On Sept. 19, 1963, at the height of the civil rights movement, Iota Phi Theta fraternity was founded on the campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore.
The 12 founders, inspired by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Black Panthers, Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael, were unique among their peers: many were older, military veterans, full-time workers, and family men.
From the beginning, Iotas joined protests and sit-ins across Baltimore, shaping their identity as both students and activists.
As a proud member of the Divine Nine, Iota Phi Theta has grown tremendously over the past six decades. Today, the fraternity includes more than 300 undergraduate and alumni chapters, with more than 70,000 members across the United States and overseas.
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