Lambda Theta Phi: 1st Latino Fraternity Formed at Johnson C Smith

The National Executive Board of Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. recently welcomed Johnson C. Smith University as the newest institution to offer membership to its brotherhood. It is the first Latino fraternity at Johnson C. Smith University.

Johnson C. Smith University Colony is the 127th undergraduate entity of Lambda Theta Phi and the fourth in North Carolina. The six founding brothers at JCSU include: Omar Cossio, Yerrison Cardenas, Francisco Cerrillo, Sergio Montesdeoca, Luis Bryan Dominguez and Juan Carlos Hernandez Campillo.

The students began the process of starting the fraternity three years ago when the university began recruiting undocumented Latino students. “Because of the blooming Latino community, we felt we needed an organization that could connect us under a common bond of culture and pride in our Latino heritage,” said Cerrillo, an information systems engineering major.

“Although we are a new and relatively small Greek organization on this campus, we are dedicated to making positive change on the campus of JCSU and passionate about helping the surrounding Charlotte community. We hope to continue paving the way for future members to break down negative stereotypes about Latinos and minorities as a whole.”

Founded on Dec. 1, 1975, at Kean University in Union, N.J., Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. is the first nationally recognized Greek-letter organization founded as a Latin fraternity. The membership of Lambda Theta Phi is open to all college men who support its values of scholarship, respect for all cultures, community service, and the advancement and fair treatment of Latinos in the United States. Lambda Theta Phi was the first Latin fraternity to be recognized by the North-American Inter-Fraternity Conference (NIC), a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), and has over 140 chapters and colonies across the United States.

 “This is by no means an exclusionary organization,” added Cerillo. “Anyone is welcome to join if they meet the GPA and program requirements for the interest group and maintain strength and resolve during the subsequent induction process. Within the North Carolina Sector of Lambda Theta Phi, we have members of Jamaican, Pakistani, French and mixed-race origin, just to name a few.”

About Johnson C. Smith University

Founded in 1867, Johnson C. Smith University is an independent, close-knit urban university located in Charlotte, N.C. It has a growing national reputation for integrating the liberal arts with business, the sciences and technology in ways that empower tomorrow’s diverse entrepreneurial citizens and leaders. Offering 22 fields of study to more than 1,300 students from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, the university’s excellent academic programs focus on servant leadership, civic engagement and global responsibility. For more information about JCSU, visit www.jcsu.edu or follow the university on social media sites Facebook , Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Source: Johnson C. Smith University Communications and Marketing