Black Sororities and Fraternities Line Up Behind Kamala Harris

A united “Divine Nine” could be a formidable political advantage as the vice president, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, looks to shore up the Democratic base. She’ll address another Black sorority on Wednesday.

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Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s 71st Boulé in Dallas, Texas, on July 10, 2024.

As Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign rushes to shore up its base, its efforts will be bolstered by a ready-made coalition: the more than two million members of Black Greek-letter organizations who have quickly united to mobilize Black voters nationwide.

Before Ms. Harris had even hosted her first official campaign event as the de facto Democratic nominee, the heads of the “Divine Nine,” the country’s nine most prominent Black sororities and fraternities, were planning a giant voter organization effort. When President Biden announced on Sunday that he was stepping aside and endorsing Ms. Harris, excitement over her ascent spread swiftly among these groups’ members in group chats, Facebook groups and conference calls.

After all, Ms. Harris, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha since her undergraduate days at Howard University, is one of them.

“Greek letter organizations who have worked in the trenches, some for over 100 years, never received any kind of publicity, any kind of notoriety,” said Representative Frederica S. Wilson of Florida, who is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Once Ms. Harris ran for president, in 2020, she said, that changed. “The A.K.A.s shouted to the highest hills, ‘That’s our soror! That’s our sister!’”

On Wednesday, Ms. Harris is expected to address members of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority at their Boulé, or annual national gathering, in Indianapolis — her first such event as the Democratic Party’s likely standard-bearer.

ImageMembers of Alpha Kappa Alpha cheer for Vice President Harris during the Boulé in Dallas, on July 10, 2024.Credit…LM Otero/Associated Press

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