Groove Phi Groove

Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship, Inc. (GΦG) is a social fellowship. It was founded at Morgan State College (now known as Morgan State University) as an alternative to mainstream historically black fraternities.^[2]

Groove Phi Groove
GΦG
Founded	October 12, 1962; 62 years ago (1962-10-12) Morgan State University
Type	Social fellowship
Affiliation	Independent
Status	Active
Emphasis	African-American, Service
Scope	International
Motto	Through loyalty and integrity, we shall achieve greatness.
Colors	Black and   White
Publication	The Sword & Spear
Chapters	more than 200 (2022)
Members	more than 60,000 (2022) lifetime
Headquarters	2453 Maryland Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21218 United States
Website	www.groove-phi-groove.com
[1][2]

History

Groove Phi Groove was founded on October 12, 1962, by a group of young black men who wanted to create an alternative to what was described as the traditionalism of subjectively ascribed established fraternal organizations.^[3]

The international headquarters of Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship, Inc. is at 2453 Maryland Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. The building was purchased on December 26, 2012, and dedicated on July 1, 2013.^[4]

Groove Phi Groove considers Swing Phi Swing to be its sister organization.^[5]

Symbols

Groove Phi Groove's motto is Through loyalty and integrity, we shall achieve greatness. Its colors are black indicating race and White indicating purity.^[6] The seven symbols on its shield are:^[6]

• Sword - Courage
• Shield - Endurance
• Book - Knowledge among College Men
• Mug - Fellowship
• Chain - Unification of their brotherhood
• Torch - Everlasting Light
• Fourteen Pearls - founding members of the organization

Its publication is The Sword & Spear.^[7][8]

Activities

Groove Phi Groove actively supports and participates in various programs and projects that aim to serve the communities in which they live. Some of these programs and projects focus on black Americans; however, the Fellowship does not discriminate based on race, color, sex, national origin, or physical impairment. Nor do they provide a financial benefit to individual members of the Fellowship, as Groove Phi Groove is a 501(c)(7) not-for-profit entity, and the Groove Fund is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable entity.^[9][10]

Governing structure

As a body, the governing structure of the Fellowship consists of The Conclave, the Board of Directors, regional offices, and local chapters.^[11]

Notable members

Public service

• Clarence "Tiger" Davis Maryland House of Delegates 1983–2007^[12]
• Douglas Palmer Former Mayor of Trenton NJ^[13]
• G. K. Butterfield United States Congressman representing the First Congressional District of North Carolina^[14]
• Ralph C. Johnson NC State Representative (Democrat)^[15]

Athletics

• Donnie Shell Former NFL Player with the Pittsburgh Steelers and College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame member^[14]
• Richard Huntley Former NFL Football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons^[16]
• Earl "The Pearl" Monroe Former NBA basketball player and Hall of Fame^[17]
• Sylvester "Junkyard Dog" Ritter American professional wrestler and professional football player with the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans).^[18]
• Chet Grimsley First White American Student Athlete from the C.I.A.A and former NFL player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[18]