‘Very personal’: How Michigan’s 'Divine Nine' plan to turn out the vote this election

While a newfound excitement about U.S. politics has arrived for many in recent weeks, the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC), sometimes referred to as the Divine Nine, is gearing up for an “unprecedented” voter turnout effort this election cycle.

The NPHC is made up of nine historically Black sororities and fraternities. Divine Nine organizations engage in “social action” movements, which includes voter mobilization efforts. But a statement from the organization described their intended plans for this election cycle to be “unprecedented” in order to “meet this critical moment in history.”

“I see so much of myself in the vice president, and who wouldn’t want to be connected to the President, who hopefully will become the president of the United States,” State Sen. Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) said. “It feels very personal.”

On July 24, just three days after President Joe Biden dropped his reelection campaign, the NPHC’s Council of Presidents released a statement urging local chapters to engage in voter mobilization efforts ahead of the election. The organization is nonpartisan, so chapters cannot endorse a candidate.

The announcement came as Vice President Kamala Harris quickly rose to the top of the ticket, following an endorsement from Biden and broad support from the Democratic Party. Harris reportedly received enough delegate votes from Michigan’s Democratic bloc two days after Biden left the race. Former President Donald Trump is the GOP nominee.

Harris herself is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), and she joined the sorority while attending Howard University, which is a historically Black college (HBCU). AKA started a political PAC last week to raise money for political candidates.

Michigan members of local NPHC sorority and fraternity chapters recognized the importance of the election before Biden stepped off the ticket. State Rep. Brenda Carter (D-Pontiac), who is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, said she worked with her fellow sorors to increase voter turnout in the community.

As a Democratic lawmaker, Carter hopes to maintain a majority in the state and federal legislatures after the general election, so the advocacy will reach beyond the presidential race.

“This is the critical election, and even before VP Harris, who is AKA, ascended to the position that she’s in right now, Divine Nine realized how critical this election is to our democracy,” Carter said.

While the organizations are nonpartisan and don’t endorse candidates, Harris being a member of AKA has excited Divine Nine members. Anthony is a member of AKA, the same sorority as Harris.

“When we see one of our own at the top of the ticket, it matters,” Anthony said. “It creates a level of connection that energizes people, and I can just tell you, the amount of energy is just electrifying.”

Like Carter, Anthony recognized that having Trump on the other side of the ballot contributed to the “unprecedented” voter turnout plans among Divine Nine members. The Trump campaign has gone after Harris with racist and misogynistic remarks, which Anthony said feels personal to many NPHC members.

“The Trump campaign and many of the extreme right are taking shots at her (Harris) because of her race and her gender and her decision not to have natural children,” Anthony said. “…I subscribe to all of those. That describes me to a T, and it feels like very personally attacking to many of us.”

At the end of last month, Trump participated in an interview at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) conference where he claimed Harris “happened to turn Black” and attacked ABC reporter Rachel Scott for asking about his history of racist comments about Black people. Scott is also a member of AKA.

Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump is questioned by journalists at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Photo by William J. Ford/Maryland Matters)

Additionally, Trump’s running mate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), has recently caught heat over comments he made in 2021 saying some Democratic lawmakers and officials, including Harris, are “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable too.” Vance has said the comments were sarcastic.

At the University of Michigan, Travis Martin, the director of fraternity and sorority life, said he expects students in Divine Nine organizations to embrace the voter turnout calls due to the history of social action and some of the plans he has already heard about.

Martin also said the NPHC members on campus were excited about Harris as the Democratic nominee because her status exemplifies many of the organization’s goals.

“Divine organizations talk about their role in developing leaders, right?” Martin said. “And so the mere fact that there is a representation of one of the membership in a major party is a testament…that we develop these leaders that go out and make impact in society, in a number of different ways. I think there’s a lot of excitement around that.”

And the Divine Nine’s advocacy can have an impact on college campuses, according to Dorian Lofton, a senior political science student at the University of Michigan and member of Kappa Alpha Psi. He said NPHC members were seen as “leaders” at the University of Michigan.

Déysha Smith-Jenkins is part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. — AKA — the same historically Black sorority that Harris joined at Howard University. She wore her “power green” suit for a July 23, 2024 rally in Milwaukee. (Baylor Spears | Wisconsin Examiner)

“We’re seen as leaders of this campus, of the Black community on this campus,” Lofton said. “So because we’re seen in that light, we have great outreach to students on this campus in the Black community. So that’s where our power lies.”

In a local chapter, Anthony said members have already invested in advocacy for community members, so their voter mobilization efforts have the potential to reach a lot of people.

If Harris is elected, she will be both the first woman and the first woman of color serving as president. Lofton said that will resonate with many Black voters in the U.S. including members of Divine Nine.

“To see someone come from an institution, like an HBCU, that is historically underfunded, historically underprivileged and to possibly ascend to presidency, that is something that should not be overlooked,” Lofton said. “And I think that’s inspiring for not only D9, but for HBCU students. And then to see a Black woman possibly ascend to presidency that’s inspiring for all Black people within this country.”

Unlike other student organizations, people who joined a Divine Nine sorority or fraternity in college are a part of it for their entire lives, meaning the voter mobilization effort should extend across multiple generations. But student chapters have a unique role to play in this election, according to Lofton.

For many undergraduate students, this may be their first time voting in a presidential election, and campaigns will hope to pick up the Gen Z votes. The Harris campaign and supporters have tried to appeal to younger voters by posting memes and co-opting the lime-green brat summer phenomenon.

But Lofton said Kappa Alpha Psi sees their role a little differently since peer-to-peer communication about voting rules and processes are also effective. He said the organization plans to spread information about voter registration and absentee voting laws, especially since some students might be from out of state and not know the rules in Michigan.

While members are not allowed to advocate for either candidate in an official capacity, flexing their platform on campuses and in communities to promote political action has historical precedent.

“Older members know how it was like to fight for voting rights, and within this election, a lot of members within our fraternity are taking this election as us fighting for our voting rights, and that’s why we hold this election so, so dear,” Loften said. “Because it’s very historical, and we don’t want history to be repeated.”

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