The Ravishing, Radiant and forever Reigning Rho Rho Chapter History

Rho Rho and Graduate Chapter Nu Theta Zeta members with past International Grand Basileus Dr. Barbara West Carpenter becoming an officially charted chapter on 4/27/02

The seeds for the Rho Rho Chapter were sown in Brooklyn, NY in 1995 when Camille Newman became a member of the Archonettes, auxilary group for high school age girls interested in Zeta Phi Beta. She vowed to continue the ideals of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated throughout her life. She arrived in Oberlin fall 1997 to find only Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated chapters functioning. Feeling she could not support the ideals of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood by becoming a member of any other organization, she reached out to the National Headquarters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated in her quest to seek the Zeta light. Nationals put her in touch with the then Ohio state director, Rhonda Eberhardt. Through their correspondence, Newman, Eberhardt and Ramatoulie Rashid were able to identify three other women to bring the Zeta light to Oberlin.

On December 18, 1998 Jacquelyn Strait, Sheri Burnett, Nicole Davis, Camille Newman and Ramatoulie Rashid became the first members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated to grace the campus of Oberlin College. Oberlin College did not provide any support, institutional or otherwise, to these 5 trailblazers. With most of the college community working against them, they managed to implement several events to coincide with the Seven Point Plan, the programmatic thrust of the 21st International Grand Basileus Dr. Barbara West Carpenter.

The Zeta light shines brightly in Oberlin, OH. Many women have sought the light, but only a few have been ready and willing to WORK to further the ideals of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. On December 27, 2001, Chantal Bonitto and Caren Blackmore continued the legacy set forth by the 5 associates of Nu Theta Zeta Graduate Chapter.

The legacy of leadership has already begun for Rho Rho Chapter as Camille Newman was elected to the office of Undergraduate Member-At-Large for the state of Ohio at the October 2001 state meeting. On April 27, 2002 at the Great Lakes Regional Conference, the Ravishing, Radiant and forever Reigning Rho Rho Chapter was chartered. The charter members are: Camille Newman, Caren Blackmore, Chantal Bonitto, Ramatoulie Rashid and Nicole Davis. Since then, Rho Rho has set up a bank account and a post office box in the city of Oberlin.

The Ravishing, Radiant and forever Reigning Rho Rho Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has made a lasting and positive impact on the Oberlin community, and is working to continue the legacy of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood.