| Swing Phi Swing | |
|---|---|
|
SΦS
|
|
| Founded | April 4, 1969 Winston Salem State University |
| Type | Social Fellowship |
| Emphasis | Service |
| Scope | United States |
| Motto | "Perseverance by Virtue" |
| Colors |
White and Black |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC, USA |
| Homepage | www.swingphiswing.org |
Swing Phi Swing (SΦS) is a non-profit social fellowship, as opposed to a traditional Greek lettered sorority, that performs service to communities of color.
Contents |
Swing Phi Swing was founded at Winston Salem State University in Winston Salem, NC, at the conclusion of the Civil Rights Movement and the burgeoning of the Black Power Movement. Twelve African-American women, with the help of their brother organization Groove Phi Groove, founded Swing Phi Swing on Friday, April 4, 1969 which was the one year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, Swing has over 25 active graduate and undergraduate chapters throughout the United States.
The twelve founders were:
Jeanette Butler
Anita Chase (Watson)
Beverly Dorn (Steele)
Finesa Dunovant (Walker)
Jane Harris
Rosalind Marshall
Marilyn Reid
Patricia Story
Ellen Tomlinson (Carter)
Brenda Travers (Satterfield)
Lorraine Watkins (Phillips)
Talma Woods
At a time of social unrest, these twelve young women created an organization that would honor the trailblazers of the Civil Rights Movement and their legacy. The founding date is the one year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and many Black Americans were still reeling from this great loss which marked the end of an era; but it made a way for the Black Power Movement that heralded into the 1970s.
During the 1970s, Swing Phi Swing saw a tremendous growth in membership as Black college women across the South, the Midwest, and the East Coast heard the news of an afro-centric Sisterhood. Chapters were started at prominent Historically Black Colleges and Universities like Hampton University (Hampton Institute), Morgan State University, Tuskegee University (Tuskegee Institute), Wilberforce University, Shaw University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. The current National President is Sharon Chandler who will serve from 2009 to 2012.
On April 4, 2009, Swing Phi Swing celebrated 40 years of service and sisterhood in Winston-Salem, NC during their National Convention. Eight of the surviving founders attended the convention and were present to give insight on how they founded the organization.
Swing Phi Swing Social Fellowship Inc. is divided into seven regions across the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Each region is directed by a Regional Administrator which monitors all chapter and members-at-large in her jurisdiction.[1]
1. http://swingphiswing.org/leadership/administrators.htm#maAdmin