Афроамерикалық студенттік бауырластық Иота Фи Тета

International historically African American collegiate fraternity

Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (ΙΦΘ) is a historically African American fraternity. It was founded on September 19, 1963, at Morgan State University (then Morgan State College) in Baltimore, Maryland, and is currently the 5th largest Black Greek Lettered Fraternity. Members of the close knit afrocentric fraternity proudly embrace the organization’s youth, uniqueness, individualism (stereotyping discouraged) and modern idealism. As a contemporary organization, many members have had the great honor of meeting, fellowshipping with and/or engaging in personal or virtual discussions with one or more of their founders. Today there are over 301 undergraduate and alumni chapters (including colonies), On September 19, 1963, the twelve founders gathered together on the steps of Hurt Gymnasium on the campus of Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) and unyielding desired & agreed to form Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., a support system for militant men of color in the era's turbulent social climate. At the time of the fraternity's founding, several NPHC organizations “existed on Morgan State’s campus”. Many new organizations devoted to the plight of African Americans arose during the 1960s. Like those organizations, Iota Phi Theta's founders were extremely devoted to Civil Rights and energizing the movement. Many of them were three to five years older, worked and attended classes full time, had served in the military and had families with small children. Based upon their ages, heightened responsibilities and increased level of maturity, the group had a slightly different perspective than the norm for typical fraternity members. It was this perspective from which they established the Fraternity's purpose, "The development and perpetuation of Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, Fidelity, and Brotherhood among Men." Additionally, they conceived the Fraternity's motto, "Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!". It was during this time that future Iota men decidedly became advocates for marginalized people and their communities.

The fraternity functioned as a local entity until the first interest groups were established in 1967 at Hampton Institute (Beta Chapter) and Delaware State College (Gamma Chapter). Further expansion took place in 1968, with chapters formed at Norfolk State College (Delta Chapter) and Jersey City State College (Epsilon Chapter). The fraternity was legally incorporated on November 1, 1968, as a national fraternity under the laws of the State of Maryland. While its NIC membership was and is beneficial, later Iota began contact with the NPHC, which at the time had no expansion policy with which to accept new members. At its 1993 national convention, the NPHC adopted a constitutional amendment which provided for expansion, and years later, a NPHC expansion committee developed criteria for potential new member organizations and a procedure by which they might apply. as of June 2018, there have been over 30,000 members initiated in the US and overseas. September 19, 2013 marked the fraternity's 50th anniversary. After the fraternity’s 50th anniversary, fraternity members aligned themselves with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. The fraternity and BLM maintain similar stances that societal inequalities and injustices must permanently end across the United States. In 2016 the Alpha and Gamma Omega Omega Chapters, both located in Baltimore, MD, pledged an endowment of $100,000 to Morgan State University’s Scholarship Fund. The fraternity gifted $100,000 to the National Museum of African American History. The fraternity also donated official vintage merchandise to the museum which opened on September 24, 2016. In 2020 the Beta Omega Washington, DC Alumni Chapter (in conjunction with Beta Omega Social Services) awarded $55,000 in scholarship funds to high achieving (many underprivileged) college bound youth. In May 2020, Iota's president and other NPHC fraternities and sororities' presidents, formally called for the filing of criminal charges against police officers involved in the murder of George Floyd. On May 29, Iota's leadership and other NPHC organizations' leadership, accepted an invitation to begin a series of meetings with then presidential candidate Joe Biden regarding the highest priorities facing Black America. Also in 2020 Brother and Congressman Bobby Rush successfully passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act (a bill he introduced in 2019) to the United States House of Representatives. The act was eventually signed into law on March 29, 2022, and remains a landmark achievement.

Iota Phi Theta has a publication and several affiliated programs. The Centaur magazine is the official publication of the Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. First published as a newsletter, the Centaur is now published biannually.

In the early growth and development of the fraternity, Morgan State College staff member Audrey Brooks assisted the Brothers and became a vital resource to Iota Phi Theta, providing protection and support for the fledgling organization. In recognition of her support, the fraternity granted Ms. Brooks the title of "Eternal Sweetheart". Brooks continued to support Iota Phi Theta through her life and was a frequent guest at Iota conclaves and workshops until her passing in 2003. The Iota Sweetheart Auxiliary was formed soon after in her honor and has become a fraternity tradition. During a Sweetheart Workshop held during the 1999 Iota Phi Theta Conclave in Oakland, California, Ms. Brooks stated, "The Purpose of Iota Sweethearts is to smile and be gracious on behalf of Iota. Anything else is inappropriate," which became the philosophical foundation of the Sweetheart Auxiliary. The Iota Sweethearts, Inc. (ISI) was founded in September 2014 to reorganize the Iota Phi Theta Sweetheart Auxiliary, which the fraternity then dissolved in January 2015. In October 2015, ISI and the fraternity signed an agreement which officially formalized the historical relationship between the organizations.

The fraternity has established chapters in the United States, The Bahamas, Columbia, Japan, and South Korea. However, all active collegiate chapters are now located in the United States.