Colleges are typically the home of Greek organizations, where members pledge to form lifelong friendships in fraternities and sororities. However, the presidential campaign of Kamala Harris is forcing Black Greek organizations into the political arena. If elected, she would be the first president from the Black Greek system since she is the first presidential nominee to come from a Divine Nine Greek group.
As a result, Harris has easy access to the Divine Nine’s membership base of over 2 million people, which includes activists, civic leaders, philanthropists, and more. This group has the potential to be a formidable voting and mobilization bloc.
Harris, fifty-nine, belongs to Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation’s first Black Greek-lettered sorority and one of the Black fraternities and sororities that comprise the “Divine Nine.” Since Harris’ elevation to the vice presidency, the sisterhood has come together in support of her, particularly because these groups promote community service and lifelong participation after college. In support of Harris, Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. regional director Kiahna W. Davis established an AKA political action committee last week.
It is a source of pride to watch Harris rise to such a high political position, said to Deidra Davis, graduate adviser to the AKA’s founding chapter in Washington, D.C. The sorority will take advantage of the chance to engage more Black Americans in civic life.
“As Alpha Kappa Alpha and the other Divine Nine organizations are nonpartisan, our main focus is on utilizing this opportunity to enhance voter registration efforts, educate the community about the significance of voting, and motivate individuals to exercise their right to vote,” the speaker stated.
AKA was sworn in by Harris in 1986 while he was a Howard University freshman and went on to become a prosecutor, attorney general of California, and U.S. senator.
Leaders claim that joining the Divine Nine fosters a lifetime dedication to service and friendship, and that Harris’ campaign is utilizing a fresh channel for political mobilization.
Black Greek organizations have influenced culture more so than politics up to now. After Black people were barred from Greek organizations led by white people, these fraternities and sororities were established. Since then, Black Greek-letter organizations have established their own distinct culture, incorporating their own colors, attire, slogans, and century-old group choreography known as “strolling,” which has become an essential aspect of Black American culture. In fact, so much so that many have drawn attention to Harris’ AKA status in order to defend her against the racial attacks of Donald Trump.
At the biennial national convention of the group in July, she spoke to some 20,000 AKAs before announcing her candidacy for president. She talked about her long history with AKA, beginning with her aunt Christine Simmons, a Howard student who became a member of the sorority in 1950.
Harris addressed the crowd by saying, “Sorors, this is a serious matter,” alluding to the AKA’s well-known “serious matter” cry. “Our sorority has been in the forefront of the struggle to fulfill America’s promise for 116 years. Let’s keep up that work this year.
On social media, she frequently promotes the network by posting pictures of her outings with Greek organization members and meetings with sorority sisters. “Being a graduate of @HowardU and a proud member of @akasorority1908 changed my life,” she wrote in a 2019 post on X.
Black folks and Black Greek group members have been thrilled and proud of her membership.
“Many of you are grossly underestimating the ability of the Divine 9 and AKAs to unite behind a shared objective!” posted a social media user a few days after President Joe Biden stated he was withdrawing from the campaign and that Harris should take over the ticket. They will have a huge impact on Vice President Harris’s campaign, and I am all for it!
Harris has also explored the cultural meaning of her Greek membership. She posted a video showing herself in 2019 phoning the mother of a supporter who belongs to the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, the AKAs’ longstanding friendly rival. “Whether you are an AKA, Delta, or any other member of the Divine Nine, we are all family,” she wrote beside the video. And at the end of July, she addressed the Zeta Phi Beta ladies at their biennial conference in Indianapolis.
The Democratic National Convention chair, Minyon Moore, who is also an AKA, said in a statement to NBC News that the Divine Nine’s support of Harris is a demonstration of their dedication to helping and promoting Black Americans.
Moore, a seasoned political strategist who advised Hillary Clinton, stated, “I’m immensely proud of the crucial role the Pan-Hellenic Council continues to play in civic engagement.” “In order to elect a fellow Divine Nine member to the nation’s highest position so she may continue uplifting Black communities, my sisters and brothers and I will be standing shoulder to shoulder in November.”
The Divine Nine’s recognized governing and unifying organization is the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Donna Jones Anderson, the organization’s president, told NBC News that it is a nonpartisan group that does not formally support politicians. However, she expressed her belief that in the next years, politicians will still highlight the Divine Nine as a significant vote group.
A subset of us consists of former leaders in the civil rights movement, physicians, attorneys, politicians, and mayors. There are Divine Nines in the medical and educational fields around the nation. We’re everywhere, Anderson added, pointing out that even politicians are aware of this. “There’s a very good chance that we can definitely help if they come to us,”
“We don’t dedicate ourselves to these groups, and we only participate for the four years that we attend college. A Black Greek-letter group is a lifetime commitment, according to Davis, who added that she received her Howard degree in 1989.
“These organizations have been around for a lot longer than 117 years, and we have been serving in this capacity for decades. We are able to tell the country, “This is our identity, this is our behavior, and this is the effect we have,” and I am thrilled that we are receiving this attention.