Overview
Wear your colors and join our celebration of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC)!
For more than a century, the Divine Nine (D9) — the nine African American fraternities and sororities that are part of the NPHC — has nurtured generations of leaders. With an affiliation that lasts a lifetime, members are empowered to preserve their cultural heritage and champion change in political, economic and social arenas.
This month’s Standing in Solidarity program includes a PSEG Social Impact film screening of “African American Fraternities and Sororities – The Divine 9,” an episode of the PBS series Basic Black.
Following the screening, hear from a panel of accomplished D9 members. Learn about how their college experiences inspired their professional careers and why D9 members continue to lead the charge in social justice and community empowerment.
In partnership with Dodge Poetry, our program will open with words from Cortney Lamar Charleston, an award-winning poet and author of the forthcoming It’s Important I Remember (Curbstone Books/Northwestern University Press, 2026).
Kamali Griffith, initiate of the Gamma Zeta Chapter and member of Beta Alpha Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will give an introduction.
Our panel will be moderated by Marcus Beckett, Associate Producer, NJPAC’s Community Engagement. The panel was curated by Sherlock Dow, President, National Pan Hellenic Council of Central Jersey.
panelists
Keshia Butler-Thomas, Area 6 Coordinator of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.’s Northeastern Region and CEO of LCK Consulting Services, LLC
Nigel Coelho, Eastern Regional Director of Phi Beta Sigma and Vice President–Operations at US Foods
Fred Davis, President of Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Financial Secretary of the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Partner in tax services at Aprio Advisory Group, LLC
Calvin R. Ledford Jr., Omega Psi Phi and President of the PSEG Foundation and Director of PSEG Corporate Social Responsibility
Ericka Shoulars, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., New Jersey State Coordinator, and Director at BNY (Band of New York Mellon)
Theodore N. Stephens, II, Former Grand Polaris of Iota Phi Theta and Essex County Prosecutor
Monica Pixie Townsend, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., New Jersey State Social Action Coordinator and Program Director at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
Annette Harrell Vick, President of Beta Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated
L-Mani S. Viney, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Jersey City Alumni Chapter and Dean of Students at West Orange High School
rsvp
Curated by Sherlock Dow, President of National Pan Hellenic Council of Central Jersey