Res. No. 424

Resolution declaring January 5 as Kappa Alpha Psi Day in the City of New York to recognize the fraternity’s long-standing tradition of fostering brotherhood, academic achievement, leadership development, and community service

By Council Members Riley, Farías, Hankerson and Thomas-Henry

Whereas, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (“Kappa”) is a nonprofit Black Greek-Letter Organization (BGLO) of college-educated men dedicated to their motto of “Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor,” to the development of the current and next generation of leaders, and to the uplifting of communities; and

Whereas, The fraternity is the second oldest existing BGLO of men and the first to be incorporated as a national body; and

Whereas, It currently has more than 250,000 members in more than 700 undergraduate and alumni chapters in the U.S. and 13 other countries around the world; and

Whereas, The fraternity was established in predominantly white Bloomington, Indiana, the home of Indiana University (IU), a tuition-free well-regarded public university; and

Whereas, In the 1910-1911 academic year, the very few Black students who attended IU and who were mostly working their way through college were not permitted to live in the dormitories, were barred from most university facilities, and were allowed to participate in athletics only in track and field; and

Whereas, Led by Elder Watson Diggs and Byron Kenneth Armstrong, two students who had attended Howard University and had met members of a BGLO there, a total of 10 Black students got together to found a fraternity that would help make up for the gaps in their social and cultural lives at IU, including John Milton Lee, who also contributed substantially to the early days of the organization; and

Whereas, Known first as Alpha Omega and then as Kappa Alpha Nu, when it was officially founded on January 5, 1911, the fraternity eventually became Kappa Alpha Psi on April 15, 1915; and

Whereas, The fraternity became a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which was founded in 1930 as the coordinating body of BGLOs of college-educated women and men committed to “community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities,” whose four sorority and five fraternity members are now known affectionately as the “Divine Nine”; and

Whereas, Kappa men now volunteer in a variety of programs aimed at improving the lives of Black men and at raising the aspirations of communities across the U.S. and in other countries, including Learn 2 Live, which seeks to empower youth through helping them understand their Constitutional rights and giving them the tools they need to navigate encounters with law enforcement officials; Kappa League, which provides educational, social, and vocational guidance to male students in sixth through twelfth grade; Room to Read, which trains undergraduate volunteers to read aloud South African children’s literature and do activities with students in under-resourced elementary schools; Are You Ok?, which seeks to address mental health issues among Black men; and more; and

Whereas, Kappa men have made significant contributions in the fields of sports and entertainment, including Wilt Chamberlin, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Arthur Ashe, Gayle Sayers, Colin Kaepernick, Donald Byrd, John Singleton, and Cedric the Entertainer; and

Whereas, Kappa men have made significant contributions in the civil rights movement, in law, and in federal, state, and local government service, including Ralph Abernathy and Benjamin Jealous and as members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the New York City Council; and

Whereas, In collaboration with other community groups, Kappa’s New York Alumni Chapter gave away 300 turkeys for Thanksgiving 2025 to Harlem families to underscore its continuing commitment to the Harlem community and to pay tribute to Kappa member Percy Sutton, the iconic civil rights activist, lawyer, and former Manhattan Borough President; and

Whereas, The designation of a day is fitting to honor the wide range of volunteer work of Kappa men and their impact on New York City communities; now, therefore, be it

                     Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York declares January 5 as Kappa Alpha Psi Day in the City of New York to recognize the fraternity’s long-standing tradition of fostering brotherhood, academic achievement, leadership development, and community service.

LS #21001

2/12/26

RHP