HBCU ORIGINAL
Divine Nine: The Power of Black Greek Life on HBCU Campuses
Across HBCU campuses, the chants, steps, and colors of the Divine Nine tell a powerful story — one of unity, leadership, and legacy. These nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations have shaped the Black college experience and influenced generations of leaders in education, politics, business, and culture.
Formed during a time when African Americans were excluded from mainstream fraternities and sororities, the Divine Nine built a network of empowerment, scholarship, and service that continues to thrive today.
Here’s a look at their beginnings and where they stand now:
🖤 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (1906 – Cornell University)
The first intercollegiate Black fraternity, founded by seven visionary men known as the “Seven Jewels.” Alphas have produced leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall. Today, they remain dedicated to scholarship, manly deeds, and love for all mankind.
❤️ Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (1908 – Howard University)
The first Black sorority, founded by 16 trailblazing women. Known for service and sisterhood, AKAs continue to empower women globally through programs in education, health, and economics. Vice President Kamala Harris proudly represents their legacy.
💜 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (1911 – Indiana University)
Built on achievement in every field of human endeavor, Kappas are known for their signature “Kappa Kane” and polished style. They focus on mentoring young men and uplifting communities nationwide.
💛 Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (1911 – Howard University)
Founded on principles of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift, Omegas are known for their intensity, loyalty, and community service — from mentoring youth to promoting education through the Achievement Week program.
💙 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (1913 – Howard University)
Born out of activism, Deltas made history with their first public act — marching in the 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade. Today, they continue that legacy of advocacy and service through initiatives like Delta Days at the Nation’s Capital.
💚 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (1914 – Howard University)
Founded on brotherhood, scholarship, and service, Sigmas promote equality and social justice. They are deeply connected with their sister organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
💙 Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (1920 – Howard University)
Zetas are known for “Finer Womanhood,” scholarship, and service. Their work includes the Stork’s Nest program with March of Dimes and countless community initiatives across the globe.
❤️ Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (1922 – Butler University)
Founded by educators, SGRhos emphasize education, leadership, and community uplift. Their programs support youth development and women’s health initiatives worldwide.
🖤 Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (1963 – Morgan State University)
The youngest of the Divine Nine, Iotas emerged during the Civil Rights Movement, embodying brotherhood, citizenship, and leadership. Their commitment to community activism continues to grow across campuses and cities nationwide.
Today, the Divine Nine remain a vital force on HBCU campuses — mentoring students, leading service drives, and strengthening community ties. Beyond step shows and colors, their true power lies in their shared mission: to uplift, educate, and unite.
From classrooms to Congress, from the yard to the world, the Divine Nine prove that when we stand together, we rise together.
#DivineNine | #HBCUPride | #GreekLife | #HBCUOriginal
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HBCU ORIGINAL
SUNO’S DONOVAN HILL MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST NAIA PLAYER SELECTED FOR HBCU SWINGMAN CLASSIC
Knights infielder becomes the first player from an NAIA institution to earn a spot in the event’s four-year history; set to compete July 10 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia
NEW ORLEANS [July 6, 2026] — Southern University at New Orleans graduate infielder Donovan Hill has made history, becoming the first player from an NAIA institution ever selected to compete in the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball. The fourth annual showcase is set for Friday, July 10, at 7 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, as part of MLB All-Star Week.
Hill’s selection marks a milestone for both SUNO and small-college HBCU baseball nationwide. The Swingman Classic featured exclusively NCAA Division I players in its first two years before expanding to include its first Division II selection in 2025. With Hill’s addition to the 2026 roster, SUNO becomes the first NAIA institution represented in the event’s history — a testament to the growing national profile of the Knights and the HBCU Athletic Conference.
Hill, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native who joined the Knights from St. Thomas University, is one of just 50 players nationwide chosen for the event, which brings together the top talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country. Players were selected by a committee that includes Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., Major League Baseball representatives, and professional scouts and evaluators.
The historic selection caps a landmark season for Hill and the Knights, who posted the best record in program history and their best HBCU Athletic Conference regular-season finish in 2026, one year after a runner-up showing at the conference championship. A steady presence in the SUNO infield and lineup all spring, Hill delivered in the moments that mattered — igniting the Knights’ seven-run, ninth-inning comeback against Xavier with a leadoff walk and driving in runs throughout SUNO’s late-season surge, including a run-scoring triple in the series-clinching win over Philander Smith.
“Donovan represents everything we ask of our student-athletes — he competes, he leads, and he carries himself the right way on and off the field,” said SUNO Head Coach Olen Parker, Jr. “To see him become the first NAIA player ever to take that field for the HBCU Swingman Classic is bigger than one game. It tells every player at our level that if you put in the work, the stage will find you.”
