Wiregrass Times

NPHC Greeks will now have a rallying point on the Troy Campus with the dedication of a plaza in their honor.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza, to be dedicated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, recognizes and honors the eight historically African American Greek-letter organizations of the NPHC that are active at Troy University.

“The plaza helps bring recognition of a minority-side of campus to the forefront,” said Sadaris Williams, Assistant Director of Student Involvement and Leadership and NPHC advisor. “It will help with recruiting in that prospective students will know that Troy University does have these organizations and that they do matter to the University community.”

NPHC Plaza will be dedicated Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.

Williams said the plans to develop an area on campus highlighting the organizations was first hatched in 2016, but that fundraising for the creation of the plaza began in earnest in 2020. Located between Trojan Arena and Veterans Memorial Stadium, the concept was championed by the late Lamar P. Higgins, a member of the University’s Board of Trustees and the university’s first African American Student Government Association president. 

“Mr. Higgins understood the importance of such a place on campus. He recognized how important it would be to our campus culture,” he said. “He and Chancellor Hawkins could see how such an area could impact not only current and future students, but alumni and friends of the University.”

The plaza is comprised of nine markers, one for each organization at TROY: Omega Psi Phi, Phi Beta Sigma, Iota Phi Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, Delta Sigma Theta, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Zeta Phi Beta. 

NPHC is the governing body of the nine largest historically African American Greek-letter fraternities and sororities, currently representing more than 1.5 million members internationally. The organization boasts a diverse membership comprised of students, celebrities, corporate, political and community leaders. NPHC organizations are all unique with respect to other Greek-letter organizations in that they embrace a service-oriented philosophy and aim to promote the continuance of social action, political empowerment, and economic development. The National Pan-Hellenic Council organizations have a profound commitment to providing community service and to uplifting and promoting the general public welfare. These services are implemented within the local, national, and international community.

Since its founding in 1930 at Howard University, NPHC has grown to more than 400 undergraduate chapters and many alumni chapters. In 1992, the first permanent national office was established at Indiana University-Bloomington, and, in 1993, opened its membership internationally. Its first international council was chartered in 1995 in Nassau, Bahamas and in 1996, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity became its ninth affiliate member.

Donations to the Plaza can be made online.

Original link can be found here.