It is with gratitude that the office of Vice President A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, within the Essex County Board of Commissioners, hosted the second annual Essex County Divine Nine Day on March 18 at the Essex County Hall of Records in Newark, New Jersey. During the event, we reaffirmed a powerful truth that the Divine Nine did not simply participate in history, they helped shape it.
As the first commissioner in county history to establish an official celebration honoring the extraordinary legacy, service, and leadership of Black Greek-letter organizations, my vision was to uplift the Divine Nine’s impact on education, civic engagement, and community empowerment. It has grown into a standing-room only tradition that unites leaders across generations.
As mistress of ceremony, I opened the program by honoring the Divine Nine’s historic role in civic life. Leadership is not a title, it’s a commitment. The Divine Nine has always modeled what it means to serve with purpose, uplift communities, and build pathways for those coming behind us.
Special remarks were delivered by Orange, New Jersey Mayor Dwayne Warren, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Newark Municipal Council President Lawrence Crump, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Photos courtesy of Essex County Commissioner A’Dorian Murray-Thomas
This year’s honorees represented the full breadth of the Divine Nine’s legacy of service:
- Malcolm Minor, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (@brickcityalphas)
- Natalie Guy, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (@aka.bao1934)
- Jared Adams, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (@montclairnupes)
- Dylan Coq, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (@thee_montclairques)
- Tia Morris, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (@montclairdeltas)
- M. Anthony Cardona, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (@pbs_1914)
- Sandra Florent, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (@goz_zphib1920)
- Shazneka Blue, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (@gammanusigma_sgrho)
- Myron J. Covington, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. (@dmoiotas)
- Hillside Mayor Emeritus Dahlia Vertreese, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (@zphibinc1920)
- Sharon Thompson, National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., which is not a Divine Nine organization. (@nspdk_deltapi)
- Calvin W. Souder, Esq. was honored for his extraordinary service. Souder is not part of a Divine Nine fraternity.
Hillside Mayor Emeritus Dahlia Vertreese, who is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., was recognized for her exceptional and far-reaching service. Although a Hillside resident and elected official in Union County, she was honored for her distinguished career as an educator in Essex County, and for her unwavering advocacy in the union on behalf of working men and women statewide. She was selected as an honorary awardee for her distinguished and outstanding service to the Township of Hillside. Vertreese’s impact embodies the spirit of service that Divine Nine Day was created to celebrate.
The evening personally gave me a full-circle moment as honoree Tia Morris, executive director of Teach For America New York, founding teacher of KIPP NJ, and proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., reflected on having taught and mentored me as a young student. Her words inspire me to do more for the residents of Essex County.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. member Miguel Anthony Cardona is a Newark native and board member of the Boys to Leaders Foundation. He was also recognized for his commitment to mentorship and educational access. As co-founder of Boys to Leaders, he has helped empower young men through leadership development and academic support. Cardona has mentored more than 5,000 students nationwide through Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative. He also has championed equity throughout his academic and professional journey, including leadership roles at George Washington University, and his work advancing health equity through the Governor’s Hispanic Fellows Program and the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute.
The celebration highlighted the next generation of scholars through the inaugural 2026 Community Service Scholarship, which was presented in partnership with Souder Law Group, the A’Dorian Murray-Thomas Civic Association, and SHE Wins! Inc.
Two exceptional students were honored: Taniyah Ferrell, a nursing major at Simmons University and peer coach at SHE Wins! Inc., received a $2,500 scholarship. Dorian Hunter IV, a computer engineering major at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., received a $1,000 scholarship. Each recipient will also receive mentorship to support their academic and leadership development.
We also launched a countywide collection of prom dresses and suits for Newark youth. This was done in partnership with Essentially Yours From The Heart because we want to ensure young people can celebrate their milestones with confidence and dignity.
The second annual Divine Nine Day stood as a testament to the power of community, the strength of legacy, and the enduring truth that service is the highest form of leadership.
A’Dorian Murray-Thomas is vice president of the Essex County Board of Commissioners (NJ).