AJC Sepia Greek Spotlight: The Ladies of Zeta Phi Beta - Dawn of the Archonians
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Shortly after five students at Howard University -- known as the Five Pearls -- founded Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. on Jan. 16, 1920, college women were eager to join the sisters of Royal Blue and White. A second pledge class, of four students, quickly followed. Today, there are more than 120,000 college-educated black women who are members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Many of them were called Archonians and pledged in Archonian Clubs. In this 1968 photo, Zetas from Fisk University's Kappa Gamma chapter are all afros and smiles.