![]() ![]() The number of places where they might assemble was limited. Most of them were working their way through school. In the school years of 1910-11, a small group of Black students attended Indiana University. Track and Field was the only sport which Blacks were able to demonstrate their athleticism. Blacks were not allowed to reside in on-campus dormitories, were not afforded off-campus accommodations, and they were also denied the use of all other university facilities, and were barred from participating in contact sports. Blacks could go weeks without seeing one another on campus. The percentage of Blacks on campus was less than 1%. The administration maintained an attitude of indifference, as Blacks slowly matriculated and were likewise swiftly forgotten. The campus of Indiana University at that time did not encourage the assimilation of Blacks. ![]() ![]() However, few Blacks could remain longer than a year or so without having to withdraw in search of employment. Despite the growing hostility of Whites toward Blacks in Indiana, some Black students sought a college education at Indiana University, as it was a tuition-free university of the highest quality. This environment made day-to-day life for Blacks an arduous task and attempts to successfully achieve in school, nearly impossible. Vigilante lynchings of Blacks were commonplace. Their intolerance toward Blacks fueled the negative mindset of other Whites residing there. The state of Indiana became a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan. Consequently, the few Blacks who took up residence in Bloomington in those early years were socially ostracized and encountered extreme acts of prejudice and discrimination. This city was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause. The state of Indiana became the 19th state of the Union in 1816 and it founded Indiana University in Bloomington four years later. Kappa Alpha Psi®, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. is the Grand Polemarch of the fraternity. The Kappas will be celebrating the National Founder’s Day in Atlanta this coming weekend. There are 721 undergraduate and graduate chapters in every state in the United States and across the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Nigeria, and South Africa. Notable Kappas span the worlds of entertainment and sports with names such as Marc Lamont Hill, Cedric The Entertainer, NBA legend Bill Russell, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, Tavis Smiley, and Colin Kaepernick among the many members of the frat.Īlthough Kappa Alpha Psi is predominately Black Greek letter organization, they have never turned away members due to race, religion, or creed. The fraternity’s motto is “Achievement in every field of human endeavor,” which it seeks to maintain by way of its national educational programs. The Kappas established programs like the Kappa League and Guide Right to assist young men and provide leadership. Kappas have become known for their elaborate cane-assisted “stepping” routines, but the group prides itself for its service work beyond step show performances. The name of the group changed after Kappa Alpha Nu was morphed into a racial slur according to some accounts, and thus the new name was born. ![]() Just months after its founding, the fraternity became the first African-American group of its kind to become nationally incorporated in May of that year. The early vision of the Kappas was to serve as a social group dedicated to Black students on Indiana’s campus and to promote personal excellence. The fraternity was founded as Kappa Alpha Nu on Januby Founders Elder Watson Diggs John Milton Lee Byron Kenneth Armstrong Guy Levis Grant Ezra Dee Alexander Henry Tourner Asher Marcus Peter Blakemore Paul Waymond Caine Edward Giles Irvin and George Wesley Edmonds. ![]()
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