The history of Detroit's Black fraternity and sorority houses

Detroit’s Black fraternities and sororities: A tour of their history and contributions

From skyscrapers to historic homes, Detroit is filled with historical landmarks, including some of the city’s African American fraternity and sorority housing. But what is the history behind Detroit’s Black fraternity and sorority houses? And what contributions have they made to Detroit, one of America’s largest majority-Black cities?

In conjunction with acclaimed documentarian Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s new PBS documentary, “Making Black America: Through the Grapevine,” “American Black Journal” continues to look at Black Greek Letter Organizations from a local perspective. City of Detroit Historian Jamon Jordan and producer Marcus Green come together to take viewers on a tour of some of Detroit’s historic Black fraternity and sorority houses and the contributions these organizations have made to the city.

The Alpha Phi Alpha house, one of Detroit's historic Black fraternities — An aerial view of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity house. The Black fraternity house is a historic home near Detroit’s Cass Corridor neighborhood. | Photo by One Detroit

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Stay Connected

Subscribe to Detroit PBS YouTube Channel & Don’t miss American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.

Catch the daily conversations on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @amblackjournal.

View Past Episodes

Watch American Black Journal on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on Detroit PBS, WTVS-Channel 56.