Lightning embrace opportunity to honor area Divine Nine chapters

TAMPA -- Bonnie G. Belford went somewhere Tuesday she and several of her sorority sisters never imagined they would: A Tampa Bay Lightning game.

"This is awesome," said Belford, president of a local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta sorority. "I probably never would have come to a hockey game without this, and as a result I may come to another hockey game."
Belford was among more than 225 Black sorority and fraternity members who attended the first event by the Lightning and NHL that honored the Divine Nine, the nine Black Greek letter fraternities and sororities, at Amalie Arena.
The organizations were founded to uplift and provide fellowship and have been at the forefront in the drives for voting rights, civil rights, equal rights, and economic and educational advancement for Black Americans and other underserved in communities in the United States and worldwide for more than a century.

The organizations are Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Iota Phi Theta fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and Zeta Phi Beta sorority.
More than 1.5 million members have been initiated into Divine Nine organizations in the past 117 years, a list that includes Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, Vice President Kamila Harris, Rep. John Lewis, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, astronaut Ronald McNair, inventor George Washington Carver, basketball great Michael Jordan, musical artist Alicia Keys, and comedian/game show host Steve Harvey.
Representatives from 15 Tampa-area Divine Nine chapters participated in the ceremonial puck drop before the Lightning's 6-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks. The organizations received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program for scholarship programs that the local alumni chapters will administer.
The NHL Foundation surprised the groups with a matching $50,000 donation aimed toward scholarships and internships.
"They are doing the work and having done the work, in some cases for 100 years, that has literally shaped our country," Lightning chief operating officer Mark Pitts said of the fraternities and sororities. "The Deltas marched for women's suffrage. … Martin Luther King's efforts, John Lewis' efforts … the list goes on and on and on of folks in significant positions who shaped industry, shaped governments and all those sorts of things."
Pitts could add himself to that list. A Kappa Alpha Psi member, Pitts became the only Black chief operating officer of an NHL team when Tampa Bay hired him Dec. 17, 2021, after he had been a group vice president for Coca-Cola Beverages Florida.
He pitched the idea for the event, and Lightning officials eagerly ran with it. The team sold 195 discount tickets to Divine Nine members who proudly wore their fraternity and sorority colors at the game. In addition, 30 leaders of the local chapters were guests in a suite at the game.

Pitts said his goal was twofold, to expose Divine Nine members to hockey and tell the story of the historical significance and impact of Black fraternities and sororities.
"We have to invite more people into the sport to show them all the excitement and attributes and characteristics of what this sport is and let them know, while it was a predominantly white sport in the past, it's OK to come in and be a fan and spectator of this sport," he said.
Monique Smith Slater, vice president for a local Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority chapter, echoed Pitts' sentiment. She said that she and her family have been Lightning fans since the team's inaugural season in 1992.
"I'm excited for our community to get a chance to learn about what the Lightning is," she said. "And learn also that it is just not an organization or opportunity for white individuals, that it's also an opportunity for the entire community to participate and enjoy."
Lightning CEO Steve Griggs said the night also was part of the team's commitment to bolster its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed while in custody of Minneapolis police May 25, 2020.
"For me, Divine Nine night, it's a continued learning path for all of us," Griggs said. "What those nine fraternities and sororities have done is incredible work and the people who have come out of those fraternities and sororities are impressive."
Kim Davis, NHL Senior Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth & Legislative Affairs, said the work of the Divine Nine in communities often has gone unheralded in the mainstream.
Having them "participating in our sport can continue to support our mission of using hockey to build stronger, more vibrant communities, which will ultimately grow our fanbase and our business," she said.

Some Lightning players, coaches and front office officials said preparing for the evening was a valuable history lesson for them.
"Everybody is asking why Black History Month is so important, and this is one of the reasons why," said Lightning goalie coach Frantz Jean, who is one of the few Black coaches in the NHL, along with video coach Nigel Kirwan. "It allows us to connect to the past and have a window into the future. I think that's important because it kind of gives you a little bit of a pathway on where you should go."
Lightning forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, who participated in the ceremonial puck drop, agreed.
"To bring opportunity and bring knowledge about these groups and maybe help some people get educated on why they're here, what they do and their imprint in the community, that's huge," he said.
Collis H. Ivery III, president of a local chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, said the Divine Nine organizations appreciated the event.
"This is outstanding for them to recognize the Divine Nine for the first time during Black History Month," said Ivery, who dropped the ceremonial puck. "This is the way to lead the effort for the NHL."
Photos:Tampa Bay Lightning