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The Zeta Phi Beta sorority was founded on Howard University's campus on Jan. 16, 1920. Born out of solidarity against racist threats like the Ku Klux Klan and in support of Black movements like the Harlem Renaissance, the Zeta Phi Beta sorority stands today as a testament to the resiliency of Black women. With Founder's day coming up soon, here is a short list of Zeta women who are making an impact today.
Syleena Johnson
Syleena Johnson has one of the most gifted voices in all of R&B, and her musical prowess and creativity has afforded her a successful career in an otherwise brutal business. Some of the talent comes from her father Syl, who was a Hi Records R&B artist in the 1960s. She is most known for her feature on Kanye West's All Falls Down, a song that cracked the top-10 on the Billboard 100.
Johnson has been nominated for three Grammy awards over her career. She was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for All Falls Down, Best R&B album for a collaboration album called R&B Divas. Most recently, she was nominated as a part of Kanye West's album Donda in 2022 for Album of the Year.
Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston was one of the preeminent writers of the 20th century. Hurston attended Howard University, the birthplace of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, for her associates degree. She helped co-found the school's newspaper, The Hilltop, that still operates today. After leaving Howard, she attended Barnard College and received a degree anthropology. While in New York City, she got acquainted with Langston Hughes, whom she would write the play Mule Bone with in later years.
Hurston published a plethora of books, though her most famous one was probably Their Eyes Were Watching God. That particular novel broke the mold by focusing intently on the experience of a Black woman, something that few writers had done before.
Towanda Braxton
Towanda is one of the many siblings of the Braxton family, but she is more than successful in her own right. Not only is she a singer, but she's also an actress and a producer. She and her sisters started out as The Braxtons musical group, but Toni soon left to pursue her own solo career.
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Though the musical career never quite took off for Towanda, she began to break into the film space. She's been in Bad Blood, Misguided Behavior, Envision, and Indecent Choices.
Ja’net DuBois
Those familiar with the show Good Times will recognize Ja'net DuBois' name. She is well known for her role as Willona Woods in the show. She also wrote and recorded the theme song for The Jeffersons, another renowned Black sitcom.
DuBois won two Emmys in her career, but surprisingly, neither of them were for Good Times. Her performance as Mrs. Avery in The PJs TV series earned her two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1999 and 2001.
Sheryl Underwood
Last on our list is comedian, television host, and actress Sheryl Underwood. She shot up in the comedy realm after becoming the first female finalist in Miller Lit's Comedy Search contest. She's been a contributor to both Tom Joyner's and Steve Harvey's radio morning shows before hosting her own. Currently, Underwood is a host for CBS' daytime talk show, The Talk, a role she has held since 2011 and earned a daytime Emmy award for. Furthermore, Underwood was briefly the president of Zeta Phi Beta's Omicron Rho Zeta Chapter.
