Ohio State University will dedicate a new plaza Saturday on the South Oval in honor of the organization that represents nine Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities.
The new National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. Plaza is named after the umbrella organization of nine Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities, also referred to as the Divine Nine.
Thousands of current students and alumni are expected to attend the historic event led by the Office of Student Life.
The plaza is behind the historic Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center and is centered on the historic path of the Underground Railroad Network. The plaza features five-foot tall monuments for each of the nine historically Black, Greek-lettered sororities and fraternities at the university.
“When students think about coming to Ohio State and they're going to walk by this plaza they're going to know that their identity—who they are—matter,” said Melissa Shivers with OSU Office of Student Life.
Shivers says the NPHC Plaza will help promote a sense of unity, not only amongst the organizations at Ohio State but for the Black community.
“This opportunity to bring them all together in one location isn't just for the current students. This is about the history of Ohio State. But gosh, it's also about thinking about the future,” says Shivers.
The first black Greek chapter Alpha Phi Alpha at Ohio State received a campus charter in 1911.
