DURHAM, N.C. — This Black History Month, we're highlighting nine Black fraternities and sororities that keep members active well beyond the traditional four years of college.

One man is bringing the morals of his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, into his community.

Dr. Rodney Jenkins is the director of public health for the City of Durham.

“In essence, my charge is to protect the public's health. And I like to call it, consider myself, sort of like that silent warrior,” Jenkins said.

But, he wasn’t always in the public health sector. He was a banker before getting into local government 15 years ago.

“Transition to, local government primarily because all the reasons, the tenets of my fraternity, which is, you know, culture for service, service for humanity. And, just being a public servant, just making sure that I'm able to ensure that I do my part and make sure that humanity benefits in the way that it should,” Jenkins said.

He’s an active member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. It was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9, 1914 by three students, A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse and Charles I. Brown.

"They wanted to form a fraternity of inclusiveness. They believe that, you know, again, culture for service and service for humanity, were pivotal key concepts that would ensure that, you know, again, society would benefit from, you know, men of distinction,” Jenkins said.

His fraternity, like all those in the Divine Nine, isn’t just a fraternity you join college. It’s a lifetime commitment you're making to an organization that continues the betterment of humanity.

"They were educators. They were individuals who participated in civil rights marches. They were individuals who had to put up with a whole lot in order to achieve their goals. And, the one steady thing they had in their life was Phi Beta Sigma,” Jenkins said.

Phi Beta Sigma recently celebrated 111 years of service during a Founders Day celebration last month.