Atophi Fraternity, Inc. — Born During the AIDS & Crack Epidemics Receives Official 501(c)(3) Status After 37 Years

Atophi is the Only Known Fraternity -- of Any Kind -- to Bridge High School and College!

PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Atophi Fraternity, Inc., one of the most unique and historically overlooked Black fraternities in the United States, has officially been granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service.

During the fall of 1988, Brenda Russell's, "Piano in the Dark" and "Heaven Help Me" by Deon Estus both topped the U.S. Billboard Charts. At the same time in a second floor classroom something extraordinary happened. On November 2, 1988 at West Philadelphia High School during the height of the AIDS and crack epidemics, Atophi became a symbol of survival, self-determination and youth-led leadership during a time when high school graduation rates for males began plummeting to 2,273 in the United States. Amid this social decline and community loss, Atophi carved out a rare space for school enjoyment, Self-Love, Brotherhood and a focus on higher education at a high school where the top students barely made it to college! The few who made it to college, didn't finish! At its core, Atophi is the first and only fraternity founded at the high school level before expanding into college, a dual-model structure unheard of in the American Greek-letter landscape. It is also the first and only Black intercollegiate fraternity founded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Thirty-seven years ago, fraternity President Tony Dphax King—who appeared on Dancin' On Air with Kelly Ripa—challenged his peers: “Why wait for college to experience brotherhood?” The Temple University Alumnus noted that Atophi gave non-college-bound students a new sense of belonging and an exciting reason to attend school daily. One of Atophi’s cornerstones is its Annual 2,000-Word Cash Essay Contest, which tasks students with solving a profound riddle or encourages them toward inward reflection.

Atophi’s legacy is also recognized culturally and institutionally:

• Atophi’s Coat of Arms© which symbolizes Self-Love, Six Emeralds and Perseverance, was officially registered with the U.S. Library of Congress on April 29, 2023.

• Atophi shares historical symmetry with the oldest Black fraternity in the United States – Sigma Pi Phi (The Boulé) – also founded in West Philadelphia in 1904. Coincidentally, Tony was born at the Southwest Philadelphia hospital founded by Eugene T. Hinson (1873-1960) – one of the six founders of The Boulé.

NOW with 501(c)(3) recognition, Atophi Fraternity, Inc. has entered a new era of outreach, partnerships and inspiration aimed at students across Philadelphia, Pa and beyond. These new milestones will help introduce Atophi to a new generation to create school spirit, leadership, philanthropy and literacy at a time when AI tools are eroding the TRUST between teachers and students and reducing creativity and problem-solving.

Created during national crises, Atophi rises again to share its history and hope with a new generation, Pennsylvania and the whole country!

Why Atophi Fraternity, Inc?
Its purpose is Self-Love, Brotherhood, Personal Development (Six Emeralds), Leadership, Writing and Community Philanthropy through programs such as the Annual 2,000-Word Cash Essay Contest. Barriers for Atophi began in 1988 and they continue in the twenty-first Century. Atophi was recently granted a Unique Entity ID with the federal government, however, the longest government shutdown in U.S. History had prevented notification to Atophi.

TONY DPHAX KING
Atophi Fraternity, Inc.
+ +1 215-730-4706
Dphax.Temple@outlook.com
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