Members of IU’s 1st black fraternity make pilgrimage to Bloomington

In 1911, surrounded by racism and segregation, 10 men founded the first black fraternity at IU — one of the first of its kind in the country.

One hundred years later, an estimated 3,000 men and their families gathered in Dunn Meadow to celebrate the fraternity’s centennial.

Members of Kappa Alpha Psi, an organization which now consists of more than 700 chapters, were meeting in Indianapolis for the fraternity’s 80th Grand Chapter Meeting this week. Thousands of the members arrived by bus in Bloomington Thursday to see where it all began.

“This was a matter of trying to reconnect with the founders,” said Evelyn C. Robertson Jr., a Kappa who graduated from Tennessee State in 1962. “The path they traveled was very different than the direction of the fraternity today. This was about connecting to the past, appreciating the adversity and sacrifice.”

The members making the pilgrimage visited various historical sites in Bloomington — locations that make up the “Kappa Trail.”

The trail included the first chapter house, a church where the founders frequently gathered and the Jordan River in Dunn Meadow.

Jordan River is a significant land mark in Kappa Alpha Psi’s history, with references being made to it in Kappa songs. A plaque celebrating the fraternity was unveiled there during the pilgrimage.

In addition, another plaque was unveiled on Kirkwood Avenue, as well as a bench at People’s Park.

During the celebration at Dunn Meadow, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan officially declared July 7, 2011, as Kappa Alpha Psi Day in the city.

“Today is a historic day itself,” Kruzan said, before recapping the adversity the fraternity has faced in its home state throughout the past century.

When the fraternity celebrated its 25th anniversary, he said, Indiana still had government officials who were members of the Ku Klux Klan. When the 50th anniversary arrived, the country was still segregated.

Now, as the members honor the 100 years that have passed since the founders created Kappa Alpha Psi, discrimination still exists, albeit often in a sneaky, more subtle form.

“This is a time to celebrate but also a time to accept these challenges that still exist,” Kruzan said.

Also during the celebration, the “Creating Inspiration Award” was given to IU and Kappa alumnus George Taliaferro, the first African American drafted by the NFL. During his time at IU, Taliaferro fought to desegregate the swimming facilities here.

Kappa Alpha Psi Grand Polemarch Dwayne Murray, before presenting the award to Taliaferro, told the crowd that he had visited the first chapter house earlier and sat down on its steps.

“I tried to imagine what the conversations there were like,” Murray said, “Conversations about the opportunities other students had that weren’t afforded to them, like signing up for certain classes, playing contact sports or using the same swimming pool.”

IU, the fraternity and the country have come a long way in those 100 years, he said.

“We’ve moved from just thinking of going to the White House to sitting down with the President of the United States and talking about change,” Murray said. “But, I tell you, my brothers, the best days are yet to come.”