JOHNSON CITY – "The Divine Nine: The History of African-American Fraternities and Sororities" is the topic of an upcoming lecture at East Tennessee State University by Lawrence C. Ross Jr., who will also sign copies of his book by the same title.
The free public lecture and book-signing will take place Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center's Martha Street Culp Auditorium. The event is co-sponsored by the Pan-Hellenic Council, University Productions and Student Government Association at ETSU.
In his lecture, Ross focuses on the history of African-American fraternities and sororities, the process of writing his book, and such current issues as pledging, hazing and interfraternal relations.
As one of only a handful of lecturers speaking to students on the topic of African-American fraternalism, Ross' presentation serves as a catalyst for discussions on the importance of fraternal life as it relates to individual organizations and how each organization and individual member can work together with the broader campus community. The audience will gain valuable insight into the issues that African-American fraternities and sororities face at campuses across the country.
The Divine Nine is the first book to chronicle the histories of the nine African-American fraternities and sororities that make up the National Pan-Hellenic Council. It contains a wealth of information, including archival photos depicting African-American fraternal life from past to present, as well as profiles of prominent members, such as the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., television personality Star Jones, Operation PUSH chair Rev. Jesse Jackson and the late tennis legend Arthur Ashe.
Since its publication in January 2001, The Divine Nine has been a Blackboard Bestseller for four months, a two-time Essence Magazine bestseller and a Los Angeles Times Bestseller. It also remains in the top 10 African-American Studies Bestsellers on amazon.com and is the number one highest selling book among African-American college students. It is now in its fourth printing.
Ross pursued African-American studies and the study of history at the University of California-Berkeley, where he was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in April 1985. He went on to become president of two businesses: Avalon Catering and RBG Online. With Avalon Catering, he was one of the youngest vendors ever for the University of California system, and with RBG Online, he established the first African-American-owned Internet service provider system on the West Coast.
Ross began his writing career in 1995 with a syndicated weekly column, "Black Web," which explained the Internet to African-American readers. In 1997, he was named managing editor of Rap Sheet magazine, one of the first Hip-Hop publications in the country.
Ross, who resides in Los Angeles with his wife, April, and their son, Langston, is currently writing his next book, The Ways of Black Folks: A Year in the Life of a People, which is scheduled for publication in January 2003 by Kensington Books.
For more information or for special assistance or seating for persons with disabilities, contact Leah Adinolfi, coordinator of leadership and Greek life in the ETSU Center for Student Life and Leadership, at (423) 439-5675 or adinolfi@etsu.edu.