with over 700 undergraduate and graduate chapters. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is the first international fraternal organization to be founded on the campus of a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Omega Psi Phi was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia on October 28, 1914. Since its founding in 1911, Omega Psi Phi's stated purpose has been to attract and build a strong and effective force of men dedicated to its Cardinal Principles of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. Throughout the world, many notable members are recognized as leaders in the arts, academics, athletics, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, and science fields. Since 1945, the fraternity has undertaken a National Social Action Program to meet the needs of African Americans in the areas of health, housing, civil rights, and education. Omega Psi Phi has been a patron of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) since 1955, providing an annual gift of $350,000 to the program. Omega Psi Phi celebrated its centennial during the week of July 27–31, 2011 in Washington D.C., becoming distinguished as only the third African-American collegiate fraternity to reach the century mark. The Centennial Celebration recognized the impact of the Fraternity in communities over the past 100 years, honored Omega Men for achievement in all walks of life, reiterated Omega Psi Phi's commitment to providing unparalleled community service and scholarship, and charted the Fraternity’s future activities.
International website: www.oppf.org
Second District: www.opp2d.org
Pi Omega Chapter: www.piomega.org
Theta Mu Mu Chapter: www.thetamumu.org
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (ΔΣΘ) was founded on January 13, 1913 by 22 collegiate women at Howard University. These students wanted to use their collective strength to promote academic excellence and to provide assistance to those in need. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was incorporated in 1930. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. is a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Since its founding more than 200,000 women have joined the organization. The organization is a sisterhood of predominantly Black, college educated women. The sorority currently has 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Republic of Korea.
The major programs of the sorority are based upon the organization's Five Point Programmatic Thrust. More than ten thousand members typically attend Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated's biennial national conventions, and each of the seven regional conferences (held during years when there is no national convention) typically hosts thousands of members.
International website: www.deltasigmatheta.org
Eastern Region: www.easternregiondst.org/chapters.html ‎
Baltimore Alumnae Chapter (Baltimore City): www.bacdst.org
Baltimore Metro Alumnae Chapter: www.bmacdst.org
Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter (Baltimore County): www.bcadst.org
PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated (ΦΒΣ) is a social/service collegiate and professional fraternity 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. The fraternity's founders wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service while taking an inclusive perspective to serving the community as opposed to having an exclusive purpose. The fraternity exceeded the prevailing models of Black Greek-Letter fraternal organizations by being the first to establish alumni chapters, to establish youth mentoring clubs, to establish a federal credit union, to establish chapters in Africa, and establish a collegiate chapter outside of the United States, and is the only fraternity to hold a constitutional bond with a predominantly African-American sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (ΖΦΒ), which was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., through the efforts of members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. . 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.
International website: www.phibetasigma1914.org
Eastern Region: www.pbseast.org
Zeta Sigma Chapter: www.pbs-zetasigma.org
Epsilon Nu Sigma Chapter: www.ens-pbs1914.com
Nu Sigma Sigma Chapter: www.ens-pbs1914.com
ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (ΖΦΒ) is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority founded on January 16, 1920 by five collegiate women at Howard University. Zeta Phi Beta was founded on the simple belief that sorority elitism and socializing should not overshadow the real mission for progressive organizations – to address societal mores, ills, prejudices, poverty, and health concerns of the day.
Since its inception, Zeta has continued its steady climb into the national spotlight with programs designed to demonstrate concern for the human condition both nationally and internationally. The organization has been innovative in that it has chronicled a number of firsts. It was the first National Pan-Hellenic Council organization to centralize its operations in a National Headquarters, first to charter a chapter in Africa (Monrovia, Liberia), first to form auxiliary groups, and first to be constitutionally bound to a fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. The sorority takes pride in its continued participation in transforming communities through volunteer services from members and its auxiliaries. Since its founding more than 100,000+ women have joined the organization. Zeta Phi Beta is organized into 800+ chapters, in eight intercontinental regions including the USA, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Zeta Phi Beta has chartered hundreds of chapters including those in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Bahamas, Japan, Korea, Barbados, and Haiti.
International website: www.zphib1920.org
Atlantic Region: www.atlanticregionzetas.org
State of Maryland: www.zphibmaryland.org
Alpha Zeta Chapter (Baltimore City): www.az1923.org
Mu Xi Zeta Chapter (Baltimore County): www.zphibbaltimorecounty.org
Tau Eta Zeta Chapter (Baltimore City): www.zphib-thz.org
Chi Beta Zeta Chapter (Windsor Mill): www.chibetazeta1920.org
SIGMA GAMMA RHO SORORITY, INCORPORATED
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated (ΣΓΡ) was founded on November 12, 1922 at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana by seven young educators. It was incorporated within the state of Indiana in December 1922 and became a national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted and the Alpha chapter was established. The sorority is a non-profit organization whose aim is to enhance the quality of life within the community. Public service, leadership development and the education of youth are the hallmark of the organization's programs and activities. Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has over 100,000 members with more than 500 undergraduate and alumnae chapters throughout the United States, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Canada, Africa and Korea.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. gives its leadership, service, and resources toward removing barriers and inequalities so that all Americans may develop their potential and exercise full citizenship. Through support of human rights legislation, service to and support of grass root individual and community development activities and through active participation in the programs of affiliate and other organizations, the sorority has shown its commitment to working to improve the quality of the lives and the societies it serves. Sigma Gamma Rho actively participates in the sponsoring of national and international programs designed for the improved welfare of all people.
International website: www.sgrho1922.org
Northeast Region: www.sgrhoneregion.com
Zeta Omega Sigma Chapter (Baltimore County): https://zos-sgrho1922.org/
Alpha Alpha Sigma Chapter (Baltimore City): www.sgrhobaltimorecity.org
IOTA PHI THETA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED
Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Fraternity, Incorporated (ΙΦΘ) was founded on September 19, 1963 at Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) in Baltimore, Maryland . At present, it consists of over 70,000 members. There are currently over 263 undergraduate and alumni chapters, as well as colonies located in 40 US states, the District of Columbia, the Bahamas, Japan and South Korea.
The Iota founders were distinguished from their peers as they were all non-traditional students. Three to five years older than their peers, many had served in the military, worked full-time while attending classes full-time, and had families with small children. These elements gave the Founders a different perspective than the typical fraternity member. On September 19, 1963, in the height of the Civil Rights' Movement, the twelve founders gathered together on the steps of Hurt Gymnasium on the campus of Morgan State College (now known as Morgan State University) and formed Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. Since its founding, Iota Phi Theta has continued to grow and has become the fifth-largest, and fastest growing predominantly black fraternal organization in the United States. As of now, there are over 70,000 members in the United States and overseas. A key appeal of Iota Phi Theta is, as an organization, it refuses to have its members bind themselves to a defined fraternal image but celebrates the individuality of its members. More importantly, its members continue to build upon the fraternity's commitment to success and excellence with individual and collective achievements in such fields as politics, education, law, business, healthcare and the performing arts. International website:
International website: www.iotaphitheta.org
Eastern Region: www.iotaeast.com
Alpha Omega Chapter: www.alphaomegaipt.com
Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter: www.goograd.org