By Bro.
" . . . T O SAY I WAS THERE
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Martin L. **
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Harvey
Historians tell us that in May, 1865, the Grand Army of the Republic held its last review in Washington, D. C. before its members were mustered out of service. For two days the sun burned, battle tested veterans of the Union Army, marched past the reviewing stands. Their tattered flags called to the minds of spectators memories of Bull Run, Shiloh, Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and Appamatox. One Union officer remarked after the review, "It was worth ten years of a man's life to say, 'I was there'." Those who witnessed and shared in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Sphinx at the New York Convention will, for a long time, be grateful that we were at this convention. Beginning with the Endless Procession of Splendor, the spirit and dreams of our fraternity were dramatized with consumate skill and imagination. The initial program on Sunday night - Alpha, The Endless Procession of Splendor, was an excellent dramatic presentation in song, dance, music and the spoken word, of not only the history of the fraternity, but of the struggle of black men for freedom from the days of ancient Egypt to the present. It was a professional job - it was in excellent taste, it was fast moving yet serious, and it was entertaining. The
Sphinx Panel and Forum participants: L-R: Brothers Frank W. Morris, James Robinson, C. Anderson Davis. Randall Maxey. Henry A. Callis, Eddie L. Madison (not shown). T h e title of the Forum was: "Communication - Excellence . . . Key To Equality".
S. R. O. audience in the Grand Ballroom of the Commodore Hotel gave those responsible for the pageant a standing ovation The Panel and Forum Monday, under the chairmanship of the Editor of the Sphinx, brought four brothers to lift up the importance of communication and excellence as they related to efforts for full equality. Each of them spoke not just theoritically but from practical experience in their respective fields on this emphasis. As so often happens there was insufficient time for them to speak in depth about this emphasis. The
Above Left: Bro. Malvin Goode speaks at Sphinx Luncheon honoring our undergraduate brothers. A b o v e Right: Bro. Robert L. Harris delivers the undergraduate a d d r e u at luncheon.
Persons responsible for producing and staging the Sphinx Drama: Alpha - Endless Procession of Splendor. L-R: Ves Harper, Costume Designer; Frank Gaskin Fields, Music Composer; S. Carroll Buchanan, Choral Director; William Allen Bairn, Adapted script for stage; Perry Watkins, Producer and Technical Director; Miss Cynthia Sissle, Stage Manager; Brother C. Anderson Davis, Author; Marvin Gordon, Director and Choreographer; Benjamin F. Jones, Personnel Manager, and Bro. Noble Sissle, E x e c u t i v e Producer.
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THE SPHINX