 Over the last century, black college fraternities have been an integral part of the fabric of the black American culture. These groups have literally been the backbone of black college students' survival and advancement and its members have gone on to advance the interests of black people globally post their time spent matriculating on college campuses. Black black figures around the world have pledged into black greek-lettered organizations. From the United States Vice President Kamala Harris to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. From Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr., the first black astronaut to walk in space, to Michael Air Jordan. From Dr. Betty Shabazz to Zornair Hurston and Dr. Huey P. Newton, black greek collegiate life has permeated society in every field of human endeavor. Today's black college fraternities are affectionately known as the Divine Nine, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta. Our most tend to believe that black collegiate greek began in 1906, such is not the case. A fraternity or fraternal organization is an organized society of men associated together in environment of companionship and brotherhood dedicated to the intellectual, physical and social development of its members. The terms fraternity and society are often interchangeable. While black greek-lettered societies and fraternities are not secret societies, like any other family, they do have confidential information that is esoteric and or private and for members only. Here are the four black frats that got their start prior to 1906. Gamma Phi founded March 1st, 1905 at Wilbur Forse University, HBCU. Gamma Phi was primarily african-american fraternity founded on March 1st, 1905 at Wilbur Forse University, historically black college university in the state of Ohio by Gus Williams, Dr. Lackley, Edwin Clark is notable as being one of the forerunners in african-american collegiate fraternal scene. The group was the sole fraternity on campus until the year 1912. Charles F. Potter, the fraternity historian, stated in the four-scene yearbook of 1923 that the fraternity was for a time merely local. The fraternity grew to at least three other chapters and existed on and off for many years, but the last known documentation of this frat occurred in 1947. Pi Gamma Omicron fraternity was founded in 1905 at The Ohio State University in Columbus. The fraternity's initial group consisted of 12 members, unaware of previous black college frats. They branded themselves as the first national Greek college fraternity for black people. Started by black students, the fraternity intended to charter chapters at Hampton, Wilbur Forse, Fisk, and the University of Chicago and Indiana. W. Davis and Elma Shackifer were the two co-founders of Pi Gamma Omicron fraternity, Alpha Kappa New, 1903, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Alpha Kappa New fraternity is linked directly to Kappa Alpha New, which later changed its name to Kappa Alpha Psi. The lineage continued as Alpha Kappa New founder, Sterling McElwain, although not pictured in the group photo, went on to continue the legacy of the fraternity of race men at Indiana University as records show that he is still on the scroll of Kappa Alpha New, now Kappa Alpha Psi. The first black documented collegiate fraternity is Beta Kappa Sigma, founded in 1890 on Wilbur Forse University's campus in HBCU, Beta Kappa Sigma, affectionately known as the black cats had brothers from all over the country in their frat. They didn't ask for permission or look for validation from the university or the state government to establish themselves as a fraternity and were never quote unquote officially acknowledged as such during those times. However, it was not unusual for society not to acknowledge the humanity or manhood of black men who are recently up from slavery. One of the men in the photograph is Captain Charles Young, who later became an army officer, an expert maker and musician. Charles Young is the second person from the left and the second row from the front. A Kentucky native raised in Ohio, he graduated from Ripley colored high school in 1880. He won an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1884 and in 1889 became the third African American graduate of the school. Young taught military science at Wilbur Forse University and later served in the Spanish American War as the major in command of the ninth Ohio voluntary infantry. He had an exceptional military career highlighted by his appointments to serve as military attaché to Haiti and Liberia. He commanded troops in the punitive expedition in Mexico and during the Filipino insurrection. He was a superintendent of Squalio and General Grant National Parks. At the outset of World War One, Young was the highest ranking African American in the army. Rather than promote him and place him in position of authority over white soldiers, the army involuntarily retired Young from active duty, substantially because of quote unquote ill health. There you have it, the first four black collegiate fraternities to exist prior to 1906.