BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY Alpha Kappa Nu

The Alpha Kappa Nu Greek Society was formed at Indiana University and Earlham College to strengthen the blacks' voice. Seated are James Knight, Howard Thompson, E.B. Keemer and Fred Williamson. Standing are John Hodge, Thomas Reynolds, Mr. Hill, R.A. Roberts and Gordon Merrill

Newspaper Article about formation of Alpha Kappa Nu

Newspaper Article about formation of the first African American Greek Letter Organization - Alpha Kappa Nu

Alpha Kappa Nu was one of several unsuccessful attempts to create an African-American collegiate fraternal organization in the United States in 1903.^[1]

History

Social club

In The Story of Kappa Alpha Psi: A History of the Beginning and Development of A College Greek Letter Organization 1911-1999, Historian Ralph J. Bryson recounted that his own fraternity "may have begun in 1903 on the campuse of Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, but there were too few registrants to assure continuing organization. That year, a club was formed called Alpha Kappa Nu Greek Society"; though newspaper accounts from 1903 and 1905 identified the organization as a Greek fraternity with elected officers and a constitution with plans of establishing branches at "leading negro institutions," the unincorporated club disappeared after a short time.^[2]

Kappa Alpha Psi[edit]

Bryson states that the original moniker (Kappa Alpha Nu) of Kappa Alpha Psi, which did become an African-American Fraternity, may have been chosen in tribute to the short lived club.^[2] However there is no concrete evidence as to why the Greek letters Kappa Alpha Nu were chosen, and the name was later changed. Kappa Alpha Psi's historian credits the name change in 1915 with allowing their organization to "thereby became a Greek letter Fraternity in every sense of the designation."^[2]