Sigma Firsts

We weren't the First African-American Greek-Letter Fraternity to be founded. However, we are definitely the Fraternity of Firsts...

• First to use a Shield
• First to have a Fraternal motto
• First Fraternity to have Presidents of other countries in its membership (Hon. Bro's. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Nnamdia Azikiwe, and Nelson Mandela) No other Fraternity Except Omega can even claim a nation's President in its membership.
• First and ONLY Black Greek-Letter Fraternity to have one of its members on the face of a U.S. Coin. (George Washington Carver: The 1951 Half Dollar) Only 2 African Americans have EVER been on the face of a US coin: George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington--who was not Greek.
• First Black Greek-Letter Fraternity to be recognized by Howard University April 15, 1914 ( Omega wasn't until October 28, 1914
• First Fraternity to be offered a merger with another Fraternity: (1915: Kappa Alpha Psi, formerly Kappa Alpha Nu...Thanks, but no thanks!!!)
• First Fraternity to hold a joint International Convention with another African-American Fraternity ( Omega )
• First black fraternity to go south of the Mason-Dixon line (Beta Chapter-Morgan College, Wiley College) That is the REAL reason they call us country boys
• First and ONLY Fraternity to establish a constitutional bond with a Sorority (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.)
• First Fraternity to establish a youth auxiliary program (The Sigma Beta Club)
• First Fraternity to own and operate a Credit Union for its members
• First Fraternity to establish chapters within the Continent of Africa
• First Fraternity to establish Graduate/ Alumni Membership
• First Fraternity to establish a Graduate/Alumni Chapter
• First Fraternity had the dog (we dropped the tag shortly after Omega copied it from us)
• First fraternity to step
• First Black Fraternity to go into the deep south (Zeta Chapter- Morris Brown College Atlanta, GA)
• Summer 1914 moved into the largest Negro fraternity house at Howard University
• Co-founded the Pan Hellenic Council, the governing body of the fraternities/sororities
• First Fraternity to step with a cane (later imitated by Kappa)

Lastly, many Fraternities may have supported the Million Man March, but only

PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED

Can lay claim to not only supporting, but sponsoring the March at its International Headquarters

If you didn't know...now you know!!! We are often IMITATED, but we can never be DUPLICATED!!!