When you walk into Tauntus Beauty Bar on Livernois and 7 Mile on Detroit’s Westside, you may think it’s all about beauty products and jewelry. But, if you take a closer look, you’ll see the merchandise there is not your average apparel.
“Greek wear is sorority, fraternity clothing that we wear to inspire us to do good in the community and to let people know who the do-gooders are,” said Nadonya Muslim, Owner of Tauntus Beauty Bar and a member of a Black Greek Sorority.
She said those “do-gooders” would be the members who represent the organizations behind the Greek letters you see on the apparel known as the Divine Nine, and their doing good in the community has deep roots. To get a better understanding of just who the Divine Nine is, “Live in the D” reporter April Morton sat down with the official historian for the city of Detroit, Jamon Jordan.
“These are collegiate fraternities and sororities that were founded with the 1st one in 1906 and the last one in 1963,” Jordan said.
Jordan, who has been studying these organizations for years, said most were founded at historically Black colleges and universities, but not all. The fraternities and sororities known as the “Divine Nine” include the following organizations: Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta.
Although the organizations have their own unique purpose, one thing they all have in common is the lifetime commitment they make to serving the community. This consists of volunteering, providing scholarships, and being of service to those in need. This has been a part of the organizations’ beliefs since the beginning, and has been passed down through the decades.
This goes back to Muslim’s “do-gooder” mention. She said members of these organizations, including one’s in Detroit, are committed to taking the pledge they made to serve.
To see the entire story, click the video player above.