University of Toledo National Pan-Hellenic Council Ceremony

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc

By Tricia Hall
The Truth Reporter

The University of Toledo unveiled the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Plaza during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sunday, May 1, 2022.

“Thank you for joining us in this beautiful place. I’m personally honored to be a part of this occasion,” shared Al Baker, UT board president.

“We worked long and hard to get to this point. This space is about giving us representation and education on the rich history of these great organizations,” shared Sheree Madison-Emery, University of Toledo Coordinator for Fraternity & Sorority Life.

The plaza is located just steps from the Greek Housing Village and features all nine historic black organizations that comprise the NPHC. Construction began on the plaza just last spring and now there are nine plaques for each of organizations. The plaque includes the name of the individuals who chartered the UT chapter and organization’s name.

“Doors of the future are open to those who know how to push them. This space will have a major impact on current and future generations of NPHC members. We now officially have a place on this campus that represents us, a place that lets everyone know that we are here and doing great work on this campus,” shared Danielle Johnson, president of UT NPHC and member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.

“Over the years, we watched the process start and stop under different presidents, but President Postel vowed support for this project and even organized a Day-of-Giving. He helped to make this happen. We wanted a place that represented us,” explained Jersey McClendon, UT senior and member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated.

“There organizations, their members and their alumni have historically not been recognized as broadly on campus as the other Greek organizations. The new plaza is a powerful way of saying these students belong here and it serves as a recognition of the good work the do both on campus and in our community. I’d like to thank President Postel for his support in positioning UToledo as a leader in creating this space for the National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza on our campus,” shared Sammy Spann, PhD, University of Toledo Interim Senior Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students.

The nine organizations that are known as NPHC are: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity. The university currently has all nine organizations active on the campus.