The Sustainability Issue

Sustainability Issue | Volume 106, No. 3

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

CONTENTS

special features

in this issue

21

Letters

In Memoriam: Brother Reverend Dr. C.T. Vivian, Minister & Legendary Civil Rights Leader

24 Brother Joseph Echols Lowery: A Triumphantly Normal Life in a Strange Land

3 6 Ommisions/Corrections

7 Health

21

14 Education

16 Literary

features 10

27 Advocacy

Inaugural Alpha Scholars Commencement Recognizes Graduating College Brothers During Covid-19 Pandemic

33

40

54

Andrew Young’s Seventy Years in Alpha

History

49

Chapter News

The Sustainability of Black Men

80 An American Soul Icon Remembered: Brother Donny Hathaway

Military Affairs

52 Economics

24

58 84 Brothers on the Move

88 Vendor Directory

90 Omega Chapter

97 Leadership Directory

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CONTENTS

SPHINX

®

Official Publication of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE | Volume 106, No. 3 apa1906.net EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Colin H. Campbell, PhD ColinCampbell@apa1906.net MANAGING ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC Ewebb@apa1906.net CREATIVE DIRECTOR Malik Whatley CONTRIBUTORS Everett B. Ward, PhD, Joseph G. Paul, Colin H. Campbell, PhD, Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC, James McCurtis, Jr., Robert A. Johnson, III, Montell D. Brown, Joseph Spence, Wade Woolfolk, Kelsey Richardson, Ralph Steele, Arthur G. Affleck, Calvin B. Affleck, Glenn E. Porter, Jonathan C. Richardson, PhD, Chris Bridges, Basil Smikle, PhD, Eugene Cornelius, Jr., Darryl W. Sharp, Sr., Terrence Adams, Byron Bagby, Takevess C. Hatcher, James Floyd, Robert L. Harris, Jr., PhD, Kenneth Wesley Norwood, Jonathan C. Augustine, JD, DMin, Lawrence C. Singleton, Victor Perkins, Carl J. Kingcade, Damon Johnson, Jonathan Higgins, Michael Cooper, Charles Banks, James Leassear, Jonathan T. Fulwood, Edward T. Parker, Richard N. Hayes, Todd Ireland, Leon Cole

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Nehemiah Bester, Colin Campbell, PhD, Gregory Davenport

Sustainability Edition | Volume 106, No. 3

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ramon E. Peralta, Jr., L.H.D., Chair Gabriel Selassie I, PhD, Donald L. Ross, LaMarcus J. Hall, Philip Wilkerson, III EDITORIAL OFFICES Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 2313 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 212I8-5211 www.apa1906.net ADVERTISING AND SALES ads@apa1906.net

ON THE COVER

COVER DESIGN BY: Malik Whatley

In fond memory of legendary leaders Brother Joseph Lowery (1921-2020) and Brother C.T. Vivian (1924-2020)

DESIGN AND PRINTING Mercury Publishing Services, Inc. (800) 634-9409

© 2020 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. | All Rights Reserved

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

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Frater nity Inc.

®

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Great for New Members Anniversaries Birthdays Etc.

Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Subscriptions Available!

For more information and to register, go to: www.AlphaPhiAlphaBox.com powered by Greek Traditions

FROM THE GENERAL PRESIDENT

Letter from the General President My Brothers of Alpha: For more than a century, we have been true to our mission of developing leaders, promoting brotherhood, and encouraging academic excellence while providing service and advocacy for our communities. Our actions speak much louder than our words.

Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. General President Twitter: @AlphasforWARD

Amid two global pandemics, one in the form of COVID-19, and the other, a manifestation of the long history of civil and racial disparities in this country, Alpha men have risen to the occasion to combat and terminate both. Over the past months, we have taken extreme precautions relating to our membership interaction. This fall was the first time this Fraternity transitioned to an all-virtual IMDP and it pleases me to see our Brotherhood adapt with such precision under such trying circumstances.

It is because these issues that we face and more the theme of this issue of The Sphinx focuses on “The Sustainability of African American Men.” Between virtual meetings, ceremonies, and ensuring our college Brothers are safely practicing social distancing guidelines at their colleges and universities, our efforts to do our part in ending this pandemic speaks to the character of all those who don the distinguished Black and Old Gold. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to our many doctors, physicians, caregivers, task forces, and essential workers for their critical involvement in seeing the evaporation of this virus and for acting as beacons of light during these gray times in hopes of brighter days.

As the country also deals with the reckoning of racism over the past months, I along with other leaders in our community have issued letters, policy recommendations, and strategic plans to President Trump, Congressional leaders, and committees to demand justice for the victims of police brutality and social violence in America. For too long, African American men and women have been treated as third-class citizens.

From the egregious murder of Emmett Till in 1955 to the heartbreaking murder of Breonna Taylor in 2020. Both deserved to live their lives, and yet, their murders were absolved from conviction exactly 65 years apart from each other. Enough is enough.

Brothers, it is again the time that we remember our timeless national program, “A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People” as we continue to encourage voter registration, education, and engagement while increasing our efforts to ensure the communities in which we serve are properly counted for the 2020 Census. It has never been clearer that while this may not have been a fight we started; it will be a fight we finish. If not for us, then for the millions of young men and women who will follow in our footsteps as we followed in the footsteps of honorable men such as Brother Joseph Lowery, Brother C.T. Vivian, and John Lewis. Let us remember that what is currently at stake for our communities and the massive impact that men of this Fraternity have when we refuse complacency and choose that which is righteous, as our Jewel Founders intended.

Onward and Upward Always. S

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FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Letter from the Editor-In-Chief Salutations Brothers!

Colin H. Campbell, Ph.D. Editor-In-Chief ColinCampbell@apa1906.net

In this latest issue of the Sphinx themed: “The Sustainability of African American Men,” we observe and recount the accomplishments of our Brothers who have preserved and protected the legacy of excellence that our Jewels began early in the 20th century. This Fraternity started out of a need to create a space for Black men to excel amid a caustic racialized climate. To say the ethos of our country regarding race relations and equity for Black Americans has only made incremental change since 1906 until now is an understatement. In many aspects, we as Black men are today experiencing similar political and socioeconomic dynamics as when our founding Brothers started when building this great fraternal organization. This is why we follow standards that have been preserved for generations.

For an individual or entity to be sustained, it must be nurtured and cultivated. The attention given to the necessary focus of preservation and sustainability must be constant and purposeful for it to grow. Actions that run counter to these objectives of continued development can include neglect, asphyxiation, and even forcible death.

We have witnessed nefarious acts playing out daily in the zeitgeist that are antithetical to the development and sustenance of our society. However, what this Sphinx edition will prove is despite these obstacles that range from the environmental to man-made, Brothers are brooking adversity in the pursuit of personal and societal progress.

The complexities of fraternal bonds and their objectives was recently augmented at the first presidential debate of 2020. The President of the United States, under prompting from the moderator, named a fraternity of men that obfuscates the core objectives and reputations of fraternities endeavoring towards meritorious and beneficial ideals. To name that group as a “fraternity,” was ostensibly farcical to the spirit presented. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., a Fraternity that stands out from other fraternities commensurate with the respect it receives, is inextricably linked to how our Brothers continue to exhibit the principles, values, and morals that our great founders attributed to this great Fraternity.

Fortunately, we have many examples of that within our Fraternity displayed in this magazine. Brothers from chapters across the country and the world are demonstrating what true Brotherhood with meritorious objectives looks like.

The irony is not lost upon me that as I celebrate my 20th year with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the importance of our Fraternity and Brotherhood is needed just as much now as it was needed more than a century ago. The ideals of leadership concatenate with the culture of our Fraternity connects us in ways that motivates us and sharpens us to levels that we may not have anticipated.

I am excited that this issue will showcase the legacies of luminary Brothers such as the late Brother Joseph Lowery and the late Brother C.T. Vivian. This Sphinx also includes the continued substantial contributions of Brother Andrew Young. These leaders supported by the strength of the Fraternity strove to evolve the United States into a better nation from when they were birthed into it. Their quotidian actions were motivated by equality for all—especially for Black Americans for whom this country has been reluctant to fully acknowledge and give deference to despite generations of loyalty and industriousness to make it more prosperous.

The Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. were the architects of an organizational movement built upon by generations of our nation’s finest men. We are imbued with the responsibility of sustaining their work that has preceded us as well as preserving the legacy that follows us beyond our mortality.

It is with this in mind that I present to you my first edition of the Sphinx as Editor-in-Chief.

We Shall Transcend All. S

4 SPHINX

Come BaCk to the house. go to alphanet.apa1906.net

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Brother,

Are You the missing piece?

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OMISSIONS/CORRECTIONS

ALPHA ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THOSE SEEKING OFFICE Due to an unfortunate layout error, these previously and timely submitted Alpha Elected Officials were omitted from the Special Edition of The Sphinx Magazine on Political Thought and Representative Government. The editorial staff of The Sphinx deeply apologizes for the omissions.

MICHIGAN

NEVADA Brother Torchio Feaster, a Fall 2011 initiate of Epsilon Upsilon Lambda, is seeking election for District Court Judge – 67 District in Flint, Michigan.

Election is November 3, 2020.

Visit: https://www.feaster2020. com/

Brother Cedric Crear, a Spring 2016 initiate of Theta Pi Lambda serves as City Councilman – Ward 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Election is 2023. Visit: https:// www.lasvegasnevada.gov/ Government/Mayor-CityCouncil/Ward-5

Brother George David Guinn, a Spring 1993 initiate of Iota Epsilon at Grand Valley State University and member of Epsilon Upsilon Lambda, serves as a District Court Judge – 67 District in Flint, Michigan.

Election is November 3, 2020.

Visit: http://www.67thdc.com/ flint-court/

“We must fight till hell freezes over and then fight on the ice!”

—Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy, December 1937

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THE SPHINX

HEALTH

BY BROTHER JAMES MCCURTIS, JR.

A COVID-19 Survivor Story

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week before Easter, Janice Cabule got a dreadful phone call from her husband Ernie’s doctor. His organs began to shut down.

But Brother Ernie Maceo Cabule, 67, balked at death.

He was not ready to go. “I was down two strikes in the ninth inning and then I rallied,” said Ernie, Zeta Beta ’73, Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI. “I got things to do. Dying isn’t one of them.”

Cabule, a member of the Kappa Delta Lambda Chapter in Lansing, MI, since the mid ‘80s, was hospitalized for 90 days battling the coronavirus until his release on Friday, June 19th.

During his battle, Cabule had five blood transfusions, three blood clots, surgery to repair a wound on his back, a bone infection, and doctors at Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital found E.coli in his blood, said Janice, his wife of 42 years. Ernie also went into a coma, was placed on a ventilator twice, and developed diabetes while he was being treated for the virus.

“They told us to start praying for him,” said Janice.

That’s when Ernie’s loved ones: family, church members, friends, neighbors and fraternity Brothers invoked the power of prayer.

The Brothers of Kappa Delta Lambda hosted a call-in prayer vigil every Sunday for seven weeks to pray for his recovery. Brothers from across the country participated in the prayer vigils.

“Here is a man who had impacted brothers personally,” said Joshua Gillespie, KDL’s chaplain and chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Program. “It was important for us to come together with our collective strength in unity and pray for Ernie.”

“As a brotherhood, we prayed without ceasing no matter what the daily updates were,” Pope said, calling Ernie a “living gem” to the chapter. “We continue to pray even now that he is out of the hospital.”

Janice, who was also temporarily hospitalized with coronavirus, said the prayers and the goodwill from the KDL chapter gave her hope and encouragement. “Some people never know what it’s like to have people care, and the KDL chapter made sure that we knew they cared,” said Janice. “They called or stopped by every THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

day. I wouldn’t have made it without them.”

As weeks went by, Ernie gradually began to gain his strength exceeding doctors’ expectations. “I just tried to keep a positive attitude,” Brother Cabule said.

When Ernie was released the morning of Friday June 19th, his wife, their two daughters Joya and Danielle, and their grandson, Maceo - joined dozens of friends, hospital staff. Alpha Brothers greeted him with cheers, applause, and signs reading, “Welcome Home Ernie” and “That Brother Maceo is one bad (man).”

Later that day, Ernie rode home for the first time since March. He was greeted with a parade of waving neighbors holding balloons, banners, signs, and noise makers. “This is beyond my wildest dreams to see all the appreciation,” said Ernie. “It’s fantastic. I’m ever so grateful for it.”

Ernie is a Lansing, MI staple. He volunteers for The Turning Point of Lansing, a non-profit organization that mentors African-American adolescent males and for various community organizations including the Lansing City Mobile Food Pantry. He’s served as the KDL Chapter secretary for 10 years and vice-president for one year.

Ernie is eager to get back to doing some of the things he loves the most: spending time with family and his Alpha Brothers, bowling, and serving the Lansing community. “I’m just happy to be here,” Ernie said.

“Thank you to my Brothers and to the fraternity for their prayers and support.” S

Brother James McCurtis Jr., is a manager for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. A former reporter and Maywood, Illinois, native, McCurtis graduated from the University of Iowa.

He earned his MBA from Davenport University. He was initiated into Alpha Theta Chapter on April 21, 1993. He is a member of the Kappa Delta Lambda Chapter.

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HEALTH

BY BROTHER ROBERT A. JOHNSON, III, MA, LPC, CCM, GCDF, DHA

Black Men and Trauma: Breaking the Silence

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frican American men’s mental health has always been at stake. Mental illness is impacting Black men at a larger rate than their female counterparts. It also impacts members of our households, families, and communities. The death rate from suicide for African American men was more than four times greater than for African American women, in 2017 (United States Department of Health and Human Service, Office of Minority Health, 2019). However, the overall suicide rate for African Americans is 60 percent lower than that of the non-Hispanic white population (United States Department of Health and Human Service, Office of Minority Health, 2019). We often do not seek out the proper treatment because of lack of

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health insurance coverage due to higher unemployment rates and the expectations of embarrassment. The result of lack of or poor treatment places us in a vulnerable position with our physical health, mental health, relationships, emotional and spiritual health. The lives of our Brothers along with our sisters are deeply disturbed and hindered because our race is devalued by society. The engagement of proper treatment to address the trauma has a direct effect upon helping us to become healthier individuals.

There should be more awareness about mental illness in the black community and how it impacts the black male psyche. It is important to include a healthy support

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HEALTH

Age-adjusted death rates for suicide, by sex, race and Hispanic origin, 2017 Non-Hispanic Black

Non-Hispanic White

Non-Hispanic Black / Non-Hispanic White Ratio

Male

11.4

28.2

0.4

Female

2.8

7.9

0.4

Total

6.9

17.8

0.4

Source: CDC, 2019. National Vital Statistics Report. Vol. 68, No. 09. Table 10. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09.pdf

system within our families and communities. Black men have little confidence in mental health institutions and professionals which impacts engagement in proper treatment. It is important for all professionals who engage in providing mental health services for Black males to engage in training with understanding on how to learn how to deal with the Black male psyche.

Early detection for Black men dealing with mental health issues is so imperative and can bring about hope leading to a healthier life. Awareness can provide love and support that motivates us to deal with trauma and other impacts to our mental health well-being. Brothers, you are not alone so please seek help for better health outcomes.

It seems like the life and plight of Black men is not valued in our society today; however, we as a community must provide love and support for our black males to build them up with strength. It provides a level of encouragement that motivates us to deal with trauma and other impacts to our mental health and well-being. with strength. It is important to expose them to opportunities to stretch their minds so that we can build up strong families with the foundation of strong men. It is important to let them know that they are loved despite their trials and tribulations. We must have to put in place supportive networks to address their concerns and issues.

I have written a poem as a young Black male, who has experienced trials and tribulations; however, I am thankful for the strength of my God, parents, sisters, family and mentors for being my supportive networks.

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The Poem is entitled: “To be a black boy to be a black Man”!

To be a black boy to be a black Man To be a black boy to be a black man, When momma and daddy find out they are having a boy, They show no joy, To be a black boy, to be a black man, There emotions show one of being sad, To be a black boy, a black man, Life is going to be hard for him, To be a black boy, to be a black man, The world will always have a fear of him because of the unknown, But he is a human and that will be shown, To be a black boy, to be a black man, He cannot cry, he cannot shed a tear cause the world will not hear, To be a black boy, to be a black man, He was and is a king, But is told he is only a pig, To be a black boy, to be a black man, He too wants to be loved and take care of his family, The world just does not want him to be happy, To be a black boy, to be a black man, Help him rise and do not deprive, Because he too will be alive and shall rise, To be a black boy, to be a black man. S Brother Robert A. Johnson, III, MA, LPC, CCM, GCDF, DHA, ALPHA ZETA ’98, Eta Omicron Lambda

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FEATURE

BY BROTHER ERIC CHRISTOPHER WEBB, DDIV., CPLC

INAUGURAL ALPHA SCHOLARS COMMENCEMENT RECOGNIZES GRADUATING COLLEGE BROTHERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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ith colleges and universities forced to cancel in-person commencement ceremonies to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. sought to find a safe and alternative way to recognize the achievement and scholarship of its College Brothers.

On Saturday, May 30th, the Fraternity hosted its inaugural virtual Alpha Scholars Commencement Ceremony, which was streamed live on the Fraternity’s Facebook and Youtube platforms featuring a keynote address by 2020 Pulitzer Prize Recipient, Brother Jericho Brown and remarks from General President Dr. Everett B. Ward, Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer Joe Paul, various Alpha College & University Presidents, and the Fraternity’s Assistant Regional Vice Presidents.

“Our Brotherhood embarks on a new frontier as we lock fraternal arms through technology to celebrate academic excellence,” says General President Ward in his opening remarks. “On the dawn of a new day, we rise to applaud our Alpha Brothers for utilizing their intellectual capital as a powerful weapon to change society.”

Alpha College & University Presidents, Brother Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, interim president of Florida Memorial University; Brother Dr. Harry L. Williams, former president of Delaware State University and president & CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF); Brother Dr. David Wilson, president of Morgan State University; Brother Dr. Laurence B. Alexander, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Brother Dr. Brent Chrite, 10

THE SPHINX

FEATURE

president of Bethune-Cookman University; Brother Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and Brother Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, president & CEO of Virginia Union University all also offered remarks and words of wisdom.

To date, more than 5,000 people have viewed the entire ceremony and an additional 6,000 people have viewed Brother Brown’s keynote address separately on the Fraternity’s social media platforms.

Brother Dr. Brown, who earned his Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the University of Houston, holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of New Orleans and graduated with a BA from Dillard University.

He is the author of The Tradition, winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry.

Aside from other honors, he has received fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Krakow Poetry Seminar in Poland, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University.

Brother Dr. Brown has also taught at the University of Houston and San Diego State University as well as currently serves as an associate professor of English and creative THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

writing and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and the poetry editor at The Believer.

The following is the text from Pulitzer Prize for Poetry Winner, Brother Dr. Jericho Brown’s Alpha Scholars Ceremony Keynote Speech.

“Brother General President Ward, Brother Executive Director Paul, and all these distinguished brothers speaking today, thank you for having me here. I understand it as a singular honor. It is not lost on me that I am the first and only brother in any fraternity of the Pan-Hellenic council to receive the Pulitzer Prize in poetry. I am the only black person who graduated from an HBCU to do so.

And I am the first and prayerfully only winner of the prize in poetry to carry that honor in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

I am first, but I am not the only man who has ever been first. As young as I am, my grandparents on both sides of my family were sharecroppers. My mother’s grandparents had been slaves freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. My mother grew up in a family where if you were old enough to walk, you were old enough to pick cotton.

So of course, I remain grateful for and in awe of my own life and of our lives together. And not just because I never picked cotton. My gratitude is made full by what my ancestors dreamed for us and by the parts of our lives we live that they may not have imagined.

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FEATURE

If I am to be the realization of my ancestors’ the goal of life is to reap monetary rewards, dreams, then I have no choice but to believe that financial security will be ours if only we that the moment I am called is indeed the right do not challenge the status quo, if only we do moment, that everything in my life has led to this not ask questions. But that voice would have moment, and no matter how dreary the moment us feel that we are irrelevant observers who seems, no matter how bad the health of my have nothing to do with hunger or war. But, nation, I am prepared for it. of course, you already know that.

I mean, dear graduating Alpha Scholars, I mean dear brothers, that I am just like you.

Finally, I wondered if I could write a speech If God is everywhere, then you and I are not that might inspire you, but then I started exceptions. If God is in us, we must have the thinking about us and from where we’ve come. power to create our lives. If I At least one of us has seen am chosen, you, too, stand in your parents work blisters this moment with a gift that into their hands so that only you can give. And you you might be able to go to are graduating just so you can college. At least one of us give it. You, my brother, are has a mother who kept your on the precipice of your own children because you needed glory. to go to the library and finish Still, this is difficult, a paper. At least one of us even for me, a man who has heard that by this time you’d built a life out of working be in prison. All of us made with words. So what can it to this point because we Brother David Kwabena Wilson, PhD Morgan State University President I possibly offer you who so had enough trust in our God clearly understand the value of labor that leads or our family or ourselves. You already know to achievement? It seems silly to think I might say that. You know all about trust and faith. something to you that you don’t already know.

You also know that education is life-long, For instance, I could say a few things about and today’s commencement is only a break. integrity, about freedom of expression, about I’m not here to tell you about integrity or peace. I could, for example, talk with you about kindness, and you’re much too inspiring for how these things really have nothing to do with me to attempt inspiring you. The most I can “houses or land, fine clothes or jewelry.” But that, do is welcome you to tomorrow. too, seems a waste of my time here when I know many of you have chosen` fields of study that fly But let me be clear about what tomorrow can in the face of the myth that education is meant look like. Rather than tell you what you’ve for the swelling of your pocketbooks rather than already heard luminaries such as Oprah Winfey the emancipation of your minds. Who am I to and Barack Obama say through commencement encourage you to use your degrees to change the platforms such as this one, I want to tell you present map of social and economic priorities what little I can, brother to brother. so that financial gain does not trump the real needs of human beings? You already know that.

Dear brother, be radical. Be radical or be ready to get out of our radical way.

There is a voice in this world that claims that 12

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FEATURE

Here are some names that are very easy to say, some names we like to call: Countee Cullen, Frederick Douglass, WEB DuBois, Duke Ellington, E. Lynn Harris, Donny Hathaway, Barry Jenkins, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jesse Owens, Paul Robeson, Cornel West. It is one thing to call these Alpha men role models. It is another to step into their roles. It is one thing to admire these Alpha men when you hear them speak or watch them play. It is another to imagine their discipline when they’re not onstage. It is one thing to think of them as progressive agents for change. It is another to know that they were often thought of as stone crazy. Even Black people would treat them like pariahs. Indeed, this is a list of communists, conspirators, and criminals. A bunch of experimental, avant garde risk takers. Men on the margins. Men in the fringes. They remind me of Jesus and his disciples. Radicals indeed!

No, I have not come here to incite you to riot.

But I do know for a fact that it is possible in this nation to be a man who loves God and provides for his family and at the same time be a man who feels some sense of comeuppance, some satisfaction or even glee at the sight of a police station going up in flames. I know it is possible to love a nation and pay taxes to a nation knowing that same nation intends to suppress my vote. How can we ever reconcile these?

For so many of us, the dream is a calm one.

We want to get married, have a couple kids, live in what my grandmother would call a fine home, and eventually retire from a goodpaying job. Maybe a movie on the weekend.

And some cornbread to eat and the right to get fat eating it. We’d like our only mania to be nice, cozy middle class mania. I get that.

And yet, you have a mind to reconcile. You have a mind to reconcile because you know that no matter how safe you may seem, we THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

live in a nation that will make life-threatening trouble for your son, your daughter, your mother, you father, you sister, and yes, your brother. You reconcile it by giving the gift only you can give, by doing what you love so well that I end up inspired by the fact that you did it. We need you and need what you do! And we need you to look at the future knowing the past. Think about how insane it once sounded when people said abolish slavery because that’s what will make you radical enough if you’re a person who needs to say abolish the police.

I don’t care if you build furniture. Can you be to furniture building what Serena Williams is to tennis? I don’t care if you ballroom dance. Can you waltz the way Toni Morrison wrote novels.

Whatever you do, do it all the way. To be radical is to be inclusive, to love blackly beyond class and sexuality and region. Be radical. I’m counting on you. We quite literally need you to survive.

Thank you. God bless you. And congratulations.” S 13

EDUCATION

Undeterred By COVID, Easter Region Registers Over 100 Ambassadors

B

loodied but unbowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Eastern Region pushed forward to hold its annual summer Leadership Development Institute (LDI) under the theme: “Young, Gifted and Prepared: Ready to Lead...Destined to Succeed!” This initiative was organized by a dedicated committee, supported by an honor roll of sponsoring chapters and organizations, and bolstered by a squadron of more than 60 mentors and workshop facilitators including 105 ambassadors registered for the 2020 Eastern Region Leadership Development Institute.

The Institute seeks to equip high school students, primarily sophomores to seniors, with vital leadership skills. The Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated Leadership Development Institute annually convenes three Leadership Development

Institutes: one at the site of the Eastern Region Convention, and summer programs in the northern and southern parts of the region. Young men from Maine to Virginia and even the nation state of Bermuda participate in the LDI. This year’s Institute was subdivided into a weekly component and a three-day intensive portion.

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Weekly sessions that started on June 15th, featured interactive discussions about the application of leadership concepts, historical perspectives, and personal development activities. Finally, each Ambassador produced a Leadership Development Action Plan (LDAP). The LDAP is a practical leadership project in which the Ambassador defines an issue that they want to tackle, outlines their plan to address the issue, as well as their vision, and leadership style. ambassadors received feedback from Brothers and their fellow ambassadors. LDI staff and sponsoring chapters have already begun mentoring and supporting ambassadors to help transform their plans from ideas to action items.

Each morning of the three-day intensive included a series of small group, scenario-based workshops.

Workshop titles included: “Civic Engagement,” “What It Means to Serve,” “Goal Setting,” “Mentoring” and “Networking.” Each workshop topic was anchored by an associated scenario where volunteer facilitators helped to steer ambassador discussions. This strategy has completely replaced traditional larger group presentations; placing the emphasis on ambassadors interacting with one another and establishing their own content significance.

The evening portion of the intensive component included a networking reception, cultural activity, and ambassador presentations. On the first evening, ambassadors were able to speak with professionals in their field of interests.

Ambassadors were allowed to move in and out of discipline defined breakout rooms to interact with real time practitioners of their future career interests. The second evening featured a viewing of episodes from rapper Killer Mike’s documentary, Trigger Warning. Finally, the ambassadors had the opportunity to provide a 3-minute presentation of their LDAP electronic posters.

Refusing to be paralyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Eastern Region Leadership Development Institute was a grand success. The men of Alpha East remain steadfast in their dedication to youths who march onward and upward toward the light! S THE SPHINX

EDUCATION

BY BROTHER MONTELL D. BROWN

We Must Close the Digital Divide for All Students

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s an educator, I’ve learned early on that relationships are key to learning. I’ve always genuinely looked forward to coming to school, greeting my students by name with a fist bump, and tapping into their individual interests to make science come alive for them. The school closures caused by COVID-19 have changed all of that. Now, instead of coming to my classroom, students are coming to my Google Meets. But the need for caring, trusting relationships is still just the same. Just the other day, I spent three hours in a Google Meet session with a student as he completed his work. I asked why he wanted me to be “here” with him. He responded, “I must admit that I miss you, Mr. Brown. It’s just good to know that you’re still there.”

bare, and urban districts can’t address these inequities alone.

Unfortunately, not all my students are able to participate in these crucial face-to-face interactions because of a simple barrier: internet access. As I have connected with families, I’ve heard the same thing from several parents: “Mr. Brown, I want my child to do your work, but we just don’t have access to the internet.” Certain internet providers are offering free or discounted internet services, but there are many restrictions: many providers exclude many families based on previous debts, geographic location, proof of income, and history of service. These barriers make obtaining internet service difficult or impossible for already overwhelmed families.

The U.S. Department of Education should also be taking the lead on expanding students’ access to virtual learning. The department has given limited guidance to schools on how to transition to remote learning, and the funds allocated for schools in the CARES Act, including to help schools expand internet access, will take weeks or even months to reach schools. Every day our students go without internet access is a lost day of learning; the Department of Education must work with districts and states to streamline the process for receiving funds, advocate for greater funding in the next phase of relief packages, and coordinate with other federal agencies like the FCC to make universal internet access a top priority.

Philadelphia has the second-lowest household internet access rate of any major city in the country.

Unsurprisingly, the School District of Philadelphia has struggled to overcome the challenges of internet accessibility, having to backtrack after widespread criticism for suggesting students go to school parking lots to access lessons. The district has done everything in its power to close the digital divide, working with generous benefactors to ensure every student receives a Chromebook and working to acquire Wi-Fi hotspots for those that need them. Unfortunately, the district has limited power and resources to address lack of internet access across our city. For too long, our most underfunded and under-resourced districts have carried the burden of providing everything for their students.

Lack of support from the federal government has created huge inequities that this pandemic is laying

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Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has suggested that The Federal Communications Commission expand upon their Keep Americans Connected Pledge in order to ensure internet access for all Americans . While many corporations have signed on, they have not eliminated the restrictions that limit access to the very people the pledge is intended to help. The FCC must intervene now and broker these partnerships to serve every household in need. We do not need another half-hearted pledge to check off some boxes; we need tangible intervention that provides internet access to all Americans.

Schools and districts cannot solve these problems alone. Without the intervention of the federal government, academic growth will be stunted, socialemotional development cannot occur, and our society will continue to unabashedly relegate our lower-income families to second-class citizenship status.

I implore all Americans, regardless of your background or identity, to advocate for the federal government to ensure every student has access to internet connectivity. Call the FCC. Write your U.S. Senators.

Email the U.S. Department of Education. Sign petitions.

