| |
Founded
January 16, 1920,
Zeta
Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. began as
an idea conceived by five phenomenal
women at Howard University in Washington
D.C.: Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Myrtle
Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings,
Fannie Pettie Watts and Pearl Anna Neal.
These five women dared to depart from
the traditional coalitions for black
women and sought to establish a new
organization predicated on the precepts
of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love
and Finer Womanhood. It was the idea
of the Founders that the Sorority would
reach college women in all parts of
the country who were sorority-minded
and desired to follow the founding principles
of the organization.
Since
its inception, the Sorority has chronicled
a number of firsts. Zeta Phi Beta
was the first Greek-letter organization
to charter a chapter in Africa (1948);
to form adult and youth auxiliary
groups; to centralize its operations
in a national headquarters; and to
be constitutionally bound to a fraternity,
Phi
Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Auxillary
Groups
Zeta Phi Beta has
a long history of auxiliary organizations.
In 1940, graduate chapters began to
notice that there were women in the
community with the same ideas as the
women of the sorority. Yet, for various
reasons these women were not able
to attend college, and therefore were
not eligible for membership in Zeta
Phi Beta. To help alleviate this problem,
Zeta Phi Beta created several successful
auxiliary groups, which included:
-
Amicae
- Meaning “friends”
in Latin, the Amicae was organized
in 1948 for women who do not have
college degrees, but have an interest
in assisting local auxiliaries with
activities.
-
Archonettes
- Youth group for young
ladies age 14 to 18 currently in
high school
-
Amicettes
- Youth group for girls ages 9 to
13
- Pearlettes
- Youth group for young girls age
4 to 8
- Zeta
Male Network - The gentlemen
in the lives of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Inc. members
National
Programs
Zeta
Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has long demonstrated
an interest in serving the needs of
the community. Zeta’s signature
programs include:
»
Z-HOPE
Z-HOPE is an interactive, holistic
and multidimensional outreach service
initiative designed to enhance, cultivate
and empower participants to develop
health promoting lifestyle choices
across the lifespan. Learn
more.
»
Stork’s Nest
Since 1972, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority
has enjoyed a partnership with the
March
of Dimes in an effort to encourage
women to seek prenatal care within
the first trimester of pregnancy,
thereby increasing the prevention
of birth defects and infant mortality.
»
National Educational Foundation
The principle activities and purpose
of The National Educational Foundation
of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc are
to award scholarship grants to worthy
students for the pursuit of higher
education; to conduct community educational
programs which will aid in the educational
and vocational improvement in individual
and community living standards; to
engage in activities which will aid
in the educational development of
all women; and to engage in any appropriate
research related to the purposes of
the Foundation scholarship. Learn
more.
»
Human Genome Project
Begun formally in 1990, the Human
Genome Project is a 13-year effort
coordinated by the U.S. Department
of Energy and the National Institutes
of Health. Learn
more.
To
learn more about Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Inc. visit our national website at
http://www.zphib1920.org.
|
