Latest news with #DivineNine
Black America Web
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Black America Web
Famous Female Athletes in The Divine Nine
The Divine Nine, formally known as the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), comprises nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations that play an essential role in fostering leadership, service, and excellence in African American communities. Among their esteemed members are trailblazing women who have not only excelled in their respective sports but also embodied their sororities' values of sisterhood, scholarship, and service. Here, we celebrate some of the most iconic female athletes who proudly represent Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. These women have left lasting legacies both on and off the field, court, or track. Famous Female Athletes in The Divine Nine was originally published on Recently named to Delta Sigma Theta's 2025 honorary class, Cash is a three-time WNBA champion, four-time WNBA All-Star, and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. She has also served as Senior VP of Basketball Operations & Team Development for the New Orleans Pelicans and is the Founder/CEO of She's Got Time, a lifestyle and media company focused on building holistic support systems for women in sports. Initiated as a 2025 honorary member of Sigma Gamma Rho, Swoopes was the first player ever signed to the WNBA, becoming a 3x league MVP and being among the top 15 WNBA players of all time. Her list of accomplishments includes a WNBA championship, FIBA World Cup gold medal, three Olympic gold medals, and an NCAA championship. An initiate of AKA's Beta Alpha chapter at FAMU, Gibson broke racial barriers by becoming the first African American to win a Grand Slam title in 1956, followed by consecutive wins at Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals (now the U.S. Open). Shakes-Drayton, a 2024 honorary initiate, is a retired British track & field athlete who has won a 2013 European Indoor Championship in the 400m and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay at the 2012 World Indoor Championships. She has also contributed significantly to charities such as Tommy's The Baby Charity and the GLL Sport Foundation. Leslie, a 2021 honorary initiate of AKA, transformed women's basketball with her skill, athleticism, and leadership. She is a 2x WNBA champion, 4x Olympic gold medalist, and 3x league MVP. In fact, she's the first WNBA player to win regular season, All-Star, and finals MVP honors in a single season. Another 2025 honorary member, Joyner-Kersee is a 6x Olympic medalist who still holds the record in heptathlon, set at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Named the 'Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century' by Sports Illustrated, she showed her commitment to the community and youth development through her work with Athletes for Hope and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. Howard, an initiate of the Iota Mu chapter at the University of Kentucky, was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2022 WNBA draft. She was named WNBA's Rookie of the Year, averaging 16.8 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 steals in her first year. She would go on to be a 3x All-Star, a gold medalist in the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup, and a bronze medalist in 3×3 Basketball at the 2024 Paris Olympics. A retired sprinter who competed in the 60m, 100m, and 200m, Jeter was known as the 'fastest woman alive' after running a personal best of 10.64 seconds at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix. Winning gold at the 2012 London Olympics and three gold medals in the World Championships, she is the fourth fastest woman ever in the 100m race. Wilson, an initiate of the Theta Gamma chapter at the University of South Carolina, had a stellar collegiate career, leading the Gamecocks to their first NCAA championship in 2017. A top pick by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2018 WNBA draft, she would go on to become a 2x WNBA champion, 3x league MVP, 7x All-Star, and 2x Olympic gold medalist. Initiated through the Alpha Chi chapter at Tennessee State University, Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games (Rome, 1960) in track and field. Nicknamed 'The Tornado,' she overcame physical challenges such as polio and scarlet fever in her youth to become a global inspiration and a forceful advocate for women and equality.
Black America Web
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Disney Dazzles With Melanin Magic, HBCU Pride & Bayou Blessings From Anaheim To Essence Fest
This summer, Disney is celebrating Black excellence coast to coast with two powerful initiatives: a historic HBCU celebration at Downtown Disney and a royal reveal at Essence Festival, spotlighting creativity and community for the culture. For the first time ever, Disney on the Yard, a program designed to build community among HBCU students and alumni, is bringing its vibrant West Coast YardFest to the Downtown Disney District on July 12, 2025, per a press release. The free, family-friendly event kicks off at 6 p.m. PT and will feature a live DJ, giveaways, and a show-stopping moment: the first-ever appearance of Drum Major Mickey Mouse and his HBCU Drum Major crew at Disneyland Resort, accompanied by the dynamic Brooklyn United Drumline. Guests are invited to rep their alma maters, don Divine Nine paraphernalia, or simply soak in the festive atmosphere near the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and lawn. The event is open to the public and does not require theme park admission, though standard Downtown Disney parking rates apply, according to the release. Adding to the excitement, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will hold its 2025 International Leadership Seminar just steps away at the Anaheim Convention Center from July 10 to 13, drawing over 9,600 members, per the press release. The timing presents a unique opportunity for sorority members to participate in both the leadership seminar and the cultural celebration. One of the event's key figures, Aramide Boatswain, who leads marketing and commercial strategy at Disneyland Resort and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, played a major role in bringing this moment to life. In New Orleans, Disney delivered a major cultural announcement at the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture, unveiling Tiana's Joyful Celebration, a new nationwide traveling exhibition in collaboration with The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, according to Disney Parks. Source: Disney Parks / Disney Parks Inspired by the beloved Princess Tiana and rooted in the heart and soul of New Orleans, the interactive exhibit will take visitors on an immersive journey through music, food, crafts, and community traditions, all in the spirit of Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction, which opened at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in 2024. Source: Disney Parks / Disney Parks The exhibition will make its debut on March 7, 2026, at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, recently named the No. 1 children's museum in the country by USA Today, and will travel to 12 additional cities beginning in 2027, per the announcement. Source: Disney Parks / Disney Parks In the exhibit storyline, guests will join Tiana's neighborhood crew as they prepare for a big Mardi Gras parade that's suddenly moved up. Everyone must come together to contribute their talents to help pull off the perfect celebration in time. As Disney continues to expand its cultural storytelling beyond the parks, these two initiatives reflect a powerful commitment to celebrating Black identity, heritage, and joy in all its forms. Source: Disney Parks / Disney Parks Stay tuned for more details on future Disney on the Yard events and city stops on the Tiana's Joyful Celebration national tour. The post Disney Dazzles With Melanin Magic, HBCU Pride & Bayou Blessings From Anaheim To Essence Fest appeared first on Bossip. SEE ALSO Disney Dazzles With Melanin Magic, HBCU Pride & Bayou Blessings From Anaheim To Essence Fest was originally published on
Boston Globe
14-06-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
When MLK studied in Boston, he joined a Black fraternity. A plaque will highlight this hidden history.