“This is a historic moment for SUNO, the HBCU Athletic Conference and for NAIA baseball,” said SUNO Director of Athletics James A. Matthews, III. “Donovan’s selection proves that elite talent lives at every level of HBCU athletics. The Swingman Classic celebrates the rich legacy of HBCU baseball, and we could not be prouder that a Knight is the one carrying NAIA baseball onto that stage for the first time.”
ABOUT THE HBCU SWINGMAN CLASSIC
The Swingman Classic roster will be divided into two squads: a National League team led by 2007 NL MVP and Phillies Wall of Famer Jimmy Rollins, and an American League team led by HBCU legend and 14-year MLB veteran Rickie Weeks. Honorary VIPs for the event include HBCU baseball greats Andre Dawson (Florida A&M) and Ralph Garr Sr. (Grambling State), along with 19-year big-league veteran Ken Griffey Sr.
For the fourth consecutive year, MLB Network will exclusively broadcast the game, with Dave Sims on play-by-play and Harold Reynolds providing analysis. Ken Griffey Jr. and Emily Haydel, granddaughter of Hank Aaron, will also contribute to the broadcast. Pregame festivities honoring HBCU culture will feature an in-ballpark DJ, an in-game “Divine Nine” recognition, and more.
SUNO is one of 19 HBCUs represented on the 2026 roster — and the only NAIA institution — joining programs such as Southern University, Grambling State, Jackson State, Florida A&M, and Prairie View A&M. Tickets for the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball are on sale now at AllStarGame.com.
ABOUT SUNO ATHLETICS
The Southern University at New Orleans Knights Department of Athletics emphasizes competitive excellence, academic achievement and community engagement. For the full 2025–26 schedule, rosters, and ticket information, visit sunoathletics.com and follow @sunoathletics on social media.
MEDIA CONTACT: SUNO Athletics Communications, athletics@suno.edu, (504) 286-5197
By Charity L. Cohen | June 18, 2026
EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. — The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Fellowship Gospel Choir has long carried the “award-winning” tag, and now the group is in line to add to that reputation. The choir has been nominated for a Stellar Award in the newly created HBCU Choir of the Year category.
The choir joins four other finalists — Howard University, the Morgan State University Choir, the Southern University Gospel Choir and the Fort Valley State University Choir — in a category designed to honor outstanding gospel choirs from historically Black colleges and universities. Winners will be announced at the 41st Stellar Gospel Music Awards, which Grammy-winning gospel artist Kirk Franklin will host.
The nomination adds another chapter to a 57-year history for the Fellowship Gospel Choir, which has served as a spiritual anchor for the A&T community and a symbol of the university’s dedication to faith, fellowship and musical craftsmanship.
Across those decades, the choir has shared the stage with major names in gospel and beyond, including Fred Hammond, Jason Nelson, Big Sean and Elevation Rhythm — collaborations that have helped cement its identity as a group willing to express its faith boldly through music.
“This nomination shows that our work isn’t in vain and that we are accomplishing our goal of encouraging people and bringing them closer to Christ,” said choir president Antonio Mattox Jr., a rising senior. “This recognition has given us a platform to do just that because that’s the entire purpose of our organization.”
Mattox, a choir member since his first year at A&T, narrated the group’s cover of Donald Lawrence’s “Matthew 28” — the very performance submitted to Stellar Award judges that ultimately clinched the nomination.
Choir director Marcus Williams, a 2017 A&T graduate who got his start with the group as a student drummer, said the “Matthew 28” performance captured both the choir’s talent and its history.
“It was a song that showcased their vocals. It had some dope moves that the kids created with it, which speaks to our legacy at A&T, and then it also had the choir robes, which just felt nostalgic,” Williams said.
For Williams, the nomination carries weight well beyond the choir itself, extending to the broader HBCU community and to Greensboro as a whole.
“I really can’t express how big it is, especially for Greensboro, but they’re celebrating and recognizing HBCUs as a whole,” Williams said. “It’s huge, and for the legacy of the choir being recognized, it just speaks of the hard work and innovation that was done over the years.”
The 41st Stellar Gospel Music Awards will take place Aug. 15 in Charlotte, where organizers will crown the first-ever winner of the HBCU Choir of the Year award.
Alumni Spotlight
Essence Fest 2026 puts Grambling State’s marching band and HBCU culture on a national stage
Coca-Cola is once again using the ESSENCE Festival of Culture to put a spotlight on HBCU pride, and this year Grambling State University is at the center of it.
