BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — After announcing plans in 2023 to establish the historically Black sorority Zeta Phi Beta at Illinois Wesleyan University, the chapter was officially chartered at an April 12 event on campus.
Five Titans — Kiera Henderson ‘26, Samiah Matthews ‘25, Sapphire Bankston-Hunter ‘28, Maya McGrew ‘26 and Taylor Wipf ‘25 — were celebrated during a chartering ceremony and new member presentation on the Eckley Quadrangle, sponsored by the Beta Iota Zeta Graduate Chapter of Bloomington-Normal.
“This is a milestone for Illinois Wesleyan University and our Bloomington-Normal community,” said Dr. Michelle Cowin Gibbs, Third Vice President of the Beta Iota Zeta Graduate Chapter and Undergraduate Advisor to the newly chartered undergraduate chapter at IWU. “We spent almost two years building the audience and interest of Zeta Phi Beta on campus. What we found is that women need spaces like Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, to foster and encourage academic excellence and a legacy of leadership. We want women at IWU to embrace their education to serve and advance the common good on campus and in the community.”
Founded in 1920 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority,
Inc., is the third oldest Black woman-led Greek letter organization in the country.
The sorority is part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), a collective of
historically Black fraternities and sororities.
With a focus on scholarship, service, sisterhood and finer womanhood, Zeta Phi Beta
has been committed to fostering a culture and community of academic excellence and
service to support communities since its inception.
“Our goal for establishing a chapter at IWU is to inspire and empower future generations of women to prioritize scholarship, community uplift, and integrity in their work ahead,” said Cowin Gibbs. “We want our undergraduate members to be leaders who act with purpose, who uplift their campus community through our organization’s principles and values at the university and beyond.”
IWU’s Zeta Phi Beta members will foster spaces for community service that ties the campus to the broader community. The Beta Iota Zeta Graduate Chapter will work with the undergraduate members to provide mentorship and encourage altruistic leadership.
Cowin Gibbs voiced appreciation for the support from past and present IWU leadership throughout the chartering process, including Dean of Students for Campus Life Kyle Griffith and Director of Student Involvement Morgan Pulliam.
“Expanding our sorority and fraternity community with this new chapter will enrich campus life for all students at Illinois Wesleyan and offer a new way for the involved women to foster a greater sense of belonging, increase their leadership skills and connect with the greater Bloomington-Normal community,” said Griffith.
Cowin Gibbs has emphasized that while NPHC organizations are historically Black, they welcome members of all races and backgrounds, valuing inclusion and unity in their mission to uplift and support all communities.
Students interested in learning more about Zeta Phi Beta or any other sorority or fraternity on campus can contact the Office of Student Involvement at getinvolved@iwu.edu.