Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a mostly African American membership. Kappa Alpha Psi sponsors programs providing neighborhood service, social welfare and academic scholarship through the “Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation” and is a supporter of the United Negro College Fund and Habitat for Humanity. Kappa Alpha Psi is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council by which is also known as the “NPHC” and the North American Inter-fraternity Conference also known as the “NIC”. The fraternity is the first predominantly African American Greek letter society founded west of the Appalachian Mountains still in existence. The fraternity was founded as “Kappa Alpha Nu” on the night of January 5, 1911 by ten African American college students. The founders of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. were Dr. Elder Watson Diggs who was also known as “The Dreamer”, Dr. Ezra Dee Alexander, Dr. Byron Kenneth Armstrong, Atty. Henry Tourner Asher, Dr. Marcus Peter Blakemore, Mr. Paul Waymond Caine, Mr. George Wesley Edmonds, Dr. Guy Levis Grant, Mr. Edward Giles Irvin, and Sgt. John Milton Lee. The decision upon the name Kappa Alpha Nu may have been to honor the Alpha Kappa Nu club which began in 1903 on the Indiana University campus, but there were too few registrants to assure continuing organization.
Throughout this time there were very few African American students at the predominately white at the Bloomington, Indiana campus of Indiana University. They were a small minority due to the period of the Jim Crow laws. Many African American students rarely saw each other on campus and were discouraged and prohibited from attendance of student functions and extracurricular activities by white college administrators and fellow students. African American students were denied membership all athletic teams with the immunity of track and field. The racial prejudice and discrimination encountered by the founders strengthened their bond of friendship and growing interest in starting a social group. Some believe the Greek letters Kappa Alpha Nu were chosen as a tribute to Alpha Kappa Nu, but the name became an ethnic slur among racist factions. Founder Elder Watson Diggs, while observing a young initiate compete in a track meet, overheard fans referring to the member as a “kappa alpha nig”, and a campaign to rename the fraternity ensued. The resolution to rename the group was adopted in December 1914, and the fraternity states, the name acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha Psi thereby became a Greek letter Fraternity in every sense of the designation. Kappa Alpha Psi has been the official name since April 15, 1915. However, it wasn’t only changed to kappa alpha psi because of the racial slur, it was changed to Kappa Alpha Psi because the “Psi”, meaning very Powerful, thus making it the all mighty powerful Kappa Alpha Psi Greek fraternity. In 1947, at the Los Angeles Conclave, the National Silhouettes of Kappa Alpha Psi were established as an auxiliary group, which membership comprises wives or widows of fraternity members. In 1980, the Silhouettes were officially recognized and granted a seat on the Board of Directors of the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation. Silhouettes provide support and assistance for the activities of Kappa Alpha Psi at the Grand Chapter, Province and Local levels. Kappa Alpha Psi offers undergrad and graduate membership to potential members, and its constitution has never contained any clause which either excluded or suggested the exclusion of a man from membership because of color, creed, or national origin. In the spring of 1912 Diggs wrote in a little blue assessment book the first Constitution, which was adopted in 1920 with but a few make over’s and revisions. This publication remained in use until 1926 when it was supplanted by the codified edition jointly written by Diggs, J. Ernest Wilkins, and W. Ellis Stewart. In 1957 the Constitution again underwent major revisions. Now significantly established and provided with a Constitution, sacrament, coat of arms, slogan, and guiding hand in a dynamic Grand Chapter, the Fraternity was ready for expansion.
In the summer of 1912, Diggs visited the University of Illinois at Urbana, Illinois, where he met Earl B. Dickerson, President of the Old “Illini Club.” This club constituted the nucleus of the University of Illinois Chapter, the Beta, which was chartered on February 8, 1913. Gamma Chapter, by which was later changed to Indianapolis Alumni Chapter. It was established on December 29, 1913, followed by the establishment of Delta Chapter at the University of Iowa, on March 7, 1914. The latter was subsequently changed to Gamma Chapter, and the designation of Delta assigned to the Wilberforce University Chapter at Wilberforce, Ohio. Epsilon Chapter, Lincoln University, by which was in Pennsylvania, was established December 4, 1915, as the first chapter in the East. Elder W. Diggs journeyed from Indiana to give this chapter his personal and official installation, recognition and blessing.
Kappa Alpha Psi isn’t just a fraternity it is an Organization. They have many other programs and organizations such as, the Guide right program, the Kappa league, the student of the year competition, and the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation. The Guide Right program is a program for the learning and job-related guidance of youth, mainly inspiring and informational in character. Its reach extends to high schools and colleges alike, giving help and attention to the needs of undergraduate brothers. In 1921, the Fraternity was divided into districts as a result of proposed legislation by George F. David II, the third Grand Polemarch. David was first Grand Polemarch who had not been nurtured by the Alpha Chapter under the influence of the Founders, proposed dividing the Fraternity into decision making districts. The idea was made up by his father who was a Presiding Elder of the A.M.E. Church, by which is The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church, by which is a Methodist denomination founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the mid Atlantic area that wanted independence from white Methodists. Allen was elected its first bishop in 1816, and also members of Kappa Alpha Psi. Grand Polemarch David II, made the division of the Fraternity into three districts. The three districts grew into four regions. Fifth Grand Polemarch Earl B. Dickerson changed the term of “Region” to “Province” and “Regional Director” to “Province Polemarch” at the 15th Grand Chapter Meeting in 1925. And during the original establishment of the provinces, the following provinces were established: Eastern, Middle Eastern, Central, Great Lakes, Northwestern, Western, Southern, and Southeastern Provinces. Kappa Alpha Psi’s International Headquarters is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
This program was established in 1922 by Leon Wop Stewart, and suggested at the twelfth Grand Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. Guide Right became the Fraternity’s National Service Program. Jesse Jerome Peters, later to become the eighth Grand Polemarch, was chairman of the committee, during the administration of W. Ellis Stewart as Grand Polemarch. The five national Guide Right initiatives are Kappa League, Jr. Kappa League, A-MAN Program, St. Jude Research Hospital, and the premier program, “Kappa Kamp,” by which gives inner city boys to attend camp at the Piney Woods Country Life School in Piney Woods, Mississippi. Additionally, chapters within the Fraternity sponsor a wide variety of Guide Right programs in their communities that support their local youth.
Annually more than 1,800 members are initiated into Kappa Alpha Psi. Undergraduate Chapters are located on more than 377 College and University campuses and Alumni Chapters are arrayed in some 367 cities in the United States and 9 foreign countries. To be considered for membership, a candidate must have a 2.5 gpa on a 4.0 scale. For consideration into Kappa Alpha Psi on the alumni level, one must possess at least a Bachelors Degree or the equivalent of such a degree from an accredited college or university. Kappa Alpha Psi also prides itself in that it has never bestowed honorary membership. I currently attend IUP, Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. is currently suspended, due to them being involved in a fight as of the spring semester of 2009. They were also said to have been suspended because of being caught hazing too many times. Kappa Alpha Psi has never condoned hazing, but is aware of incidents that have occurred. In 1990, Kappa Alpha Psi along with fellow NPHC organizations issued a joint statement announcing the elimination of pledging. The fraternity revised its membership development and intake process. This document instituted strong policies against hazing and has taken steps to reinforce and strengthen its stance against prohibited conduct. The fraternity backed its stance by releasing Executive Order One in 1988, Executive Order Two in 1993, and Executive Order Three in 1994.