This milestone in King's life will be memorialized in a plaque unveiling ceremony at the very spot in Boston where the civil rights icon joined Alpha Phi Alpha. Located at 14 Wabon St. in Grove Hall, the memorial will build upon ongoing efforts to make Boston a larger part of the Kings' legacy, and, hopefully, remind passersby of the rich 'It's our jobs as Black folk to chronicle our history,' said Advertisement The ceremony will take place on June 18, the 72nd wedding anniversary of King and Coretta Scott King. It's the latest in a citywide effort to cement the Kings' presence in Boston. Advertisement Last year, Clennon King and a collection of community members secured a headstone for of Music student who introduced the couple. In 2023, another memorial commemorating the young couple's The Fraternity hopefuls on bid day 1952 for the Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Boston University. John H. Bustamante is in the first row left and Martin Luther King Jr. in in the front row on the right. Bustamante Family But Clennon King said the forthcoming memorial will orient King's legacy away from downtown Boston, and back towards the heart of Boston's Black community. He cut his teeth as a minister at the historic Twelfth Baptist Church that was then on Shawmut Avenue. He satiated his cravings for home-cooked meals here. He lived here. '[King] was baptized out of that neighborhood,' said Clennon King, who is not related to the civil rights leader. However, his father, C. B. King, represented the Rev. King during the Albany Movement, a yearlong civil rights campaign in the small Georgia city. The Grove Hall neighborhood that 14 Wabon St. lies in is steeped in local significance. Years after King resettled back south, this corridor of Boston became the site of a The house itself also encapsulates a long gone chapter in Boston history, which Lauren B. Martin considers deeply personal. It was the family home of her father, Advertisement 'Those kinds of spirits and memories linger in that space,' Martin said. King arrived in Boston in 1951 to study theology at Boston University, and settled in a city remarkably different from his beloved Atlanta. He found community among the churches, restaurants, and businesses inhabited by Black folks in Roxbury and the South End, but the Black population was smaller. At this point, King was not a household name, Clennon King said. 'He was just a number, just another student.' The plaque also underscores the legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha and the National Pan-hellenic Council, or When you look back at photos of King, he was surrounded by Divine Nine giants. Andrew Young is an Alpha. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Coretta Scott King later became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the country's first Black sorority. 'Everything [King] did was to leave a legacy for his children and the people around him,' Asirifi said. 'You don't seek an organization like Alpha if you don't want to be a part of a larger community.' King attended an Alpha recruitment mixer on nearby Ruthven Street, at his future line brother's grandparents' home. They crossed through the fraternity's Sigma Chapter at Baron H. Martin's home. Advertisement Dues card for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity membership. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. As a doctoral student, King was older than his line brothers and became a big brother figure for some. 'My dad never said it, but you could tell from his voice how much he admired [King],' said Myra Hemingway, the daughter of There is at least one moment in writing that details King's experiences as a pledge. In a 2018 Globe interview, Baron H. Martin recalled bringing the young Alpha pledges to his Wabon Street house to paint a fence. King refused. 'He pointed out that he was a minister ... and he wouldn't do it,' the late judge recalled. Not wanting to be bested by the pledge, Martin disciplined King the way many frats historically have. He grabbed his wooden paddle. 'I hit him so hard — one smack [on the behind]," Martin recalled. 'You can't do that anymore.' Related : MLK's seven line brothers formed lasting legacies in their own right. Herman Hemingway, at the top left in the phot, opened his own law practice and, under Mayor Kevin White, served as founding director for the city's Office of Human Rights. He is memorialized at Hemingway had paved his own way, so much so that Myra, his daughter, said he didn't fully acknowledge his title as MLK's line brother until people behind the civil rights leader's monument in Washington, D.C. began reaching out for interviews. Herman died in 2020, so Myra considers the upcoming memorial as bittersweet. Advertisement 'He really loved his fraternity and the support they gave him through the brotherhood over the years meant so much to him,' Myra said. 'It's hard that he's not here, but in spirit, I know he's looking down and smiling.' The Grove Hall residence where King became an Alpha is a hotbed of not only Black Boston history, but also rampant change. No matter who lives on the block, the people at the center of the forthcoming plaque hope the stories of the people who once frequented the area are a permanent part of the block's story. 'Things are going to change, people are going to change neighborhoods,' Lauren B. Martin said. 'But hopefully these markers gives the new neighborhood a reference and an understanding of how we're all related.' Tiana Woodard can be reached at