Just as my student felt comforted by my remote presence, let’s work to ensure all students can share that same feeling by overcoming one hurdle: internet access. S

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LITERARY

BY BROTHER JOSEPH SPENCE

Sincerely Speaking Spiritually WestBow Press (February 2020) $28.95 Hardcover / Paperback $11.95 /$3.95 Kindle 138 Pages ISBN-10: 1973683911 ISBN-13: 978-1973683919 Christian Poetry (Books) / Inspirational & Religious Poetry (Books) / Christian Inspirational Amazon.com

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incerely Speaking Spiritually,” is a compilation of spiritual verses for uplifting the mind, body, and soul. It consists of poetic prayers, inspirational poems, and historical data on poetry and prayers (The Wessobrunn Prayer and Amazing Grace).

The text also has a variety of new poetry forms invented by worldwide poets. It consists of four poetry forms and styles created by Brother Spence during his study of English literary science, creative writing, poetry and the African Diaspora at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee (“Epulaeryu,” “Seventh Heaven,” “God’s Dynamic Steps,” and “Linking Pin Sonnet”).

According to Brother Spence, the collection will allow you to help others and instills the following: This is your divine time to take the high roads and not the low.

• Overcoming the Goliaths in your life and succeeding with grace.

• Changing your negatives into positives.

• Divinely not succumbing to secular invading beliefs against you.

• Strengthening your sacred relations with God’s holy saints.

• Enhancing your inspirational faith with God’s ecclesiastical words of love.

Additionally, the revelation of “Sincerely Speaking Spiritually” revelation offers the following:

• Turning stumbling blocks into stepping-stones leading to salvation.

• Transformational power from God for you to “be a victor and not a victim.”

• Vanquishing the unwarranted lies of your enemy’s deceitful crucifixion.

• Enlightening souls to “rise above with His resurrection power.”

Finally, it establishes the principle of “only God as the One who determines your destiny.” It argues that you should not be intimidated by the devils› disciples and follow the elevation from God's saints. It bestows the resurrection power of God to reside in you from Him, who has all authority in heaven and earth. It declares that this is your time to step up to the plate, in God’s name, with His faith and glory, and to hit a home run for Him! Brother Spence, a 1991 initiate and member of Delta Chi Lambda Chapter, is a professional military veteran, awardwinning poet, minister, and inspirational book reviewer of over 50 books posted in professional pedagogy mediums. He is the author of over 100 peer-reviewed published poetic articles and 10 inspirational poetry collections. In addition, he served as the Poetry Chaplain, and a co-founder for the Worldwide Poetry Alliance, UK. This year, he also co-published “The World’s Biggest Poetry Anthology: Songs of Peace,” with the League of Poets, Nigeria.

God’s manifestation of preparing a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

• Improving your status of allowing “God to anoint your head with sacred oil.”

• Elevating your spirit to “drinking from your overflowing cup” of God’s grace.

Brother Spence graduated from the University of Maryland Global Campus, College Park, Maryland (Business and Management), and Howard University ROTC officer’s commissioning program (Military Science). He received the Distinguished Military Graduate and Daughters of American Revolution Awards from Howard University ROTC program.

It conveys the following for all believing hearts to embrace with God’s blessings: • “Overcoming the Judases of darkness” with God’s resurrection light.

He also completed a degree in divinity while in the U. S. Army, and was installed as a Eucharist Lay Minister by the Sufferance Bishop of the Armed Forces, The Right Reverend Charles Burgreen. S

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LITERARY

BY BROTHER WADE WOOLFOLK

Yea, Though I Walk: Experiencing God In Every Step Of Life (July 2020) $16.95 Paperback / $7.95 Kindle Edition 83 pages ASIN: B08DHGL4Y2 Spiritual Self-Help / Inspirational Spirituality YeaThoughIWalkBook.com Amazon.com

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ea, Though I Walk: Experiencing God in Every Step of Life is a soul-opening, personal and uplifting account about the struggles in our spiritual confidence and uniqueness in the eyes of God.

In Brother Wade Woolfolk’s first book, he takes you on a journey through different scenarios where we often struggle with who we are in the eyes of God. Whether you have or have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, or you do not believe in God at all, Yea, Though I Walk is a soul-opening, personal view of the spiritual struggles that we all encounter, at some time in our lives! Additionally, he provides some enlightening and encouraging, spiritual spoken word in the book - some which cut to the very core of our spiritual context, beliefs, and moral character. Every page of Yea, Though I Walk will make you question if your spiritual confidence is where it should and can be.

Brother Woolfolk is an author, inspirational orator, small business owner, and a Deacon and ministry leader with a serving heart. Originally from the Washington, DC area, he is passionate about helping others see their potential in their spiritual walk. He says his foundation of biblical teachings and activities have contributed greatly to his ongoing spiritual and developmental growth. He believes that one’s journey in Christ and their testimony is like their spiritual DNA. He has always been active in the community; and he takes his experience with God with him advocating for issues relating to civil and human rights, breast cancer awareness, homelessness, and education.

In addition, he has been an advocate for civil and human rights issues, breast cancer awareness, and homelessness. His experience in communications shines through his collection of original messages and spoken word on how we struggle with our spiritual confidence and understanding our uniqueness in God. Brother Woolfolk holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an M.A. in Organizational Communications – both from Bowie State University. S

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LITERARY

BY BROTHER KELSEY RICHARDSON, MPH

BY BROTHER DR. RALPH STEELE

The Sky Has Fallen: A National Economic Plan A Guide to Chaos, for African Americans & College, Leadership, Community Renewal Mediation Worlds (March 2020) and Life 58 Pages Self-published (May 2020) $25 Paperback 90 pages ISBN: 9798653702204 Kalirichardson.com

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hen we look at self-development, often it is the soft skills that are not taught in schools, colleges, and in entry level jobs.

The Sky Has Fallen: A Guide to Chaos, College, Leadership, and Life tries to bridge that gap.

In the book, Brother Kali Richardson, explores such topics as preparing for college, selfimage, leadership, financial basics, planning management, time management, academics and their importance, the role of athletics as multiple levels, organizational leadership as a student and as a professional, starting home vs leaving home post high school, and the post college graduate experience. This book is designed so that each chapter is independent of itself and each chapter is coupled with tips and tricks to support each of the listed areas.

Brother Richardson, a mentor and a millennial speaker, works with high school students, college students, and young professionals to assist their growth and to be successful as tomorrow’s leaders. This author tries to engage these lessons through this book for mentoring programs, college initiatives, groups, organizations, and businesses. This happens by focusing on the basics and fundamentals which are always practiced by the elite thoughtlessly. S

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$12.97 Paperback Business & Economics Lulu.com wealththinktank.org

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he National Economic Plan for African Americans is a book that gives the reader a clear diverse plan for both the individual and collective groups to unite, and plan and execute a long term Plan for African Americans to develop viable solutions for developing Financial Legacy, Financial Inclusion, Entrepreneurship and Generational Wealth., W=me3 based upon (3), three generations and we achieve the American dream. Thus, becoming producer and owners versus only consumers. This plan includes all people working Interdependently to both devise and implement the National Economic Plan For African Americans.

Brother Dr. Ralph Steele, a wealth building expert, has made it his mission to educate individuals in theory and practice about economics, financial literacy, investments, entrepreneurship, business ownership, being debt free, financial strategies (W=me3).

His favorite phrase, “wealth is a human right,” became the basis for his creation of Wealth Legacy TV in 2019, and he is currently completing a documentary called “A Cattle on a Thousand Hills” that is based on the economic renewal for inner cities.

Dr. Steele, who is also the author of How to Acquire and Keep Wealth: Wealth Think Bank, has facilitated wealth building conferences and forums for Capital One Bank, University of Texas Arlington, Richland Community College, Stillman College, Eastfield Community College, Tarrant County Community College, Black CEO Kansas City, KS, and Rolling Hills Country Hills in Arlington, TX. He has also hosted events in Ghana, Africa and in Sydney, Australia. He also was a featured speaker at another event called the Millionaire Master Plan for Business Entrepreneurs in Las Vegas, NV. His influence has transformed numerous families’ lives.

The author of 17 books on mediation, wealth, and domestic violence is also the President of Wealth Think Bank Entrepreneurship and Investment, LLC that focuses on educating, training, coaching, mentoring and develop Black entrepreneurs. S THE SPHINX

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BY BROTHER ARTHUR G. AFFLECK, III AND CALVIN B. AFFLECK

Conversations About Education, Careers and Life: A Guide for Pursuing College and NonCollege Education Options Self-published (August 2020) $9.99 Paperback 107 pages ISBN – 13: 979-8672459011 Higher and Continuing Education Amazon.com TheConversations.net

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pen and honest conversations will lead to better education, career and life choices

A central theme in this book is that college is a good system designed to prepare students, both intellectually and socially, for careers and adult life. But, it’s not the only option, and often not the best option, for some students. What make this book different and unique is the perspective provided from an educator/ father who is committed to the idea of college and a son whose first experience with college led him to drop out.

This book lifts up a critically important dialogue that young adults and their advocates should be having about the best post-secondary pathway for them. When and how to pursue education beyond high school with minimal debt should be individualized and connect to the young adult’s passion, purpose and sense of place.

Our great fraternity is to be applauded for our commitment to education as exemplified by our national “Go to High School Go to College Program.

However, there are about 5.5 million Africa Americans between the ages of 18 to 26 who have a high school degree or GED, but no college AND no job. We can do more to lift up and direct those young men who choose not to go to college because of a lack of preparation, motivation or funds.

This candid father and son conversation about real life challenges makes it clear that young adults can succeed by going to a well-chosen college. They also can succeed by pursuing a number of other viable options for education and training beyond the four-year college or university.

The book includes: • Advice, insights and stories about college and careers THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

• Chapters on finding your passion, college selection and application, paying for college, the Gap Year, Online Learning, Certifications and Apprenticeships, Self-love, mental health and social media and more • A discussion of the importance of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion • A discussion of college in the time of COVID-19 • Guidance for students, parents, student advocates, and educators • Anecdotes, personal stories and reflections from the authors in each chapter • Action steps at the end of each chapter and references to related resources The authors seek to spark more conversations to help young adults and all of us to think of life’s countless challenges and boundless options. They hope to help readers to find their “Passion, Purpose and Place,” and to develop the knowledge and skills needed to lead productive, healthy and happy lives.

Brother Affleck currently serves as the Vice President for Development at a national arts and culture nonprofit organization in the Washington, DC area. For over 20 years, he worked for higher education institutions and at other nonprofit organizations like the College Board and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. In the higher education space, he served as either Vice President or Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement at private and public and 19

LITERARY

colleges & universities. He led successful fundraising campaigns and won awards for excellence in fundraising from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

As a writer, he authored several articles related to higher education and in 2008, he wrote and published his first book “YES YOU CAN--Finish High School and Go to College.” He was excited to write his second book, “Conversations About Education, Careers and Life,” with his youngest son, Calvin.

Brother Affleck earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Tuskegee University, a Master’s degree in Administration & Supervision of Higher Education

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from Auburn University, a Juris Doctor degree from the American University-Washington College of Law, and a Certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Unlike his father, Calvin was born in Durham, NC. He began to develop his creative side in middle and high school where he took part in school plays. He also wrote a screenplay as a class assignment and loved seeing his classmates act out his vision. His interests include fashion, music, acting, screenwriting and writing nonfiction. Most of his working career has been in the retail industry and other customer service positions. He plans to pursue a degree online. S

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BY BROTHER DR. GLENN E. PORTER

IN MEMORIAM:

BROTHER REVEREND DR. C.T. VIVIAN, MINISTER & LEGENDARY CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER

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rother Reverend Dr. Cordy Tindell “C.T.” Vivian, an indomitable force, freedom fighter, and prophetic voice who worked alongside Brother Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in America’s civil rights movement, entered Omega Chapter on July 17, 2020 at the age of 95.

President Barack Obama awarded Brother Vivian the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Brother Vivian was part of a class of nine world leaders in civil rights, education, business, and religion initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in fall 2010 in Atlanta, GA. While Brother C.T. Vivian’s life work was a forceful demonstration of nonviolent protests for justice and equality for African Americans, it was, arguably, a 1965 Alabama County courthouse confrontation with Sheriff Jim Clark for which he will long be remembered.

The Baptist minister had led a group of demonstrators through the rainy streets of Selma to the courthouse. Standing in the drizzle, Vivian was demanding their right to register to vote. The sheriff and his phalanx of club-wielding deputies blocked their entrance, ordered everyone to leave and began shoving the protestors off the steps.

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With fiery indignation at the injustice—while jabbing his finger at the sheriff—the minister says, “You’re racists in the same way Hitler was a racist…You can’t keep anyone the U.S. from voting without hurting the rights of all other citizens.”

The activist unflinchingly protested that democracy is built on the principle that every citizen has the undeniable right to vote.

The confrontation escalated until Brother C.T. Vivian the sheriff punched the nonviolent minister, sending him reeling down the stairs. Undaunted and unbowed—with blood streaming down his face—Brother Vivian got up and continued his protest before deputies arrested him.

The tense and blatant scene of police brutality was captured by national TV news crews and viewed in households across America.

In His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope, historian Jon Meacham describes the sheriff’s menacing persona, “Clark carried a pistol, a billy club, and a cattle prod around his waist. On his lapel he sported a pin with a simple pledge: ‘Never.’”

The episode and other confrontations in Selma culminated in the violent March 7, 1965 21

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“Bloody Sunday” scene at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Vivian, a young backpack-carrying John Lewis, and other activists were marching from Selma to the capitol in Montgomery in a peaceful demonstration following the police shooting of 26-year-old activist Jimmie Lee Jackson on February 18, 1965 at a night march in Marion. Jackson died eight days after a trooper shot him in the stomach.

“The roughly 600 marchers were violently driven back by Alabama State Troopers, Dallas County Sheriff’s deputies, and a horsemounted posse after they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The state and county officers beat and gassed the unarmed marchers in an attack, and media coverage of the event shocked the nation and led ultimately to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.”

Brother Cordy Tindell Vivian, the only child of Robert and Euzetta Tindell Vivian, was born on July 28, 1924 in Boonville, Illinois.

He was raised by his mother and maternal grandmother in McComb.

In the late 1940s, Brother Vivian participated in his first non-violent action to end segregation at lunch counters in Peoria. He later accepted his call to Christian ministry. He saw no separation between civil rights, faith, and ministry because “racism is a moral issue.” With the help of his church, he enrolled in American Baptist Theological Seminary (now College) in Nashville.

While at ABTS, he worked with many of the leaders of the civil rights movement, including Diane Nash and Lewis. Lewis, Nash, Vivian, and others were trained by the Reverend James Lawson in Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent direct action, as both a tactic and philosophy. They began the Nashville Christian Leadership Conference which organized the first sit-ins in the city. It 22

was also while studying at ABTS that he first heard King speak on nonviolence.

In the award-winning documentary “Eyes on the Prize” (1987) Vivian shared: the workshops in nonviolence made the difference. We began to, first, understand the theory, understand the philosophy behind it. The great religious imperatives that were important in terms of understanding people. Then, finally, the tactics.

Then, finally, the techniques. How to, in fact, begin to take the blows. Cigarettes put out on you. The fact that you were being spit on and still, still respond with some sense of dignity and with a loving concept to what you were about. To be hit and to be knocked down and to understand that in terms of struggle and in terms of reaching conscience. In terms of, of gaining the greater goals for which you sought. Now, we actually done [sic] that, I mean, we actually beat people to the ground. We actually poured coffee on people. We actually did the various things to people. Kicked chairs out from under them, all right. Came on them in a crowded situation so that they could begin to get used to it. How did they respond? So, they could begin to understand respond not in terms of verbage [sic], but in terms of actuality. You see, it is in the action that ethics is tested, and this is one of the great learnings of nonviolent movement.

Brother Vivian served as pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Peoria, Illinois, and First Community Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1963, Brother King invited Brother Vivian to join the executive staff of the SCLC as the director of SCLC affiliates coordinating the activities of local civil rights groups nationwide.

Brother Vivian’s lifetime commitment to the nonviolent fight for civil rights was demonstrated in his actions. In the tradition of Old Testament prophets, like Amos, he THE SPHINX

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humbly but boldly spoke truth to power, called out injustice and systematic racism, attacked greed and sought to arouse the conscience of a nation, often quoting Amos 3:10: “They do not know how to do right, says the Lord, those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds.”

Jr., he participated in Freedom Rides and sit-ins across our country. Dr. Vivian also helped found numerous civil rights organizations, including Vision, the National Anti-Klan Network, and the Center for Democratic Renewal. In 2012, he returned to serve as interim President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Brother Vivian wrote Black Power and the American Myth, the first assessment of the civil rights movement by a member of King’s staff.

The civil rights leader would go on to address the United Nations and serve as keynote speaker for the World Baptist Alliance.

Brother Vivian’s Alpha initiation class (Nov. 21, 2010), dubbed the “Divine Nine” through Eta Lambda Chapter, included: the Brother Rev. Joseph Lowery, a founding member of SCLC; Brother Martin Luther King III, former president of the SCLC, and now president and CEO of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change; Brother John W. Franklin (son of the late historian and Alpha Brother John Hope Franklin) program manager at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC; Brother Robert M. Franklin, the James T. and Berta R. Laney Professor of Moral Leadership at Emory University (Atlanta) and former president of Morehouse College; Brother the Very Rev. Robert C. Wright, the 10th rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta; Brother Reuben McDaniel III, president and CEO of Jackson Securities and a member of the Atlanta Board of Education; Brother Timothy J. King, founder, president and CEO of Urban Prep Academies, a network of public college-prep schools in Chicago; and Brother Leonard James III, ExxonMobil’s corporate policy advisor on diversity and community outreach. S

In 1984, he served in Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign, as the national deputy director for clergy. In 1994, he helped to establish and served on the board of Capitol City Bank and Trust Co., a black-owned Atlanta bank.

In 2008, Brother Vivian founded the C.T. Vivian Leadership Institute, Inc. to create a model leadership culture for the purpose of training and educating the new generation of grass-roots leaders inspired to mobilize a constituency. He also served as dean at Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, NC. Vivian appeared on award-winning “Eyes on the Prize,” a 14-part PBS documentary on the civil rights era, and was later featured in a PBS special, “The Healing Ministry of Dr. C.T. Vivian.”

He provided civil rights counsel to Presidents Johnson, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Obama.

President Obama named Brother Vivian as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Aug. 8, 2013. The citation in the press release reads as follows: C.T. Vivian is a distinguished minister, author, and organizer.

A leader in the Civil Rights Movement and friend to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Brother Dr. Glenn E. Porter (Nu Iota ’83, Alpha Phi Lambda) serves as senior pastor/servant leader at Queen Street Baptist Church (Norfolk, VA). He is also a contributing writer to The Christian Citizen, and author of Journey With Jesus Through Lent (Judson Press, 2017). He has taught in the areas of religion and mass communications at Tidewater Community College, Mary Baldwin College and Virginia Union University. He may be followed on Instagram and Twitter: @drglennporter

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BY BROTHER REV. DR. JOHNATHAN C. RICHARDSON

BROTHER JOSEPH ECHOLS LOWERY: A TRIUMPHANTLY NORMAL LIFE IN A STRANGE LAND

Originally initiated into the House of Alpha through Atlanta’s Eta Lambda Chapter in 2010, on March 27, 2020, the Reverend Brother Dr. Joseph Echols Lowery entered into Alpha Phi Alpha’s Omega Chapter of sweet rest. Brother Lowery was an ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,” and a 1957 co-founder, along with the Reverend Brother Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), in New Orleans, where I serve as a United Methodist pastor.

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rother Lowery’s witness to courage and commitment will be missed. Of import is that his life and mission places a demand upon those he leaves behind to continue the process of “belling the cat.” To “bell the cat” is a metaphor Brother Lowery used in a sermon entitled, “Who Will Bell the Cat?” It explains that we all have a responsibility to continue to do that which is scary, difficult and perhaps dangerous, for the common good of others who are, for one reason or another, pushed to the margins of not only American society, but the world. Brother Lowery’s question of who will bell the cat serves not only as a call to action for his fraternity, but it is also an important part of his “triumphantly normal” life that we should strive to emulate.

Brother Lowery’s Life Was “Normal” In my attempt to give an account of Brother Lowery’s words and deeds, I found that there was about him an air of triumphant

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normality. First, I use the term “normal” in the mathematical or statistical sense, which does not mean “average.” Instead, my usage of the word is intented to convey that which operates according to the norm or that which is as it is supposed to be. Brother Lowery unquestionably lived as he was supposed to have lived.

Living a triumphantly normal life is to, as Brother Lowery would say, participate in the process of learning how to “Sing the Lord’s Song in a Strange Land.” According to his book of the same name, Brother Lowery defined what it means for us today to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land.

He wrote,“Life is a strange land.” Life is a strange land because our lives are lived in a time that is marked by a system that “denies the sovereignty of God and the dignity of his children.” Therefore, according to Brother Lowery, to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land means to essentially be the church—a people of God with a message of hope whose collective life would not make sense without the reality of God. To sing the Lord’s song THE SPHINX

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in a strange land, therefore, happens when one’s life is an expression of what Brother Lowery believed to be the driving force of the movement, a combining of faith and selfdetermination.

One may erroneously conclude that singing the Lord’s song in a strange land by combining faith and self-determination constitutes the triumphant portion of Brother Lowery’s triumphantly normal life. Indeed, Brother Lowery’s living was “normal” because he lived his life as it was supposed to be lived. Therefore, those actions that constituted singing the Lord’s song, as far as Brother Lowery embodied them, were not to be considered as extraordinary.

They were his version of normal.

To define what happened in Brother Lowery’s life and how he lived it triumphantly is to let us off the hook. Nothing about Brother Lowery’s life allows us to dismiss what he did as the rare activities of a great man. Brother Lowery was great because he—and that which he did for others—was “normal.” Indeed, his brand of normalcy should be expected, if we are to resist abnormality and apathy.

When Brother Lowery and others marched through five states to protest the wrongful incarceration of Maggie Bozeman and Julia Wilder, two teachers falsely convicted of voter fraud in 1982 by an all-white jury in Pickens County, Alabama, he was being normal. Brother Lowery was living his life, as that which operates according to the norm, when he participated in furthering the spirit of Operation Breadbasket in 1995 by leading the effort that resulted in Publix supermarkets and Shoney’s resturants investing $250 million into Black communities. When we allow ourselves to drift away from what Lowery did, we distance ourselves from our own normality from being fully alive and never alone.

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In addition to Being “Normal,” Brother Lowery’s Life Was Also “Triumphant” In addition to being great because he was “normal,” Brother Lowery was also great because he was triumphant. One way to describe Brother Lowery’s brand of being triumphant is by sharing an experience where

Brother Joseph Lowery

he was drawn to tears. There was an effort in Nashville, by city officials, to desegregate seveal resturants. Brother Lowery found himself in a Morrison’s (now Piccadilly), which he previously frequented. A white waitress who would not take his order during an earlier visit not only waited on him, she also offered to pay for his meal and confessed that she was uncomfortable treating him as she previously had done. With tears in her eyes she said, “You don’t know how painful it has been for me to refuse you service.” She explained that her husband died, leaving her with three children to raise on her own, and because she needed the job, she had to comply with management’s Jim Crow policy. Brother Lowery cried, too.

His tears were not so much because of her confession, but because of what it represented.

As a white woman, this kind waitress was 25

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being from the oppression of segregation as well. Brother Lowery’s tearful reaction to the waitress’ story shows that a triumphant life is marked by an ability to feel deeply. After reading the story, I began to consider that perhaps a triumphant life rests in the fact that we do not think ourselves through life as much as we feel ourselves through.

Another trait of the triumphant life that my brief analysis of Brother Lowery reveals is that he cultivated the habit of listening, especially to those who show themselves to be wise. Not every one who is older is wiser. However, the story Brother Lowery shared about his grandmother proves that she was in fact both old and wise.

Brother Lowery tells of a conversation between him and his grandmother, who was a domestic Brother Rev. Dr. in the “big house.” He recalled Johnathan C. Richardson that, although his grandmother’s Black hands were good enough to knead dough and her Black and brown breasts were good enough to feed the hungry mouths of the master’s children, her Black body was not good enough to enter through the front door of the house. Brother Lowery asked his grandmother, whom he called “Ma Polly,” how she responded to this indignity. She answered, “Son, I would come in the back door as ordered and put on my work apron, take the broom, and go out the front door onto the front porch without speaking to anyone in the house and sweep the front porch. When I finished sweeping, I would pull my shoulders back, hold my head high, open the front door, and as far as I was concerned that was the first time I had gone into to house that day.” By sharing this story, Brother

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Lowery showed his ability to listen to the wise and be rendered triumphant thereby.

Until his death, Brother Lowery demonstrated how to live triumphantly normal in a strange land which may have been obscured, like many of his generation, by his wit and desire to always draw attention to his mission and not himself.

Conclusion This essay is my attempt to excavate Brother Lowery’s body of work, by doing that which he may not have been able to do while still alive, which is slow down. Brother Lowery never took his foot off the accelerator in fighting for, not just equality, but also equity, a distinction he made in a speech during the 2005 Operation Hope Conference in Atlanta.

Because his life has slowed to a glorious halt, we now have the opportunity to examine it.

Indeed, we find ourselves much like Jacob, in Genesis 32: 22- 32, when he wrestled with God. We similarly find ourselves grappling with Brother Lowery, saying “I will not let you go until you bless me.”

In her famous book Beloved, Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison placed in the mouth of Paul D a now famous quote. In speaking to Sethe, Paul D says, “me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.” Now that the “Dean of the Civil Rights Movement” has gone to be with the Lord, whose song he sang faithfully, it is my hope Brother Lowery’s life will continue to not only bless us, but also convict us, and teach us how to be triumphantly normal because, “me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow.” S

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ADVOCACY

BY BROTHER CHRIS BRIDGES

Reflections on Implicit Bias and the Crisis of Race in America

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undreds of thousands of people are taking to the streets in the war against racism. In some circles, there is discussion of implicit bias and its role in how we dismantle the structural and systemic discrimination that our country was founded on.

I am an African American male, a civil rights lawyer, with a background in organizing work (before Obama made it cool) and an implicit bias trainer. When thinking about the intersection of explicit racism, structural, and institutional racism, and implicit bias, I believe I am well situated to see and acknowledge how most if not all the parts make the whole. Indeed, I have some expertise in being the victim of explicit and structural racism and engaging in deep reflection over ongoing strategies for combatting it.

The refusal to acknowledge or help others acknowledge the role implicit bias plays (particularly among white people) can contribute directly to explicit and systemic racism and its continuance. For example, consider the many white people who are centering themselves in this #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd movement as a means to feel better about their complicity in a society that allowed one officer to force an unarmed Black man prone on the ground and murder him with a knee crushing his neck, while three others stood idly by and watched.

Any objective lay person can identify the grave injustice of this moment, yet many of our sympathetic white counterparts cannot identify moments where they themselves are guilty of racially biased microaggressions, decision making, socially diminutive opinion sharing over folks with lesser heard voices, and a plethora of other biased actions and decision making in which they engage in their daily comings and goings.

Consider some of the white allies who are centering themselves in this moment through an outpouring of outrage and “what can we do” and “we’re down for the cause” when Black folks who have been catching hell forever, have been complaining about it for forever, and are still experiencing it daily, have largely gone ignored until this new but fleeting moment. It is beyond sad that we only see this level of activation from many white allies in extreme moments such as a Black man being killed on video and in a manner that even self-acknowledged racist like several pundits on Fox TV THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

say “I can’t refute that this was an unjust killing.” When even Fox News shares your outrage, that means the situation is really, really jacked up!

Still, most folks are not aware of the unfair standards that must be met just to value Black life. All folks (including Black folks) struggle with this on a spectrum or to varying degrees. Minimizing implicit bias at the behest of highlighting explicit racism does not eradicate racism, it just paints a glossy target for everyone to focus their stone throwing on while hiding their other hand.

Implicit bias remediation is a tool not a cure all. It helps our “allies” better understand the way in which they may simultaneously be fortifying structural racism despite showing up to the marches alongside people of color and chanting for justice.

Some choose to debate whether addressing implicit biases is important when so much explicit bias exists.

If you want to focus on explicit bias, then do that!

But there are people who have been working in the community for decades addressing these issues of explicit bias and who still understand the importance of changing the hearts and minds of the folks we live, eat, breathe, and social distance with for collective mobilization and strategic engagement. Building in greater understanding of implicit bias can help with that impact.

Personally, I find it unwise to think that after 400 years of repeatedly demanding accountability for overt acts or racism, countless lynchings of Black people, and other abusive acts against Black people and communities of color, that somehow yelling louder about an explicit racist incident will bring widespread structural change to fortified system of oppression that hears our screams and gracefully bows at our jeers. A broader approach may be useful when considering a diverse cohort of stakeholders, allies, specific interest groups, unbothered lay people, and clearly defined enemies—all who hold keys to various parts of our institutions and the mechanisms that move them.

David Duke, the head of the KKK, has stated he does not think he is racist. Many less controversial individuals argue they are not racist because they personally would never physically lynch a Black person or person of 27

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color. But “lynching” takes forms other than a physical assault.

Where explicit racism and overtly racist acts can and should connote “terrorism,” the intentional and unintentional allowance of implicit biases to go unchecked can connote “sleeper cells” requiring only the right activation or provocation to also do great harm.

Unquestionably, explicit racism and overtly racist acts demand great focus and immediate response. However, thinking they are the only enemies at the gate could pose a grave miscalculation in winning the war. Helping broad groups of people better understand the ways our implicit biases impact our thoughts and actions in every day life and not just when we are caught doing something wrong, may help counter the more veiled acts of biases individuals think they disclaim when

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offering a token criticism of the offender(s) of the day, by showing up to marches, or by stating they would never put their knee on the neck of a Black person.

