By: Dorothy Quanteh

Gabrielle Ogeyingbo remembers being the first of 12 girls to tie the vibrant green and silver-streaked academic cord hanging around her line sister’s neck as a part of an induction ceremony for a new high school sorority.

Before pulling the ends into a knot in early March, the high school freshman ensured they were even and looped them into each other. With her thumb and index finger extended, she joined hands with her line sister, creating a mini diamond at their sides.

They were now connected for what Ogeyingbo hopes will be a long time.

“You are my sister,” Ogeyingbo thought at the moment. “Now we hold this weight together. I tie myself to this mission. I tie myself to this sister. This is what I want to do with my life and this is the mission that I will uphold.”

Tau Eta Phi Zeta (THOZ), Diamond Chapter is a new, high school sorority founded at Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, Maryland. It is believed to be among the few high school sororities in the nation, the first to be recognized by a governmental official in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and it may be the first sorority to exist at Flowers.

THOZ (pronounced ‘those’) aims to foster community and engage young women at the high school level and beyond.

Ogeyingbo dreamt of being a part of a sorority since she was in sixth grade, but never got to fulfill it until two weeks before she was inducted at Flowers with 11 other THOZ members on March 14.

For Ogeyingbo, feeling a part of sisterhood came in the form of daily afterschool meetings where she spent time with her future sisters while preparing for the induction ceremony. They blew up balloons, decorated a welcome banner in front of the Science & Technology Lecture Hall and practiced their formation. They also memorized steps from former members of a Flowers step team and THOZ’s Vice President and Head of Step, Gabrielle Adusei.

Adusei is a freshman at Flowers and has been dancing her whole life. She has stepped for three years and choreographs the sorority’s dance performances, including one held during a lunch period at Flowers to advertise their induction ceremony.

Stepping into Success

In front of about 300 students, THOZ members stepped and performed the chant Adusei created, “I am a woman of excellence. I exude good taste. I am classy and I will embrace.”

At the induction ceremony, Glenarden Mayor Cashenna Cross presented the  inductees with a mayoral proclamation, recognizing their achievement as members of the first line of THOZ.

“Tau Eta Phi Zeta is a new initiative that is long overdue,” she said.

Cross is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Honorary THOZ Diamond. She prides herself in being a mentor for the sorority.

Mentoring “the next generation is a social requirement that I think every adult should own,” she told UJW. “We’re not here forever and we must lay some leadership tracks that our youth pick up and perfect.”

The plan to create an organization that built a positive community for young women started with a phone call between Adusei and Ogeyingbo. Adusei and Ogeyingbo met through the Science & Technology Summer Bridge Program, an orientation program for incoming freshmen. They bonded over shared interests and their want for a community.

“For a long time, I’ve been interested in making a community of people who have the same morals and values,” Adusei said. As middle school students, Adusei and Ogeyingbo noticed the animosity and disrespect young women had towards one another and wanted to change that.

They presented their ideas to teachers and  looked for a sponsor. They reached out to Keishia Thorpe, freshman assistant principal, who volunteered to be their sponsor.

Thorpe, who is not a member of a sorority, said she was impressed by Adusei and Ogeyingbo’s determination.

“The fact that we had young people who were enthusiastic about wanting to come together and build something that they could be the first of…enticed me about wanting to work with [them] because I also knew that I have a lot to give,” she said.

Thorpe, the founder of THOZ, worked with Adusei and Ogeyingbo for four months, organizing the structure of the sorority.

Interested students had to have at least a 2.5 GPA. They also had to complete a performance-based audition, two community service projects and two interviews with Thorpe. They also wrote bios to introduce themselves to their future sisters.

Sister to Sister 

Dasia Jones, a Flowers alumna and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., member, believes THOZ will be a great opportunity.

“A lot of young girls don’t know too much about sisterhood. They don’t know how to be a good friend, don’t know how to properly take care of other women… ,’’ she said. “Young ladies need to empower each other instead of doing the opposite— tearing each other down.”

With the help of a mentor, they can learn how to do that, Jones said.

Sororities have been integral parts of their communities. Black greek-letter organizations historically strengthened civic engagement in the Black community, advocated for the better treatment of marginalized groups and led campaigns that supported the nation’s most vulnerable populations, according to the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Some of their reputations have also been marred because of incidents of hazing, an initiation practice that intends to harm, harass or humiliate inducted and prospective members of the organization. In some cases, it has led to deaths. In late February, Caleb Wilson, a Southern University student, died in an off-campus hazing incident that reignited conversations about the sometimes dangerous practice.

While planning the sorority, Adusei, Ogeyingbo and Thorpe vowed to scrap the hazing process.

Going Global

Since its establishment in November 2024, THOZ has participated in and led numerous community service events, including distributing goods at local food pantries and teaching Flowers students about socio-emotional wellness.

Members have been invited to the 119th Congressional Reception where they watched congressmen get sworn into office. They recently performed at The Multicultural Tea & Fest and were awarded nearly $100,000 in academic scholarships and a $500 leadership scholarship for their sorority.

THOZ plans to induct a new line every year and expand the organization globally. They want to create a middle and elementary school chapter of THOZ in Prince George’s County and a global high school chapter, starting with schools in Dubai and South Africa.

“If we are here for inclusivity and women empowerment, we cannot put any geographic boundaries on bringing women together and closing that gap,” Thorpe said.

That gap is sisterhood, said Thorpe, Adusei and other members.

“We’re sisters. We’re sticking together,’’ Adusei said.“ If you need anything, you can come to me. If I need anything, I can come to you… We’re together and nothing’s going to break us apart.”