Reveals the historical and political significance of "The Divine Nine"-the Black Greek Letter Organizations In 1905, Henry Arthur Callis began his studies at Cornell University. Despite their academic pedigrees, Callis and his fellow African American students were ostracized by the majority-white student body, and so in 1906, Callis and some of his peers started the first, intercollegiate Black Greek Letter Organization (BGLO), Alpha Phi Alpha. Since their founding, BGLOs have not only served to solidify bonds among many African American college students, they have also imbued them with a sense of purpose and a commitment to racial uplift-the endeavor to help Black Americans reach socio-economic equality. A Pledge with Purpose explores the arc of these unique, important, and relevant social institutions. Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey uncover how BGLOs were shaped by, and labored to transform, the changing social, political, and cultural landscape of Black America from the era of the Harlem Renaissance to the civil rights movement. Alpha Phi Alpha boasts such members as Thurgood Marshall, civil rights lawyer and US Supreme Court Justice, and Dr. Charles Wesley, noted historian and college president. Delta Sigma Theta members include Bethune-Cookman College founder Mary McLeod Bethune and women's rights activist Dorothy Height. Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, who left an indelible mark on the civil rights movement, was a member of Phi Beta Sigma, while Dr. Mae Jemison, a celebrated engineer and astronaut, belonged to Alpha Kappa Alpha. Through such individuals, Parks and Hughey demonstrate the ways that BGLO members have long been at the forefront of innovation, activism, and scholarship. In its examination of the history of these important organizations, A Pledge with Purpose serves as a critical reflection of both the collective African American racial struggle and the various strategies of Black Americans in their great-and unfinished-march toward freedom and equality.
Gregory S. Parks is Professor at Wake Forest University School of Law. He is co-author of The Wrongs of the Right: Language, Race, and the Republican Party in the Age of Obama and The Obamas and a (Post) Racial America? Matthew W. Hughey is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut. He is the author of many books, including The White Savior Film: Content, Critics, and Consumption.
Parks and Hughey offer a detailed, intriguing portrait of the history of BGLOs, making this a good introductory read for anyone interested in US racial history, particularly following the protests against the atrocious killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. * Choice * Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey have expanded the fascinating history of Black Greek Letter Organizations by delving into the fraternities and sororities' role as social welfare safety nets and as organizations on the cutting edge of social reform, civic education, and civil rights. In examining the racial uplift the organizations provide, they discuss the achievements of notable fraternity members like W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood Marshall, Leon Ransom, Hayzel B. Daniels, and others who emerged as renowned leaders in education and civil rights. Importantly, Parks and Hughey also scrutinize the state of today's BGLOs and their current decline in commitment to racial uplift, which must be changed through leadership. -- Grand Sire Archon Gregory J. Vincent, Sigma Pi Phi When we talk about scholarship, and our continued understanding of the Black fraternal movement, Dr. Gregory Parks and Dr. Matthew Hughey have contributed an important addition to our knowledge with their new book, A Pledge with Purpose: Black Sororities and Fraternities and the Fight for Equality. Black fraternities and sororities have long touted their contributions to the community beyond college campuses, but Parks and Hughey diligently record the hows and whys these organizations made that commitment to civil and human rights. A Pledge with Purpose is a must read for anyone interested in how Black Greek Letter Organizations impact the lives of Black people specifically, and America writ large. -- Lawrence C. Ross, Jr., author of The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities Gregory S. Parks and Matthew W. Hughey's new book on BGLOs, A Pledge with Purpose: Black Sororities and Fraternities and the Fight for Equality, provides a narrative of racial uplift that runs through the twentieth century in BGLOs...Parks and Hughey contend that the legacy of activism and the praxis of racial uplift has waned in recent years and argue for a conscious and focused shift moving forward. * The Journal of African American History *