Implicit bias training can give potential allies of different backgrounds a growing number of tools to recognize ways in which they may be contributing to the harm of other groups. Its study can lend additional strategies for intentional collaboration with different groups and not just those in our comfortable echo chambers. I, for one, welcome all the tools and options available to aid me in bringing down this structurally fortified racist system, by any means necessary! S

Brother Christopher Bridges, Esq., is a February 26, 2005 initiate of Gamma Beta.

He is currently a member of the General Organization.

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BY BROTHER BASIL SMIKLE, PH.D.

A Moment of Reckoning for Governmental and Political Institutions

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career in public service spanning almost 25 years came to a high point in 2016 when I was chosen to become a member of the Electoral College in the State of New York. My vote, one of 29 cast in the state for then-Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, was bittersweet since she famously won the popular vote, but lost in the Electoral College. This July, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that the electoral college is binding- that is, states can punish or even remove so-called “faithless electors” who cast votes for candidates that were not victorious in their state. Despite my prideful moment four years ago, the decision rightly renewed calls for abolishing the 200 year-old system in favor of a national popular vote, which could provide more agency to Black voters.

In the wake of George Floyd’s death and subsequent protests, the practices and policies of political and governmental institutions need a massive overhaul, though structural barriers prove vexing to reformminded leaders.

For example, efficacy of an actual Defund the Police campaign notwithstanding, in terms of public safety and policing, most leaders view Defund as a proxy for comprehensive retooling of law enforcement and anti-crime practices across the country. The movement is less about punitive budget cuts than a repurposing of those funds for services designed to reduce the need for police intervention. But nationalizing reforms among the multiplicity of law enforcement agenciesroughly 18,000 in the country-poses challenges for comprehensive criminal justice reform, inclusivity and diversity.

Complicating matters further, lack of representation among prosecutors presents another high hurdle.

Blacks make up almost 34% of the prison population but of the 2,396 elected prosecutors in the United States, only 3% are men of color and 1.8% are women of color. That means only 32 out of over 2,300 elected district attorneys are Black women.

Exerting our power at the polls has also become more challenging as covid19 continues to ravage parts of the United States and President Trump rails against alternatives to in-person voting such as broader voteby-mail initiatives and expansion of absentee balloting.

Only five states have robust mail-in operations leaving THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

other states scrambling to bolster their infrastructure.

Now as the virus is surging again in the South - states that already maintain some barriers to predominantly African American voters seeking to exercise their rights, the November election could see record interest but substantial obstacles for the poor or voters of color without massive voter mobilization and education efforts.

There is reason for optimism. I had the pleasure of moderating an Alpha Advocacy in Action Webinar entitled “The Power of Black Men In Politics” that left me hopeful about the future. Insight by Brothers Ramon Alexander, Elgie Sims, and Dr. John Bullock, elected officials in Florida, Illinois and Maryland respectively, highlighted the ways in which levers of bureaucratic power can support our communities.

First, organizations and political leaders in response to pressure, or perhaps in anticipation of it, are using their platforms to address diversity and bring more black and brown voices to the table. Second, attention is being paid the coterie of political consultants, lobbyists and pollsters that belong to the cottage industries surrounding campaigns and elections. Largely 29

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comprised of white males, these groups have outsized influence on who runs for office, how candidates are perceived by the public and the policies chosen for public debate and adoption. Pressure is being leveled against these entities to become more diverse before they are given access to our neighborhoods, organizations, leaders and pulpits.

In fact, one organization seeking a stronger foothold in political engagement is the non-partisan Black Economic Alliance, whose Executive Director is Brother David Clunie. BEA seeks to “advance an economic policy agenda…support candidates…and hold government officials accountable”. The Board and organization maintains an impressive list of Black business and civic leaders intent upon creating

partnerships to advance the progress of Black businesses and communities.

So while institutional obstructions remain ossified by the myriad union contracts, legal precedents and hardened political pathways, momentum during the last few months must be maintained if we are to force dramatic change in our political institutions, processes and representatives at every level of government. S

Brother Basil A. Smikle, Ph.D. is Political Strategist, Commentator and Lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He is also a former Executive Director of the New York State Democratic Party

BY BROTHER EUGENE CORNELIUS, JR.

The Promise of Black America

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oday, more than ever, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is the quintessential leader of Black society and Black America. We, like Alphas, must take a firm stance on economic development issues—at every level—for the future of our community. Innovation is changing our economies at a faster pace than policy leaders can study and analyze.

In my generation, the Internet and cell phone changed the way we communicate. These technological advancements changed the nature of our work, but also made other jobs redundant. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and other disruptive technologies are again changing how we work and where we work. Disruptive technologies are eliminating jobs—and in many cases, entire professions—while opening doors for new opportunities.

A couple of years ago, General Motors announced lay-offs for 14,000 White- and Blue-collar employees.

Behind those numbers is the reduction in the need for mechanical engineers and increased demand for software engineers as we move from gas-powered to electric-powered vehicles. By 2030, there will be over 20 million robots in the manufacturing workplace, eliminating line personnel and unskilled labor worker jobs.

This fluid environment requires governments to embrace change, support local entrepreneurs, and ensure local talent is trained to realize new growth opportunities.

The COVID-19 economic crisis has only deepened economic disruptions. Globally, over 1.8 billion young 30

people under the age of 35 are competing for jobs, and over 40 million Americans became unemployed in the last seven weeks. According to the UN, before COVID19, the world needed 40 million new jobs each year for the next 15 years to keep up with demand.

In most economies, entrepreneurs and small businesses create roughly 97-98 percent of jobs.

In the United States, for instance, small businesses contributed 66 percent of new U.S. jobs created since the recession. Small businesses created 8.4 million net new jobs, more than double the contribution of large enterprises. Forty percent of those small Businesses were women, while 70 percent of those women were women of color. And according to the U.S. Black Chamber, African American Businesses grew from 1.9 million in 2012 to 2.6 million today, an increase of 700,000 or 27%.

These statistics are vital because people tend to hire people who look like, relate to, or are culturally familiar to them. Nearly 13 percent of Americans identify as Black or African American, over 42 million people.

Yet, median incomes for African Americans is a mere $35,000, $24,000 less than White America. There is an apparent disconnect between the growth of Black Businesses and the growth of Black income or net worth.

A recent study from McKinsey & Company reveals that U.S. GDP could be up to 6% higher in the next eight years if the racial wealth gap is closed. In other THE SPHINX

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words, the widening gap between white and black households will cost the U.S. economy between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion between 2019 and 2028. The study highlights that the racial wealth gap between black and white families grew from $100,000 in 1992 to $154,000 in 2016 “in part because white families gained significantly more wealth (with the median increasing by $54,000), while median wealth for black families did not grow at all in real terms over that period.”

the government’s ability to de-risk lending for job creators.

However, the SBA distributed less than 2 percent of those loans through African American Banks. What’s more, very few African American businesses have been able to gain access to the predominantly white private equity, angel investors, and venture capital communities. And of course, these investors are behind today’s innovation and start-ups fueling our economy.

“Despite the progress, Black families have made in civic and economic life since the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” the report notes, “they(we) face systemic and cumulative barriers on the road to wealth building,” including discrimination and poverty. Under what the study dubs the “pessimist’s scenario,” the racial wealth gap would only widen. White wealth will continue to grow at the same average rate it did from 1992 to 2007 (3.4 percent), while black wealth will decline at a rate of 3.4 percent, the same rate it did from 2004 to 2016.

With these growth and reduction rates, the gap would increase to as much as 23 times.

Realizing the promise of Black America, and dreams of the next generation will require continual investment in and the improvement of the African American small business ecosystem. Support is necessary to sustain, home-grown small businesses and provide resources for local talent, all while enabling growth and innovation through global connectivity. Since we already know that entrepreneurs are the job creators, it is incumbent upon each of us to truly connect with them and provide a small business “support system.” Small business is big business!

There are two essential pillars Alpha Phi Alpha must adopt as a critical stakeholder to the African American community for the promise of black America: 1. WE MUST invest in African American and Minorityowned banks.

2. WE MUST change the mindset of doing business with African American businesses.

Both have one thing in common, and that is the circulation of the Black dollar.

First, access to capital is a global challenge for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) addresses this gap by offering loan programs specifically tailored for small businesses through a national distribution system of lending partners. In FY2019, this framework enabled the SBA to approve $28.2 billion for 63,500 small business loans. The SBA loan guarantees fill gaps demonstrate THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

If small businesses are job creators, and if we are to secure the future of the next generation of young African Americans, we need to direct the disproportional lack of capital for African American small businesses. Investing our savings deposits in Black Banks is the first step in the effort. An increase in Black Bank reserves makes more funds available to community businesses. We must also keep them accountable for the circulation of those dollars in the form of investments and loans to small businesses.

Second, we must change the mindset of doing business with African American Business owners. Whether we call it “programmed self-hate” or “unconscious bias,” it is preventing us from sharing in the American Dream, expanding African American economic growth, and higher standards of living. A recent survey conducted

by Northwestern Mutual of 8,000 participants found that 65 percent of respondents considered themselves entrepreneurs. Still, entrepreneurs of color wanted to start a business at a 20 percent higher rate than their peers. In many cases, they desired to turn their side hustles into businesses. We can’t afford to miss the motivation and demand in our community.

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Most every other ethnic minority community in the United States, for instance, Korean Americans or Cuban Americans, has banded together to re-circulate their earnings and spending within their respective communities. Many Asian Americans don’t use traditional banks or financial institutions, instead they pool their money together and providing funds in the form of investment or short-term loans for new businesses within their community. Within the black community, however, take-out restaurants, laundry cleaners, liquor stores, and in some cases, soul food restaurants, are not always owned by members of the community.

What actions are we taking collectively as Alphas while we wait in line for our order?

Over the last 40 years, Black Businesses have grown at rapid rates in all industry sectors, from foodservice, technology, engineering, and professional services like finance, law, and human resources. Black Enterprise 100s, first published in 1973, focuses on the largest Black-owned businesses and provides us many examples to showcase to our youth as role models.

Yet, we tend only to celebrate the achievements of African Americans in sports, entertainment, the arts, and politics, not to say there is anything wrong with those successes. But if that is all we are presenting to our youth, that is where their minds will lead them.

Therefore, we must begin in earnest to showcase our Black innovators, Black entrepreneurs, and Black smalland medium-sized businesses.

The Commission on Business and Economic Development, a standing committee led by Brother Dr. William Pickard and 12 Alpha members, including Former General President Harry Johnson, Esq., Brother Myron Hughes and I, serve to challenge our membership. We will be looking at enhancing the role of Alpha in advancing Black economic development to achieve the promise of Black America. Alpha can start by hosting Economic, Business, and Networking Forums, and sponsoring local “Spark Tanks” venues.

Additionally, the SBA has over 68 district offices nationwide that are ready, willing, and able to provide

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the necessary technical assistance and access to capital.

Alphas can and must exert their leadership abilities and serve as active facilitators of Black business! Most businesses don’t know what they don’t know, while we, as a community, hardly know the Black innovators within our community. As Alpha’s we must bridge the gap and build out secure Black business support networks, complete with educational support programs and services.

David L. Steward, CEO of World-Wide Technology, the nation’s largest Black-owned company, was approached in 1993 by the St. Louis office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) about serving government customers. The SBA provided the introductions and support that helped World Wide Technology land its first federal contracts. Steward remained grateful to the SBA for opening doors for his business. A turning point for the company came in 1995 with a commitment to supply computer workstations for U.S. troops in Bosnia. Since no commercial software existed for the purpose, World Wide Technologies developed an Internet program to help the military track the equipment. The program proved successful, and the company began producing other Internet-based applications for its customers.

What prevents us from doing that kind of crucial financial “gap-filling” across Black America? As Alphas, we can expand business and professional growth within and outside of the U.S. With only 5 percent of the world population within the U.S., 95 percent of the world and our potential clients live outside of the U.S. As descendants of Africa, the continent is open for business: Eight of the top 10 emerging markets are African.

I look forward to collaborating, and I hope to see more opportunities to make our Founding Fathers proud and advancing the leadership of Alpha via the economic development of the African American community for the promise of Black America. S

Brother Eugene Cornelius, Jr. is the Senior Director at Center for Regional Economics.

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MILITARY AFFAIRS

BY BROTHER DARRYL W. SHARP, SR., LT. COL., U.S. ARMY RET.

MILITARY BROTHERS AND VETERANS PREPARE TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS

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he Jewels Tandy/Kelley Military Affairs Committee (previously called National Military Affairs Committee) is named after two of our Jewels that served in some capacity of the military.

Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy was the first African American to pass the military commissioning examination and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 15th Infantry of NY State National Guard. Jewel George Biddle Kelley attended Troy Military Academy. The Committee has four goals: (1) Recognition of Alpha Brothers serving and those who have served in the Armed Forces of the U.S.A; (2) Establishment of a military presence at all Regional and National Conventions; (3) Establishment of active and functional Regional Military Affairs Committees; and (4) Establishment of a line of communication with brothers deployed overseas.

This year, the committee’s goals consisted of the following: • 1st Quarter focus was the Establishment of Veteran/ Military Affairs Badge/Lounge at each region convention.

• 2nd Quarter focus was Establishment of the Armed Forces Alphamen Association International (AFAA) 501c8 creation, board of directors & leadership.

• 3rd Quarter focus was Establishment of the AFAA summit & planning session.

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• 4th Quarter focus is Establishment of an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Military Award (Retirement) & (Flag Officer, Field Grade Officer, CSM or E9 equivalent awards),Veterans Medal (AFAA) Fundraiser for organization.

Committee members included Brother Kenneth Wright, Eastern Region; Brother Leroy Giles, Southwestern Region ; Brother Harold Anderson, Midwestern Region; Brother Morris Bell, Southern Region; Brother Ondre Berry, Western Region; Brother Thomas Pope, Western Region; One of the things that make our military the best in the world is the certain knowledge of each Soldier, Sailor, Airman, and Marine that they can always count on their comrades should they need help - that they will never be abandoned.

Never before was it as incumbent upon every members to restate loyalty and exemplify fraternal obligation by consistent life and unimpeachable character. But these must be reinforced by a growing consciousness of the responsibilities that Alpha Phi Alpha faces in the world today, where, if ever the problems which beset us are to be solved and a way of deliverance discovered, it must be by the application of those principles upon which we are founded.

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Fraternalism is often been used across many different industries to increase performance, unity and culture for thousands of years. The Jewel Tandy/Kelly Military Brothers and Veterans Affairs committees are no different.

Brothers convened the past July in Baltimore to develop new ideas and strategies using a mission-based approach that assembled teams in order to diffuse responsibility.

Brothers plan to use the fraternity to bounce ideas off of one another to achieve common goals.

1.

We must use the success stories in the Eastern Region to solve problems in the Western Region.

Fraternalism is important due to the problem-solving synergy gained from multiple minds working on a solution. When one brother works on a specific problem, that person only has their personal experience and knowledge from which to pull for solutions.

Using fraternalism, brothers pool their collective ideas together to generate unique ideas for dealing with problems.

Problems in this case are not purely negative. The problem could be developing a solution to address a need that another brother may not know they have.

2.

We must communicate the victories in the Southwest Region to South and Midwest Regions.

When brothers work together as a team within a fraternity, every brother learns from one another. This knowledge is not limited to the personal experiences of brothers; brothers from different chapters, districts, and regions may learn information from each other regarding the limitations and possibilities of those same efforts. The Military Brothers and Veterans Affairs committees are currently working on establishing a database to capture all Brothers who have served and currently serving. You will be required to provide the following information: Last name, first name, rank, current military status, military branch, month/years of service, AOC/MOS,W,O, chapter of initiation, chapter affiliations, current chapter, current chapter position, current district position, current region, current region position, current national position, personal e-mail address, second e-mail address, and phone number.

There is among us a far closer relationship than the purely social one of a fraternal organization because we are bound together not only by a single interest but by fraternal aims: Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind. Nothing else matters, and nothing else will do.

JEWELS TANDY/KELLEY MILITARY GENERAL CONVENTION 2019 HIGHLIGHTS:

Fraternalism is the backbone of effective communication within a fraternity. When brothers work as individuals or independently on initiatives, they may not readily share knowledge or new information. This lack of communication increases the time it takes to complete common goals, tasks or the development of solutions. Fraternalism promotes conversation between brothers regarding the task at hand, possibly preventing brothers from working in opposite directions. For example, if one brother does not communicate that one method of addressing a problem is a dead end, and another brother is still trying to use that method, productivity is lowered.

3.

We must create cohesion throughout our fraternity.

Cohesion is an important byproduct of fraternalism within a fraternity. This cohesion could be the result of increased chemistry, trust or both from working on initiatives as a unit. Cohesive brothers are less likely to be confrontational toward one another and more accepting of each others’ decisions and differences.

Cohesion from fraternalism can greatly increase the work- flow speed of a fraternity.

4. We must always be open to learning.

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On July 24, 2019, The Jewels Tandy/Kelley Military Affairs Committee accomplished its Goal of “Establishment of a military presence at all Regional and National Conventions”, alongside with the Veteran Affairs committee at our 95th General Convention, 113th Anniversary, located at the Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brothers from all five regions were present to include brothers from Europe and Hawaii.

On Wednesday July 24, 2019 the committees had an insightful lecture series where the Deputy Director for the Center for Minority Veterans, Brother Dennis O. May presented valuable knowledge for brothers looking at THE SPHINX

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filing potential claims for services rendered while in the Military.

On Thursday July 25, the Brothers gathered in uniform once again both veterans and active to assemble at the fraternities opening ceremony, where priority seating was made available for all who may have served. The Buffalo Soldiers of Las Vegas provided an excellent detail to render the country’s colors. The culmination for the committee’s weekly activities was on Friday July 26, 2019 before the fraternity’s public program.

The Western Region Vice President hosted the Veteran & Military Affairs Social in his personal suite. Brigadier General Ondra Berry was the keynote speaker, as brothers TJ Pope and Micholas Credle served as organizers.

EASTERN REGION MILITARY HIGHLIGHTS: On November 9, 2019, the veterans of Alpha Phi Alpha Eastern Region had a Veterans Day Luncheon with Lt Governor Justin Fairfax at the All-American Steakhouse, 5594 Ashland Community Square, Manassas, VA 20112.

Lt Governor Fairfax thanked each member for their service in the military and their community. We had 32 members at the Luncheon. During the Luncheon, each member talked about their experience in the military and their most memorable moment in the military.

Brother Kenneth Wright, Chairman of Alpha East Military Affairs Committee, organized the event.

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SOUTHWESTERN REGION MILITARY HIGHLIGHTS: The 1st National Minority Veterans Summit hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (left to right) Leroy Giles SWR Military Affairs, Chair; Dennis O. May, Deputy Director for the VA Center for Minority Veteran; Bobby McDonald Committee on Veterans Affairs, Chair; and Earl Newsome III, Xi Tau Lambda SWR Military Affairs, Dallas Area at the Sheraton Dallas, TX on September 27-28, 2019.

MIDWESTERN REGION MILITARY HIGHLIGHTS:

The Midwest Region received numerous military accolades within the last year: Alpha Phi Alpha Pi Omicron Lambda chapter at the observed Veteran’s day at the Buffalo Soldier monument, Ft Leavenworth, KS; including 101-year-old, Brother Colonel Charles E. McGee, (RET), a great American hero. He holds the record for the most combat Air Force flights. In addition, he flew a total of 409 combat missions in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He is a past national president of the Tuskegee Airman and was a consultant on the movie Red Tails.

Established December 7, 1919; The Sigma Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. supported the 2019 Polar Bear Dip on New Year’s Day. Brother, Warrant Officer Darnel Leader, of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, and Brother, Sub-Lieutenant AJ K Wood, of the Royal Canadian Navy were among the Brothers taking the “icy” plunge; Brother Command Sergeant Major Wardell Jefferson moves on from the Army Human Resources Command to the next level and becomes the Army’s G1 (Personnel), Sergeant Major Brother Jaime Worthy received the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service from MG Jason T. Evan’s, Commander, U.S. Army Human Resources Command for creating the commands first-ever Civilian Professional Development program titled the 35

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Gemstone Program; Brother Jaime Worthy was one of six departments of the Army civilians with the U.S. Army Human Resources Command (HRC) that recently began a year-long professional development program intended to improve the command’s civilian talent management efforts vastly. FORT KNOX, KY; and Brother Rashad Gross was awarded company grade Safety Officer of the year, First Army Div. East.

SOUTHERN REGION MILITARY HIGHLIGHTS: Initiated a fundraising campaign to procure blankets to be donated to hospitalized veterans.

On Veterans Day November 11, 2019; Military brothers from Delta Delta Lambda Chapter, West Palm Beach, Fla. presented 100 hundred blankets to the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center.

WESTERN REGION MILITARY HIGHLIGHTS The Alpha Brother to the right of Brother Dr. Ward is Brother (Brigadier General). Around March 2019, Brother Brigadier General James Moore was keynote speaker for the Western Region Military Breakfast and Scholarship at the Western Region Convention held at the Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, WA - March 2019.

Western Region brothers observed Memorial Day (May 2019) during their visit to cemeteries in Western Washington. Brother Lassiter and Brother Pope met George Brown, Brigadier General, former Commander of Madigan Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington. He was participating in Memorial Day services at Mills & Mills Cemetery, Olympia, Washington. They also visited Brother Robert Rudisill at the Military Assisted Living facility, Dupont, Washington. Unfortunately, we were

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Alpha General President Everett B. Ward, Ph.D., Brother Brigadier General (P), Ondra Berry.

not able to personally greet him because of health issues. Brother Rudisill is a 93-year-old, Prisoner of War (Korean War).

This year, the Western Region observed Memorial Day with a Virtual Zoom webinar on May 26, 2020 for all members and some brothers attended activities as well. S

Brother Darryl W. Sharp, Sr. is the Chairman of the Jewels Tandy-Kelley Military Affairs Committee.

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BY BROTHER TERRENCE ADAMS

Congratulations to Brother General Charles Q. Brown Jr.!

NEXT CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE

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une 9, 2020: A historic day for the nation, whereas Brother General Charles Q. Brown Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate with a rare and unanimous 98-0 vote to serve as the next Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Brother General Brown will serve as the First African American to lead the U.S. Air Force. Additionally, he will be the first African American General to lead any of the Armed Services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and the newly formed Space Force. General Brown will join the historical ledger as the second African American member of Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Colin Powell was the first when he served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989-1993.

General Brown will serve as the 22nd Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force.

With more than 35 years of service, General Brown made a significant impact to the Department of Defense and United States Air Force. General Brown is a command pilot with more than 2900 flying hours, of which 130 hours were flown in combat. He is a highly decorated fighter pilot with assignments in the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific.

Currently, General Brown serves as the Commander of the Pacific Forces in Honolulu Hawaii. He leads 46,000 personnel throughout an area of responsibility that covers more than 100 million square miles and extends from the west coast of the United States to the east coast of Africa and from the Arctic to the Antarctic, including Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, Japan, Korea, and more.

In early August 2020, General Brown will take lead of the United States Air Force. As articulated in his confirmation hearing in May, Brown’s priorities include: the successful standup of the Space Force, collaboration with the defense industry to accelerate warfighting capabilities aligned with the 2018 National Defense Strategy, building the digital framework to support joint all-domain command and control, and creating an environment where all Airmen can reach their full potential.

Brother Brown will take the reins of the U.S. Air Force amid an enduring pandemic and national unrest due THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

to senseless deaths of African Americans. In response to the killing of George Floyd, General Brown released a video entitled, “What I Am Thinking”. In this video, General Brown shares thoughts about race from his youth to a four-star general. “I am thinking about my sister and I being the only African Americans in our entire elementary school and trying to fit in.” “I am thinking about our two sons and the frank and emotional conversations my wife and I had with them.”

“I am thinking about the pressure I felt to perform error free...and working twice as hard to prove their expectations and perceptions of African Americans were invalid”. He concluded, by saying, “I can’t fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of the discrimination...I am thinking about how I can make improvements personally, professionally, and institutionally so that all Airmen both today and tomorrow appreciate the value of diversity.”

Brother Brown, a Life Member, crossed the Burning Sands in the Spring of 1981 at Texas Tech University with Eta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. During his college days, Brother Brown served as both the Eta Upsilon Chapter vice-president and president. After graduating and receiving his Air Force ROTC commission as a distinguished graduate, Brother Brown begin serving the United States Air Force flying the F-16 fighter aircraft. Although, decades have passed and Brother Brown has lived around the world at 25 duty stations, he remains in touch with his Eta Upsilon chapter brother, Archie Greer of Dallas, Texas. On a recent trip to Dallas, Brother Brown was able to meet up with many of the Eta Upsilon Chapter brothers from his era. Brother Brown’s younger brother, Kevin, also crossed the Burning Sands in the Spring of 1986 at Texas Tech University, Eta Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and passed on the Omega Chapter in 2003.

Brother General Charles Q. Brown Jr. embodies the motto of our dear Fraternity: “First of All, Servants of All, We Transcend All.” First: He will be the First African American to serve as the Chief of Staff for the United States Air Force. Servant: He has honorably served his great nation for more than 35 years. Transcend: He has excelled beyond measure and we expect more from this great Alpha Man! S 37

MILITARY AFFAIRS

BY BROTHER BYRON BAGBY, MAJ. GEN., U.S. ARMY (RET.)

OPERATIONALIZING THE MISSION STATEMENT … A COVID-19 ERA COMMISSIONING CEREMONY

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he definition of a Mission Statement is “a written declaration of an organization’s core purpose and focus that normally remains unchanged over time.” (Selden, W., & Nanassy, L. C. (1984). The business dictionary. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall.)

The Mission Statement of our beloved Fraternity is “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.”

The core purpose and focus of our beloved Fraternity has not changed over time. At first glance, these may appear to be hollow words. But, time and time again, day after day, event after event, this organization has developed leaders, promoted brotherhood and academic excellence. Time and time again, day after day, event after event and in community after community this organization has provided service and advocacy to our communities around the world.

One example of many in which this mission statement 38

comes alive is the mentee-mentor relationship between Brother Tyrique Green and Brother Byron Bagby. These brothers established a mentee-mentor relationship when Brother Green was as senior at Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg, VA. This mentee-mentor relationship is the first brotherhood link between these two men. Brother Green went on to attend and graduate from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO. During his studentship, he demonstrated genuine academic excellence by earning enrollment into Lincoln University’s selective Honors Program which: “Promotes student engagement in undergraduate research and creative inquiry; Provides interdisciplinary opportunities for academic and cultural enrichment; and encourages an honors community environment where students feel comfortable embracing intellectual challenges.” Brother Green furthered his academic excellence by earning his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with cum laude honors.

In addition to Lincoln’s Honors Program, Brother Green was also enrolled in the University’s Army Reserve THE SPHINX

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Officer Training Corps program. Army ROTC is a college program that is one of the best leadership experiences in the country and is designed to prepare young adults to become officers in the U.S. military by providing an environment for them to develop their leadership skills.

Between his junior and senior years, he completed the ROTC Cadet Summer Training Program at Fort Knox, KY. The Cadet Summer Training Program is a 37-day intense training event that is designed to develop and assess a cadet’s ability to demonstrate proficiency in basic officer leadership tasks under challenging and stressful conditions.

During the summer between his sophomore and junior years, he earned the coveted Air Assault Badge at Fort Benning, GA. Air Assault School is a physically and mentally demanding 11-day course which develops basic skills in aircraft familiarization, sling load operations and rappelling.

Most colleges and universities around the country have spring routines involving many activities, including commencement ceremonies and ROTC commissioning ceremonies.

However, as with many other aspects of our Nation’s way of life, the COVID-19 crisis has caused all Americans to improvise and adapt to overcome the many challenges that this pandemic has inflicted on our society. In 2020, many colleges and universities altered the above-mentioned spring ceremonies.

Lincoln University is one of these universities. Lincoln’s administrators and trustee board have delayed the spring commencement typically held in early May until 1 August 2020.

In mid-March, when the COVID-19 crisis worsened, the cadets in Lincoln’s ROTC program departed campus to continue their studies online. Many of Lincoln’s senior cadets would need to be commissioned to begin their military duties over the summer. To preclude the cadets from returning to campus for commissioning, the Professor of Military Science at Lincoln decided to hold the spring commissioning for the ROTC program in a decentralized format. One of those commissioned under this format was Brother Green, who was commissioned into the Regular Army as a Second Lieutenant on 16 May 2020 at his home

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in Fredericksburg, VA. Brother Bagby, a retired Army Major General, officiated the commissioning ceremony.

Brother Green is a member of Lincoln’s Alpha Psi Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Brother Bagby is a member of Xi Alpha Lambda Chapter in Prince William County Virginia. This commissioning ceremony is one more example of the brotherhood that exists between Brothers Green and Bagby.

Brother Green says, “as a Black man and a Black officer in the US Army, I follow the ways of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. This leads me toward a constant devotion to better myself and the community around me. For all my future endeavors, I will always seek the light of Alpha and show the way to others that share the same passion.”

Brother Green earned the Distinguished Military Graduate honor with his commissioning. Distinguished Military Graduates are the top 20 percent of Army ROTC graduates nationwide. These ROTC students are so designated by their professor of military science based on high scholarship, evidence of high moral character, military aptitude, demonstrated leadership ability, and service and support to their communities.

Brother Green has demonstrated every element of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. mission statement. He graduated with honors (academic excellence), earned the Distinguished Military Graduate honor (develops leaders), and supported the community through several activities such as working at the local Salvation Army and picking up trash on campus (providing service and advocacy for our communities).

According to Brother Bagby, “even though Brother Green and I serve in different generations of our Army, being able to officiate his commissioning into the Army Officer Corps connects us through the Brotherhood we share of our beloved Fraternity.”

