African American Fraternities at Miami University

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, which was housed in the location marked by this entry, is an African American fraternity and intercollegiate organization. The fraternity was nationally founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University as a support and study group for minority students. Their colors are old gold and Black. The organization has been interracial since 1945. The Miami University chapter was founded March 9, 1953 by 9 men and was the first African American student organization and fraternity at the university. The founding men are known as "The Jewels" of the chapter. The Miami University chapter hosts events such as blood drives and the biggest events being the Black & Gold Scholarship Pageant and the Bro. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March. Their open motto is “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.” Also known as Dirty Delta Upsilon, they’ve won many awards both nationally and at Miami.

Kappa Alpha Psi was nationally founded January 5, 1911 at Indiana University in Bloomington. The fraternity was initially created to provide a way for Black students to congregate. This was needed because the assimilation of Black students was not encouraged at Indiana University at the time of the fraternity's founding. The Miami University chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi was chartered April 26, 1980. The motto of the fraternity is “Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor”. Miami University’s Kappa Alpha Psi Chapter has strived to fulfil this motto in many ways. The chapter has done was a forty-mile commemorative walk to celebrate the underground railroad in 2010. Chapters members host annual panels to help freshmen understand what to expect from college life. The fraternity raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital with the goal of contributing to the fight against childhood cancer.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity incorporated nationally at Howard University in Washington DC. The founder created an organization focused on community service. Its motto is "Culture For Service and Service For Humanity." It currently has 599 chapters and a cumulative number of more than 225k members since 1914. The division at the Miami University was established on April 26, 1999. The motto of the club is "Excellence is Our Standard Not Our Goal". A small chapter at Miami University participates in national charity work. This branch also actively participates in national charities.

• Desatnik, Lisa. Kappa Alpha Psi Freedom Walk, August 27th 2010. Accessed May 6th 2021. https://goodthingsgoingaround.com/young-people-and-students/miami-universitys-kappa-alpha-psi-trek-40-miles-on-freedom-walk/.
• The Delta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, 306th House, deltaupsilon1953.weebly.com/about-us.html.
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Delta Upsilon Chapter, www.orgs.miamioh.edu/alphaphialpha/index1.htm.
• DU ALPHAS, dualphas1953.weebly.com/.
• “Founders' Day – Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.” Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc, phibetasigma1914.org/index.php/foundersday/.
• “Fraternity Chapters.” Fraternity Chapters | Fraternity and Sorority Life| Student Life - Miami University, www.miamioh.edu/student-life/fraternity-sorority-life/chapters/fraternities/index.html
• “Miami University's Kappa Alpha Psi Trek 40 Miles On Freedom Walk.” Good Things Going Around, goodthingsgoingaround.com/young-people-and-students/miami-universitys-kappa-alpha-psi-trek-40-miles-on-freedom-walk/.
• “Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.” Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc, phibetasigma1914.org/.

Image sources:

• Miami University Recensio yearbook