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Just Added: Jagged Edge, Yolanda Adams, Finesse Mitchell, and More Headline "Greeks & Grapes: A Napa Affair" August 7-10, 2025
A Sophisticated Celebration of Black Culture, Wine, and Entertainment Debuts in Napa Valley NAPA VALLEY, Calif., June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The lineup is heating up for Greeks & Grapes: A Napa Affair, a four-day luxury cultural celebration that's redefining Napa Valley's wine scene with the addition of powerhouse performances from Jagged Edge, Yolanda Adams, Finesse Mitchell, and Tacarra Williams, to a stellar lineup of previously announced juggernauts including George Clinton, Yvonne Orji, Nephew Tommy and many more. The event, set for August 7–10, 2025, at The Meritage Resort and Spa, promises a first-of-its-kind fusion of Black excellence, music, comedy, wine, and curated indulgence. Founded by entrepreneur and community leader Marlon L. McWilson, Greeks & Grapes is open to all and centered on the legacy of the Divine Nine and those who love Black culture. "This isn't just an event—it's a cultural movement," says McWilson. "Greeks & Grapes is about honoring who we are while embracing the lifestyle we've earned. Accomplished. Joyful. Connected. All vines lead to a celebration of us—our journey, our legacy, and our continued excellence." Confirmed Talent Includes: Jagged Edge – R&B royalty bringing their legendary catalog of love songs and party anthems to wine country Yolanda Adams – The gospel icon will headline the soulful Sunday closeout Finesse Mitchell – Former SNL star and comedy veteran lighting up stage Tacarra Williams – The "beautiful beast" of comedy and a fan-favorite on the stand-up circuit Event Highlights Hosted By Yvonne Orji Include: Thursday, August 7: Opening reception and welcome mixers Friday, August 8: Comedy night hosted by Nephew Tommy, featuring Finesse Mitchell and Tacarra Williams Saturday, August 9: Music festival headlined by George Clinton and Jagged Edge. Sunday, August 10: Gospel brunch and farewell experience featuring Yolanda Adams, Marcus Johnson, Enrique Holmes, and host Jonathan Slocumb Luxury Meets Culture in the Heart of Wine Country Set at the largest resort in Napa Valley, Greeks & Grapes offers multiple tiers of access—from general admission to the ultra-premium "Reserve ALL Access" package, which includes luxury accommodations, private events, skybox access, curated tastings, and exclusive artist experiences. Guests can expect seamless, elevated hospitality throughout the event. Whether you're a Divine Nine member, a music lover, or simply someone who craves culture-rich experiences in stunning settings, Greeks & Grapes delivers an unforgettable fusion of wine, wellness, entertainment, and community. A New Cultural Tradition Begins With support from the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Divine Nine chapters across the country, Greeks & Grapes: A Napa Affair is poised to become the West Coast's signature annual celebration of Black joy, unity, and success. Oakland's own Black Bear Production is offering a limited-time offer on ALL ACCESS PACKAGES 25% Off Discount through Juneteenth with code G&GBLKBEAR. Early booking is strongly encouraged! Tickets and weekend packages are available now at Contact: Nickie Robinson 2123803385 396412@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Greeks and Grapes Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Black Greek groups honored for service and mentorship in Rochester
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Friday, U-Prep Charter School hosted a special luncheon honoring the presidents and immediate past presidents at Divine Nine and National Pen-Hellenic Council Organizations. University Preparatory is a charter school for young men and the luncheon recognizes Black Greek leadership in fraternities and sororities, as well as their service and commitment. 'All of the organizations have components of mentorship, service and really just uplifting the community of Rochester and as you all know, we need that,' U-Prep Chief Operations & Chief Finance Officer Dr. Cam Lewis said. 'So, we're all doing the same work, it's not a competition, it's really about doing the work of your chapter and working together to do some bigger productions.' We do a lot of work and often we do the work and you don't really think about what you're doing because you're just here to serve the community,' Kimberly Brown said. 'So, to know that people notice and that it's not just thankless work, it is very encouraging and motivating.' Attendees were honored with a commemorative book, a chef-prepared brunch and special gifts to show appreciation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