The promotes brotherhood element of the Fraternity’s mission statement is operationalized by the many aspects of the mentee-mentor relationship between Brothers Green and Bagby that began when the former was in high school, and will continue throughout the duration of his military career and beyond. For these two brothers, the mission statement is not a collection of hollow words, but it lives. S

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BY BROTHER REV. DR. JONATHAN C. AUGUSTINE

ANDREW YOUNG’S SEVENTY YEARS IN ALPHA HE'S SERVED AS A PROPHET, PRIEST, AND KING

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he study of Christian leadership often begins with the munus triplex doctrine, also called the threefold office. The doctrine looks at leaders who serve in both ecclesial and secular capacities, with Jesus Christ as the exemplar of leadership, by analyzing his varied roles as a prophet, priest, and king. Stated otherwise, the study of ministerial leadership is often categorized as falling within one or a combination of three domains: prophetic, priestly, and kingly (royal).

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. produces leaders in every field of human endeavor and the Honorable Brother Andrew J. Young, Jr. (Beta ’50) has effectively led in several ways. As a chief executive, he served two terms as mayor of Atlanta. As a diplomat, he served as United States ambassador to the United Nations. As a lawmaker, he was the first African American elected to the United States House of Representatives from Georgia since Reconstruction. As a non-profit leader, he served as executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization founded by another revered member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the Reverend Brother Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Sigma ’52). Prior to effectively serving in those

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capacities, however, Brother Young’s first full-time job, after graduating from Howard University and Hartford Theological Seminary, was as a pastor. With Christ’s ministry as an exemplar, Brother Young served in the threefold office and provided the ministerial leadership that brought him and Brother King together, in galvanizing forces during the progressive period marked by civil disobedience and nonconformity with Jim Crow racism that came to be known as the American Civil Rights Movement.

The year 2020 marks the 70th anniversary of Brother Young’s initiation into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and in recognition here, his lifetime of service is explored through the lens of the threefold office.

As a member of the Beta Chapter 1950 Sphinx Club, his dean of pledges was Brother David N. Dinkins (Beta ’47) who would become the only African American mayor of New York.

I rely on both 30 years of personal conversations while I was a Howard student and fellow member of Beta Chapter, along with Brother Young’s autobiography, An Easy Burden.

This article proceeds defining the munus triplex doctrine as a tool for evaluating THE SPHINX

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ministerial leadership, while also highlighting various aspects of Brother Young’s career; and then explores the chronology of Brother Young’s leadership as it relates to the threefold office. Part Four concludes with a summary of the salient points raised herein, as the Fraternity honors Brother Young in perpetuity with the establishment of its Andrew Young Social Justice Institute.

What It Means to Be a Prophet, Priest, and King: Brother Young’s Service in the Threefold Office To understand the threefold office, terminology traditionally used to describe ecclesial leadership, it is beneficial to relate the munus triplex’s respective domains to more familiar secular leadership terms. In Connective Leadership, Jean Lipman-Blumen describes leadership in three interactive dimensions: direct; relational; and instrumental. Direct leadership takes charge, similar to a king.

Relational leadership offers care and enhances others self-worth, much like a priest. Instrumental leadership motivates others into new ways of seeing and acting, much like a prophet. Dan Allender connects Lipman-Blumen’s secular leadership analysis with ministerial leadership, as he explores the threefold office in Leading with a Limp.

Although the “prophet, priest and king” leadership model is not static and its domains may overlap, its rubric provides an effective framework to explore Brother Young’s lifetime of leadership because it emanates from his early career service as an ordained minister.

The kingly (royal) domain categorizes leadership as building infrastructure for people and protecting them, while also making decisions about the allocation of scarce resources, and calming anxiety while creating optimism during the inevitability of crisis. As the city of Atlanta’s chief executive, from 1982 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

The Honorable Andrew Young

to 1990, Brother Young brought more than $70 billion of private investment money to the city, continued the expansion of contract programs for minority and female-owned business began by his predecessor, Brother Maynard H. Jackson (AP ’56), and hosted the 1988 Democratic National Convention.

Brother Young also exercised royal leadership in his lesser known service as a pastor.

The priestly domain categorizes leadership that creates meaning for people in an organization through story and consensus building.

Priestly leadership also helps create order from disorder so lives can be reordered. For that, consider him as a pastor, preaching hope and liberation to his parishioners in Thomasville, while also offering encouragement and counsel as they dealt with “real life issues” like domestic violence, job dissatisfaction, and racism. Indeed, Brother Young’s served in the priestly domain as rural Georgia pastor, where he provided relational leadership, visiting parishioners’ homes, learning their agrarian lifestyles, and offering spiritual solace.

It was also during his pastoral service, while providing priestly leadership, that Brother Young was empathically moved to want to 41

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make a difference in the lives of those he served by advocating for fairness and equity in society-at-large.

quo and makes situations uncomfortable enough as to where they are motivated to change for the better.

Finally, in the prophetic domain, Brother Young was also a prophet in that his early pastoral leadership can be categorized as motivating and exposing. As a point of both transition and leadership overlap, his biographical chronology includes his pastoral growth from empathic priest to motivating prophet. It was this growth that led him into active participation in the Civil Rights Movement. As he became intimately aware of the way social pressures stymied his parishioners’ growth in rural Georgia, he moved into a role of activism well beyond the confines of a sanctuary or any parishioner’s home. Lipman-Blumen might argue that this move led Brother Young into instrumental leadership where he motivated others into new ways of acting and challenging the unjust Jim Crow laws that plagued their lives. Allender, however, might argue that, as a pastor, Brother Young grew into the leadership role of a prophet.

Brother Young describes how he and his first wife, Jean (now deceased), were motivated by the leadership Brother Martin King was providing, with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, during Brother King’s pastorate at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Indeed, this motivation began his foray into prophetic leadership, as a minister. Brother Young writes,

Although Brother Young served in all aspects of the threefold office, he gravitated toward prophetic leadership. Consider, for example, Brother Young’s leadership in organizing voter registration drives in Thomasville, Georgia, in anticipation of the 1956 presidential election, only one year into his simultaneous pastorates at Bethany (Thomasville) and Evergreen (Beachton) Congregational Churches. In describing the prophet’s function, Allender writes, “He disrupts the paradigm of comfort and complacency . . . . When he confronts me with the vision of what will one day be my future, he calls me to create it with a commitment to honesty, care and justice.”

Prophetic leadership, therefore, motivates people by pushing them to reject the status 42

In preparation for our Thomasville [voter registration] campaign, I was invited to come to Macon, Georgia. For a meeting at the Prince Hall Lodge, where the Masons were training and recruiting organizers for a statewide voter registration drive. At this meeting, I agreed to cochair the Thomasville voter registration drive, along with the Thomas County Business and Civic League . . . . For Jean and me, being active in this voter registration drive seemed perfectly natural, as it was not only consistent with everything we believed in and the integral part of my concept of an activist ministry, but also the type of thing we thought we should be doing as young black people with the advantages of education.

Further, it was also Brother Young’s growth, as a prophetic minister and as well-known member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, that placed him in contact with Brother Martin King, another young, prophetic minister. In describing an invitation to preach at a campus chapel service in 1957, Brother Young writes: The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity chapter at Talladega College in Alabama provided by first opportunity to meet Martin Luther King.

Alpha Phi Alpha was my fraternity at Howard University, and the president of Talladega, THE SPHINX

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Arthur Gray, was an Alpha and Congregational minister. I accepted President Gray’s invitation in the spring of 1957 to speak for the Alpha Phi Alpha’s annual program at Talladega College in northern Alabama. When I arrived, I discovered I was one of two speakers. Martin King was the other.

I failed to come to terms with my identity as a middle-class black person, I would never have accomplished very much in the civil rights movement or won elective office . . . . Howard helped me to understand there was a social and cultural reality that was both black and middle class . . . .” In May 1951, he graduated from Howard, earning a B.S. in biology.

Inasmuch as prophetic leadership also exposes systems that are unjust and unfair, while speaking truth to power in attempting to change them, Brother Young’s journey from the pulpit to the streets of civic activism was motivated by a desire to fight against the injustices and inequities of segregation in the South. Indeed, it is not the least bit difficult to visualize Brother Young as a prophet.

One need only consider the many pictures of him, along with video footage, that have been shared in countless documentaries and histories chronicling the Civil Rights Movement. Brother Young marched, participated in sit-ins, went to jail, and openly spoke as a leader in the prophetic domain.

As a 19-year-old college graduate, Brother Young wrestled with and resisted his father’s expectations that he too would become a dentist and join his father in a family practice in New Orleans. After several introspective religious experiences over the summer of 1951, however, Brother Young was led to accept invitations to attend ecumenical and interracial events that were sponsored by religious organizations. At one conference, he deeply deeply reflected on how Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance in India influenced his theology of social justice in America. Brother Young writes:

Brother Andrew Young’s Service in the Threefold Office After graduating from Gilbert Academy in New Orleans, in May of 1947, Brother Young spent his freshmen year at Dillard University.

He then transferred to Howard, in 1948, and joined the university’s track and swimming teams. In 1950, he joined Alpha Phi Alpha through Howard University’s Beta Chapter.

Reading Gandhi, I understood that that the Gospel could be applied to a political situation.

My parents’ faith inspired them to social responsibility, but theirs was an individual effort, helping one person at a time. Good works and personal salvation impacted the social order only indirectly. I realized that I was going to take more than good works to change segregation: it would require a change in the social order.

Gandhi described a way for a spiritually based movement to effect such change.

As the son of a dentist, Brother Young recognized, but also resisted, the middle-class privilege he was afforded in New Orleans.

At Howard, however, because of the wide variety and diversity of students, from both the United States and abroad, Brother Young became comfortable with his sense of self as he was being moved toward defining himself and preparing for his career. He writes, “Had THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

It was during the fall of 1951, that Brother Young began to understand the change that was occurring within him.

While assigned to Hartford, to work as an organizer for United Christian Youth Action in Connecticut and Rhode Island, Brother Young learned much more about faith and 43

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social action. While taking two classes at Hartford Seminary—Philosophy of Religion and New Testament—he became immersed in how the theology directly relates to social justice and he gained the courage and conviction to tell his parents he was called to serve as a minister and would not become a dentist. Brother Young’s call to ministry began a career deeply rooted in selfless service to others, in both ecclesial and public office.

After graduating from Hartford Seminary in January 1955, Brother Young was ordained and began serving as a pastor. Inasmuch as pastoral ministry requires leadership in all aspects of the threefold office, Brother Young’s focus on equity and social justice led him to especially excel in the prophetic domain.

Moreover, as some ministers gravitate more to priestly or royal leadership within a parish, Brother Young expressed disappointment in how more pastors were not engaged in the social justice fights of his early days.

After meeting Brother Martin King in May 1957, Brother Young was excited about the prospects of participating with the national civil rights leadership in a prayer pilgrimage in Washington, DC, on behalf of the civil rights bill that was being debated in Congress.

Although he encouraged other ministers in Thomasville to drive from Georgia to Washington with him, he openly indicates, “I was very disappointed when only one of the ministers felt the Prayer Pilgrimage was important enough to attend.”

Not all ministers gravitate toward social justice issues in the prophetic domain. Brother Young’s focus on this aspect of his pastoral service was a foundation for what was to come in other aspects of service, both religious and political. To satisfy his desire to use his religious training and organizational skills to satisfy greater human need, in 1957 Brother 44

Young and budding family moved to New York City where he accepted a job serving as associate director of the Youth Department of the National Council of Churches. In considering leaving his pulpits and leaving the South, Brother Young reflects, “I had learned about the limits of personal piety in Thomasville when trying to preach salvation to parishioners who experienced insults to their humanity every day of their lives.

Personal piety was only part of a mature faith, and mature faith had to engage the secular world . . . .”

Although Brother Young grew in all aspects of his leadership, during his service with the National Council of Churches, his desire to be engaged in the fight for social justice necessitated that he and his family leave New York and return to the South. It was in 1961, in the first home that he and his family owned, in Queens, that Brother Young saw the NBC documentary, “The Nashville Sit-in Story,” that featured some of the people he’d worked with through the National Council of Churches, including the Reverend James Lawson and the Reverend Bro. C.T. Vivian.

It also featured student activist like Diane Nash, John Lewis, Bernard Lafayette, and Bro. Marian Barry. It was then that Brother Young became excited about returning to the South.

After some preliminary conversations, Brother King asked Brother Young to join his staff at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (“SCLC”).

Back in the South: Brother Young’s Prophetic Work with the SCLC Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. and a host of other religious and civil rights leaders founded SCLC, in 1957, as an ecumenical, faith-based organization. Founded in New Orleans and headquartered in Atlanta, its work excited Brother Young. In describing THE SPHINX

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Brother Young’s early affiliation with SCLC, Bernard Lafayette writes, “Early on Andrew Young joined SCLC and worked closely with several civil rights campaigns. Andy found a natural friendship with Dr. King as they both believed so fervently in nonviolent strategies for social change and were both influenced by the teachings of Gandhi.” Lafayette also goes on to describe Brother Young in sharing, “Considered a level-headed diplomat, he was always a champion for the disenfranchised.”

Indeed, Brother Young proved to be a champion for the disenfranchised early in his early in his pastorates, before joining the National Council of Churches.

Brother Young and the SCLC revealed their Birmingham Manifesto, wherein they demanded desegregation in the city, the hiring of Blacks on a nondiscriminatory basis, and the formation of a biracial committee to develop a strategy to address ongoing racial conflicts.

Every organization has politics and SCLC was no exception. Adam Faircloth writes that, “Men like [Alpha Brother] Wyatt Walker, Andrew Young, James Bevel, and Hosea Williams contributed to SCLC in distinctive and important ways.” Brother Young describes Brother Walker as being extremely protective of Brother King, strictly requiring meticulous record keeping of SCLC financial expenditures, because of a baseless investigation initiated by the state of Alabama, alleging the Montgomery Improvement Association mismanaged funds during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

This close fiscal scrutiny, by SCLC. Drew the ire of other organizations that were financially dependent on it, including the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Insofar as Brother Young’s first two years with SCLC were a period of acclimation, by 1963, he really saw the application of theology and philosophy in his fight for social justice.

The injunction was served on us at one o’clock in the morning at Gaston’s [restaurant] on April 11, the day before Good Friday. Martin and our staff were determined that this injunction would not destroy the Birmingham campaign . . . .

Just after a hotly contested mayoral campaign in Birmingham, where the city’s infamously known police commissioner, Eugene “Bull” Connor, lost to a much less known opponent, THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Shortly after the Birmingham campaign began, in April 1963, the city successfully sought a state court injunction against demonstrations, including the one Brother Young and the SCLC planned to desegregate Birmingham’s downtown business district.

Brother Young writes,

Since we had been informed the injunction was coming, [Brother] Wyatt Walker alerted the press and after it was served, we held a press conference in Gaston’s restaurant. In a prepared statement upon receiving the injunction, Martin stated he would not abide by it, for, ‘Alabama has made clear its determination to defy the law of the land . . . . [I]ts law enforcement agents have openly defied the desegregation decision of the Supreme Court. We would feel morally and legally responsible to obey the injunction if the courts of Alabama applied equal justice to all its citizens.’

Brother King and the SCLC did, of course, disobey the city’s injunction. As he was incarcerated that weekend, Brother King famously wrote a treatise on civil disobedience, “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”

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Brother Young remained committed to SCLC and worked to ensure its success in matters including, the March on Washington (1963), passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964), and Voting Rights Act (1965). Brother Young also remained loyal to Brother King and SCLC through the difficult times in 1967 and into the spring of 1968, as King suffered from a fallout with President Lyndon Baines Johnson because of his public criticism of America’s role in the Vietnam War. By April 1968, shortly after SCLC had undertaken its Poor People’s Campaign, Brother King was asked to intervene in Memphis, because of the inadequate wages the city paid its sanitation workers. It was there, on April 4, 1968, that Brother King was assassinated.

For the next two years, until 1970, Brother Young continued working with SCLC. He had served in both ecclesial and secular contexts in all aspects of the threefold office, as a pastor and nonprofit executive. He then desired to serve as a politician. Consequently, in 1970 Brother Young resigned from SCLC to run for the United States Congress. Although he lost the 1970 election, his resolve remained and shortly after election day he committed to run again in 1972. With Georgia’s 5th Congressional District redrawn because of the Census and with protections from the same Voting Rights Act Brother Young worked to bring to fruition, he was successfully elected, in November 1972, as the first African American, since Reconstruction, to represent Georgia in the United States Congress.

Brother Andrew Young’s Legacy Will Exist in Perpetuity As readily apparent, Brother Andrew Young is one of Alpha’s most notable sons. His name will forever be associated with pioneering political firsts that were made possible because of his faithful service as an ordained minister, 46

working with other ministers at the SCLC. In honoring Brother Young’s body of work, General President Everett B. Ward and the Fraternity’s Board of Directors approved creation of the Andrew Young Social Justice Institute, to honor Brother Young’s 70-years of faithful service in his beloved Fraternity, and housed the Institute in the Office of the National Chaplain. I will forever be grateful to have served in the Fraternity’s leadership during this special part of Alpha history.

On Sunday, November 10, 2019, following a grand dinner hosted by General President Ward and the Fraternity’s leadership in North Carolina, on the evening before, Brother Young visited St. Joseph AME Church, in Durham, as the Fraternity publicly introduced the social justice institute bearing his name.

In a politically conscience worship celebration that was part of St. Joseph’s quarterly #SocialJusticeSunday, in addition to welcoming Brother Harry E. Johnson, Sr., Esq., Alpha’s 31st general president, and Brother Kelsey Rushing, Esq., vice president of the Southern Region, St. Joseph also welcomed the Durham and Triangle Park Chapters of The Links, Inc., as the organization celebrated its Founder’s Day. Brother Young had breakfast at St. Joseph, did several media interviews, and greeted a packed house by discussing the importance of political participation. He also affectionately remarked about his longtime appreciation of The Links, Inc. in that his mother was an active member of the organization, too.

The Andrew Young Social Justice Institute seeks to advance social justice issues in communities across the United States, by providing the resources, training, and support for Alpha ministers to work collaboratively with other organizations that also advance social justice causes, in the prophetic domain of ministry, and in the public square.

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Brother Andrew Young: Key Timeline Points March 12, 1932—Brother Andrew Jackson Young, Jr., born in New Orleans

April 3, 1963—Martin Luther King, Jr. press conference launches Birmingham Movement

May 1947—Graduates from Gilbert Academy

August 28, 1963—March on Washington

1948—Young completes freshman year at Dillard University and transfers to Howard University, as a sophomore

September 15, 1963—Bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham kills four little girls

1950—pledges Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Howard University’s Beta Chapter

November 22, 1963—President John F. Kennedy Assassinated

May 1951—graduates from Howard University with B.S. in biology

July 2, 1964—President Lyndon Baines Johnson signs Civil Rights Act of 1964

September 1951—begins taking classes at Hartford Theological Seminary, while working as a youth organizer with the Connecticut Council of Churches

March 7, 1965—Bloody Sunday marchers leave Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, AL and attempt to cross Edmund Pettis Bridge

May 17, 1954—Brown v. Board of Education decided by U.S. Supreme Court, overturning “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

March 25, 1965—Selma to Montgomery March ends with rally at Alabama State Capitol

June 7, 1954—Andrew Young marries Jean Childs at First Congregational Church (Marion, AL) January 1955—graduates from Hartford Seminary and begins pastorate December 1, 1955—Montgomery Bus Boycott begins February 13, 1957—Southern Cristian Leadership Conference organized in New Orleans, with Brother Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as president August 1957—Brother Young leaves his Georgia pastorate to join the executive staff of the National Council of the Churches of Christ USA in New York September 1957—President Eisenhower sends federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to back integration of Central High School May 4, 1961—Freedom Rides begin, initially organized by the Congress of Racial Equality June 1961—Brother Young leaves National Council of Churches and joins Citizenship School Program, housed at SCLC in Atlanta

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August 6, 1965—President Johnson signs Voting Rights Act of 1965 April 4, 1967—Brother Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks in opposition to Vietnam War at Riverside Church in New York March 4, 1968—SCLC formally begins its “Poor People’s Campaign” April 3, 1968—Brother King gives famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop Speech” in Memphis, in support of striking sanitation workers April 4, 1968—Brother King assassinated at Loraine Motel in Memphis June 5, 1968—U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy assassinated during campaign for the presidency 1970—Andrew Young resigns from SCLC to enter race for Georgia’s 5th Congressional District (loses in November general election) November 7,1972—Brother Young is elected as the first African American U.S. representative from Georgia since Reconstruction

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BY BROTHER TAKEVESS C. HATCHER

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF BLACK MEN THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

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frican Americans once again stand at the crux of change regarding social justice and equality in America. It is an apex that we have historically faced, conjecturally overcame, and now face once more. As we climb this mountain and embark on trajectories of change, I am reminded of a quote penned by James Baldwin that says, “Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” With this thought in mind, I will briefly and constitutively detail steps we can take to transform our communities and provoke advantageous mobility and sustainability.

Furthermore, the manifestation of social transformation is on the horizon in our country, as enlighten citizens all over the United States solidarity stand, envisage and battle for an America that is unequivocally symmetrical in its execution and expression of the American Dream. The American Dream meaning, a place, experience, and reality whereby every person is lifted and classified as human and therefore benefits from fair and equal treatment in their education, employment, wages, living conditions, and opportunities. For this dream to be actualized, significant and substantive changes must ensue and be apropos. Thus, individual responsibility and proper personal policy pertaining to choice must govern, knowing that fortuitous occurrences and futile decisions won’t produce the inheritance of transformation that is needed to ontologically experience what Dr. Martin L. King called, “the Beloved Community.” A community where justice, equal opportunity, and love for all mankind is an absolute certainty.

Subsequently, how do we as men of color build, fortify and sustain the communities

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where people who look like us reside and ultimately redirect the trajectory of those communities that are crime laden, poverty stricken, and educationally bankrupt First, the production and sustainability of the successful Black man is facing a bleak future as the plight of the young Black man increasingly becomes asphyxiated by systematic disparities such as, discrimination, marginalization, subjugation, and racial profiling. Consistent with these disparities is the overwhelming ideology of misguided foci or focus that is injudiciously placed on everything over education. Education, as stated by Horace Mann (1891) is the great equalizer. Unfortunately, a majority of our young Black men regard sports over learning.

Accordingly, how do we as Men of Alpha maintain upward mobility for the Black man and ensure multigenerational success? I believe it starts with mentorship.

Michael A. Gibson in his dissertation (2018) recounts the difficulties for young Black men stating, “Challenging external factors caused by the poor social imagery that society placed on Black men is a contributing factor for failure with young Black men.”

To that point, we have seen throughout the annals of history the deleterious glorification of the Black man as a law breaker, riotous, abusive, uneducated, and apathetic. The fortification of this idea is prevalent in movies, and on social media. To ameliorate and permanently suspend the downward spiral for young Black men, sustain the future of the Black man, and annihilate the mendacities of history regarding negative imagery of Black men we as Men of Alpha must reach back and mentor. Mentorship provides young Black men the priceless opportunity to connect with and be inspired by men who look like THE SPHINX

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them, men who are distinguished, men who are accomplished and men who are leaders.

Horticulturist have learned through millennia that proper exposure to the sun makes plant life grow. Identically, exposure to great examples will change the life of our young Black men and constructively sustain our future.

In addition to mentorship, we as men of Alpha must use our voice to address the atrocities and juxtapositions our communities are facing. We must be the change agents of positive hope, progressiveness, transparency, and tolerance to sustain our futures. This can only happen if we get involved in our local politics.

A study written by Arpie G. Balian and Gasparyan Arman (2017) reveals why individuals choose to run for public office stating, “Motivations often stem from several factors, including one’s deep-rooted connection with the community, and lineage.”

Moreover, Jesus as he was about to exit Earth taught his disciples saying, “But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This passage of scripture reveals a strategic plan designed to advance the gospel. Jesus’s initial directive concerning evangelism was to start at home. Therefore, if we take the instructions Jesus gave his disciples, our sustainability as Black men start when we get involved in the politics of the cities wherein, we reside. To do so, we must advocate for high voter turnout in local elections, we must attend our local

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commission/council meetings, and we must run for public office, knowing we can’t make an impact if we don’t participate.

Next, our sustainability as Black men rely on our ability to create wealth. One sure way to create both personal and societal wealth is to become an entrepreneur.

Hannon (2013) states, “Entrepreneurship is now recognized as important and is a major driver of innovation.” Today we see the valuable contributions entrepreneurs make. Entrepreneurs such as Brother Robert A. Smith, a 1982 Alpha Chapter initiate at Cornell University, who is the founder, chairman, and CEO of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners, a business he started in 2000 is the fourth largest enterprise software company following Microsoft, Oracle and SAP. Smith’s staggering and Brother Takevess C. Hatcher stunning commitment to pay the 34 million dollar student loan debt of the 2019 graduating class from Morehouse College earned him the “Executive of the Year” award by Pitchbook Private Equity awards and a spot on the Bloomberg top 50 list. Though entrepreneurship is filled with many complexities, the benefits of ownership prodigiously compensates for its challenges.

Overall, the sustainability of Black men is paramount to our country and world as our communities and families depend on us to create paradigms of success that will influence the next generation and reduce occasions of high Black male dropout rates, teenage pregnancies, joblessness, and crime. S

51

ECONOMICS

BY BROTHER JAMES FLOYD

THE ALPHA “TRIO” STORY

D

etroit entrepreneur and philanthropist Brother William Pickard calls his two decades-long friends “blood brothers” who met as students at Western Michigan University (WMU) and are members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

“We always hung together – not necessarily politically because I’m a Republican. We were blood brothers,” says Brother Pickard, about the late Ronald Hall Sr. and former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer.

Brother Pickard, Chairman and Executive Founder of GAA Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management, is one the country’s most successful black businessmen whose enterprises include several McDonald’s franchises, co-managing partner of MGM Grand Detroit casino and owner and publisher of Real Times Media that publishes several black newspapers including The Michigan Chronicle in Detroit, The Atlanta Daily World and The Chicago Defender.

It’s the trio’s friendship, affection for the fraternity and ties to WMU in Kalamazoo, Mich. that prompted Pickard to donate $3 million to the school resulting in two dormitories – Hall-Archer-Pickard West and Hall-Archer-Pickard East --and a meeting room being named in honor of the 3 men.

“All three of us met at Western around 1962,” said Pickard, who graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in social work. Pickard and Archer were roommates at Vandercook Hall – or what students called “Hungry Hall” because none of them could afford the school’s meal plan. It was where they used hot plates to warm food and they stored food that needed to be kept cold outside their dorm windows. Hall lived in Bigelow Hall, which served hot meals.

52

“We could tell you more ways to fix Spam and potted meat,” recalls Archer, who graduated from WMU in 1965.

Brother Archer, Detroit’s mayor from 1994-2001, transferred in 1963 to WMU from the Detroit Institute of Technology. He began college at Wayne State University, where he pledged and crossed as an Alpha.

There was an Alpha Phi Alpha chapter at WMU in 1935, but disbanded during World War II when many of its members went off to war. An interest group was created in 1960 and a charter was granted in 1963.

“All three of us wanted a good education and we were very supportive of each other. We talked about everything. We’ve always been there for each other,” says Archer.

Archer, who was appointed in 2005 by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm to serve on WMU’s Board of Trustees, said after the 2016 death of Hall he urged Pickard to seek the vacant board seat that had been held by Hall since 2012. Pickard was appointed by thenGov. Rick Snyder to succeed Hall on the board.

“Bill saw the needs that Western had, the needs of the students – especially the black students,” Archer says.

“He wanted to do something regarding the three of us and he was in a financial position to do so.”

Brother Harry E. Johnson, who was the 31st General President of Alpha Phi Alpha from 2001-2005, says the kinship among the three men and Pickard’s WMU donation is typical of Alphas.

“It’s a story like many stories of men of Alpha when you’re in college and 18 or 19 years old and meet and THE SPHINX

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develop a kinship in the fraternity and that’s what we have here,” says PGP Johnson, a lawyer and businessman in Houston, TX. When Brother Pickard made the donation in 2017, WMU’s board voted to rename the two residence halls built in 2015 and a meeting room in the new administration building after the trio.

The donation “represents how three young Black men came to a place that was a predominantly white institution along with less than 300 Black students and we became friends through the fraternity and we became lifelong friends,” said Brother Pickard, author of Millionaire Moves: Seven Proven Principles of Entrepreneurship.

The two, four-story freshmen dorms include a kitchen, study area, private bathrooms, laundry facilities and game rooms. The meeting room named in their honor, sits across the street from the former Vandercook Hall.

“Bill would not hear of it that his name be first despite the fact he was the principal funder,” says Brother Archer, Chairman Emeritus of Dickinson Wright law firm in Detroit and founder of a foundation that grants scholarships to students in need at Wayne State and Western.

PGP Johnson calls Brother Pickard the “type of guy that likes to put others first and he does things behind the scenes. He’s not one to seek the limelight.”

Ronald Hall Jr., who succeeded his father as president and CEO of Bridgewater Interiors in 2015 one year before his death, described the relationship between his father, Brother Pickard and Brother Archer as one in which they “were friend or mentor to the other.”

“Dad often referred to Doc Bill as his best friend. Not just his best friend personally, but had been a critical mentor throughout his career,” said Hall Jr.

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Brother Hall Sr, who graduated from WMU in 1965 with a degree in mathematics, founded automotive manufacturing company Bridgewater Interiors, which makes seat assemblies, console assemblies and other interior components for cars and trucks.

“It seems to me that it was not until the mayor came off the (Michigan Supreme) court that their lives began to intersect more professionally,” said Hall Jr., a graduate of West Point military academy. “They fulfilled a lot of the personal goals they established so many years ago at Western.”

He said his family is proud to be a part of their affiliation with WMU and Alpha Phi Alpha.

“It’s a wonderful thing. Their story is a great legacy story for the university,” says Hall Jr., who graduated the University of Michigan law school and was recommended by Brother Archer. “Officials at the (WMU) university have attested to that and a number of students – particularly Black students and students in that Alpha chapter have expressed their appreciation to them.” S

Brother Ronald Hall, Sr.

