Nearly 4,000 members travel to Bloomington to return to 'mecca' of first black fraternity

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

One hundred years later, thousands of men and their families came to Indiana to celebrate the fraternity’s centennial from July 2 through July 10.

As part of the celebration, members of Kappa Alpha Psi met in Indianapolis for the fraternity’s 80th Grand Chapter Meeting last week, and nearly 4,000 of the members arrived by 60 buses in Bloomington June 7 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.”

Elder Watson Diggs and nine other black IU students founded Kappa Alpha Psi on Jan. 5, 1911, and created a constitution as well as bylaws that have never excluded a man from membership because of color, creed or national origin.

It became the second historically black fraternity incorporated as a national organization and the first national fraternity to be founded at IU.

Polemarch of Alpha Chapter at IU, senior Aaron Barnes, said the pilgrimage helped put the historical and national significance of the fraternity into perspective.

“This is a great moment of reverence for myself and my brothers,” Barnes said. “We are a reflection of our founders. It’s something we take for granted living here in Bloomington with Alpha Chapter.”

Those visiting IU for the centennial did not take the city for granted, IU Senior Vice Polemarch David Macon said.

They visited various historical sites, including the first chapter house, a church where the founders frequently gathered and Jordan River in Dunn Meadow.

Jordan River is a significant landmark 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 on Kirkwood Avenue as well as a bench at People’s Park were unveiled.

Macon, who was one of the tour guides for this “Kappa Trail,” said it was a way to pay homage to the founders and what they went through.

“I saw people actually crying to be able to see and be where the founders walked and went to class,” he said. “It was a sharing experience that brought us together.”

BJ Grimes, National Pan-Hellenic Council president, said it’s significant that IU is home to the Kappa Alpha Psi Alpha Chapter.

“For IU, it’s great to have a continuous black organization,” said Grimes, a senior majoring in pre-med. “It shows how our campus has grown. It’s kind of the mecca of the fraternity. Bloomington gets talked about a lot in the fraternity.”

In addition to the “Kappa Trail,” a celebration was also organized at Dunn Meadow for the pilgrimage. At the gathering, 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. He went on to recap 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 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.”

Brotherhood and strength in the fraternity was as constant for the centennial celebration, Macon said, and will continue to be in the future.

“To see all those Kappas in Bloomington, to go from just 10 to thousands of brothers, is a really beautiful thing,” Macon said. “We will continue to grow and inspire young men to live their dreams.”


Kappa Alpha Psi: The early years

Jan. 5, 1911
Ten IU students found a fraternity based on a vow of not excluding any man because of his color, creed or national origin. The fraternity is called Kappa Alpha Nu.

May 15, 1911
Kappa Alpha Nu is chartered and incorporated. That summer, while working at a hotel in Fort Wayne, three of the founders enlist a Professor of Greek Art there to help them create the Kappa suit of arms and motto.

Spring, 1912
Elder Watson Diggs creates the fraternity’s constitution, writing it in a little blue exam book. It would be rewritten in 1920 and 1957.

Feb. 18, 1913
The fraternity begins to go national, with its Beta Chapter being established at the University of Illinois.

March 7, 1914
The Kappas continue to fan out, and a Delta Chapter is created at the University of Iowa.

April 15, 1915
The organization changes its name to Kappa Alpha Psi, officially becoming a Greek Letter fraternity. By the end of the year, the Kappas reach the East coast, establishing its Epsilon Chapter at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.