In less than three weeks, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the nine historically Black, Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities at Ohio State will be unveiling their new monument. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Student Life

After roughly 50 years working to get representation on campus, the National Pan-Hellenic Council— the nine historically Black, Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities at Ohio State — has less than three weeks to wait before the unveiling of their new monument.

Tanisha Jenkins, Ohio State’s associate vice president for belonging and inclusion, said the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of the NPHC Plaza will take place behind the Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center Oct. 1 at 11 a.m.

Senior Vice President for Student Life Melissa Shivers said the plaza will serve many purposes —  including building community, honoring the history of the NPHC and becoming a go-to space where members can meet. 

“Our hope is that it will serve as a central location for NPHC chapters to gather and to connect,” Shivers said. “Certainly, as specific chapters want to host different events, it feels like it will be a great space for that.”

Karin Murillo-Kirlangitis, project manager for Facilities Operations and Development, said in an email the project cost $1.1 million and is approximately 950 square feet. She said the project contains nine monuments, one for each of the fraternities and sororities, occasionally referred to as the Divine Nine.  

According to the Sorority and Fraternity Life website, are Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.

Jenkins said the celebrations and a welcoming reception will occur during homecoming weekend, starting with each NPHC chapter riding in golf carts and walking in the homecoming parade alongside alumni members and the Black Alumni Society Sept. 30. She said having the event during homecoming weekend was important in order to bring in and celebrate generations of past alumni. 

Tracy Stuck, assistant vice president for student life, said there are over 1,000 people who have RSVP’d to the event.  

“A lot of people haven’t been back to campus since they graduated from Ohio State, so this is just a really special moment that a lot of people are coming back for their chapters and/or the Black Alumni Society,” Stuck said.

Stuck said the plaza will also feature amphitheater-like seating and over 450 bricks in the center of the plaza purchased by alumni, family, staff and other contributors with their names on them. 

“Everyone really has a story in those bricks, so I think that will be a really special part too for people to recognize when they’re unveiled,” Stuck said.

Shivers said the plaza is important because the NPHC and the Divine Nine have such a significant impact on Ohio State, the surrounding communities and nationally, so it felt necessary to recognize their hard work with their own space. 

“The history of the Divine Nine and the NPHC organizations in particular are really powerful and historic, and so to be able to have that sort of physical representation and visual representation on campus is critical,” Shivers said.

Shivers said the monuments also foster diversity, inclusion and community on a campus where it can feel difficult to do so due to its size. She said she hopes students can visit the plaza not only to learn about the organization’s history, but to feel welcomed by current NPHC members and make impactful connections. 

“At an institution the size of ours, it’s not always easy to feel like you can build community or find community, and in 2022, we will have visual representation of what it means to facilitate community building in a very different way than Black students have had in the past,” Shivers said.

Shivers said she hopes the plaza will also be a tool for strengthening diversity on campus in the future as prospective students — especially ones who are taking tours of Ohio State — can see spaces like the plaza and feel included. 

“It’s not just for the past or even for the present, but it’s really about the future,” Shivers said.

“We’re going to become a part of a large community across this country who are giving a nod — have given a nod — to the significance of diversity, equity and inclusion on our campus.”