Brother Bill Picard

The Honorable Brother Dennis Archer

Brother James Floyd, a 1983 Tau Chapter initiate is a member of the Business & Economic Development Commission.

53

HISTORY

BY BROTHER ROBERT L. HARRIS, JR., PH.D., NATIONAL HISTORIAN

Stony the Road: Black Male Vulnerability and Resilience

T

he lives of Black men in the United States have been characterized by vulnerability and resilience. During enslavement, they could be whipped and even killed with impunity. European men who became “white” in the U.S. had the privilege of reprimanding any Black person to “keep them in their place.” European men came to the U.S. as British, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, German, etc. They became “white” in contradiction to “Black” men who were brought to this country as Ibo, Angolan, Senegalese, Asante, Congolese, etc. who were labeled as African.

White privilege was a means of maintaining social control against Native Americans and Africans. Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 united European indentured servants and enslaved Africans against European landowners in Virginia. This rebellion threatened to upset the socioeconomic hierarchy. The landowners, therefore, made greater distinctions between European indentured servants and enslaved Africans.

By the 1820s, the South, which earlier justified enslavement as a “necessary evil,” an expedient that was required for economic development, now justified enslavement as a “positive good,” based on African inferiority. To give “white” men a greater stake in society, by the 1820s, the states no longer required that they own property to vote. Northern states, which by and large, had abolished enslavement after the American Revolution, began to segregate African Americans in education, employment, housing, theatres, and on public conveyances.

As “white’ men gained privileges denied “Black” men, they had a greater interest in preserving the status quo. In the South, where ninety percent of the “black” population lived before the Civil War, the patty rollers or slave patrols of “white” men governed the movement of “Black” men, especially at night to prevent escapes from enslavement. The few “Black” men (about five percent of the “Black” population), who were not enslaved rarely traveled at night and even during the day had to produce free papers on demand, which most of the patty rollers could not even read.

After emancipation, the practice of dominance and subordination prevailed despite constitutional amendments and civil rights laws that purported equality. There was a brief period during Reconstruction (1865-1877) when African Americans gained a small 54

foothold in American society. As Brother Dr. William F. Pickard has conclusively shown in his forthcoming book 100 Outstanding African American Business Leaders you should know about from 1850-1950, African Americans emerged from enslavement with an entrepreneurial spirit that “white” racism had not been able to extinguish.

“White” racism has often been thought of as a type of ethnocentrism, as more of an individual prejudice, of judging others by the standards of one’s own group. African American scholars have the proposition that “white” privilege has become ingrained in American society in ideology, law, and practice. It has become a form of habit, an almost involuntary practice. We look at racism today as being more societal than individual. MerriamWebster’s dictionary is changing its definition of racism to include the institutional dimension that perpetuates privilege (see The N.Y. Post, 6/9/2020).

Ta-Nehisi Coates, in his bestselling Between the World and Me, provides a meditation on his upbringing and encounter with systemic racism, especially devaluation of the Black male body, and a cautionary tale for his son. Although Coates lays bare his own fears about “Black” vulnerability, he also explains “Black” resilience in the lessons he learned at the “Mecca” Howard University, more so outside than in the classroom. He tells his son: “…I didn’t always have things, but I had people – I always had people. I had a mother and father that I would match against any other. … I had the Mecca that directed me. I had friends who would leap in front of a bus for me” Eddie and Gerald Levert give us great insight into male bonding in their book, I Got Your Back about their careers as soul singers. This father and son duo experienced hardship and pain, success and disappointment, but they were resilient and affirmed each other. They learned from each other. The father, Eddie, was open to his son, Gerald “…always trying to figure out how we could better our way of thinking and use our music to heal the wounds of the world and black people.” Brother Cornel West reflected that: “Both exemplify the height of grace, dignity, and integrity as self-respecting black men.” (dust jacket) Despite these examples, the “angry Black man” trope THE SPHINX

HISTORY

has gained currency in much public discourse. He is identified as having a chip on his shoulder and ready to blame the “man” for any slight. He is quick to label any slight as disrespect. His dress and speech are usually unconventional. But even in conventional circles if he displays the slightest anger or passion, he might be labeled as an “angry Black man.” We need to turn our lens away from the “angry Black man” to the “angry white man,” to explain much of the violence against “Black” men, especially by so-called law enforcement in this country.

“White” men, even mediocre “white” men have literally had the playing field to themselves. They had limited competition with the exclusion of “Black” men from most arenas, such as sports, politics, the military, and the economy. When given an opportunity, “Black” men have shown that they can excel in those arenas from which they were previously excluded. “Black” men, for example, were assumed to lack the intelligence to fly airplanes. The Tuskegee Airmen gave lie to that assumption and today, the Air Force Chief of Staff, the top uniformed leader of a military branch is an African American, a former fighter pilot, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. “Black” men dominate professional basketball (80% of the players) and professional football (68% of the players). One of the last barriers on the football field is the quarterback position with African Americans comprising only 17% of professional football quarterbacks. There is still an assumption that the quarterback is the most important player on the field,

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

the chief executive officer, who needs intellectual as well as physical talent.

These positions and others used to belong to “White” males as a matter of privilege. But, no longer. Now, they even have to compete with “White” women in the legal and medical professions for example. In her superb study, White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, historian, Dr. Carol Anderson concludes: “The trigger for white rage, inevitably, is black advancement.

It is not the mere presence of black people that is the problem: rather it is blackness with ambition, with drive, with purpose, with aspirations, and with demands for full and equal citizenship.” (p. 3; 159-60) The election of the nation’s first “Black” President was the last straw for many “White” men. This resentment has manifested itself in modern day lynching of “Black” men by “White” men not in Klan outfits but in blue uniforms. Dylann Roof, a twenty-one year old “white” unemployed high school drop-out, murdered nine African Americans at Emanuel AME in Charleston, S.C., (June 17, 2015). Our Fraternity Brother, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, pastor of the church, was among those murdered while at Bible study. Roof said he was on a mission to take his country back. Less than a month later at a campaign rally in Phoenix, Donald J. Trump, now President, vowed: “Don’t worry, we’ll take our country back.”

We have weathered such storms in the past. Our resilience, our faith in each other, our Brotherhood, despite the vulnerabilities imposed on us, have sustained us to “…march on until victory is won.” S

55

HISTORY

BY BROTHER KENNETH WESLEY NORWOOD

International Chapters: The Fraternity’s Best Kept Secret

O

n April 11, 1908, Jewels Eugene Kinkle Jones and Vertner W. Tandy took the first step to ensure that the will, passion, and mission of this great Fraternity would reach beyond the borders of the United States by prematurely chartering the Delta chapter–while on Easter vacation–on the campus of the University of Toronto in Canada.

This would be the first international chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and of any National PanHellenic Council, Inc. organization to come. Despite the chapter soon becoming uncharted–due to internal deliberation amongst the founders–this ambitious action would prove to be prognostic for our great organization and its international ambitions. To-date, the organization has grown to consist of 963 chapters with six of them outside of the United States’ borders.

This single act in 1908 towards international expansion has leavened into a global network of members that play an integral role in the structure of our esteemed organization. These chapters provide both professional support and fellowship to both College and Alumni Brothers that may be studying temporarily or working professionally abroad. They provide community service to their respective foreign territories; or offer the overall Fraternity an international perspective at our Regional and General Conventions.

Alpha chapters abroad stand as a pillar of power and service that many members in the United States may not even know exist.

Of course, the action in 1908 was not the end of the desire to spread the mission of Alpha globally. In 1932, while studying Sociology at the University of London on a Yale Fellowship, Brother Harry W. Roberts caught “a vision of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity as a world organization of Negro College men.” This prompted him to write a two-page feature that would be published in the Summer 1939 Sphinx issue, garnering support for the establishment of a chapter in the city of London.

It wouldn’t be till April 23, 2011, that the chartering of Beta Psi chapter would take place, making it the first undergraduate international Collegiate Chapter at Richmond University - The American University in London. The establishment of the Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter on February 21, 1950, in Bermuda by a group of men who joined the Fraternity while attending 56

universities in America would also lead Alpha towards a permanent international foundation. In the years to come, Alumni chapters in Germany, South Africa, and Liberia would soon be established, leading to the international community we have today.

It should also be noted that currently, the international region operates under the umbrella of two regions: the Eastern and Midwestern Regions.

This means that members from London to Cape Town attend, contribute, and vote in the Eastern Regional conferences and those in Canada, would be represented at the Midwestern Region conference.

The history and current position of the international chapters within the organizational structure of Alpha Phi Alpha may not be known to a large body of our membership. The same could be said for the plethora of service projects that chapters abroad have executed too.

The international region has contributed to our mantra of “service to all” in distinctive and innovative ways that reflect the diversity of the different regions and cultures that they currently occupy. Eta Epsilon Lambda, for instance, raised an astonishing $21,500.00 for scholarship and educational programs between 2012 and 2013. The funds benefited 114 junior and senior high school students in Montserrado County and other surrounding counties in northwestern Liberia.

This was done to promote technology in Liberia, which then prompted them to establish the Aaron B. Milton Engineering Scholarship at the University of Liberia.

The fraternity has also participated in mentoring partnerships with the YMCA of Liberia through its Subject-to-Citizen (S2C) program and Ricks Institute through its Servant Leadership Program. In London, the Rho Chi Lambda Chapter has built a permit partnership with the Croydon Supplementary Education Project (CSEP), a 38-year-old institution in the largest town in South London. The London chapter donated and built, by hand, the new community library which primarily houses Afro-Caribbean literature and art that reflects the historical ethnic-racial makeup of the Croydon community. Also in Germany, the men of Theta Theta Lambda chapter have built a partnership with the DoDEA Patch Barracks Middle School in Stuttgart, where they recently hosted the 13th Annual Reading Exhibition on 3 May 2019. All of these instances create THE SPHINX

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a collage of service that mimics and expands upon the foundations of this organization’s roots.

International chapters also extend the networking aspect of our organization and acts as a global resource for members seeking to both study and work abroad is something that the international region offers. Just recently Brother A.J. Rucker from Nu Rho chapter made contact with the Rho Chi Lambda chapter as he embarked upon his semester abroad at South Bank University in Economics this past fall semester. Rho Chi Lambda was able to offer temporary housing, travel, and even a cash stipend to the College Brother to reinforce our commitment to fraternal bonding and his academic endeavors. He was also able to participate in the IMDP process for the local Alumni chapter and assisted in CSEP. Brother Farrad Ali of Xi Lambda, an IT computer analyst, reached out to Rho Chi Lambda before migrating to the UK in 2016 with his family for an overseas work assignment in the UK. During his stay, Ali built bonds and relationships with many of the international members throughout the European region.

Ali even acted as the Chief Dean for the intake period of 2018-2020 for Rho Chi Lambda and was also was instrumental to the chapter’s CSEP where he acted as IT lead by wiring, performing risk assignment, and installing an entirely new network system for the building.

But what is the future of international chapters and the idea of an international region?

As an integral part of fulfilling the mission of Alpha on a global level, the international region is striving to make sure this organization is first when it comes to global engagement, but currently, it’s not.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., both have established international regions within their organizational structures. This

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

means that both organizations have a stronger international presence, being that Omega Psi Phi occupies 11 countries and has the greatest number of international Alumni Chapters (15) and College Chapters (3) out of all of the NPHC. The establishment of an international region would benefit the fraternity in a variety of ways: 1) It would send a strategic message that we are an international organization, not just a national one, 2) develop an organizational structure and nomenclature that will support the growth, sustainability, and expansion of international chapters, and 3) provide a chapter structure that will allow international college chapters to establish and survive which will yield more global revenue and notice to the organization. It should also be noted that Americans living abroad also act as one of the greatest opportunities for reclamation and recruitment. This being that 38 USA foreign military bases are a greater predictor of successful NPHC presence. Germany seems to be the only country where the NPHC has fully explored this opportunity of recruitment and reclamation, which can act as a model for Alpha and other foreign military bases.

According to the General Comptroller, the impact of the reduced General Allocation to the current four regions, where international chapters reside, will be minimal. The internal cost associated with the operation of the new region will not be any different for Chapters than they are today, as they must travel today to attend District and Regional conventions.

International chapters are a hidden gem of Alpha Phi Alpha. With a history stretching back to the Delta Chapter at the University of Toronto in Canada in 1908, this coalition of Brothers abroad have embodied the mission of providing service and advocacy for our communities–both within the states and around the world. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER LAWRENCE C. SINGLETON

The Test of a Nation

“T

he test of a man is the fight that he makes.

The grit that he daily shows. The way that he stands upon his feet and takes life’s numerous bumps and blows.” As members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, we take pride in reciting the words of this Unknown Author’s Poem titled, “The Test of a Man.” As members of this great Fraternity, and citizens of the United States of America, we have to realize that the words from this poem are being manifested at this time in our society. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and social injustices, I believe, “We are being tested as a Nation.”

On May 25, 2020, our nation was tested with the unlawful treatment of Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to CNN.com, George Floyd was restrained by police officers. Based on the video that surfaced, there are four officers involved in this incident.

The officers had him on the ground for approximately 9 minutes. In addition, one of the officers had his knee on the neck of Mr. George Floyd. Another officer just stood there while this was going on.

As I said before, “our nation is being tested,” and these 4 officers failed this test. Instead of listening to Mr. Floyd’s pleas saying, “Please I can’t breathe” over and over again, and bystanders saying, “He is not resisting”, “You are stopping his breathing”, and “How long ya’ll gone hold him down?” The officers continued to restrain him while a knee was on his neck. This eventually led to his death. As a result, the behavior of these officers catapulted a series of protest. Some peaceful and some violent. I say again, “Our Nation is being tested.”

There have been several nationwide incidents that involved police interactions and mistreatment of Black citizens from Rodney King, to Sandra Bland, to Ahmaud Arbery, to Breonna Taylor, to Christian Cooper and now George Floyd, and unfortunately many others. As a nation, we have to come up with a solution, collaboratively, to stop this injustice. Since its founding on December 4th 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. has always stood in the forefront regarding civil rights, equalities, and Injustices. Today we are still here to serve, support, and fight for freedom. Like Brother Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy stated at the 26th General Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1937 on the campus of Xavier University, “We must fight until hell freezes over, and then fight on the Ice!” 58

On June 2, 2020, the Brothers of the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated continued that “fight on the Ice” in Downtown Houston, Texas. Local Rappers, Bun B and Trae the Truth organized a peaceful Protest/March for George Floyd, a native Houstonian, and 1993 a graduate of Jack Yates High School. According to news reports, 60,000 people gathered together in downtown Houston, Texas, for a peaceful rally to support the George Floyd Movement. Various local and state leaders were present at this event. Brother Mayor Sylvester Turner, Brother Pastor William A. Lawson, Brother Congressman Al Green, Soror Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and many others addressed the masses. The Houstonians marched from Discovery Green to City Hall. This event started with Prayer and ended with Prayer.

There were several Brothers of the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter that had positive recollections of this historic event. Brother Bryan Stotler, the Financial Secretary for the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter, stated, “It was an eye-opening experience for me. This was my first one that I was able to participate in.” Brother Stotler also said, “It was a great experience to see all the people unified and marching for the same thing. It was such a diverse crowd, and it gave me hope.” Brother Stotler was also impressed with how the Brothers stuck together and looked out for each other during the parade. Brother John Sadler, a chemist, who is on the front line for COVID-19, took time out to participate in the peaceful protest. Brother Sadler brought his two daughters with him and was hoping for a peaceful protest. Brother Sadler said, “At first he was nervous because of the large crowd, but when he got in the crowd, the crowd start saying in unison, “What is his name?” and the crowd said, “George Floyd.” Brother Sadler also stated that it was a peaceful experience.

People were handing out cold towels, bottles of water, as well as energy granola bars. Brother Sadler said, “The beautiful thing about the march was it was not all Black.

It was a strong diverse crowd.” He observed Indians and Hispanics participating in this event. Brother John Sadler is no stranger when it comes to Protests, but he said this is his first protest with a diverse crowd. Brother Sadler’s first protest was in 1993; a couple years after being initiated into the Theta Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas in 1991. Brother Sadler said the Greeks on Sam Houston State’s campus got together to protest against the KKK parade held in Huntsville, Texas. Brother Derrick Jones, another THE SPHINX

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member who attended the George Floyd March in Houston said, “I felt unity. There was a singular mindset for what we were trying to accomplish.” Police and protestors were working hand and hand. “What blew my mind was that people were passing out water, snacks, giving away mask, and passing out hand sanitizer.” Brother Jones lastly stated that, “He literally saw every race out there. They were loud. These other cultures were at the front. When they asked everyone to take one knee and put the right fist in the air. It was silent. Everyone was on one accord.”

with the first stanza of “The Test of a Man” by an Unknown Author because we are “Tested as a Nation” on a daily basis. The various protests, marches, and peaceful gatherings across the world show that we are doing all we can to pass this Test of Unity. Brothers, as we continue to assemble to promote equal rights, equal justices, and serve our community, let’s remember, “A man when driven against the wall, still stands erect and takes the blows of fate, with his head held high, bleeding, bruised, and pale, is the man who will win and fate defied, for he isn’t afraid to fail.” S

The recollections of the Brothers’ feedback from the George Floyd March in Houston, Texas shows that we are heading in the right direction. I started the article

Brother Lawrence C. Singleton, Alpha Eta Lambda ’02 Associate Editor to the Sphinx

BY BROTHER VICTOR PERKINS

ALPHAS FOR INNOCENCE PROJECT

“W

hen They See Us,” “Brian Banks,” and “Just Mercy” are just a few of the recent films depicting the stories of wrongly convicted individuals serving years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Many organizations are selling out theaters as an effort of showing support for these films. As Alpha Men we can do more to help wrongly convicted individuals than just purchase a movie ticket to show support. In addition to raising awareness on the issues, Brothers from New York chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated are taking the lead to fight for innocence through fundraising and strategic programming. Brothers have started a fundraising campaign to help fight for wrongfully convicted people to obtain not only their freedom but exonerate their names of all charges.

Fortunately, out of darkness there is an organization that has been a shining light on unjust imprisonment and that organization is known as the Innocence Project.

Established in 1992, the Innocence Project founded

by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck at Cardozo School of Law, exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. To date, 367 people who have been wrongly convicted, have been exonerated through DNA testing.

The Innocence Project’s mission is to free the staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and to bring reform to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment (www. innocenceproject.com) THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

The Cost Of Time Served If you are not moved by the fact that there are innocent people in prison then maybe you will be moved by the cost to house, feed and clothe these innocent prisoners. There are over 200 innocent people who were exonerated with the help of the Innocence Project and of those cases, 30 DNA exonerations were in New York. Let us analyze the cost of time served for all those innocent individuals who were exonerated in the 30 cases from New York. Based on the Innocence Project’s research, the total number of years served in prison

for those 30 cases were 479 years. In New York state the annual cost to house, feed, and clothe a prisoner is $60,000 annually. Therefore, the cost of keeping these innocent people in prison was more than 28 million dollars. It would have been cheaper to spend that money on making sure that we do not send innocent people to prison by investing in more DNA testing and effective legal counsel. Once again, we are only looking at the 30 cases handled by the Innocence Project that 59

CHAPTER NEWS

were exonerated on DNA testing, this does not cover innocent people who do not have DNA to test in their cases.

convictions and make it easier for the innocent to receive justice. The Innocence Project has identified 5 major reform items to address in New York

Out Of Sight…Out Of Mind…Out Of Funding

• • • • •

People typically are ashamed to talk about family members that are incarcerated and as a result potential resources are not properly allocated. In fact, due to the location of jails being in remote areas away from families vast racial disparities are going unnoticed within the criminal justice system. In New York state alone, the number of Black/African Americans who are incarnated are the highest amongst all races and 7 times higher than the count for Caucasians counterparts. Subsequently, you would assume more funding would be made available to African American communities to help prevent the high numbers of incarceration, but that does not seem to be the case.

Even more alarming, the Census Bureau counts people incarcerated in state and federal correctional facilities as if they were residents of the local community. In New York, the average daily inmate population is 59,237 (thetimesnews.com). As a result, proper resources are not allocated to the areas that need it and a large disparity in funding is created. (www.prisionpolicy. org). For example, although African Americans and Latino Americans make up less than a quarter of the US population, they make up more than 63% of the prison population that is not being counted in the area in which they reside.

ALPHA Call To Action The Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in the NYACOA region recently launched a campaign to support the Innocence Project, because we believe we are making true legislative change. The Innocence Project works with Congress, state legislatures and local leaders to pass laws and policies that prevent wrongful 60

Eyewitness Identification Reform Recording of Interrogations Post-Conviction DNA Testing Evidence Preservation Exoneree Compensation

To support this reform, New York brothers started a fundraising campaign for the Innocence Project to raise over $1,906. The campaign was wildly successful and raised over the goal. Now the New York Brothers are sending out a challenge to all other regions to raise $1,906 and we are also pushing other organizations of the Divine Nine to fundraise the year they were founded. If each Divine Nine organization donated the year they were founded, we could raise over $17k for the Innocence Project to get wrongfully convicted individuals out of prison. We urge Black Greek Letter Organizations to invest in this cause.

National Programs with an Innocence Twist In addition to fundraising, Alphas can have an impact by incorporating criminal justice into our programming.

We have four National Programs that could really help victims of wrongful convictions. With a little program creativity and ingenuity, we can have a huge impact on those suffering from the epidemic of wrongful incarceration.

“A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People” is our national program in which the dominate focus is Voter registration and Voter education. What if for one year we provide information on how to register those individuals recently exonerated and their families to vote. We could provide educational workshops on THE SPHINX

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The Criminal Justice Reform Bill, Bail Reform Bill, 3 strikes Bill and the First Step Act. We could fight for reform that provides drug treatment for non-violent drug offenders, prompt bail reviews and early release for rehabilitated individuals. There are so many issues our VPHP could educate the community with regards to the process behind bail, sentencing and parole. A large majority of individuals are spending years in jail without even getting a bail hearing due to lack of legal resources. If you look at recent statistics 40 percent of those on life without parole are 3-strikes prisoners despite the implementation of the one step act (as it is not retroactive). Finally, those who have served their time still have to serve disproportionate parole supervision constraints.

Project Alpha is our national program that is a collaborative project designed to provide education on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Imagine if we did workshops for those individuals who served time and prison and survived sexual assaults. We could also provide workshops for the families of individuals recently incarcerated. This will address sexual violence in the prison system and the impact it has on generations.

Go to High School, Go to College national program concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. We need to make sure that our students are well-educated on how to conduct themselves if they are ever incarcerated. If a student from one of our programs was to get caught up in the legal system or have a family member caught up would they know who to call and would Alpha be able to provide assistance? As a Black Greek letter organization we should establish a collective escalation plan that our students can tap into if they should ever get into trouble. If there was a system that has all our students registered with an emergency contact and a legal contact that could help get youth out of trouble and provide guidance for parents. Imagine if we setup bail assistance programs as a part of our community development entities. A good way for Alphas to raise awareness of these criminal justice issues is to have our youth research them as part of our Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest.

Brother’s Keeper is a service program developed with the mission of advocating and improving the quality of life for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. brothers, their spouses, and widows who are retired, are elders, have disabilities and are ailing; and vulnerable community members. Imagine if we extended our programs to help exonerated individuals who served multiple years in THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

prison. Imagine if we, through our fundraising efforts, can help the Innocence Project Exoneree Fund. The fund covers the cost of housing, medical and other needs for a year after release. Lastly imagine if Alphas across the country assist with finding educational and employment opportunities for wrongfully convicted individuals.

These are just a few examples of how Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. could have an impact on the criminal justice system. Partnering with the Innocence Project is an excellent start to helping members of our community who served time they did not commit.

Through fundraising and creative initiatives with our National Programs we can have a huge impact and make change for our community. Think about all those brothers who are serving time for crimes they did not commit, they could have been great Alpha Brothers had they been given the opportunity. This system of incarceration is hurting the development of leadership and stifles academic excellence. We must do more to help eradicate the injustice of our prison system.

Partnering with the Innocence Project is a step in the right direction.

For more details about the Alphas For Innocence Project campaign go to Instagram: @harlemalphas125 #AlphasForInnocentProject | Donate $1906 #InnocenceProject To Make a Donation you can go directly to the Innocence Project website or click the Alphas4InnocenceProject campaign link: https://support.innocenceproject.org/ campaign/2020-alphas4innocenceproject/c266463 A special thanks to all the Brothers who donated to the Alphas4InncocenceProject and helped exceed the $1906 goal in NY. Roderick Smothers

Chris Ellis

L. Ferguson

Trevor Beauford

Algernon Cargill Jr.

Sheron Brown

Richard Gibbs

Gary Sutnick

Lincoln DaCosta

Robert Alleyne

Gunthar Stroman

Victor Perkins

Tyler Holmes

Blaise Pierre-Louis

Richard Favors

Chatodd Floyd

Padmore John

Andrew Timothy

Marcel Braithwaite

Justin Elliott

Bobby Carbajal

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/profiles/NY.html S 61

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BY BROTHER CARL J. KINGCADE

Miami Alphas Host General President

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he Brothers of Beta Beta Lambda Chapter hosted a welcome reception for General President Everett B. Ward, Ph. D., on Saturday, January 18th, 2020, as part of the chapter’s MLK celebration weekend. The reception was held at the Historic Ward Rooming House located in the historic Overtown area of Miami, Florida. Members of all of the Divine Nine were in attendance to meet and greet General President Ward, who also serves as the Chair of the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Presidents. The following day, General President Ward served as the guest speaker for the annual MLK church service program held at the Church of Incarnation in Miami. Others joined General President Ward including the Florida Federation of Alpha Chapters District Director, Brother Marlon Ivey, Interim South Area Director Brother Jason Fernandez, and numerous brothers from the South Florida TriCounty area and the community at large.

General President Ward ignited and inspired all who were present with his rousing speech entitled, “You Can’t Celebrate Dr. King Without Fighting For Truth and Justice.” Brothers President Michael Grubbs, Dana Moss, Andell Brown, Frederick Shepherd, Fletcher Paschal, and David Young served as the MLK committee and were commended for the planning of such a successful weekend, which included an MLK Day Of Service Project, a donation of $1,000 to the annual MLK 5000 Role Model of Excellence Scholarship Breakfast founded by the Honorable Representative Frederica Wilson, D-FL. The chapter also participated in the city’s annual MLK parade with the Gamma Zeta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa 62

Alpha Sorority and the Knights Of Gold (KOG), the chapter’s youth mentoring group.

The past 12 months have been extremely busy for the chapter as we initiated 19 outstanding men of distinction into the light of Alpha. The new initiates are as follows: Spring 2019-Kervens Fil-Aime Jackson, Brandon Forbes, Dakary Davis, Andell Brown, Adrian Taylor, Afonso Dos Santos, Taj Echoles, Kevin St. Fort, Robert Jones, Joseph Blackman, Myles Johnson, and Stanley Louis. Fall 2019-Terrell West, John Riley, Justin Jones, Arlester Shorter II, Halston Shannon, Cedric Davis, and Carlby Mendez. These brothers have hit the proverbial ground running as they are dutifully involved in all facets of the chapter.

Last year at the 95th General Convention in Las Vegas NV, Brother Wayne Messam had the distinct honor of addressing the Brotherhood. Keeping in line with the convention’s theme, “Silence Is Not An Option”, Brother Messam introduced himself as a candidate for President of the United States and shared his bold platform for our country. In October, the chapter attended the Florida Federation of Alpha Chapters District Conference in West Palm Beach Florida to witness and celebrate Brother Dana Moss’s induction into the FFAC’s Hall of Fame.

With the holidays approaching, the chapter participated in numerous events that benefitted the South Florida community. In November, the chapter partnered with the Haitian Youth Community Center of Florida, Inc. (HYCCF) and hosted a Thanksgiving event at the Lillie M. Williams Head Start Center in which the chapter donated and distributed more than 40 Thanksgiving boxes complete with a turkey and all of the sides to low-income families being served by the center. In December in conjunction with the Gamma Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Beta Beta Lambda again partnered with the HYCCF to host a Christmas Toy Giveaway to low- income children again served by the Lillie M. Williams Head Start Center. More than 120 toys were donated and distributed. Per the center’s leadership team, the toys that were distributed would be the only gifts that some of the kids would receive for Christmas.

Since its founding on November 19, 1937, Beta Beta Lambda Chapter has always stood and will continue to stand at the ready for community service, involvement, enrichment, and advocacy. S THE SPHINX

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BY BROTHER DAMON JOHNSON

Beta Epsilon Chapter Celebrates 90 Years

Festivities launched Thursday night with National Night Out in downtown Greensboro. The following morning, early risers enjoyed a round of golf at Greensboro National Golf Club. Friday’s celebration of Brotherhood continued with a day party and fish fry, eventually transitioning to the official opening on the chapter’s hospitality suite at the host hotel. On Saturday, true to the spirit of Alpha, the chapter mentored, encouraged, and recognized Greensboro-area young men excelling in scholarship during the reunion community service project, which was followed by a Brotherhood luncheon and a full-body chapter meeting at the School of Nanoscience & Technology. On what was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, Brothers then headed “home” to the chapter’s campus plot to fraternize. Brother Charles “Chuck” Coffin Jr. (’74) paid homage to Brother Carey Baldwin (’71) for being the architect of the plot’s imposing concrete Alpha pin, referring to the nearly fifty-year-old monument as “those letters that we all love and so adore when we come back.”

The official reunion dinner banquet was held Saturday night in the Marriott’s ballroom. Reunion chair Brother Damon Johnson (’91) served as master of ceremonies; chapter historian Brother Ashley Hoover (’89) shared a curation of chapter archives and a reunion video capturing heart of Beta Epsilon “Through the Years;” and Brother Pernell Briggs (’89) provided the music with his incomparable DJ skills. During the banquet, brothers spanning 68 years enjoyed dynamic speeches from brothers initiated each decade. Brother Harold Hicks (’61), celebrating 58 years in Alpha, was honored THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

as the senior Brother in attendance. In addition to Brother Hicks sharing emotionally-touching stories about historical moments which invigorated his love for Beta Epsilon, the chapter was inspired by greetings from past Executive Director Brother Hebrew Dixon III (‘81) and Association of North Carolina Alphamen (ANCA) 23rd District Director, Brother Tejuan Manners (’99). Brother Manners kindly read a proclamation delivered on behalf of General President Everett B. Ward.

