University Of Wisconsin-Madison: After Successful Fundraiser, Construction To Start On Divine Nine Garden Plaza

Press release from the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

February 22, 2022

MADISON, Wis. – Just over a year after launching the Divine Nine Garden Plaza Fund and campaign, the Student Affairs Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Advancement teams surpassed their goal of $250,000 by raising over $275,000 for this project that will honor all nine of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) organizations on campus. Student Affairs is moving forward with construction on the plaza this spring and is planning a May 2022 unveiling.

The idea for a permanent marker on campus to honor the National Pan-Hellenic Council and its nine historically Black fraternities and sororities was prioritized in 2019 through the Student Inclusion Coalition (SIC), an organization founded by students advocating for specific ways to be seen and heard on campus.

“This project is important because representation matters,” says Israel Obey, class of 2021 and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. “There are too many students of color, specifically Black students, who feel like imposters on their own campus, unsure if they should even call themselves Badgers. Stepping onto campus into a sea of students who don’t look like you can make you feel isolated and unsupported. This project will be a daily reminder for every student of color that walks past the plaza that they not only belong on this campus but are honored and acknowledged by the University.”

The project celebrates organizations founded as early as 1906. The earliest NPHC chapter was chartered at UW–Madison in 1946, and many of the chapters on campus were the first undergraduate chapters in the state. NPHC members have been influential members of our campus community for years through their programming, service, and student leaders they produce.

This new plaza will bring to life the rich history of the eight chapters chartered at UW–Madison.

This press release was produced by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The views expressed here are the author’s own.