The 2026 festival runs July 3-5 in New Orleans, and Coca-Cola has released its entertainment and cultural programming for the weekend. On the Coca-Cola Stage, the lineup includes performances from Destin Conrad, Coi Leray and Mario. But the bigger story for the HBCU community is a separate activation built around Coca-Cola’s “The World Is My Yard” platform, which brings actress Eva Marcille together with a performance from Grambling State’s World Famed Tiger Marching Band — one of the most recognized names in HBCU band culture.
The activation goes beyond a performance slot. Representatives from 15 HBCUs will be on-site holding office hours for prospective students and their families, covering admissions, academic programs, campus life and other pathways into HBCU education. That turns the festival into a recruiting and visibility opportunity as much as a cultural showcase — a chance for schools like Grambling State to reach families who may never set foot on a Southern HBCU campus otherwise.
This marks Coca-Cola’s 31st consecutive year as an Essence Fest partner. The company’s 2026 platform theme, “Every Side Shines,” is centered on music, wellness, culture and connection. Stephanie Eaddy, Coca-Cola’s senior director of cultural marketing, framed the festival as something bigger than a single weekend, calling it “a powerful platform for connection, community and impact.”
The festival’s footprint extends well past culture and music. Coca-Cola noted that the 2025 event generated more than $321 million in economic impact for New Orleans, supported upwards of 2,400 jobs, and produced over $103 million in income for local workers and businesses — numbers that underscore just how much weight Essence Fest carries for the city each summer.
For Grambling State, the appearance is another example of HBCU culture reaching a national audience through a mainstream platform — band culture, brand partnership, and student recruitment all overlapping in one weekend in New Orleans.
Here’s the full story:
Ahead of the Draft: Why the HBCU Swingman Classic Is More Than an Exhibition
PHILADELPHIA — By the time the last out is recorded at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night, some of the players on the field will have less than 18 hours before Major League Baseball starts calling names in the 2026 Draft.
That’s the calendar this year: the HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball tips off July 10 at 7 p.m. ET, and the draft’s first three rounds begin the next morning, July 11, at the Philadelphia Convention Center — the same weekend, the same city. For a showcase built on getting overlooked players in front of the people who make those calls, the timing could hardly be more direct.
A track record scouts already trust
This isn’t a new theory. Over its first three years, the Classic has sent 10 alumni into the professional ranks. The inaugural 2023 class, played in Seattle, produced three draftees, including Xavier Meachen, a 10th-round pick of the Marlins. Two more alumni heard their names called in 2024 — Randy Flores of Alabama State, taken by the Angels in the eighth round, and North Carolina A&T’s Canyon Brown, picked by the Royals in the ninth. Last year’s group in Atlanta topped both of those combined, with five former Classic participants drafted, among them Southern’s Cardell Thibodeaux and Alabama State’s Kameron Douglas and Juan Cruz.
For the players about to take that same field this year, the message is simple: this game has already put people on rosters.
“We always like to be seen by the right guys,” Thibodeaux said ahead of last year’s event.
Built into baseball’s scouting pipeline, not separate from it
Part of why the Classic carries weight with evaluators is that it doesn’t stand alone. This year’s 50-man roster includes 22 players who have already come up through MLB’s other elite-development pipelines — the Hank Aaron Invitational, the Breakthrough Series, and Nike’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program — meaning many of these players are already known quantities to scouts before they ever step on the field in Philadelphia. Rosters in past years have also been unveiled live from the MLB Draft Combine, tying the event directly to the same scouting apparatus that sets draft boards.
North Carolina A&T catcher Tyler Smith, who has come up through those same programs, said Hall of Famer and Classic founder Ken Griffey Jr. has been part of that development for years. “He’s always there to answer questions,” Smith said.
Why Griffey built it this way
Griffey started the Swingman Classic in 2023 with a specific gap in mind: talented players at HBCUs often don’t have access to the travel-ball circuits, showcase events, and Power Five budgets that put other prospects in front of scouts year-round. The Classic — and the national broadcast that comes with it — is designed to close that gap in one night.
Jimmy Rollins, managing the National League squad this year alongside Rickie Weeks on the American League side, said he saw the request to manage as an easy call once he understood what it could mean for the players. “Giving these players an opportunity to shine on the big stage,” he said, was reason enough. Griffey has been more direct about what he wants to see from it: kids “seen and heard,” and, eventually, drafted in bigger numbers than the sport has historically pulled from HBCU programs.
The stakes this year
Every previous Classic has fed into a draft that followed within weeks. This year, it feeds into one that follows within hours. Scouts, executives, and front-office decision-makers who watch Friday’s game on MLB Network will, in many cases, be back in draft rooms by Saturday morning — some of them picking for the same teams whose scouts were just in the stands.
For a 50-man roster that includes returning participants looking for a bigger league night after prior appearances, and newcomers making their first case to a national audience, the Swingman Classic isn’t a preview of the draft. This year, it’s the opening round.
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