NPR’s Scott Detrow speaks with National Pan-Hellenic Council Chairman Willis Lonzer III about the significance of Black fraternities and sororities ahead of the November election.
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
As Vice President Kamala Harris secured enough delegates for the Democratic nomination for president in recent weeks, one group has been getting a lot of attention for its role in developing Harris as a person and for possibly helping her get to the White House. I’m talking about the Divine Nine. That is a group of nine historically Black fraternities and sororities that together have more than 2.5 million active members across the country. Harris is a proud member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, so her sudden rise has catapulted these groups into the national spotlight and raises important questions about the role they will play in the upcoming election.
Willis Lonzer III is the chairman of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, also known as the Divine Nine. He’s also the general president of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
WILLIS LONZER III: Thank you very much.
DETROW: I want to have a broader conversation, but I did want to start with that big story this week, which was just a few days ago. You had former President Trump falsely calling the vice president’s Black identity into question. And I’m just wondering, can you share with us what your reaction was when you first heard those remarks?
LONZER: I really just dismissed it. There’s so much falsehood that seems to come from that campaign and a distortion of the truth or lack of it. I know, based on my own history of reading about the vice president, that that’s not accurate.
DETROW: Sure.
LONZER: And she has – very proud of the heritage that both of her parents has contributed to her. So I’m very comfortable with knowing who she is.
DETROW: So let’s talk about the Divine Nine, and let’s talk about the election. I mean, just first, to give some context to a lot of listeners, I think some people, they hear fraternities, sororities, they think college parties, things like that, you know? What is the best way to describe the level of involvement from college and beyond through the years for most members of the Divine Nine?
LONZER: For many, it starts on a collegiate level, but there is an opportunity for you to become a member even after you graduate with a degree because our commitment goes beyond the college campus to the greater communities that we live in, that we serve. And we have, in our membership, professionals in the areas of business and education, health care, law. You name it – we have it.
DETROW: And the vice president is an active member. I know, for years, she’s gone to Divine Nine events when running for office as an elected official. Even in the few short weeks that she’s been at the top of the ticket, the vice president has gone to several different events with Divine Nine organizations. Have you have you been in the room at any of those events, and what did the energy feel like?
LONZER: I was there in Houston when she spoke on Wednesday, and to say that it was electrifying is an understatement.
DETROW: Yeah.
LONZER: And we saw her and had a few moments with her to talk with her, and it’s exciting. Independent of what my particular political views are, just as a peer, she pledged to join just a semester before I did. It was a really exciting time.
DETROW: I want to read the statement that that you put out shortly after President Biden dropped out of the race. I’ll read it in full here. We, the council, the presidents of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, have met and agreed to meet this critical moment in history with an unprecedented voter registration, education and mobilization coordinated campaign. This nonpartisan coordinated voter mobilization effort builds on our shared legacies of social action and service to our communities. Can you tell us what this action will look like?
LONZER: It includes voter education, registration efforts and mobilization efforts, which – not only getting people to the polls but also ensuring that voter protection is taking place as well and making sure that people are engaged in the community and the election process, being poll watchers, poll judges, whatever they can do to help forward this, making sure that people understand why this election is so critical.
DETROW: Yeah.
LONZER: Why – what are the issues that are on the line? Talking really about both candidates and their and their platforms and also the act of actually registering people to vote and ensuring that we’re getting people to the polls to actually vote – that’s it, in a nutshell.
DETROW: I think you would probably agree with me that just about everything in our country is partisan at the moment, you know, or it can quickly become partisan.
LONZER: Well, without great care, it can be.
DETROW: Well, can you tell me about the care that you’ll be taking in these efforts, then? Because you talk about voter registration, voter protection, voter education. How do you make sure that is nonpartisan, if that’s clearly an important goal?
LONZER: Well, our rhetoric as respective organizations ensures that we are talking about what those facts are and that when we put out or promote materials, information, we’re telling people, this is the time for you to make sure that you’re engaged, whatever your choice may be. But these are the circumstances, and you need to execute your right as a citizen to vote in this country and take good care to educate yourself on the voting process, on what our Constitution says as citizens of this country and to ensure that you understand what the circumstances that are relevant to you are at stake in this election. So take care to understand what you want and to read both platforms and ensure what you know what you’re hearing and what you’re going to get.
DETROW: That’s Willis Lonzer III, the chairman of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Thank you so much.
LONZER: My pleasure.
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