DERRICK BUTTS, BETA EPSILON ‘82

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eta Epsilon Chapter, situated at North Carolina A&T State University, recently celebrated 90 years of manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind. During the weekend of March 28, 2019, more than 200 brothers, family members, and friends of Beta Epsilon gathered at the Marriott Greensboro Downtown for a reunion heralded as one of the greatest ever. An exciting spirit of Brotherhood exuded from Brothers of this esteemed chapter, chartered March 28, 1929, and once recognized as our dear Fraternity’s National Chapter of the Year. The reunion committee spent two years planning for this monumental milestone in the chapter’s history. In reflection, Brother Gregg Shields (’15) eloquently stated that the amalgamation of Brothers illuminated “the many reasons why I wanted to be a part of this organization – the power, the tenacity, the zeal, and the love showcased by such a monumental group.”

Full Chapter

The reunion’s success is a result of the contributions of the entire chapter, and the tireless efforts of the reunion committee, including Brothers Charles “Chuck” Coffin Jr. (’74), Donovan Kirkland (’89), Derrick Taylor (’89), Keith Barron (’92), Lanny Ealey (’99), Thomas Barksdale II (’93), Gregory Bush (’93), Timothy White (’94), Lorenza Coffin (‘07), Darius Hall (’15), and Gregg Shields (’15). Alpha Wives Anissa Barron (Keith, ’92), and Nicole

Spring ’15 leading a full-chapter step during the reunion banquet: Damon Johnson, Beta Epsilon ‘91

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Artis (Kwame, ’91) graciously assembled an amazing itinerary of activities, including a brunch paint-and-sip, enjoyed by the ladies in attendance.

On Sunday morning, the chapter was faced with the bittersweet reality of once again exchanging greetings and departing friends during prayer and breakfast at

Bistro 40. Beta Epsilon alumni were confident that Greensboro was left in very good hands as 44 new brothers – including several sons of Beta Epsilon members – were initiated during reunion weekend, solidifying the presence and legacy of Beta Epsilon at the nation’s largest HBCU. S

Gathering of all the brothers who volunteered during the Pheed Phirst Responders event along with Fire Station #35 located at 3200 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd. (Named after the U.S. House of Representative of Missouri Bro. Emmanuel Cleaver, II initiated Delta Theta 1964.)

BY BROTHER JOHNATHAN HIGGINS, MBA

Feeding Frenzy for Families in Kansas City

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he Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Beta Lambda Chapter, have seen the impact of the current climate take a toll on the Brothers, as well as their families and communities they serve. In light of this, the chapter took an approach addressing the Brother’s Keeper program along with service to our community. In the last two months, the Brothers have been vigilant in working with organizations across the Kansas City area in order to give a glimpse of positivity and hope on the other side of these unusual times.

We started the campaign with the “Pheed Phirst Responder” initiative—this campaign was in partnership with Kansas City, Kansas’ first African American District Attorney, Brother Mark Dupree 2002 Upsilon Chapter initiate. This campaign addressed 3 concerns within the Brothers of the chapter. First, we wanted to display a form of gratitude to the firefighters within our communities, by providing a Sunday dinner for 10 fire stations, which house 375 (125 per shift) first responders, in predominantly Black and brown areas in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.

This bi-state effort was set to show our gratitude to an often-forgotten group of first responders in the firefighters and paramedics. These are most often the first line of assistance for COVID-19 patients. The second thing this accomplished was bringing brothers 64

together, which was long overdue, with the selfquarantine ordinance enacted across the states. Finally, the decision was made to support small businesses throughout the community. We supported small businesses such as Geaux Catering as well as I.T.A.L. Media, which the owner is Brother Martez Barnum, a 2018 Zeta Gamma Chapter initiate.

The impact of this event resonated with Brothers in the fraternity, such as 1986 Zeta Gamma initiate, Brother Elliot Ely, who is a fireman and stated, “My station was extremely appreciative.” Members of the community also took notice, such as Battalion Chief Burgkdorf, who recognized the work stating, “You have no idea how much we appreciate it.” Fireman Kirk Rithcie described the impact of our work like this, “I was off, but I took my sons [6 and 4] by the station to see men, that looked like them, doing something positive, holding up others; now they have another good image to copy.”

The next step in our campaign was to have the shadowing conversation regarding the mental state of this pandemic on brothers. We did this by having a mental health workshop that was hosted by Brother Jerald Payne, 1990 Kappa Taum Chapter initiate, who serves as a psychotherapist in private practice, serving individuals and families in the Kansas City area for THE SPHINX

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with groceries and breaking down the site. After hours of service, Chapter President Brother Damon Roath, a 1993 initiate of Beta Lambda reflected, “We appreciate this work from the church and city and the effort to support the communities that need it.”

(L to R) Brother Kevin Nelson 2015, Beta Lambda Chapter initiate; Steve Bowie 1983, Alpha Psi Chapter initiate; and Jaylon Verser 2017, Beta Lambda Chapter initiate packing cars with groceries for families.

22 years. He brought forth a focused on normalize anxiety. This would allow Brothers to understand that a manageable level of anxiety can actually be used as fuel to motivate us. However, extreme levels of anxiety (clinically significant levels) can become debilitating for our emotional, psychological, and behavioral functioning, often triggering episodes of depression or adjustment disorders. Brother Payne then provided a self-report assessment for anxiety that brothers can easily self-administer and score in the privacy of their own homes. If they score in the moderate-severe range, they can take it in with them for a more thorough assessment and treatment by a therapist of their choosing. (A blank virtual copy of these assessments are available to the public via the Beta Lambda website at www.kcalphas.com and clicking the link entitled “Gauge Your Anxiety”). Along with this, leadership has been very intentional regarding brothers remaining connected through a weekly Prayer Call on Tuesday nights at 7:06 pm and a Social Gathering on Fridays at 6:00 pm via Zoom.

Finally, we closed out this campaign by partnering with Victorious Life Church and City Councilman Brandon Ellington to support a food drive for the community.

The drive was during a time when families still need resources. The focus was on young children and their families, where their healthy meals would have otherwise been provided during school. Executive Pastor and Brother Chris Collier, a 2011 initiate of Omicron Xi Lambda summarized the event as such, “We need to let our community know that we love them, we are concerned, and we aren’t hesitant to lend a helping hand and put in the work to help get them taken care of. The Brothers of the chapter came to serve in any capacity that the community of volunteers needed, from unloading trailers of food, packing cars THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

In remaining true to moving onward and upward, the chapter has not let off the gas… in the coming months, we are mindful of the social injustice happening across the country. We have started to shift gears toward a campaign addressing such. In the upcoming events, we have strategically started to partner and host voter registration drives and protest throughout the community. This effort started with the peaceful protest at the World War II memorial orchestrated by Brother Thurston Smith, a 1987 initiate of Zeta Phi. Brothers are also reaching across state lines, in order to support other efforts such as the protest that will be happening in Washington, D.C., Texas, and Oklahoma, to support and continue providing numbers to ensure that the awareness of needed change remains at the forefront.

Candidate for the 24th District for Missouri state representative, Brother Sammie Arnold III, a 2016 Zeta Alpha Chapter initiate summed up this campaign like this, “It is our duty to show love and compassion, especially in times of great need. Those with the ability and resources to do something must do something.”

The Beta Lambda Chapter continues to be grounded in the Fraternity’s vision of aiding in the suffering of humanity in its effort to achieve social, economic and intellectual status. S

Brother Jonathan Smith, a 1974 Delta Rho Chapter initiate registering people to vote during the peaceful protest at the World War II Memorial in Kanas City, MO.

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Delta Lambda Chapter Celebrates 100 years

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elta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. celebrated 100 years of leadership, service and commitment to the Baltimore community throughout 2019 with four signature events. With nearly 200 active members, Delta Lambda is the oldest, highly regarded, and largest alumni chapter in Maryland. Delta Lambda’s venerable membership past and present includes iconic leaders in government, business, education, and the faith community including Brother Simeon Booker, Brother Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, Brother Dr. Earl Richardson, Brother Dr. David T. Wilson, Brother Dr. John Bullock, Brother Dr. Eric Conway, Brother State Senator Charles Sydnor III, Brother Delegate Keith Haynes, and political commentator, Brother Jeffrey Johnson.

In March, more than 600 guests attended the annual Lenten Faith Leaders Prayer Breakfast commemorating the holy season, while recognizing seven faith leaders for their contributions in the community across a wide spectrum. In addition to the full breakfast and awards program, the event featured musical selections by the Carter Legacy Singers, established by former students of Morgan State University Choir who are committed to perpetuate the rich musical heritage in African American spirituals and choral music as was demonstrated in the career of Delta Lambda member, Brother Dr. Nathan Carter.

Several hundred Brothers and guests attended the official Centennial Gala in May celebrating Delta Lambda Chapter at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

Guests enjoyed live entertainment, a silent auction, gourmet dining and commemorative tributes during the black-tie gala. Proceeds benefited the chapter’s ongoing projects designed to positively impact Baltimore, including the Beautillion Scholars Program.

This model educational program supports African American high school males and has garnered over $500,000 in college scholarships.

On Sunday, November 17, 2019, more than two thousand music lovers from the Baltimore Metropolitan area THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

came together at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center on the campus of Morgan State University to enjoy the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore, Inc. (CCCB) fall concert orchestrated by Brother Dr. Marco K. Merrick, founding director and past Delta Lambda chapter president. The concert titled “Celebration” included selections from classical composers of anthems, Negro spirituals, hymns, and traditional gospel songs. The family of the late Brother Dr. Carl J. Murphy, a historic Baltimore journalist and Delta Lambda chapter charter member, was also honored during the program.

“It’s an honor that the concert took place in a facility named for one of Delta Lambda’s founders, Dr. Carl J. Murphy,” says Brother Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, Delta Lambda’s current president. “His impact lives on in the lives of so many Baltimoreans today, and we all continue his work to create a more equal and just world.” General President Everett B. Ward was in attendance along with Brother Dr. David Kwabena Wilson, president of Morgan State University, who was the honoree of the evening. The concert was a tribute to the memory of Delta Lambda founder Brother Dr. Carl J. Murphy. His great-granddaughter Michelle Howard and great great-granddaughter Brittany Howard (mother and daughter, respectively) are members in the concert choir. Also, Brother Murphy’s granddaughters Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper (current Pres. of the Afro American Newspaper) and Dr. Marie P. Braxton participated in the program.

The centennial year commemoration closed with a Founder’s Day dinner and awards reception in December at the historic B&O Railroad Museum in downtown Baltimore. Brothers and guests enjoyed another gala event that included the tradition of the Founders’ Day Rededication Ceremony, which celebrated highlights and awards to deserving Brothers including Brother of the Year. The evening concluded with dessert, music, dancing, and warm fellowship.

Delta Lambda looks forward to remaining a leader in civic, social and political engagement in Baltimore, Maryland, for the next century and beyond. S 67

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BY BROTHER MICHAEL COOPER

Civic Engagement: Alphas on the Shore Promoting Health Awareness

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lpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Delta Omicron Lambda Chapter is seated in Princess Anne, Maryland, Somerset County. Somerset County is one of the nation’s most impoverished counties.

Thus, it is imperative that community service-oriented organizations take leading roles in enhancing their local communities. The brothers of Delta Omicron Chapter are committed to provide service and advocacy well beyond their location and has impacted communities throughout the eastern shore region. The Brothers’ engagement has transcended lives in neighboring counties such as Dorchester and Caroline Counties. For instance, the Brothers partnered with the Cambridge Police Department of Dorchester County to distribute an array of school supplies. Additionally, the Denton Police Department of Caroline County served ice cream during the National Night Out Events to youths and families, which demonstrates civic engagement and unity amongst three counties located on the eastern shore of Maryland.

To promote wellness, Brothers shared health tips on Prostrate Cancer that was researched and distributed to the public to increase awareness via social media. Also, Brothers wore blue ribbons that were hand-crafted by a chapter brother. Several boxes of non-perishable canned goods were donated to the Lower Shore Shelter in Somerset County.

The Brothers of Delta Omicron Lambda Chapter have also established “Club Alpha” at the Wicomico County Public Library for at least a month. In addition to completing two national programs (Go to High School, Go to College and Project Alpha), the Brothers were able to assist youths in the areas of education, vocational interest, time management, conflict prevention and resolution, effective communication, abstinence, recognizing infectious diseases and self-esteem.

With the use of interactive ice breakers, board games, and virtual gaming, the youths’ level of comfort increased, which enhanced the chapters’ ability to establish a strong rapport with young men from one of the nation’s poorest counties.

Conversations were insightful as the youths learned skills that will assist them in life. The youths that attended Club Alpha were the products of single and dual parent households. One boy came from a family that was transient; therefore, he endured short stays at various shelters were common. His visits to the library were a means to escape his reality. His attendance at Club Alpha allowed him to meet Alpha men that displayed compassion and presented him with opportunities to eat a meal. In the end, both Alpha men and youths were able to glean from each other as lessons were imparted. Although in its infancy, the Brothers of Delta Omicron Lambda are excited to witness the growth of such a needed program that will have a positive and lasting impact on such inspirational young men. S

Delta Xi Lambda Supports Eagle Scout Project

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he Brothers of Delta Xi Lambda Chapter have supported Brothers Howard Pernell, District Executive, and Jermaine Patterson, Troop 90 Scout Master, in the Central Florida Council of Boy Scouts for many years.

From teaching merit badges to sponsoring the Whitney M. Young Luncheon, the DXL Chapter actively supports Scouting in Central Florida.

the set-up of a technology media center for Shiloh Baptist Church of Orlando. Jayden was responsible for

DXL Brothers recently helped Jayden Patterson, a Troop 90 Scout, with his Eagle Scout project. Jayden’s project was 68

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planning, fundraising, and leading others to help him carry out his project. Brothers donated funds, technology equipment, and helped to load and unload approximately $2,000 in donated furniture.

Jayden initiated his project in November 2018 and closed his project with an unveiling in July 2019. He raised $2,900, led 24 volunteers, and accumulated a total of 195 volunteer hours. The technology center is equipped with Wi-Fi internet access, a large conference table, eight workstations, a flat screen smart tv, and a printer. Jayden officially earned the rank of Eagle Scout on March 8, 2020, making him the 10th Eagle Scout in Troop 90. Great job DXL Brothers and congratulations Jayden! S

Chapter Supports Great Commission Ministries’ Homelessness Program

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n April of 2020, the Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Iota Epsilon Lambda Chapter, made an official presentation to Bishop Walter Hanchell of the Great Commission Ministries. Chapter President Kevin Basden and Past President Wallace Rolle presented the Great Commission with a check in the amount of $2,000.00 to assist with their Homeless Program.

The Fraternity’s initiative which was spearheaded by Past President Wallace Rolle raised Over $7,000.00. The Fraternity received donations from Brothers and a few concerned citizens who found out about the initiative.

They raised these funds within 72 hours. Past President Wallace Rolle also advised that $1,000.00 will be donated to the Persis Rodgers Home for the Aged, and $1,000.00 will be earmarked for Acklins. Some of the funds will also be earmarked to assist some of the older Brothers in the Fraternity through their Brother’s Keeper Initiative and to help other vulnerable members of society.

Past President Ricardo Deveaux also made a personal donation on behalf of his family to Great Commission Ministries. He noted that Bishop Walter Hanchell contributed to his early spiritual development at Golden Gates Assembly and wanted to give back during this time.

President Kevin Basden and Past President Wallace Rolle noted that the Fraternity was pleased to assist Great Commission Ministries in its efforts to bring relief and support to the plight of the less advantaged and homeless citizens in need. They also called for a different approach to dealing with the homeless during curfews and lockdowns. A system needs to be put in place whereby such persons can be provided with

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shelter and much-needed help instead of being fined and/or sent to prison.

President Kevin Basden and Past President Wallace Rolle noted that the Fraternity was pleased to assist Great Commission Ministries in its efforts to bring relief and support to the plight of the homeless and citizens in need at this time. They also called for a different approach to dealing with the homeless in society during curfews and lockdowns. A system needs to be put in place whereby such persons can be provided with shelter and much-needed help as compared to being fined and/or sent to prison.

The Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, Iota Epsilon Chapter, also acknowledge the donations were made by some nonmembers who were inspired to support this effort. They also encouraged other citizens and Corporate Bahamas to assist in helping the vulnerable in society and advised that they spearhead another fundraising drive by reaching beyond the Fraternity Brothers and involving the general public. President Basden also thanked the Brothers of the fraternity for once again stepping up to the plate and readily making donations to assist those in need.

Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest commended his fraternity Brothers and advised that the Government of The Bahamas extended appreciation for their effort to assist those most in need during this time of crisis.

Also in attendance at the presentations were: Past Presidents Nathaniel Cooper, Ricardo Deveaux and Oscar Dorsett and Brother Vaughn Albury, member of the Fraternity’s Public Relations Team. S

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South Dade Alphas, AKAs Bring HBCU Opportunities to Homestead High

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he Iota Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (IPL) and Pi Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (PDO) partnered with Homestead Senior High School to host the school’s first “Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Fair.”

The event’s objective was to expose Homestead students to unique academic and athletic opportunities offered by institutions that were created to meet increasing education demands of African Americans.

Prior to the Civil Rights Act, African Americans faced many unprecedented challenges to gain access to education and social services during the Reconstruction Era. For a century following the abolishment of slavery in United States (in 1865), African Americans in the southern states were denied admission to post-secondary institutions to pursue higher education. Similarly, several universities across the country adopted quota policies which restricted Black American enrollment numbers to their institutions. As a result, colleges and universities were established for students of African descent to educate subsequent generations of black intellectuals and professionals of color. Currently, there are over 100 HBCUs across the continental U.S. and Caribbean islands between the private and public sectors of education. Having events like the HBCU Fair provides students with a glimpse of the rich collegiate foundation created for African Americans, recited Soror Karla Revere (WVSU Alumna and PDO HBCU for Life Chair).

The college fair featured on-site admission and scholarship opportunities for qualified students to attend some of our nation’s top HBCUs. Attendees received a Passport for Success which contained suggested questions for college admission officers, answered general questions on securing financial aid, and provided a comprehensive list of participating schools. Soror Bonita Cooper, President of PDO, shared with attendees that “sometimes HBCUs are overlooked and overshadowed by larger colleges and universities. This fair helps to equalize the playing field exposure is key!” Students who visited all the suggested stops to college admission were eligible to participate in raffles for cash prizes, gift cards to local attractions, or print copies of iHover: A Parent Guide to Student Success Strategies written by Soror Tara Turner (PDO).

Devon Grussmark, school-site College Advisor Program Counselor, shared that the HBCU Fair at Homestead Senior High School was a truly impactful experience for the Bronco community. Thanks to our partnership with the Iota Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Pi Delta Omega 70

Chapter, our students had the invaluable opportunity to be recognized for their academic excellence and gain acceptance to some of the country’s top schools. They were also able to access the scholarships and grants that all students need to be successful. Additionally, our younger student body had the chance to learn about the unique experiences that these competitive HBCUs have to offer and learn how these institutions would support them in preparing for and earning a meaningful and prosperous career. It was remarkable to watch our Broncos maneuver the fair with excitement and engage with recruiters to build meaningful connections that will continue to support them through their college application process. The event; planned, organized, and facilitated by our incredibly valuable fraternity and sorority partners; is one that created new pathways that our Broncos are excited to explore! In fact, the students are excited about “what’s next” and we’re excited to see how this partnership grows!

Following the HBCU Fair, we hosted an HBCU Admissions Boot Camp to help graduating seniors submit their last round of applications to our partner schools and scholarships.

Brother Gilbert Estime, who attended both events, expressed that it was a “pleasure to be a part” of this hands-on opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our youth.

From these combined activities, we were able to serve 1,000 students, over 110 college acceptance letters were awarded, and amass over a $1,000,000 in renewable scholarships offers for program participants. Brother Takevess Hatcher (Homestead High Alumnus and Fall 2018 initiate of the IPL) remarked that “these events were a great way to pay forward the opportunities of exposure to college someone afforded me when I was a high schooler.” The 2020 class of Broncos is composed of 350 graduating seniors.

Thank you to our HBCU partners in attendance for helping ensure the college fair’s success: Howard University, Philander Smith College, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Shaw University, North Carolina Central University, Florida Memorial University, Morehouse College, Grambling State University, and Tennessee State University. Tougaloo College, Fort Valley State University, Albany State University, Savannah State University, Hampton University, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, Benedict College, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T University, Alabama State University, Talladega College, and Southern University also provided collateral materials to support the activity. The program helped initiate a newly forged agreement between Homestead High School and its 30 HBCU Partners to recruit students from the area and offer them sufficient support and financial resources to attend their respective universities. S THE SPHINX

CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER CHARLES BANKS

Alpha Brothers Register Willingboro Residents to Vote During Vigil Honoring George Floyd

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rothers of Kappa Iota Lambda (KIL) Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated registered 21 residents to vote during the vigil held in memory of George Floyd at the Grand Marketplace, Thursday.

Floyd, 46, died while in police custody after a white police officer pressed his knee on his neck for over eight minutes, despite his pleas for help. His death, captured on video and shared worldwide, sparked massive protests across the country.

The night began with The Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” sung a cappella and featured several planned speakers who recited poems, spoke about the pain police brutality has caused and about the importance of voting.

“We have been heard, but now it’s time for action,” says Brother Jamie Cassius, who helped to get vigil participants registered to vote. “Voting is essential to putting in place leaders who will reform systems that have historically harmed and is currently harming our community, to include unfair law enforcement and unjust policing.”

The tragic murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have fueled an urgent pursuit within the Black community to find practical ways to bring about change and to include greater participation in the political process. Voter education and registration have remained a dominant focus of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. for over 65 years under one of its national programs called “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People.”

Brothers Aaron Conyer (II), Andrew Selby (NI), and Timothy Farrar (NI) at the registration table helping to register Willingboro residents to vote.

According to this criminal justice reform campaign, police departments that have adopted the eight specific policies have decreased brutality rates up to 72%.

“A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” was initiated as a national program of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. during the 1930’s when many African-Americans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process. S

This is a pivotal point in time where we need immediate action to get people to the polls and vote,” said Brother Jamaine Mungo, Vice President of the KIL Chapter.

“Baseline is to start within our local communities, pushing the need to implement change and raise awareness.”

Willingboro Councilwoman Samantha Whitfield said the township will be undergoing an audit of its police department to ensure its implementation of the eight specific use-of-force policies outlined in Campaign Zero, which is a comprehensive platform of research-based policy solutions to end police brutality in America.

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Left to Right: Brother Timothy Farrar (NI), Brother Andrew Selby (NI), Brother Aaron Conyer (II), Brother Nijewel Holliday (KIL), Brother Anthony Webb (NGL), Brother Darius Merriweather (Rho), Brother Shevin Smith-Ward (Rho), Brother Jamaine Mungo (KIL)

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER CHARLES BANKS

Alpha Brothers Donate to Local Food Pantries During Pandemic

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ecognizing the critical need during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brothers of the Kappa Iota Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated presented financial support to two food pantries in Burlington County on May 18th.

Brother Tony Jamison, Chairman of the Food Pantry Donation Committee, led the chapter in the process of considering candidates for support after it was determined that something needed to be done.

“It was a worthwhile need within the community, that we men of Alpha felt we could help fulfill,” says Brother Jamison. “When great men come together great things happen.”

Candidates were evaluated based on the service they provide to the Burlington County area, their ability to serve those in need, whether or not they directly distribute to those in need, the duration of the organization’s operation, and its demonstrated need for support.

“With the unemployment rate going up, hunger has gone up in our area,” explains Brother Louis Finney, President of the Kappa Iota Lambda Chapter. “We really wanted to assist organizations that were not receiving a lot of support from elsewhere.”

After eliminating organizations that were unresponsive or did not show their direct impact on the local community, the committee decided upon Sisterhood Incorporated and the Extended Hands Ministries.

Sisterhood Incorporated has been supporting the Burlington area for over 25 years, and under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Hilda J. Covington, the organization serves approximately 100 individuals per week with food from its food pantry.

Dr. Covington’s late husband, Brother Theodore Covington, was a faithful and very respected member of the Kappa Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

Sisterhood, Inc. does not receive any grant money for their effort because accepting grant money would require individuals seeking aid to, sometimes unwillingly, present identification.

“We freely receive, and we freely give,” explains Dr. Covington.

The Extended Hands Ministries (TEHM) was founded in 1984 and operates a food pantry, soup kitchen and a shelter in Mount Holly, NJ and provides support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Mr. Michael Gould, director, stated the funds will be used to purchase items not provided by food banks and to replenish its canned goods stock.

In addition to its food pantry, TEHM provides four meals a week to those in need in its dining area. TEHM provides food to 174 families each month from its food pantry.

“Honestly, I felt grateful to be a part of helping families experiencing difficulties especially in these current hard times,” says Brother Jamie Cassius, a Spring ’20 initiate.

The Brothers were able to donate a total of $1,700, including two checks for $850 each on May 18.

The Kappa Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. exists to develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy to the Burlington County community. S

Far left: (L-R) Michael Gould (Director), Jennie Lane (Manager), Brother President Louis Finney Left: (L-R) Brother President Louis Finney, Rev. Christina Covington (Executive Director)

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER JAMES LEASSEAR

Alpha STEM Day

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n January 2020, the Mu Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., based in Baldwin Hills California, hosted a unique youth mentoring session that focused on exposing Los Angeles STEM opportunities.

Approximately 40 preteen and teenage boys attended the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey, CA, where Brothers taught youth the basics of aerospace technology and rocketry. This program directly aligns with the Fraternity’s Go-To-High School-Go-To-College initiative.

Dr. June Scobee-Rodgers, the wife of the late Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee, established the Columbia Memorial Space Center along with several other educational space centers across the U.S. in honor of her husband who passed away in the infamous Challenger Space Shuttle disaster.

The Columbia Memorial Space Center is equipped with engaging exhibits such as an astronaut suit, a robotics lab, a bottle rocket launcher, and much more. With interactive and educational activities, the youth who were not familiar with the subject learned the basics of space travel, planets, stars, and other astronomical objects.

According to a 2018 Pew Research Center report; only 9% of Black professionals and 7% of Latinx professionals have a career in STEM. According to a 2015 National Science Foundation report, only 4.3% of engineers are Black.

Therefore, there is a strong need for more Black and brown students to be exposed to these fields. The purpose of the program is to stretch the imagination and inspire the boys to explore an industry that is beyond the boundaries of their inner-city communities.

Brother Tony Magee, who is a Rocket Scientist in Materials and Process Engineering at Aerojet Rocketdyne, spoke on the importance of this program.

“For so many underrepresented youths – a STEM Education is a cure for poverty. It’s the main reason why I became an engineer. All I really wanted was a family with a big house and fancy car,” said Brother Magee. He went on to explain that today’s youth is fully capable of obtaining a career in the engineering field, “if a kid can get a B+ in Algebra, that kid has full potential to earn a Ph.D. in engineering. That means with all the distractions that are going on (in his community) he was still able to earn a B+.”

The Mu Sigma Lambda Chapter partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Watts Willowbrook with the help of Program Specialist Brother Vernon Jackson and Athletic Director of the Verbum Dei High School Brother Kenneth Stevenson, in compiling the students who participated in the event. S

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Nu Zeta Introduces Young Pharaoh’s League Left: Brother Kyler Leasure, Spring 2019 Initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. by way of the Nu Eta Chapter seated at Christian Brothers University and Rhodes College, is a brother of great passion. He chose to direct his passion toward Alpha’s dreams of development and charged his chapter with the same. He met Miss Taylor Bass, of the Omicron Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. at Rhodes College, where they developed his after school program named, Young Pharaohs and Pretty Pearls.

This program began recently because Brother Leasure was saved

by Alpha men in Jackson, TN, as he was in a ‘Gentlemen’s Club’.

He designed much of the curriculum surrounding the Book of Proverbs and the Teachings of Ptahhotep, both of which yell loudly for young men to behave, think, and act maturely.

Right: Bro. Jerome Cole (NH SPR ‘17), Bro. Keeland Martin (BΞ FA ‘18), Bro. Kedron Pryor (BΞ SPR ‘18), and Bro. Isaiah Stokes (YM SPR ‘17) at the first event. The brothers got to meet the children with the intention of growing a bond between them. Similarly, the ladies of the Omicron Chi chapter, joined by the Mu Epsilon chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., mirror the curriculum for the women. This event has sparked the interest of the Shelby County School System, which is looking to expand the initiative.

Left: The Debonair Nu Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., alongside the Most Elegant Mu Epsilon & Overly Captivating Omicron Chi Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. meet biweekly with these students and have begun to build lasting mentoring relationships with youths to direct them onwards and upwards. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER JOHNATHAN T. FULWOOD, SR. AND BROTHER EDWARD T. PARKER

9th Annual National Black Scholars Signing Day to Celebrate Graduating High School Seniors

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020 National Black Scholars Signing Day notables and participants WERE captured on the webinar with the 35th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.

R&B artist Kem, entertainers Lil Duval, Reed Shannon, Eric Roberson, and political activist Brother Kevin Powell. The Chapter President, Brother Charles Dunn, also greeted the students and recognized their accomplishments.

While understanding the safety concerns and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the black community, the Brothers of Phi Lambda were resolute in finding a way to recognize the achievements of high school students of the African diaspora. Because of their determination, on Saturday, June 6th, the Phi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. held its 9th Annual National Black Scholars Signing Day (NBSSD) virtually.

