Emergence, Politics and Culture of the Divine Nine - 10/28/24

Conversation Overview

With the current election cycle, much attention has been given to the coalition of African American Sororities/Fraternities known as the “Divine Nine.” Clarence R Williams will be in conversation with two of its members, Judge Rohulamin Quander (ret.), and Toni Odem. The panel will discuss The Divine Nine’s origin and social impact, culturally and politically.

Rohulamin Quander, a native Washingtonian, is a retired Senior Administrative Law Judge for the District of Columbia. A member of the Quander Family whose distinguished history in the Washington, D.C. area is traced to the 1670s, which legacy includes Mount Vernon Plantation ancestors Sukey Bay, Nancy Carter Quander, and West Ford, among others, all of whom were in involuntary service to George Washington. Judge Quander periodically serves as an advisor to Mount Vernon, most recently in the exhibit, Lives Bound Together, Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and still maintains close ties. He often serves as a guest lecturer on African American History. He returns to us today as our keynote speaker, having been the Black History Month 2023 here at Fort Belvoir for the Army Analysis office last February. As well, he served as the keynote speaker for the 82 nd annual Tuskegee Airmen’s Commemoration Day program in March 2023, which was held at the U.S. Air Force Memorial. Educated in the Catholic school system of the District of Columbia, he graduated from John Carroll High School, Class of 1961. He is a double graduate from Howard University (BA, 1966; JD, 1969). His professional career includes employment in the Neighborhood Legal Services program, and federal and D.C. employment as an attorney, and private practice. He founded the Quander Historical and Educational Society, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) foundation in 1985, to document, preserve, protect, and share the history of the Quander Family, a product widely recognized as an educational tool. His continued years of service include addressing human and civil rights inequities among the Dalit (Untouchable) population of India, one of his ancestral homelands. To date, the author of four books, Judge Quander’s newest book is titled, The Quanders – Since 1684, An Enduring African American Legacy. He is also a licensed and certified District of Columbia tour guide. His tours feature traditional Monuments and Memorials, African American History and Culture, or tailored to your personal needs. Married to Carmen Torruella Quander, internationally acclaimed artist, they have three adult children and one grandchild. They reside in Washington, D.C