A history of what it means to "step"

Recently, the Samford University Greek community conducted a "first" if you will. Taking a cue from some of our area peers, it was the first time that NPHC, Panhellenic and IFC greeks "stepped" together. A wildly successful event for our campus, it is important though that everyone understand the history of "stepping" in addition to having fun and getting a full workout in the process :)

If you haven't seen the Samford Step Video, check this link:

Unified Step Routine

Jason Malone, member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc (Tau Iota) and one of the folks who pushed forward the idea of Samford doing this, took the time to write up a few paragraphs around the history of stepping and its significance, his words are shared below:

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Stepping has its beginnings in the early African American slave community as a means of

communication and keeping hold of traditional aspects of the denied culture. It served mainly

as a link back to African tribal dance, which in many areas was prohibited. Call-and-response

folk songs helped the slaves to survive culturally and to spread word about important matters,

such as the Underground Railroad. Several generations later, Black World War II veterans added

in a military march theme to the sounds, while Motown grooves and Hip-Hop energy added

more entertainment and increased the appeal of the art form. 

In the late 1960s, historically Black fraternities and sororities began embracing stepping at

college campuses. Most historians agree that Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, and then

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, were the first to start the stepping phenomenon which

has become wildly popular today. The contributions of Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, a member

of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, made stepping moves sourced directly from African

culture more common. It is the tribal, African feel of stepping that makes it powerful.

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Thanks Jason for sharing a bit of the history surrounding stepping and for allowing Samford Greeks to share in the tradition.