A Cultural District may be coming to the City of Monroe; it’s the Divine Nine Cultural District.
The creation of the district is being proposed by councilwoman Kema Dawson Robinson to promote the revitalization of communities and hubs of cultural activity.
The “Divine Nine” is the registered trademark of the National Panhellenic Council, Inc. It is comprised of the nine historically Black fraternities and Sororities in America.
The district will offer sales tax exemptions for the sale of certain original works of art and also offer income and corporate franchise tax credit for eligible expenses incurred during the rehabilitation of certain historic structures.
The resolution does not designate the boundaries for the district.
By adopting the resolution the city will officially apply to establish the “Divine Nine Cultural Arts District” as a state-certified Cultural District.
The Greek organizations that comprise the “Divine Nine” are: Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Zeta Phi Beta, Omega Psi Phi, Iota Phi Theta, Alpha Phi Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Phi Beta Sigma.
All three of the African-American city council members are active members of a Divine Nine Greek organization.
Other than the name, there is no other reference to the “Divine Nine” in the resolution.
