Wright State University unveiled a new plaza on their campus honoring the nine historically Black sororities and fraternities Saturday afternoon.
Wright State is calling the plaza the “National Pan-Hellenic Council Memorial Plots,” but the design is a concrete circle with the names of each of the NPHC sororities and fraternities around the circle. The plaza is designed to underscore Wright State’s commitment to inclusion and present an educational and cultural opportunity for students, faculty and staff, the university said.
Adrian Williams, the former Wright State student body president and member of Kappa Alpha Psi who worked to establish the memorial on campus, said it had sometimes been difficult being a Black man at a predominately white educational institution. This plaza established a space for Black students, he said.
“Having this space means more to us than any of you may ever know,” he said. “And I look forward to bringing my kids one back to campus one day, many years, down, down the line and showing them this project, I had a role in building and showing them my legacy.”
The nine historically Black sororities and fraternities that make up the NPHC were founded during a time when Black men and women were being denied essential privileges and rights. Many of them were fighting for civil rights at the same time they were completing their studies.
The plaza will be in a circle set with gold medallions, Wright State said. It will be outside of University Hall, near the “Turning Points” sculpture.