The program was streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. The event committee implemented a marketing campaign that expanded the reach and recruitment of students beyond the local area. Over sixty applicants from North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio, and Texas were recognized.

Like prestigious athletic scholarship signings, the NBSSD provides eligible high school graduates with an opportunity to formally announce their plans.

One by one, students announce to the world details of their higher learning plans and academic and scholastic achievements in the presence of family members, friends, and the public. Many of these scholars proudly showcase apparel or paraphernalia from their institutions of choice with the support of their parents, siblings, and friends in attendance. This normally face-to-face opportunity to share a common milestone amongst other students builds relationships and connections that could last a lifetime.

With a social distance format being the only option and under the guidance of Brother Antoine Medley worked, Brother Jordan Maness and his line brothers (recent Phi Lambda Spring 2020 initiates) vigorously to develop a virtual program that ensured all participating students were appropriately recognized and fully engaged.

The afternoon was filled with musical entertainment by “DJ Fresh J” who kept the energy at a high level as the students announced their plans. Words of wisdom and encouragement were given by General President Everett B. Ward, who said, “I am looking forward to the greatness you will provide the nation and the world.” Other passionate words for the students were provided by THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Embracing Alpha Phi Alpha’s national program “Go to High School, Go to College,” the Phi Lambda Chapter continued to promote scholarships among our youth.

During the program, seven $1,000 scholarships were awarded to well-deserving young African American men, who demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, community service, and leadership through a written application. The chapter works closely with the Phi Lambda Educational Foundation, Inc. to provide these annual gifts.

Although we were not connected physically due to the safety concerns of COVID-19, we were connected both spiritually and virtually to celebrate the youth and future leaders of tomorrow. The future holds no limit to the ability of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to reach our young scholars and celebrate their accomplishments with friends and family.

This event taught us that we all must embrace challenges and utilize available resources including technology to overcome obstacles. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER RICHARD N. HAYES

Rho Phi Lambda Takes Two-Pronged Approach to COVID-19 Relief

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he Rho Phi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. supported two initiatives to assist in COVID-19 relief in South Africa.

As was the case in the United States, COVID-19 was a major disruptor for educational institutions in South Africa. With the University of Johannesburg (UJ) unable to offer traditional on-campus classes, Joyce Sibeko, a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management at UJ, sought opportunities for her students to continue their studies. Alison, an e-learning provider, offered an online platform for her to continue training aspiring entrepreneurs. However, many of her students could not afford the tuition for the online certificate program. Rho Phi Lambda Chapter worked with Mrs. Sibeko to enroll students in her course entitled, “Entrepreneurship: Creating the Business.” In this course, students developed a pitch for an online business that would take advantage of the opportunities presented by COVID-19. Fifty-eight students were enrolled in the course and Rho Phi Lambda provided full-tuition scholarships for thirtyeight students. In a letter to the chapter, Mrs. Sibeko wrote, “My words are not enough to express my gratitude to your brotherhood organization’s generous sponsorship for my students.” Previously, the chapter partnered with UJ for a youth entrepreneurship program.

Janine Hills displays items provided by 2Care4Carers to healthcare workers in South Africa

The chapter also provided financial support to 2Care4Carers South Africa. This organization provides items such as beds, couches, blankets, kettles, refrigerators, milk, sugar and other food items to individuals working on the front lines in the fight against the virus in Johannesburg and Pretoria but unable to return to their rural homes. Donated items assisted healthcare workers at four hospitals in the Gauteng province where the chapter is located.

Rethabile Moeti pitched a laundry service for students that would pick up, wash/dry and deliver clean clothes to students while they study.

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“Without your help, this would not have been possible,” 2Care4Cares writes. “Thank you for your generosity, we are truly grateful.”S THE SPHINX

CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER TODD IRELAND

Rho Pi Lambda’s Stance on Mental Health

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ith all the turmoil in our world, it is apparent that broad mental health concerns have been raised across communities. In mid-March, all news headlines highlighted a global pandemic due to the spread of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus. Prior to that on Februay 23, Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was murdered by two white men while jogging.

The identities of those responsible were discovered two months later in May due to a disturbing video.

The released video captured this horrific event in real-time. Soon after, news broke about the senseless murder of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, who was shot to death in her apartment in Louisville, KY, during an unjustified raid by the Louisville Metro Police Department. On May 25, George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man, was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer while 3 other officers watched without interfering.

An officer’s knee was pressed on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Meanwhile, unemployment rates have reached historic levels that have not been seen since the Great Depression.

Small businesses have shut their doors indefinitely and the loans being provided by the SBA have been disproportionately distributed to minority-owned businesses in need.

the correlation between mental health and running, Brother Hughes made the following statement: “In these difficult times, our Virtual 5k allows people a brief respite to exercise their bodies and their minds.

Runners have touted the great feeling of a runner’s high for years. Along with the runner’s high, running provides a number of mental health benefits. Stress management, preventative cognitive decline a calmer state of mind, improved overall brain performance, better sleep, increased productivity, and greater

How does all this impact mental health in affected communities? The Rho Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is establishing programs to promote mental healing. The members of Rho Pi Lambda Chapter under the guidance of its president Brother James Webber (initiated in 1990 at Theta Nu Chapter – University of South Carolina) began immediately implementing changes in March to ensure the safety of its members and also members of its service communities which includes Douglas, Paulding, and Carroll counties. All meetings were converted to virtual meetings and/ or teleconferences. Community events scheduled such as the annual breakfast with the Bunny/Easter Egg Hunt were cancelled and postponed. In order to continue awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors, the 4th annual 5k Scholarship Race was converted into a virtual 5k race. The coordinator of this event is Brother J.R. Hughes, initiated in 2018 at Rho Pi Lambda Chapter, who appeared on Atlanta news WSB-TV on May 9 as he ran 2.23 miles “to show the family some love and support” as part of the virtual run for Ahmaud Arbery. When asked about THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

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CHAPTER NEWS

Church in Atlanta, GA. He has spoken insightfully based on his educational training, Master’s Degree in Public Health with a focus in Mental Health from Morehouse College. He often references the importance of the national programs of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. as they relate to mental health. In regard to Project Alpha, Brother Green states, “If you can change a child’s behavior, then you can boost morale.” As the uncertainties increase regarding the “new normal,” yet it is definitely certain that Rho Pi Lambda will continue to serve as a community leader by providing innovative ways to enhance the quality of life for its service communities. creativity are just some of the benefits gained from a good run or brisk walk. Participating in our virtual 5k not only allows you to feel the benefits of good mental and physical health, it also provides an opportunity to help young men on their journey to higher education.”

To display appreciation to the first responders, 100 complimentary lunches by the members of Alpha were provided on Saturday afternoon, May 2 to the Douglasville police department, Tanner Medical Center in Carrol County, and Paulding County Sheriff’s Department (refer to photos). The members of Rho Pi Lambda Chapter have partnered with the Youth against Violence program sponsored by the Douglasville Police Department. This continuous 8-week program educates the youth on the law and inspires the young boys and girls to achieve their dreams. This beneficial program has been an instrumental part of community policing for more than 11 years.

In an effort to bring mental health to the forefront of our communal and fraternal considerations, Brother Keith Green, initiated in Spring 2006 at Alpha Phi Chapter, has made great strides to educate others about the importance of maintaining a good mental health. He has participated on panels such as the Mental Health in the African American Community symposium sponsored by the Butler Street Baptist

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. established the Rho Pi Lambda (alumni) and the Tau Chi (University of West Georgia undergraduate) chapters to serve the communities of Douglasville, Paulding, and Carrollton.

Since their inception, both chapters have upheld the light of Alpha by facilitating a number of community service activities. Over the past decade, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. with Rho Pi Lambdas Chapter's help have donated over $50,000.00 to the March for Babies (March of Dimes) campaign. A few of the many community service programs are A Voteless People is a Hopeless People, Project Alpha, and the 5k Scholarship Race.

As the Rho Pi Lambda Chapter prepares for another decade serving its community, it is imperative that the focus of the Fraternity remains the same as its Founders’ vision. This vision is to serve as community leaders by eradicating the educational, economic, political, and social injustices. In order to accomplish this, several beneficial programs will continue to be implemented to ensure that the community is uplifted by the members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Rho Pi Lambda Chapter.

To learn more about the Rho Pi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., please visit www.rhopilambda.org. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER LEON COLE

A Century of Leadership, Brotherhood, and Love for All Mankind

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aturday, April 3, 1920: for most, this was just another day in history. People with an Aries sun sign perhaps celebrate the day with vigor and joy and not many known historical events stand out on this day. However, to the men of the Zeta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, this day is as precious as a diamond, coincidentally, the Aries birthstone.

On this day, nine men gathered and accepted the call of leadership, service and Brotherhood. On this day, the Zeta Lambda Chapter was chartered by these visionary leaders: Brother George W.C. Brown, Sr., Brother Samuel F. Coppage, D.D.S., Brother James W. Johnson, Brother Ashley D. Manning, Brother George R. Mallory, Brother William T. Mason, Sr., Brother Charles G. Owens, Brother Harry S. Stanback and Brother Arthur J. Wells.

The Chapter was originally seated in Norfolk, Virginia, and was the 27th chapter (6th Alumni Chapter) established after the founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity on December 4, 1906. Years later, the Chapter seat moved to Newport News. Since chartering, the Zeta Lambda Chapter has remained committed to developing leaders, promoting brotherhood and academic excellence with providing service and advocating for the Hampton Roads area and beyond.

For 100 years, Zeta Lambda has remained committed to providing scholarships to deserving high school students and partnering with organizations such as the March of Dimes, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the NAACP and the Salvation Army. Countless of hours have been spent mentoring young men, raising fund for worthwhile causes and implementing programs that will develop youth into productive citizens.

Zeta Lambda has contributed over $75,000 in scholarships and hosted programs that impacted elementary, middle and high school students throughout the Hampton Roads area. Its signature service program, Megagenesis (Go to High School, Go to College program), has been in existence for 25 years. It averages over 1,200 participates including parents, students, corporate and community exhibitors and career professionals. Over $40,000 have been raised for organizations such as March of

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Dimes, Salvation Army and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

The chapter contributed $50,000 towards the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC. Zeta Lambda was honored as the National Alumni Chapter of the year in 1998 and won the Charles H. Wesley Award along with the Kappa Pi Chapter in 2008. Countless Brothers have served and currently serve Alpha as leaders on the local, district, regional and national levels. The Hampton Roads area and beyond benefit from a group of men providing

expertise in the areas of education, science, military affairs, medicine, business, law enforcement, et cetera.

Current notable members include The Honorable Robert “Bobby” Scott, United States Representative and the Honorable McKinley Price, Mayor of the City of Newport News.

Though members could not get together physically to celebrate this milestone, members connected via Zoom for a virtual celebration. The call lasted well over 3 hours as members reflected on accomplishments and challenges of the fraternity and the chapter.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the chapter will celebrate its accomplishments and service at its Centennial Gala on April 3, 2021. This event will set the tone for the next century of leadership, service, and brotherhood.

Happy Birthday to the Brothers of the Zeta Lambda Chapter. May you continue to develop leaders and serve all of mankind. ‘06! S

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FEATURE

BY BROTHER ERIC CHRISTOPHER WEBB, DDIV., CPLC

AN AMERICAN SOUL ICON REMEMBERED: BROTHER DONNY HATHAWAY

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escribed as a “soul legend”

by Rolling Stone, Brother Donny Hathaway stands as an American soul icon, who Justin Timberlake called “the best singer of all time” and has “influenced performers from R&B singers Alicia Keys & Aaliyah to rapper Common to singer-guitarist George Benson.”

This year marks the 50th anniversary of his debut album, Everything Is Everything, and the Fraternity and Primary Wave, who represents the Hathaway estate, are developing a strategic partnership to

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honor Brother Donny Hathaway’s legacy and contributions to music and to celebrate it.

Brother Hathaway was a 1965 Beta Chapter initiate at Howard University, where he studied music on a fine arts scholarship, met Roberta Flack, along with Ric Powell. He started a jazz trio with before leaving the university in 1967 prior to graduation to begin a music career. After stints working as a songwriter, session musician, and producer for Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom Records in Chicago, he worked on projects with the Staple Singers, Jerry Butler, Aretha Franklin, the Impressions and Curtis Mayfield.

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FEATURE

He recorded his first single of note, “The Ghetto, Pt. 1”, which he co-wrote with former Howard roommate Leroy Hutson, who became a performer, writer, and producer with Curtom.

Aside from his popular hits like “The Ghetto,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” and “Little Ghetto Boy,” few African American households ever usher in the holidays without playing his memorable, “This Christmas.” He is also renowned for his remakes of “A Song for You,” “For All We Know,” and “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know,” along with “Where Is the Love” and “The Closer I Get to You,” two of many collaborations with Roberta Flack.

EW: Who were major influences in your father’s life and in his music?

LH: He was strongly influenced by his grandmother, Martha Cromwell, a prominent gospel singer and guitarist. He grew up listening to a lot of gospel music, especially gospel quartets.

As he grew older, he became a fan and a student of Ravel, Duke Ellington and Ray Charles.

Over the years, he’s been inducted in the St. Louis Walk of Fame and won one Grammy from four nominations. Brother Hathaway was also posthumously awarded with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Earlier this year, the documentary: Mister Soul-A story about Donny Hathaway premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

In June 2020, Brother Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC, the Sphinx’s Managing Editor and Fraternity’s Assistant Director of Marketing & Communications, posed questions to Brother Hathaway’s daughter, multiple Grammy Award winning singer, Lala Hathaway. Here is the interview.

EW: Tell us about your father’s childhood and early life?

LH: He was born in Chicago and spent a lot of his time between Chicago and East St. Louis.

At the age of 4, he was traveling and singing on the road with Shirley Caesar. He was known to many as the nation’s youngest gospel singer Little Donnie Pitts.

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Brother Hathaway’s widow, Mrs. Eulaulah Hathaway, and their daughter, Lalah.

EW: How did your father’s experience at Howard University and his time in Alpha Phi Alpha impact his life?

LH: It’s hard to say! We obviously know that he met his wife, my mother, Eulaulah at Howard. I can literally only imagine what it was like to be on the Howard University campus in the 1960s in the height of the civil rights movement… what it must have been like to be an artist there at that time.

EW: Out of all the incredible achievements and contributions your father made in music, what was he most proud of?

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LH: It’s impossible to know for sure but as a family we were filled with pride when the Recording Academy awarded Daddy with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019.

EW: How has your father influenced your career as a Musician?

LH: It’s clear to me that our careers have travelled similar paths. He has influenced my music and my sound without me even thinking of him as an influence and without having him as an influence beyond my childhood. He was here in part so I could get here and I am here in part so he can stay here.

EW: In 2019, Donny Hathaway was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Rolling Stones also named him the 49th-greatest singer of all time and Justin Timberlake called Donny ‘the best singer of all time’. If Brother Hathaway was alive, how would he react to these great honors?

LH: I think he would want to know who were numbers, 1 through 48 because I do! Haha!

EW: What do you think your father would think about the direction R&B is going in today?

LH: I can only answer this from my own perspective really but as a student of music and lover of soul music I try to stay open. Sometimes it feels like it’s moving forward, sometimes it feels like it’s standing still… It is always in the cycle of rhythm and blues. What’s important is that artists continue to make music.

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EW: Do you think his legacy and contributions to music are appropriately recognized?

LH: No, I don’t.

EW: What is one of your favorite remakes of This Christmas or do you not favor any of them?

LH: TRICK QUESTION! Haha! I’ve got to give props to the Chris Brown version because he’s introduced the song to a whole new generation and built a whole movie around it.

EW: What do you recall about his involvement with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.?

LH: I’m afraid I wasn’t born yet but to my knowledge it’s meant to be a secret anyway. ;-) EW: Years ago, you took an Instagram photo, posing in an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity bucket hat to honor your father, which caused some backlash, can you explain where the hat came from and what happened?

LH: It was given to me by a fan who was a brother in that fraternity who thought it would be a nice gift for me to have. I was so honored to receive it that I took a picture of myself in it because I was proud to have it.

EW: Do you or the family currently have any of your father’s fraternity memorabilia?

LH: Yes… but I can’t tell you about it because then I’d have to kill you.

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FEATURE

TIMELINE Brother Donny Hathaway’s Life and Career Milestones October 1, 1945 Brother Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago, IL

By 1948 at age 3, he was singing in the church choir and studying piano with his grandmother, Martha Cromwell, a noted gospel singer.

April 3, 1965 – Brother Donny Hathaway was initiated into Howard University’s Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

1963 - 1967: He attended Howard University where he studied music.

1967: Brother Hathaway married Eulaulah, his college sweetheart, and had two daughters together: Lalah and Kenya.

1967: He launched his music career as a songwriter, session musician which led to him becoming the ‘house producer’ for Curtis Mayfield at Curtom Records in Chicago.

1969: Recorded his first single called "I Thank You, Baby", a duet with June Conquest. Later this year, Brother Hathaway signed to Atco Records, then a division of Atlantic Records.

1972: His third album, Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway sold over 1 million copies, earned gold and the song “Where Is The Love” won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance By a Duo, Group or Chorus.

1972: Released the album, Live January 13, 1979: Brother Donny Hathaway passed away.

2007: This Christmas the movie premiered based off of Brother Donny Hathaway’s song, This Christmas

1970: Released his debut album, Everything Is Everything, which included the R&B hit "The Ghetto".

1971: Released second LP, Donny Hathaway 1973: Brother Hathaway’s final studio album Extension of a Man came out. Best known for the classic ballad, "Someday We'll All Be Free".

1978: Teamed up with Roberta Flack again for a duet, "The Closer I Get to You" which reached #2 on the Hot 100 chart.

1990s - 2000s: Brother Hathaway’s music was sampled and covered by countless Hip-Hop and Rap artists as his music continued to influence the next generation of musicians, such as Dr. Dre, Chance the Rapper, Notorious B.I.G., the Wu-Tang Clan, John Legend, Aretha Franklin and more 2013: Inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame

2019: Brother Hathaway was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which his family received on his behalf.

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2020: 50th Anniversary of Brother Donny Hathaway’s debut album and his release of one of the most beloved Christmas songs of all time, “This Christmas” which has been covered by numerous artists such as Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Stevie Wonder, and many more! S

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NATIONAL CHAPLAIN APPOINTED TO NEW TASKFORCE

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orth Carolina Governor Roy Cooper appointed Brother Rev. Dr. Jonathan C. Augustine, the Fraternity’s National Chaplain and Senior Pastor of St. Joseph AME Church to serve as a member of the groundbreaking Andrea Harris Social, Economic, Environmental, and Health Equity Task Force.

Established by executive order, the task force’s purpose is to address disparities in communities of color that have been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The task force’s first meeting was August 5th.

As a college brother, Brother Dr. Augustine, a 1991 Beta Chapter initiate and now member of Beta Theta Lambda in Durham, North Carolina, won the Belford V. Lawson National Oratorical Contest 1994 and was later named National Outstanding Alumni Brother of the Year in 2017.

In addition to earning his undergraduate degree in economics, from Howard University, Brother Augustine earned a law degree from Tulane University and graduated from United Theological Seminary, before earning his doctorate from Duke University.

He is married to Michelle Burks Augustine. S

BROTHER BRIAN H. HURD LEADS URBAN PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR FERGUSON COMMUNITY

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ive years after the tragic death of Michael Brown and subsequent unrest in the City of Ferguson, Missouri that captured the attention of the world, the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership hired Brother Brian H. Hurd as an expert urban planning and community economic development strategist and management consultant.

Brother Hurd, a Fall Gamma Psi Chapter initiate at St. Augustine’s University and member of Epsilon Lambda Chapter in St. Louis, Missouri, worked closely with the Partnership providing strategic guidance in collaboration among residents, businesses, institutions, nonprofits, and other organizations in the planning, aligning, and implementation of redevelopment projects and other sustained, community improvements in the area where the 2014 unrest took place. This area is now a federally designated Promise Zone by the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The Partnership is a quasi-government agency responsible for promoting and developing industry, commerce, and economic development in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis, creating high-quality business and employment opportunities, and enhancing the quality of life by advancing long-term, diversified growth throughout the St. Louis Region.

Brother Hurd’s successful work and leadership were recognized by the City of Ferguson. The Ferguson City Council hired his firm to undertake the City’s first comprehensive planning effort since 1997. The comprehensive plan that is currently being developed will outline a 20-year vision for the City’s approach to land use, housing, jobs, business, parks, open space, transportation, environment, sustainability, and more. The comprehensive plan will also clarify, align, and fill gaps between the many other community initiatives in and around Ferguson. S

BY BROTHER RON JOHNSON

BROTHER CHARLES MOUTON, M.D. NAMED DEAN OF MEDICAL SCHOOL AND PROVOST AT UTMB

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rother Charles P. Mouton, M.D. has been appointed as Executive Vice President, Provost, and permanent Dean of the Medical School at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas (UTMB).

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He will assume responsibility for the School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the School of Health Professions, including the Galveston National Laboratory. As provost he will be the school’s chief academic officer, responsible for THE SPHINX

BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

developing and enacting education, research and clinical faculty priorities for medical school.

Brother Dr. Mouton, formerly the Acting Dean of the medical school was selected after a 10-month search for a new provost. He will provide new visions for how UTMB will develop the next generation of caregivers and scientist using emerging technology for patient care.

The appointment comes as the medical branch is set to open a new $90 million Health Education Center on the Galveston campus, the first such new facility in 40 years. The new facility will serve students of all four schools under Brother Mouton’s purview.

Brother Mouton received his M.D. degree from the Howard University College of Medicine and his Masters of Science degree in Clinical Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his Family Medicine residency at Prince George’s Hospital in Cheverly, MD and his fellowship in Geriatrics at the George Washington Medical Center. He has served as Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, Dean of the School of Medicine and Tenured Professor of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Dr. Mouton is board certified in Family Medicine and holds a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatrics.

Brother Mouton has served as a Tenured Professor and Chair at the Department of Community and Family Medicine at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. Prior to his position at Howard, he served as Tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and was Associate Chief of the

Division of Community Geriatrics, Associate Director of Research, and Director of Nursing Home Services.

At UTHSCSA, Dr. Mouton also served as Co-Director of the Center on Violence Prevention in the School of Nursing. Prior to his tenure at UTHSCSA, Dr. Mouton was Assistant Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, NJ. At UTMB, he is a Senior Fellow at the Sealy Center on Aging and member of the executive steering committee of the Pepper Center on Aging. At Meharry, Dr. Mouton directed the Data Science Institute and co-directed the community engagement core for the Meharry Translational Research Center and Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research. He is a co-investigator for the Precision Medicine Initiative, the Prostate Cancer Literacy Project, and the Women’s Health Initiative. He is also affiliated with the Black Women’s Health Study, a longitudinal study of health in women of African descent, and developed practicebased research in primary care practices serving urban minorities in the DC Metropolitan area. He has led studies on late life domestic violence, elder abuse, exercise to promote health in minority elders, and end-of-life care for older minorities. His major areas of research interest are in the socio environmental factors that influence the health of older adults, particularly violence, racism, and health disparities as well as identifying health promotion and disease prevention strategies in minority populations and the elderly.

Brother Mouton, a Spring 1979 Beta Chapter initiate, is a Life Member, and a member of the Gamma Pi Lambda Chapter in Galveston, Texas. S

COMPILED FROM PUBLISHED REPORTS

BROTHER DR. ANTHONY E. MUNROE NAMED BMCC’S 11TH PRESIDENT

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rother Dr. Anthony Munroe assumed his role as the 11th President of the Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY’s largest school with about 24,000 students in over 50 associate degree programs and thousands more in adult and continuing education programs. He succeeds Interim President Karrin E. Wilks.

Brother Dr. Munroe, a 2001 Beta Beta Lambda Chapter initiate in Miami, Florida, a Life Member of the Fraternity, and member of Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter in Newark, New Jersey, was the former president of Essex County College in New Jersey since 2017 and has more than 30 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

years of experience as both an educator and a nationally recognized executive and leader of urban healthcare and health education institutions.

He is also a national leader in boosting the social mobility of its graduates. Brother Dr. Munroe was previously President of Malcolm X College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago system.

A first-generation U.S. citizen who grew up in the Bronx and attended New York City public schools, Brother Dr. Munroe holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University Teachers College with a 85

BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

concentration in health education.

His extensive experience includes serving as Associate Vice President of Health Systems Affairs at Ross University School of Medicine in New Jersey and as president of Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago.

He was also Executive Director of Family Health Services in the New York City Department of Health, overseeing an agency with a $200 million budget and more than 100 service sites. Brother Dr. Munroe is also an international expert

on cultural competency and disparities in health care and was named one of the top 25 minority health care executives in the United States by Modern Healthcare Magazine. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and on the Commission on Student Success with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

He was recently named a winner of the 2020 Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Paragon Award for New Presidents, which recognizes college presidents who have shown strong support for student success at their schools. S

COMPILED FROM PUBLISHED REPORTS

BROTHER DR. JACK THOMAS TAKES THE HELM AS 9TH PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY

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rother Dr. Jack Thomas, an accomplished scholar and administrator, took office as the 9th president of Central State University (CSU) on July 1. After a comprehensive nationwide executive search, the Central State Board of Trustees named him president on Feb. 7.

Brother Dr. Thomas succeeds Dr. Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, who led the university for eight years.

A native of Lowndes County, Ala., he holds a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a master’s of English Education from Virginia State University, and a bachelor’s of English from Alabama A&M University.

Brother Dr. Thomas, a Fall 2005 Tau Lambda initiate in Nashville, Tennessee and Life Member of the Fraternity served as the president of Western Illinois University (WIU) for nearly a decade and comes to Central State with a track record that underscores his ability to implement a comprehensive vision and strategy.

Prior to WIU, he had a 20-year career where he emerged as a nationally and internationally recognized leader in higher education administration with extensive senior-level management experience from department chair, dean, provost to the presidency.

His influence on the academic community extends to his service on several local and national boards, and he currently serves on the Marguerite Casey Foundation Board of Directors.

“Rest assured, I am committed to maintaining the highquality education and the family environment for which Central State University is known,” Brother Dr. Thomas said in a video posted July 1 on the university website and on social media.

Brother Dr. Thomas also pledged to immediately host a series of dialogues with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders. In February, Brother Dr. Thomas identified nine presidential priorities that will guide his tenure. S

BROTHER ANTOINE M. THOMPSON RANKED ON INFLUENTIAL AND POWERFUL REAL ESTATE LEADERS AND EXECUTIVES

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rother Antoine M. Thompson was ranked on the Swanepoel Power 200 list of the most influential and powerful leaders and executives in the residential real estate brokerage industry.

A Spring 1989 Rho Alpha Chapter initiate at the SUNY College at Brockport and a member of Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter in Silver Spring, Maryland, he is the National Executive Director of the National Association 86

of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) the largest organization of African-American real estate professionals in the United States. Antoine helped launch NATPAC 1947, a political action committee that focuses on supports candidates that champion black homeownership and diversity in the real estate industry. He is a partner with Creative PMO Solutions a consulting firm that focuses on diversity, inclusion, and advocacy work. He is also a licensed real estate agent with Howard Hanna.

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BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

Brother Thompson is a staunch champion of fairhousing and community re-investment by local and national financial institutions. He has had a significant public service career in his hometown of Buffalo, New York. His positions have included appointments to Buffalo Common Council where he authored the Buffalo’s Fair Housing Law and secured over $75 million for community development projects. He was elected to the New York State Senate in 2004 and 2008 and served as the Senate Deputy Majority Whip and Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Conversation and Co-Chair of the Senate Minority and Woman Business Enterprise

Task Force. He authored the NYS MWBE Mentor/Protégé Law. He is a former delegate to the Democratic National Convention; and was a member of the 2004 Electoral College.

He currently serves on the Board of Unity 9 PAC and co-Chairs the Civic Engagement Committee for the MAAC. Brother Thompson was a member of Kappa Epsilon Lambda and chaired the A Voteless People Is A Hopeless People Committee. S

COMPILED FROM PUBLISHED REPORTS

BROTHER HAROLD WILLIAMS NAMED TO PRESTIGIOUS 16TH ANNUAL POWER OF DIVERSITY MASTER WORKSHOP

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rother Harold D. Williams, Jr. was among 14 participants in the 16th Annual Power of Diversity Master Workshop sponsored by the Producers Guild of America – representing 10 projects in TV, film, unscripted and documentary.

The eight-week workshop offered twice-weekly master classes on pitching, premise development, film finance, line producing, demystifying the writers’ room, agent & manager representation, distribution, deal-making and the world of virtual & augmented reality, headlined by some of the top producers & executives in the industry.

Brother Williams, a Fall 2007 Nu Chapter initiate at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and a General Organization member, was chosen from hundreds of applications reviewed by a PGA-member led selection committee.

Over the years, he has served a Producer for ViacomCBS’ Standup Freestyle, Associate Producer of CasBar on I-One Digital, Creative Producer for TruTv and a Production Assistant for America’s Got Talent, Project Runway, Ink Masters, Four Weddings and Chef Roble.

His honors include 2018 TruTv Comedy Writing Competition Winner, 2018 Best Web Series for the Black Film Festival, Two-time Nominee for the B-Free Awards, 2017 Audience Awards Honorable Mention and Best Web Series for the Oktober Film Festival.

Brother Williams, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lincoln, was chosen for his unscripted comedy, Unpacking Black.

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Other participants included: • Jenny Callaghan & Randi Matthews with the documentary feature, The Luxury of Life: Disparities in Maternal Care • Marie Cheng with the animated TV comedy, Everybody Screams At Me • Gabrielle Cordero & Christina Licud with the reverse immigration TV comedy Gringas • Shari Ellis with the animated TV comedy Fangirl • Addison Henderson & Kevin Polowy with the sci-fi action TV drama The Healer • Duran Jones with the vampire TV drama Daywalkers • Surekha Paruchuri with the Gen Z political TV comedy Millie for President • Grace Santos & Elesha Barnette with the period feature International Sweethearts of Rhythm • Mynor Sosa with the veteran suicide feature Shotgun LullabyAs a precaution against the coronavirus pandemic, the PGA suspended all-in person activities for the year. Therefore, all mentoring support and classes were virtual.

