Vanderbilt University will examine the legacy of African American fraternities and sororities, which celebrate their 100th birthday this year, during a week of activities Feb. 6-10.

Display tables highlighting fraternities and sororities, panel discussions, a screening of the Spike Lee film School Daze and a poetry slam will be featured.

The first African American Greek organization in the United States, Alpha Phi Alpha, was founded at Cornell University in December of 1906. An early member was W.E.B. Du Bois, who helped form the NAACP in 1909.

The Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt will host activities through the week marking the anniversary. Events include:  more >>

The local graduate chapter of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority is planning to celebrate the life of a sorority sister who became a literary legend and at one point fibbed about her age and packed a pistol in her purse.

The Eta Zeta chapter's fourth annual Zora Neale Hurston Arts Festival next weekend pays tribute to the Queen of the Harlem Renaissance for her work as an anthropologist, playwright, folklorist, journalist, activist and fiction writer.

The Harlem Renaissance was a period in New York in the early 1900s when African-American literature, art, music, dance and social commentary began to flourish; other famous writers from the time include Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson and Claude McKay.   more >>

For Kingsley Junior High School math teacher Ranae Ernat, one community group's donation really adds up.

Members of the Bloomington-Normal alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi will present 30 Texas Instrument calculators on Monday to Ernat. She has been concerned some students lacking calculators faced an unfair disadvantage in learning the math concepts.

"I was so surprised. I was so elated," Ernat said of hearing the news that the group planned the donation to her classroom.  more >>

"I hope to learn how to save, make money, that stuff," the Suffern boy said. "I have savings that I want to invest. I want to learn how to invest."

Earl and two friends — brothers Kyle Blair, 11, and Kenny Blair, 12 — will attend a free financial seminar Saturday designed to teach 12- to 16-year-olds about basic financial literacy.

Sponsored by the Xi Lambda Lambda chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the seminar is the first of four or five planned for this year to teach county residents — especially minorities — the fundamentals of personal finance. 

"I'm an accountant ... a tax accountant, and I'm amazed that a lot of people over the last few years ... had members in their family die and they didn't know what to do," Dennis McGloster, fraternity chapter president, said yesterday.  more >>

Black Greek Network is excited about the new Black History category that has been added to our site. With Black History month coming soon, we are working hard to be able to provide our members with daily Black history articles during the month of February.

We know that Black history is not limited to just one month, which is why we will continue to provide history facts throughout the rest of the year. Please visit often throughout the month of February and the months following for interesting African American historical facts.

A man who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s will give the keynote address at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s week-long celebration of the national holiday celebrating King.

John Slade, who produced the film, “Breaking the Chains of Bondage,” will deliver “Martin Luther King Jr.: The Man and His Message” during the Chancellor’s Program at 2 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center, 313 N. 13th St.

Slade is one of the founding fathers of Iota Phi Theta fraternity  at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) in 1963.  more >>

Lenworth Gunther, professor of history and director of the Africana Center at Essex County (N.J.) College, will deliver the keynote address at the 13th annual Martin Luther King Day Celebration.

He is the founder and president of Edmedia Associates, an educational and motivational consulting company that specializes in communications and diversity issues.

His writings include articles on black life and such books as The New Jersey African American History Curriculum Guide for High School. He served in the early 1980s on the East Orange, N.J., school board and founded a college relief fund for the need. He has been a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity since 1968.  more >>

Howard Dodson, chief of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library, will speak at 2 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Akron-Summit County Public Library's Main Auditorium, 60 S. ...   more »

Bettye Maye, a retired Sumter County educator, has announced her plans to seek the position of State Representative for District 71 in the Alabama House of Representatives.

Maye has held positions in the Alabama Education Association, the Alabama Democratic Party, the Alabama Democratic Conference and the National Democratic Convention. She also works extensively in her community volunteering as a tutor and working with various charities.

Maye is a member of First Baptist Church of Livingston, where she is a Sunday school teacher, President of the Usher Board and active in many other organizations. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. more >>

Children in Millvale and Moosewood were already enjoying some Christmas presents Saturday afternoon.

The gifts are courtesy of the Cincinnati African American Firefighters' Association, along with members of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.

It's just part of their annual toy drive -- they've already delivered gifts to some area schools.   more >>