In the face of challenges like the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage, and institutional change within higher education, the story of Black Greek Life Organizations, or BGLO, is one of perseverance in a sometimes-unwelcoming world.
Three pioneering BGLOs chose to plant their roots on a UC campus that was considerably newer than the founding campuses of UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, and UCLA. UC Riverside’s newness was refreshing but also led members down unpaved, and sometimes rocky, paths.
In 1913, Black people did not have many rights, and Black women had even fewer. There was a clear need for an organization created for Black women that focused on social action and public service. That need is what led to the founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. at Howard University in 1913. More than 60 years later, UCR’s Mu Chi Chapter was chartered in 1976.
In 1973, without the minimum number of incorporated members on UCR’s campus, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. fought to establish itself. But after three years of efforts by the graduate chapter, Eta Nu Omega, UCR’s Kappa Theta Chapter, for undergrads, was chartered in 1976.
In 1975, the dissolution of UCR’s football program led to a significant number of student transfers and a decline in fraternity membership on campus, challenging Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s recruitment efforts. Yet they chartered UCR’s Sigma Eta Chapter in 1976.
Today, BGLOs are supported by UCR departments like Student Life's Fraternity and Sorority Involvement Center (FSIC) and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
"These organizations have played an essential role in fostering leadership, service, scholarship, and cultural belonging in the Inland Empire for decades since the 1970s," said Director of African Student Programs, Jamal Myrick. "Since 1974, there have been more than 500 members to come through the various BGLOs on our campus alone."
But before support, there was struggle.
“Reaching this milestone hasn’t been easy,” said Sedrick Spencer, a member of Sigma Eta since 1988. “What has sustained us is our unwavering commitment to our community. Our impact extends beyond campus — students have participated in our programs, learned from Omega teachers and principals, been mentored by brothers serving as police officers and university administrators, and benefited from our scholarships. These connections, built generation after generation, reflect something larger than any individual member: a brotherhood rooted in service and principles that endure.”
As important as history is to the longevity and legacy of these fraternities and sororities, so too is the current and next generation’s commitment to fulfilling their founders’ visions.
“When I was in high school, I toured UCR’s campus and learned of the chapter,” said Carvone Allen, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Mu Chi Chapter since 2004. “By the end of my freshman year, I learned the history of the chapter and found that it was filled with women who honor the sorority’s legacy through consistent excellence, accountability, and meaningful engagement on and off campus. The chapter’s unity across generations and its dedication to uplifting both the campus and the surrounding community confirmed that Mu Chi was the chapter where I could grow, serve, and contribute with purpose.”
Others followed the lead of the people they admired in their everyday lives.
“I grew up surrounded by Delta women who led by example, including my mother and my fourth- and fifth-grade teacher,” said Flora “Liantanae” Glynn, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., since 2010. “The values they poured into me shaped who I am, and I always felt that Delta played a role in helping make them the women they are. Joining felt like a way to give my time and energy back to the organization that helped shape my foundation.”
To the future members of these BGLOs, who will help carry them to their 100-year milestone, Maurice “Moe” Mason, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Sigma Eta Chapter since 2022, says, “Every chapter is different. Take the time to truly get to know the members and build genuine friendships before joining, so working together feels natural and authentic. If I hadn’t joined, I would not know what true friendship means.”
50 Years of UCR’s BGLO Excellence
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. | Sigma Eta Chapter
Notable fraternity members: Langston Hughes, Jesse Jackson, Michael Jordan, and many more
UCR charter members (aka charter founders): Abdul Daoud Hadee (’77), Leland Daniels (’76), Jesse Taylor, Jerome Welch, James Tyler, Garry Biggers, and Linwood McNeill (’80)
Sigma Eta Brothers helped launch a Black History Essay Contest, later adopted by the Riverside Unified School District
Sigma Eta has won multiple regional/national step champions.
Their Miss Omega program, established in 2023, honors outstanding women on campus and provides scholarships to support their educational goals.
Sigma Eta Instagram
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. | Kappa Theta Chapter
Notable sorority members: Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Kamala Harris, and many more
UCR charter members (aka charter founders): Gail Malert, Sharon Elliot (’75), Sharon Thomas (’76), Sandra Johnson, Alecia Williams, Joni Matthews-Wright (‘76), and Vernicia Jordan
Kappa Theta Sisters have been represented many times as the chapter with the highest overall GPA.
Their Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack, or CHIPP, donates food to local elementary schools.
Kappa Theta Instagram
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. | Mu Chi Chapter
Notable sorority members: Mary McLeod Bethune, Aretha Franklin, Angela Bassett, and many more
UCR charter members (aka charter founders): Vera Alice Bagneris, Jaquetta Brock, Valerie Ann Brooks, Deborah Patrice Brown, Carmen Hardy Coles-Roberts, Carol Collins, Mable Erby, Pamela Sue Greer, Victoria Francis Hoyte, Princess Joanna Augustine Jones, Patricia Lynn Keeley, Natalie Sharp, and Vicky Renee Williams
Delta Sigma Theta has been formally recognized by the United States Congress, including a Senate resolution honoring the Sorority’s Centennial and its historic legacy of service and leadership.
The chapter remains active in voter education, advocacy, and service efforts that address the needs of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Mu Chi Instagram
