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Kappa Alpha Psi(KAΨ)Fraternity, is the second oldest active African-American Greek letter fraternity with 600 undergraduate and alumni chapters throughout every city and state in the United States and also include overseas chapters in the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea, Japan and the Carribean. Kappa Alpha Psi has over 85,000 members and it is open to men of all races,religion, and creed since it's beginning on the campus of the University of Indiana. Kappa Alpha Psi was the first of the NPHC organizations to be incorporated into a national fraternity. It also has the distinction of being the first African-American Greek letter society founded west of the Appalchian Mountains still in existence.

Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity has been a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), an umbrella organization of nine international African-American Greek letter sororities and fraternities . Kappa Alpha Psi has twelve provinces(regions). The president of the national fraternity title is Grand Polemarch who assigns a Province Polemarch for each twelve districts throughout the nation. Kappa Alpha Psi been been a major contributor in the field of politcal, social,cultural and scholastic achievement through programs providing community service, social welfare and academic scholarship with the Kappa Alpha Foundation and great supporter of the United Negro College Fund and Habitat for Humanity.

the Kappa Alpha Psi Journal is the offical magazine of the fraternity since 1914. It's first editor was Frank M. Summers who later would become the 14th Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi

Founding History of Kappa Alpha Psi

The fraternity was founded originally as Kappa Alpha Nu on the night of January 5, 1911 on the campus of Indiana University, in Bloomington, Indiana by ten African-American college students listed below,

The Founders

• Elder Watson Diggs, "The Dreamer" 1st Grand Polemarch
• Dr. Byron Kenneth Armstong
• Dr. Erza D Alexander
• Attorney Henry T. Asher
• Dr. Marcus Peter Blakemore
• Paul Waymond Caine
• George Edmonds
• Dr. Guy Levis Grant
• Edward G. Irvin
• John Milton Lee

During this time there were very few African-American students at the predominately White campus and they were a small minority due to the era of Jim Crow. Many African Americans students rarely saw each other on campus and were discriminated from attending student functions and extra cirricular activites by college administration and White student body. They were denied to participate in athletics teams with the exception of track and field. This racial prejudice and discrimation that the founders encountered while attending college had strengthen their bond of friendship and growing interest in starting a social group. From the beginning, the founders goal was to create a fraternity founded on Christian ideals and purpose of achievement regardless of person's race or social class.

By 1912, the fraternity had expanded outside the campus of Indiana Univesity with the second undergraduate chapter founded at the University of Illinois(Beta Chapter), then later at the University of Iowa(Gamma Chapter). The changing to the present name of Kappa Alpha Psi was presented and adopted in December 1914 and officially changed in 1915. After this, Kappa Alpha Psi chartered undergraduate chapters on Black colleges campuses at Wibeforce University(Delta Chapter) and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania(Epilson Chapter). Xi Chapter was chartered at Howard University which was the birthplace of eight other African-American fraternities and sororites with exception of Alpha Phi Alpha who had charted its second chapter there. Since then Kappa Alpha Psi has expanded through the Midwest, South and West Coast on both White and Black college campuses.

National programs

Since 1922, Kappa Alpha Psi Guide Right Progam is a national social program which promote assisting youth between the ages of 5 to 18 with education, tutoring, role models, and financial assistance for college in every community throughout the United States. Each alumni chapter have their own Kappa League organization who provide role modeling,education and various activities every month. There is also Kappa Kamp which is a part of the Guide Right initiatives for boys to attend camp outside urban life.

Every fall, all alumni and undergraduates officers attends the C. Rodger Leadership Conference in their own district to educate and trains all officers from local alumni and undergraduate chapters the professional aspects to run their chapters affectively. The Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the fraternity since 1981 to assist both alumni and undergraduate chapters support of scholarships, educational and national programs in their communities.

The History of the Kappa Kane

The most enduring traditional symbol of Kappa Alpha Psi had been the Kappa Kane that fraternity brothers use in their step shows to twirl and tap along with their steps. There have been various stories when Kappa Alpha Psi began the use canes. One story stated that since the fraternity was founded that members had worn or carried canes who proudly adorned them being a symbol of a gentlemen. The use of canes in their routines for step show stared around the 1950's and began to spread when stepping was catching on among the Black fraternities and sororities. Later on the canes were decorated with fraternity colors and later cut down so brothers could be able to "twirl" their canes more easily. At first the national organization did not recognize the use of cane or condone until 1986 when cane stepping became a offical part of Kappa Alpha Psi

External links

• http://www.kappaalphapsi1911.com/ Kappa Alpha Psi Offical Homepage website]

• 1911 establishments
• International student societies
• Kappa Alpha Psi brothers
• National Pan-Hellenic Council
• United States student societies