Our History: A Legacy of Service, Scholarship, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood​
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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 16, 1920, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.—a time of both challenge and change in America. The Ku Klux Klan was active, yet the Harlem Renaissance was giving rise to a powerful new voice for Black artists and writers. The nation had just entered Prohibition with the Volstead Act, women had gained the right to vote through the 19th Amendment, and the country would soon face the Great Depression.
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In the midst of these transformative times, five visionary women—Arizona Cleaver, Myrtle Tyler, Viola Tyler, Fannie Pettie, and Pearl Neal—envisioned a sisterhood that would rise above elitism and social exclusivity. They sought to create an organization that would promote scholarship, uplift communities, and champion social progress. These trailblazers believed that real sisterhood meant service, not status, and that collective action could address the pressing issues of prejudice, poverty, and inequality affecting the Black community and beyond.
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From that vision, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was born—a movement rooted in purpose and powered by women determined to make a difference.
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Over the past century, Zeta has continued to lead through innovation and service, achieving several historic firsts among the Divine Nine. Zeta was the first National Pan-Hellenic Council organization to establish a national headquarters, the first to charter a chapter in Africa, the first to form auxiliary groups, and the first to be constitutionally bound to a fraternity—Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated.
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Today, Zeta Phi Beta has hundreds of chapters worldwide and a membership of over 100,000 women who embody the ideals of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Through national and local programs, the sorority continues to transform communities—supporting youth, providing scholarships, promoting social justice, and advancing education and health initiatives.
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As Zeta moves confidently through her second century, the spirit of our Founders still guides us. We remain committed to excellence, empowerment, and service to all humankind—a lasting legacy that shines as brightly today as it did in 1920.
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Please view our National Website for further details!
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