The Divine Nine, a group of nine historically Black Greek letter organizations called the National Pan-Hellenic Council hopes to grow on the Baldwin Wallace University campus.
Marc West, BW’s director of parent and family programs, oversees Greek life on campus. He said there has been an increase in the number of students of color and their engagement on campus, with the potential for doubling the number of students involved throughout the year.
“There’s been a resurgence… There’s hope to double the active D9 membership on campus this coming academic year,” West said.
These organizations hold a significant foundation in Black American culture and history. The Divine Nine organizations began in the 1900s, when most fraternities and sororities were exclusively for white students. The organizations began out of fellowship and shared principles rather than as a direct response to racist beliefs and practices. These organizations quickly spread to other universities, including primarily white institutions.
Desmond Manley, a senior finance student and member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity along with being the acting president of the Black Student Alliance, said that since he came to campus, he has seen D9 membership grow.
“When I came here, there were some D9 representatives… And just seeing what those people represent, it’s nice to pass it down so that people have some things to inspire to, especially with it being a predominantly white institution,” Manley said.
Manley recently had his one-year anniversary of being a part of his fraternity, and as he holds a leadership position on campus, he said that he would like to grow the number of events held on campus on behalf of his fraternity.
” We like to bring representation whenever asked upon… We don’t have a limit or cap on type of events we want to do and be at as much as possible,” Manley said. Despite the fact that Divine Nine fraternities and sororities are becoming more prominent on campus, getting involved with Greek Life can be difficult for newcomers, Manley said.
“My biggest question when I was a first-year student was ‘How do I go about it [joining Greek life]?’ I would just say walk up to people who are a part of it and just have a conversation,” Manley said.
Manley said being a member of Black Greek life has progressed him further as a college student.
“It gets you in the face of a lot of people,” Manley said. “Regardless of whether you want it or not, your network is going to expand dramatically when you join a Divine Nine organization. Really, I just saw it as like the ultimate enhancement of what you already possess. At least in my fraternity, the letters do not really change you it just brings out who you are, and it gives you the opportunity to put that on display on a larger scale.”
