The history of the Loyal Order
Started in 1989 by Dr. Nikitah Okembe-Ra Imani and Dr. David Padgett, the Loyal Order of the '99 (commonly referred to as the Fraternal Order of the '99, the Loyal Order, or simply the '99) was a black student activist group at the University of Florida. Started as a response to the predominant white power structure at UF, as well as to the rise in local KKK and Neo-Nazi movements at the time, the two graduate students decided to form a student coalition.
They began addressing on campus issues, such as the power the majority white Student Government had over the funds of minority student groups, such as the Institute of Black Culture and the Black Student Union. The '99 would grow to address not only issues at UF, but also problems of the greater Gainesville community, modeling much of their activism after the Black Panther party, by creating a student-led security team and youth programs.
The group would grow to create a security team in which members as well as recruits would attend meetings, learn basic defense skills, and wear a uniform (as demonstrated on the right). This team would serve as security for all Black Student Union events, parades and shows in black majority communities, and, at times, IBC and La Casita.
The '99 both supported and garnered support from other minority groups on campus, often working with La Casita members, and holding meeting at the IBC. They would also put on elaborate demonstrations, including on Columbus Day, where they would drive a hearse and bring a coffin on campus to hold a funeral with a grave, dedicated to all the people of color who were slaughtered as a result of “The Discovery.
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Dr. Nikitah Okembe-Ra Imani in Uniform
The Name
The title of the Loyal Order of the ‘99 stems from a research study which, as told by Dr. Imani, "indicated that certain critical things did not happen for African people in particular but people of color more generally in the United States even though they were growing demographically. If there were certain things that did not happen politically, economically and socially in terms of social inclusion the idea was that they would be facing genocide by 1999. So, we called it the Loyal Order of the ‘99 with reference to that kind of drop down date if you will of 1999 which at that time was still coming. We were going to try to work in the community and on the campus and throughout the state and throughout the country on this wide variety of issues that in a sense would change the template of the trajectory for 1999."
Affiliated Organizations
The '99 was closely affiliated with other organizations on campus with similar goals, including the all-female Sisters in Struggle, which was created as a response to the more male dominated Loyal Order, which was not co-ed for several years, This group often would work alongside the Loyal Order while also achieving their own goals and working towards their own separate projects.
Another group, which was formed out of the Loyal Order was BAM- the Black Action Movement. BAM! became the group's slogan, along with their icon of a black fist slamming down. BAM was created as a group motivated by a desire to address injustice through direct and intense student governmental action. BAM would grow to gain all positions within the BSU, as well as create their own Student Government (SGA) party, with Imani as the president, and Iesha Manningsas the Vice President, as well as representatives in all other Student Government Positions. BAM was also responsible for a historic sit-in, held at the Reitz Union on December 3, 1991, in which members of BAM occupied the Student Government offices, as well as the entire building, until SGA provided proper funding to the BSU for Black History month. The full archive of the sit in were recorded within the Gainesville Iguana, which could be found in the Database, starting at page 14.
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Both Imani and Padgett were also members of the Black Male Development Program, headed by Dr. John Warford, created as a resource for black male students to gain experience and be mentored by older students. More information on the Black Male Development Program could be found within Dr. Warford and Dr. Imani's (first) interviews. Although ran separately, and with very different purposes and methods, there was a large overlap between the two organizations, especially with Dr. Warford's experience mentoring the '99's two founders and leaders.