The Zoo

Welkome

Welcome to the Zeta Beta Chapter website of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. I am Polemarch Christian Watts, a Senior Mechanical Engineering major from Dallas, Texas. On March 25, 1970, eleven visionary men established this chapter—known as the “Afro Eleven”—marking a proud history of leadership and service. Located on the vibrant campus of Prairie View A&M University, our website aims to showcase both our rich history and our exciting future. We uphold the timeless objectives set forth by our founder, Elder Watson Diggs, emphasizing Achievement and Graduation as core principles guiding our chapter’s endeavors.

Thank you for visiting, and we invite you to learn more about our story, our members, and how we continue to serve our community with integrity and excellence.

Chapter Officers

Polemarch

Brother Christian Watts

Vice Polemarch

Brother Kaleb Crawford

Keeper of Records & Exchequer

Brother Chris Bryant
Brother Jalen Blake

Strategus

Brother Jackson Bailey

Lt. Strategus

Brother Jorden Gidrey

Historian

Brother Dominick Bibbs

Chidumebi Ozowalu

Spring '24

Mr. Prairie View 2025

Kappa History

Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity was a founded January 5, 1911, on the campus of Indiana University in Indianapolis, Indiana. The percentage of Blacks on campus was less than 1%. Blacks could go weeks without seeing one another on campus. Blacks were not allowed to reside in on-campus dormitories, were not afforded off-campus accommodations, and they were also denied the use of all other university facilities and were barred from participating in contact sports. Two young black men, Elder Watson Diggs, and Byron Kenneth Armstrong had previously attended Howard University. Their experiences at Howard gave rise to the chief motivating spirits which sowed of the seed for a fraternity at Indiana University and crystallized the idea of establishing an independent Greek-letter organization.

Consequently, eight other men met with Diggs and Armstrong for the purpose of organizing such a fraternity. The charter members were Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Guy L. Grant, Paul W. Caine, George W. Edmonds, Ezra D. Alexander, and Edward G. Irvin.

The Founders were God-fearing, and serious-minded young men who possessed the imagination, ambition, courage, and determination to defy custom in pursuit of a college education and careers. The ideals of the church were an important foundation of the Fraternity. One of the 5 Objectives of the Fraternity is: “To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual and moral welfare of members.” Many aspects of the Fraternity’s rites are engrained in Christianity ideals and contain excerpts from the Bible.

These men of vision decided the Fraternity would be more than another social organization. Reliance would be placed upon high Christian ideals and the purpose of ACHIEVEMENT.

The Fraternity would seek to raise the sights of Black youths and stimulate them to accomplish higher than might otherwise be realized or even imagined.

On January 5, 1911, the Fraternity then became known as Kappa Alpha Nu, possibly as a tribute to the Black students of 1903 (the Alpha Kappa Nu Greek Society) who preceded them at Indiana University. These men of vision decided Kappa Alpha Nu would be more than another social organization. It would be the only Greek-letter organization founded with the concept of achievement. Kappa Alpha Nu began uniting college men of culture, patriotism, and honor in a Bond of fraternity. Primarily, under the efforts and leadership of the calm, methodical, and philosophical Elder W. Diggs and the critical, and scholarly Byron K. Armstrong, the Kappa Alpha Nu Fraternity was founded.

Since the beginning, every endeavor was directed toward establishing the Fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking on plans of expansion. Careful consideration was given to ensure the organization established a firm foundation the first year before efforts to expand were attempted.

Kappa Alpha Psi®, now comprised of functioning Undergraduate and Alumni Chapters on major campuses and in cities throughout the country, is the crystallization of a dream. It is the beautiful realization of a vision shared commonly by the late Revered Founders that enabled them to sow the seed of a fraternal tree whose fruit is available to, and now enjoyed by college men everywhere, regardless of their color, religion, or national origin.

The Founders

HOVER OVER PIC TO SEE INFO

Elder Watson Diggs

Founder Elder Watson Diggs was a quiet, polished, scholarly, and prolific writer. Initially referred to as ‘the Father of Kappa,’ he became affectionately known as ‘the Dreamer’ due to his profound vision to create the fraternity. He was born in Christian County, Kentucky, on December 23, 1883, and was the eldest son of three children.

Ezra Dee Alexander

Founder Ezra Dee Alexander was an outgoing and dedicated worker. He was fondly known as “Dee,” was born in Bloomington, Indiana, on July 18, 1891, and was the second eldest of seven children.

Byron Kenneth Armstrong

Founder Byron Kenneth Armstrong was a scholar, imaginative and outspoken. He was affectionately known as “Boomski,” born in Westfield, Hamilton County, Indiana, on April 8, 1892, was one of five children and was the cousin of 2nd Grand Polemarch, Irven Armstrong.

Henry Tourner Asher

Founder Henry Tourner Asher was an unassuming, dependable supporter of Negro youth, equal rights, higher education, and religious affairs and the son of a Baptist Minister. He was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 30, 1890, and was the eldest of seven children.

Marcus Peter Blakemore

Founder Marcus Peter Blakemore was a man of deep religious convictions and quiet confidence. He contributed significantly to education, his community, church, hospitals, and fraternity. Blakemore, affectionately known as “Blakie,” was born in Franklin, Indiana, on January 3, 1889, and was the eldest of four children.

Paul Waymond Caine

Founder Paul Waymond Caine was the consummate entrepreneur and chef before his time, always friendly and displaying a pleasant disposition. He was born in Greencastle, Indiana on May 17, 1890. He was long thought to be an only child but is now known to have a half-brother.

George Wesley Edmonds

Founder George Wesley Edmonds was witty and an enigma to most in the fraternity. He was born in Knight Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, on August 13, 1890, and was the eldest of two sons.

Guy Levis Grant

Founder Guy Levis Grant was small in stature but was a giant in charitable endeavors and a preserver of history. He was born in New Albany, Indiana, on April 9, 1891, and was the third of thirteen children, five of whom became members of the fraternity. When his father died, he became head of the household and assumed responsibility for educating himself and his siblings.

Edward Giles Irvin

Founder Edward Giles Irvin was a civic and religious leader, journalist, and entrepreneur. He was born August 13, 1893, in Spencer, Indiana, and was the seventh of nine children of an African Methodist Episcopal minister.

John Milton Lee

Founder John Milton Lee was a scholar, loyal, and tireless worker for the growth of the fraternity. Due to his idealist character was commonly referred to as ‘a dreamer’ during the fraternity’s early years. He was born in Danville, Indiana, on September 7, 1890, and was the third of four children.

Objectives

1. To unite college men of culture, patriotism, and honor in a bond of fraternity.

2. To encourage honorable achievement in every field of human endeavor.

3. To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual, and moral welfare of its members.

4. To assist the aims and purposes of colleges and universities.

5. To inspire service in the public interest.

Service

Kappa League

Kappa League is a subset of the Guide Right, our National Service Initiative. Under the chairmanship of Mel Davis, the Los Angeles Alumni Chapter’s Social Action Program took the form of training activity for young men of the Alain Leroy Locke High School.

Healthy Kappas Healthy Kommunities

The main purpose of the Healthy Kappas Healthy Communities is to provide health and wellness information with measurement tools and metrics for our membership, their families and their surrounding communities; to educate them on ways to monitor their personal health status as well as to keep personal health as a priority.

Diamonds In The Rough

The DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH campaign, will expose young men across the nation to an intense college preparatory and scholarship access program. Through innovation and old fashion hard work, the DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH campaign will carry out its mission by leveraging participants’ talents , remediating their deficiencies and provide greater access to potential financial support in order to make obtaining a college degree a reality.