This spring, Kenyon welcomed Kappa Alpha Psi (Kappa), a Columbus-wide new fraternity on campus that is part of the Divine Nine historically Black Greek letter organizations. The fraternity officially debuted in Columbus with an Instagram video on May 13. The post featured a lengthy caption detailing the founding members’ roles and the fraternity’s mission as “a city-wide vision. A brotherhood built with intention. A legacy that will echo across Columbus for generations to come.”

Kenyon Alumnus Julius Thompson II ’26, Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award winner and president of Black Student Union, played a key role in establishing Kappa, with support from Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chris Kennerly.

The Columbus-wide Sigma Alpha chapter of Kappa was started by students at Kenyon, Denison University and Otterbein University. There were seven founding members: Julius Thompson II ’26, Prince Davenport ’28, Ray Beck ’27, Cameron Cretaro ’28, Derek Howe, Ellis Appiah (both Denison) and Zamir Benn (Otterbein). Current members meet regularly to make decisions as a single chapter, shared between the three schools.

“My late father was a Kappa. When he passed, his fraternity brothers stayed present in our lives and helped make sure we were taken care of,” Thompson wrote in a message to the Collegian. “That experience made me realize that Kappa is a true lifetime of brotherhood that cares for the people in and around it. In bringing the fraternity to Kenyon, I hope to give others that same sense of family.”

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated was founded at Indiana University in 1911, during a time when Black students faced widespread social discrimination and racism both on campus and within surrounding communities in the United States. Ten Black students, led by founders Elder Watson Diggs and Byron Kenneth Armstrong, came together to create a Greek organization to provide community for Black students and promote academic, moral and personal achievements. 

Originally called Kappa Alpha Nu, the fraternity changed its name to Kappa Alpha Psi in 1915. In the following decades, the organization expanded beyond its Indiana roots into an international fraternity. Today, the fraternity has over 250,000 members and hundreds of undergraduate chapters, including its newest in Columbus.

Having a city-wide fraternity is not uncommon for historically Black fraternities. Often, individual campuses do not have enough students to sustain a standalone chapter; thus, they combine with other schools to form a unified chapter, recognized by the organization’s national headquarters. These multi-campus groups are typically under shared governance and go through a joint initiation process.

This is not the first time that Kenyon has had a historically Black Greek organization on campus. Organizations such as Nu Iota Alpha (NIA) and Brothers United (BU) emerged in the 1990s intending to create spaces for Black students and build community around shared experience. NIA, a Black women’s organization, and BU, a predominantly Black men’s organization, were involved in campus activities, community service and the campus social life, while providing members with a sense of belonging. 

NIA last appeared on campus in a 2011 edition of Kenyon’s yearbook, The Kenyon Reveille, and the reason for the group’s dissolution is unknown. Similarly, the reason for BU’s disbandment remains unknown, with recruitment halting in 2001. One of the last mentions of the organization can be found in a Collegian issue from October of 2011, where there is reference to members’ involvement in sexual assault allegations. Although both organizations are now inactive, the contributions of these organizations helped create a lasting Black Greek presence at Kenyon.  

Thompson was hopeful about the future of Kappa at Kenyon: “I hope that Kappa continues to serve all members, as well as students outside of the fraternity. I hope that it can become and stay another positive light on Kenyon[’s] campus,” he wrote.