PGA Workshop alums include a roster of producers that have gone on to work on top television shows and major films, including LaToya Morgan (two-time NAACP Image Award-nominee for Turn: Washington’s Spies, Into the Badlands), Eugene Rhee (Into the Dark: Flesh & Blood, Despite Everything) Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (S.W.A.T., Sleepy Hollow, CSI: NY, Southland), Ben Lobato (Ice, Queen of the South, Justified), Hollie Overton (Shadowhunters, The Client List) and Sarah DiLeo (Bless Me, Ultima). S

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VENDOR LIST

LICENSED MANUFACTURERS AND VENDORS Alpha One Greek & Promotional Items LLC/V-002 Brother Robert Jones 314.534.4733 11 S. Vandeventer Ave St. Louis, MO 63108 alpha1greek@gmail.com www.alphaonegreek.com APGG/Stuff4Greeks/V-004 Monica Allen 404.792.2526 1339 Marietta Blvd, Suite C 6400 Powers Ferry Rd, NW Atlanta, GA 30318 monica@s4g.com www.s4g.com Big Boy Headgear [MFR.] / M-001 Joanne Kim 213.388.2744 5073 Bristol Industry Way, Suite #A Buford, GA 30518 Joanne@bigboygear.com www.bigboygear.com

Craftique Mfg. Co. [MFR.]/M-003 Dean Hogue 800.251.1014 PO Box 4422 Chattanooga, TN 37405 dhogue@craftiquemfg.com http://www.craftiquemfg.com/

Free Radical Labs, LLC/V-052 Brother Jason Robinson, PHD 706.521.3790 182 Ben Burton Circle, Suite 700B Bogart, GA 30622 jason@freeradicallabs.com http://www.obsidianmx.com

Designed 2 Dribble, LLC [MFR.]/M-007 Cheryl Sellers, CEO 719.963.0363 3305 Anne De Bourgh Drive Triangle, VA 22172 dd@designed2dribble.com www.designed2dribble.com

Greek CertiPHIed Apparel & Promotional Products/V-012 Brother Kenyon Holley, Owner 267.716.7602 Philadelphia, PA 19142 greekcertiphied@gmail.com www.greekcertiphied.com

Distinctive Specialties Greek Paraphernalia/V-062 dba Rare Case, LLC LaVonne McDowell 704.547.9005 7925 North Tyson Street, Suite 113 Charlotte, NC 28262 rarecasellc@gmail.com www.distinctivespecialties.com

Bolton Business Services, LLC/ V-046 Brother Henry Bolton 662.386.2253 100 Azalea Drive Columbus, MS 39705 hbolton@aol.com www.boltonbiz.org

Divine Gift Accessories/V-057 Johnny King III 346.253.6342 72 Palmero Way Manvel, TX 77578 JKing@divinegiftaccessories.com www.divinegiftaccessories.com

BBUB Greek Gifts/ V-066 Ashley Jones 757.839.4259 5245 Cleveland Street, Suite 204 Virginia Beach, VA 23464 bbubgreekgifts@gmail.com www.bbubgreekgifts.com

Doom Wear Designs/V-009 Brother Alain Uyidi 949.278.7831 14 Mulholland Ct Mission Viejo, CA 92692 info@doomwear.com www.doomwear.com

Buffalo Dallas Merchandise & Apparel [MFR.]/M-002 Dr. Terrence L. Miller/Cassandra H. Miller 770.491.0502 4611 Greer Circle Ste J Stone Mountain, GA 30083 buffalodallas4611@gmail.com www.buffalodallas.com

DVN Co./V-059 Danielle Render 2070 Attic Parkway, Suite 302 Kennesaw, GA 30152 danielle@dvn.co http://www.dvn.co

Clotho Productions LLC/Ad GreekFashion Greek/V-005 Steven Hoel 310.901.1735 3844 S. Santa Fe Ave Vernon, CA 90058 hotei13@gmail.com www.fashiongreek.com

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Express Design Group, Inc.(dba Inarush.com)/V-010 Joseph Tantilo 618.539.9998 6 Commerce Drive Freeburg, IL 62243 sales@greekgear.com www.greekgear.com

Greek Dynasty/V-013 866.950.7373 P. O. Box 2053 Jonesboro, GA 30237 greekdynasty@gmail.com https://www.greekdynasty.com/ Greek4Life [MFR.]/M-008 Shedrick Warren 501.955.8227 4231 East McCain Blvd.

North Little Rock, AR 72117 G4LCustomproduct@aol.com www.greek4life.com Greek Traditions/V-017 Alpha Traditions Alpha Ice Box/Alpha For Life Box Brother Darrin Thomas 803.254.6404 1806 Washington Street Columbia, SC 29201 darrin@blackpagesusa.com www.greektraditions.net Herff Jones/V-066 Christine L. Cardoso 401.330.4257 150 Herff Jones Way Warwick, RI 02888 CLCardoso@herffjones.com www.hjgreek.com Joneswear, Inc./V-041 Albert Jones 678.612.7054 5238 Royal Woods Parkway, Suite 140 Tucker, GA 30084 joneswear@yahoo.com https://joneswearinc.square.site Kendall’s Greek/V-019 Jeannie Glenn 864.304.7043 220 Dogwood Drive Duncan, SC 29334 kendallsgreek@yahoo.com www.kendallsgreek.com

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VENDOR LIST

House of A/V-022 Lyndell Pittman 845.942.8500 550 Railroad Avenue Suite 9-A Garnerville, NY 10923 MyhouseofA@yahoo.com www.houseofa.net National Convention Sales/V-053 Brother Cory Davis 281.507.7776 404.632.4819 4857 Neal Ridge Atlanta, GA 30349 NationalConventionSales@gmail.com http://www.greekstore.org

Royalty & Beads dba Forever Southern Royalty/V-055 Victoria Evans 901.218.8721 1610 Danube Court Atlanta, GA 3034 royaltyandbeads@gmail.com

The King McNeal Collection/V-054 Brandon McNeal 815.351.9188 P.O. Box 2201 Kankakee, IL 60901 mr.mcneal1@gmail.com www.kingmcneal.com

Savage Promotions, Inc. [MFR.]/M-004 Kim Savage 717.939.1152 300 S Front St. Steelton, PA 17113 K_savage@comcast.net www.savage-promotions.com

Turf Gear/V-038 Gerald J. Brown 510.633-9870 10255 Lisco Court Las Vegas, NV 89183 turfgear@turfgear.com www.turfgear.com

Old Gold Goods/V-061 Brother Paul Vaughns 817.412.3418 Fort Worth, TX 1906@oldgoldgoods.com www.oldgoldgoods.com

Schaffes’s Wooden Treasures/V-036 Brother Schaffe Smith 2302 Brookhaven Drive Champaign, IL 61821 Phone 217.369.0508 Schaffes@comcast.net www.Schaffeswood.com

Pat’s Exclusives/V-024 Pat Bell 301.248.2882 4810 Ashford Place Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 patsexclusives@gmail.com www.patsexclusives.net

Sharp Crisp Clean/V-064 Brother Marvin Dupiton 954.243.5764 9614 Summer Point Avenue Baton, LA 70810 info@sharpcrispclean.com www.sharpcrispclean.com

Pegasus Promotional Products/V-040 Rick Davis 718.230.0991 110 Clifton PL., #3c Brooklyn, NY 11238 pegasuspromo@verizon.net www.pegasuspromoproducts.com

Soror Bling / V-043 Marlene Jones 407.818.7971 2110 The Tall Oaks Blvd.

Kissimmee, FL 34746 Sales@Sororbling.com www.sororbling.com

Penz by Design/V-025 Sharita Robinson 877.736.7117 2180 Satellite Blvd, Suite 400 Duluth, GA 30097 sharita@stacyrobinsonstudios.com https://stacyrobinsonstudios.com/

Stuart Consulting Group, Inc. [MFR.]/M-005 Brad Aboff 386.236.2236 4191 Dairy Court Port Orange, FL 32127 brad@nsemblem.com www.nsemblem.com

Phirst Pham Greek Boutique LLC/ V-056 Brother Roland & Andrea Ridgeway 202.656.1768 560 Peoples Plaza #279 Newark, DE 19702 mgmt@phirstphamgreek.com www.phirstphamgreek.com

Three J’s Products/V-031 James Bennett 678.467.2093 1301 Edgebrook Lane Snellville, GA 30078 juke2@comcast.net www.threejproducts.com

Real Greek Apparel Company/V-027 Robert Taylor 815.454.5371 2912 N. MacArthur Blvd #103 Irving, TX 75062 info@realgreekapparel.com www.realgreek.com

Sisters Embroidery, LLC [MFR.]/M-006 Cathy Sheppard 919.572.6864 5410 NC Hwy 55 STE D Durham, NC 27713 iam.greek2@frontier.com www.monstergreek.com

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Uzuri Enterprise/Uzuri Greek/V-034 Mellissa Perkins 614.440.4601 6262 Alissa Lane Columbus, OH 43213 uzrikidkidz@yahoo.com www.uepromotions.com Varsity Apparel, LLC/V-060 Aaron Givens 501.920.4497 3831 Vaile Avenue Florissant, MO 63034 Aaron@varsityapparelstl.com www.varsityapparelstl.com Winters Industries / V-067 Jerime Winters 404.604.0296 Decatur, GA and Mesquite, TX Info@wintersindustries.com www.wintersindustries.com Worldwide Origins, LLC/V-033 Vanessa Lacewell 314.749.2534 49988 Gracechurch Road Macomb, MI 48044 Worldwideorigins1@gmail.com www.worldwideorigins.com https://www.worldwideorigins.com/ store/c3/Alpha_Phi_Alpha.html Xpressyourself Worldwide Sportswear/ V-042 Kevin Richardson-owner 817.269-5767 Ofc 817.992-5841 Mobil 6511 Hyden Dr Arlington, Tx. 76001 Xpressyourselfsw@aol.com www.xpressyourselfgear.com

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OMEGA CHAPTER

BY BROTHER JULIUS BOARDEN JR.

First African American Director of Housing Commission and Founder of Credit Union

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rother Henry Hartford Brown Sr., 97, transitioned to Omega Chapter on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 in Saginaw, Michigan. He was born August 31, 1922 in Kildare, Texas.

In 1946, Brother was initiated at the Alpha Gamma Chapter at Texas College in Tyler, Texas, where he received a bachelor’s degree in biology. During the 40th Anniversary of the Fraternity, 16th General President Belford V. Lawson presided, and Brother Brown was one of the oldest remaining who entered the House of Alpha from there.

He served in World War II as well as the Korean War. Brother Brown later moved to Saginaw, Michigan during the Second Great Migration in 1949. As a middle class, college-educated, skilled professional, he worked for United Insurance.

From 1960 to 1984, he was employed with Saginaw Housing Commission and served as the first African American director for the City of Saginaw. He encountered residential discrimination and “racial divide” before The Fair Housing Act in 1968. During his tenure, four senior high-rise apartment buildings were built and the first-time homeowners program was established.

He served as a member on the executive committee for the state chapter of the National Association of Housing Redevelopment Officials. He helped to raise the level with his professional staff throughout the state to the point where other housing commission directors would send their employees to be trained by him. He has been a longtime activist in the community for lives of the poor and disenfranchised.

A Life Member of both the Fraternity and the NAACP, he was involved in the Big Brother / Big Sisters’ Amachi Program that mentored children of prisoners as well as Boy Scouts of American through Bethel AME Church, where he was an active and faithful member.

In 1978, Bethel A.M.E. Church Credit Union (now Frankenmuth Credit Union), the first African American operated credit union in Mid-Michigan area was established. Brother Brown was one of the founders and served on the Board of Trustees, as well as Sunday School Superintendent.

Brothers of Iota Chi Lambda Chapter, Saginaw, Michigan came together March 27, 2016 to celebrate its 45th anniversary receiving their charter. The event took place at the Ramada Inn of Saginaw. A highlight of the evening took a moment to recognize and honor Bro. Henry Brown Sr. for his 70 years of active service in the fraternity.

Brother Brown was married to his devoted wife, Margaret Brown, for 70 years, who preceded him in death.

He is survived by two sons; Brother Henry Brown Jr., Mark Brown; and a daughter, Pamela Maloy as well as loving grandchildren. S

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THE SPHINX

OMEGA CHAPTER

BY BROTHER KELVIN A. MOSES AND BROTHER DERRICK DOWELL

Former National Historian and Tennessee Legend Transitions To Omega Chapter

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rother Dr. Reavis Mitchell [Tau Lambda ’87] passed into Omega Chapter, the Fraternity’s chapter of sweet rest, on June 16, 2020, at the age of 72 in his home in Brentwood, Tennessee. A native of Nashville, Brother Dr. Mitchell had a long and distinguished career as a historian, civil rights advocate, and public servant based at his alma mater, Fisk University.

Born July 12, 1947, Dr. Mitchell attended Catholic primary school, and graduated from the famed Pearl High School in 1965. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Fisk University in 1969, and then completed a Master of Science degree at Tennessee State University, and a Doctor of Arts degree from Middle Tennessee State University. He went on to complete further postdoctoral work at Harvard University.

Dr. Mitchell joined the faculty of Fisk University in 1980, where he stayed until the time of his passing.

He demonstrated extraordinary service and loyalty to Fisk, where he served as Professor of History, Director of Institutional Advancement, Executive Assistant to the President, Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, and University Historian Emeritus. Additionally, he worked as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University and the University of St. Francis.

Dr. Mitchell served as one of the principal organizers of the Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture. Over three decades, he published several profiles in the conference proceedings, “Leaders of Afro-American Nashville.” Additionally, he authored “Thy Loyal Children Make Their Way: A History of Fisk University Since 1866”, and along with Nashville historian Dr. Bobby Lovett, he co-authored “Of Promises Kept: A History of Nashville’s Citizens Bank,” 12 entries in the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History of Culture and hundreds of historical monographs in journals, magazines, and newspapers. Based on his highly regarded reputation among historians of African American History, Dr. Mitchell was invited to contribute a chapter to the highly influential book The Souls of Black Folk: One Hundred Years Later entitled “Alexandria, Tennessee: Slumbering in the Shadow of Progress.”

Brother Mitchell also served as chairman of the Metro Historical Commission from 2006 through 2008 and served on the Tennessee Historical Commission under three Governors of the State of Tennessee, serving as THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

chairman since February 2015. He was also the executive vice president of the Tennessee Historical Society.

Because of his world-class expertise and national renown, Brother Mitchell has served as a consultant on multiple projects related to African-American heritage and architecture, and has published in several popular and academic periodicals, such as TIME, Ebony, Black Enterprise, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, and the Journal of Ethnic Studies.

In addition, for two years, he served as a historical consultant for the documentary film entitled, “PBS: The American Experience,” which highlighted the Fisk Jubilee Singers and was produced by WGBH, Boston.

Dr. Mitchell also served as consultant to Spark Media in Washington, DC for the documentary film, “Partners of the Heart,” a chronicle of the life of pioneering surgical research technician, Vivien T. Thomas. In 2010, Nashville Public Television asked Brother Mitchell to serve as the primary consultant for a documentary, “The Stieglitz Collection,” about the art collection at Fisk University.

Brother Dr. Mitchell was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., through the Tau Lambda Chapter seated in Nashville, Tennessee, and was a Life Member and dedicated servant to the Fraternity.

He served two terms as National Historian under Past General President Brother Dr. Henry Ponder, and was the author of the feature cover artcle in the Winter 1988 edition of The Sphinx detailing the life and work of Brother Ponder. Brother Mitchell’s other public service includes being Vice-Chairman for Citizens Bank Board of Directors, member of Chi Boulé, member of the Knights of St. Peter Claver, and a faithful parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Parish.

In honor of his faithful service to humanity, Dr. Mitchell was recognized as the 2019 Career Honoree by the Tau Lambda Chapter at the 39th Annual Legacy Foundation Scholarship Luncheon on December 7, 2019.

Brother Mitchell is survived by his wife of 51 years, psychologist Dr. Patricia Mitchell, sons Reavis Mitchell III, Brother Dr. Roland Mitchell, Dr. Regan Mitchell, and Brother Roman Mitchell, one granddaughter, two sisters and a brother. S 91

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COMPILED FROM STAFF AND NEWS REPORTS

NFL & Florida A&M University Transitions To Omega Chapter

B

rother Kenneth Riley, Sr., one of Florida A&M University’s most respected icons who also starred in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, transitioned into the Omega Chapter on Sunday, June 7, 2020, at his home in Bartow, FL. Brother Riley, Sr., was initiated into the Beta Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., seated at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University, on April 7, 1967. He was also a member of Mu Zeta Lambda Chapter.

Brother Riley, 72, was also the former head coach and athletics director at the university as well.

The football legend was a four-year starting quarterback at Florida A&M and a Rhodes Scholar Candidate. In addition, he was the Senior Class President in both high school and college. During the 1969 NFL Draft, Brother Riley was selected in the sixth round, with the 135th pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Brother Riley, who had a stellar 15-year professional career for the Bengals (1969-1983), was converted to cornerback in training camp by legendary coach Paul Brown. During his rookie season, he racked up four interceptions and returned 14 kickoffs for an average of 23.9 yards per return. He also caught two passes.

He recorded 65 interceptions in his career, which was the fourth most in NFL history at the time of his retirement and is currently fifth on that list. Three of the top five players have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. While he is fifth on the NFL All-Time interceptions list, he remains the only player not enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame.

In his 15 seasons, Brother Riley, who rarely missed a game, recorded three or more interceptions in all but three years. In 1976, he racked up nine interceptions for 141 yards, a team record that stood for 30 years. He returned one interception for a touchdown, and also set a team record by intercepting three passes in one game that season. Brother Riley matched that feat again in 1982. In 1981, he recorded five interceptions as the Bengals went on to win their first Super Bowl. In 1983, Brother Riley registered eight interceptions, two being returned for touchdowns.

He retired after the 1983 season with 65 career interceptions for 596 yards, and five touchdowns, which both still stand as Bengals records. He also recovered 18 fumbles in his career. Brother Riley is third all-time in NFL history with 141 interception return yards in a season. In addition, he was also the Bengals’ defensive captain for eight seasons (1976-83).

After his professional career ended, Brother Riley spent two years as an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers. In 1986, Riley took over the head coaching duties at his alma mater, Florida A&M. While at FAMU from 1986-93, Brother Riley compiled a 48-39-2 record, with two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships and a pair of MEAC Coach of the Year honors.

Brother Riley, who was inducted into the FAMU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977, served as the Florida A&M Athletics Director from 1993-2004, before retiring in Bartow, Fla. He was named to the Florida High School Association All-Century Team, which selected the Top 33 players in the 100-year history of high school football in the state of Florida’s history. S

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OMEGA CHAPTER

COMPILED FROM PUBLISHED REPORTS

Brother Wayman F. Smith III: Pioneering Attorney and Business Leader Enters Omega Chapter

B

rother Attorney Wayman F. Smith III, 80, a Fall 1966 Beta Zeta Lambda Chapter initiate in Jefferson City, Missouri, and member of the General Organization, transitioned to Omega Chapter on Tuesday, September 15. Brother Smith was a well-known player in St. Louis political and civic affairs as an alderman, police board president and Anheuser-Busch vice president.

He also initiated the first major corporate sponsorship of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Commission of Missouri.

Smith attended Washington Elementary School, Sumner High School, and graduated from Soldan International Studies High School in 1957. Brother Smith began his collegiate career at Washington University, but graduated from Monmouth College in New Jersey in 1962. He went on to graduate from Howard University Law School in 1965.

At no Black institution was his influence more transformative than at Harris-Stowe State University, where he served on the Board of Regents for 21 years (1989-2010) and chaired it for 12 of those years. Brother Wayman’s service to Harris-Stowe was quite personal; when he was a boy, Harris was a teachers’ college for white students and Stowe was a teachers’ college for Black students. All four of his maternal aunts and his beloved cousin Marion Meaux “Snookie” Robinson all earned their college degrees from Stowe Teachers College.

Brother Smith’s commitment to civil rights deepened during his time in Washington, D.C. He attended the 1963 March on Washington, D.C. with his godparents, Fred C. and Doris Whethers. Fred was known as the “Dean of Black politics” in St. Louis. Wayman also volunteered with the NAACP under the leadership of Pearlie Evans, on bus trips into former Confederate states to register Black citizens to vote at a time when civil rights workers were being killed by the Ku Klux Klan.

In the 1960s the Missouri Bar was widely believed to be a racially biased exam. After passing the bar on his first attempt, Brother Smith landed a position with the prestigious accounting firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell and Company in New York, NY. Mentored by St. Louis attorneys Margaret Bush Wilson and Frankie Freeman, brother Smith worked on housing legislation for the Missouri Commission on Human Rights in 1966; this legislation designated the real estate office as a place of public accommodation. Smith entered into private practice in 1968; in 1970, he was appointed a City Court Judge, serving until 1975. Brother Smith then served on the St. Louis City Council from 1975 to 1987 and was once president of the council’s Black Caucus.

Pressure on Anheuser-Busch by Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.’s Operation PUSH, resulted in Anheuser-Busch’s hiring of Smith in 1980 as the first African American member of Corporate Affairs Department. Working with Augie Busch, Brother Smith created a $200 million minority business development program.

Brother Smith eventually became vice president for Anheuser-Busch Companies, and a member of the board of directors of Anheuser Busch, Inc. THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

Brother Smith also served on numerous boards, chairing the governing panels at Harris-Stowe State University and Howard University, his law school alma mater.

During Brother Smith’s tenure as chairman of Harris-Stowe, according to Dr. Henry Givens Jr., the university’s president emeritus, “the college expanded from one building and one degree to a status of university with six buildings, a new business school campus in South St. Louis, 14 degree programs, with doubled full-time faculty and tripled student enrollment.” He helped to raise $345 million for the university and was one of the founding members of Harris-Stowe’s African American Business Leadership Council, chaired by David Steward.

Brother Smith also served as a member of the Board of Directors of his alma mater Howard University from 1989 until the end of his life, chairing the board from 1991-1995. His dear friend Earl Graves Sr. partnered with Wayman’s daughter Kymberly Smith Jackson and his sister Robin and raised $250,000 to create The Wayman F. Smith III Scholarship Foundation.

The foundation, which continues to be managed by his daughter, works closely with Howard University and the St. Louis Chapter of the Howard Alumni Association to provide scholarships for students of Howard and Harris-Stowe universities.

Upon his retirement, Brother Smith was presented an honorary doctorate by the Harris-Stowe Board of Regents.

In 2016, he was inducted into the Fred David Gray Hall of Fame by the National Bar Association in 2016. S 93

OMEGA CHAPTER The following is a list of members who have also entered Omega Chapter. For each member, included is: his name; life member number if available; chapter of initiation; date of initiation; last active chapter; and date of death. All of the information is based on what is submitted by chapters and family members and reconciled with the fraternity’s records.

Samuel L. Adams, Jr. Alpha Chi 11/24/79 General Organization 4/13/20

Donald R. Buckner Alpha Zeta 5/1/51 Iota Upsilon Lambda 6/10/20

Gary Copeland, II Beta Delta 3/4/17 General Organization 8/21/20

Louis A. Ford Beta 4/16/62 Mu Lambda 6/5/20

Keith Allen Epsilon Rho 4/20/98 General Organization 8/22/20

Roddie Byers Zeta Rho Lambda 7/18/99 Zeta Rho Lambda 4/8/20

Darren D. Criglar Beta Lambda 11/22/97 Xi Alpha Lambda 9/14/20

Andra C. Frost Xi Epsilon 11/11/01 General Organization 4/6/20

Franklin R. Ampy Beta Gamma 4/21/56 Mu Lambda 4/3/20

Donald B. Caldwell, Sr. Delta Gamma 4/18/53 Delta Iota Lambda 6/28/20

Darius Jamar Dawson Beta Epsilon 3/21/09 General Organization 9/5/20

Kirk P. Gaddy Delta Lambda 3/31/96 Delta Lambda 6/20/20

Thomas E. Asbury Gamma Mu 4/6/57 Beta Nu Lambda 5/14/20

Russell C. Campbell, Sr. Gamma Pi 12/6/64 Iota Upsilon Lambda 4/10/20

Rickey C. Dennis, Sr. Xi Phi Lambda 11/1/08 Beta Kappa Lambda 5/16/20

Samuel L. Gay. Jr. Delta Iota Lambda 5/18/63 Beta Beta Lambda 4/19/20

Warren K. Badgett Delta Xi 4/15/60 Alpha Xi Lambda 6/23/20

Albert M. Carey Nu 4/30/48 Iota Upsilon Lambda 5/12/20

James E. Ealy, Sr. Epsilon Iota 12/1/67 General Organization 4/15/20

Cecil R. Goins Beta Epsilon 2/25/48 Phi Lambda 9/1/20

Franklin D. Ball Pi Delta 5/16/85 Mu Psi Lambda 7/30/20

Walter C. Carrington Sigma 4/14/51 General Organization 8/11/20

M. Howard Edwards Gamma Rho 1/17/57 Gamma Chi Lambda 4/23/20

Robert G. Goldsborough Omicron Xi 11/29/86 Rho Zeta Lambda 5/21/20

Marcel D. Blakely Beta Delta 12/10/49 General Organization 5/5/20

James Christian Beta Chi Lambda 5/15/64 Beta Chi Lambda 7/24/20

Albert E. Edwards Alpha Eta Lambda 6/14/70 Alpha Eta Lambda 4/29/20

James C. Graham, Jr. Theta Upsilon Lambda 11/1/72 Omicron Lambda 9/3/20

David F. Bluford Zeta Zeta Lambda 5/17/69 Zeta Zeta Lambda 5/27/20

Terrence L .Christian, Jr. Beta Epsilon 3/30/19 Beta Epsilon 8/9/20

Richard A. Evans Gamma Upsilon 11/1/57 Delta Theta Lambda 4/15/20

Richard Handy Beta Phi Lambda 12/1/71 Beta Phi Lambda 7/1/20

Lorenzo D. Briggs Epsilon Pi 12/9/95 General Organization 6/15/20

Rudolph R. Cohen, Sr. Eta Lambda 11/1/72 Eta Lambda 7/6/20

John Henry Finney Beta Phi Lambda 11/12/05 Beta Phi Lambda 9/22/20

Kylan Harrell Rho Theta 3/10/18 Rho Theta 5/26/20

TO ALL OUR BROTHERS IN OMEGA CHAPTER, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.

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OMEGA CHAPTER

Gregory M. Hartwell Iota Kappa 5/9/89 General Organization 6/11/20

Prince Johnson, Jr. Delta Eta 11/1/66 Bets Phi Lambda 5/1/20

Robby J. Madden Zeta Gamma 11/6/99 General Organization 9/21/20

Frederick Moseley Epsilon Epsilon Lambda 9/1/59 General Organization 5/16/20

John Wayman Henry, Jr. Xi 2/4/61 Rho Tau Lambda 7/16/20

Jack E. Jones, Jr. Zeta Zeta 5/18/78 Xi Kappa Lambda 6/1/20

Arthur B. Martin Alpha Chi 10/31/61 Delta Alpha Lambda 4/3/20

Mikkos Newman Xi Epsilon 11/11/01 General Organization 6/7/20

Lewis C. Hicks Xi Theta Lambda 3/29/97 Delta Kappa Lambda 4/8/20

James Norman Joyner Delta Xi 12/11/59 General Organization 7/23/20

Sterling Efrem Matthews Beta Gamma Lambda 3/24/07 Beta Gamma Lambda 4/1/20

Willie J. Nunnery Mu Eta Lambda 1/31/87 Mu Eta Lambda 8/1/20

Oliver L. Hodge, Sr. Beta Upsilon 10/30/57 Beta Theta Lambda 8/23/20

Irvin O. Kemp Alpha Phi 12/14/46 Kappa Epsilon Lambda 4/5/20

Robert L. Matthews Upsilon 11/1/51 Zeta Sigma Lambda 7/3/20

Ronald M. Ollie Epsilon Psi 3/12/70 General Organization 6/11/20

Robert D. Horton Kappa Zeta 5/31/77 Eta Theta Lambda 5/25/20

Alberto L. Brown, Sr. Iota Alpha Lambda 5/31/86 Iota Alpha Lambda 8/20/20

Carlos T. Maxie Eta Chi 3/20/86 General Organization 7/31/20

Albert Randolph Pannell, Sr. Eta Omicron 3/21/73 General Organization 5/22/20

Haymon T. Jahi Alpha Eta Lambda 4/15/76 Eta Sigma Lambda 4/9/20

Leon Oliver Lewis Alpha Iota 6/28/58 Delta Psi Lambda 6/1/20

Andrew McBride Delta Iota Lambda 4/18/98 Delta Iota Lambda 9/15/20

Harry E. Payne Alpha Zeta 11/10/57 Phi Lambda 8/3/20

Frank James Beta Lambda 1/1/82 Beta Lambda 8/10/20

Ian Henry Lewis Delta Epsilon 12/12/95 6/18/20

James Maurice McFadden Kappa Psi 10/18/02 Pi Lambda 6/29/20

Harold Perdue Gamma Zeta 11/12/48 Epsilon Beta Lambda 5/12/20

Adrian Jenkins Beta Gamma Lambda 3/24/07 Beta Gamma Lambda 5/30/20

Horace Price Lewis, Jr. Theta Mu Lambda 10/29/05 Theta Mu Lambda 7/5/20

Rufus W. McGee, Sr. Eta Rho Lambda 4/3/82 Sigma Lambda 6/26/20

John Williams Peterkin Eta

Clyde W. Johnson Beta Beta Lambda 3/14/74 Beta Beta Lambda 4/1/20

Lee Jay Lindsey Beta Lambda 5/19/91 Beta Lambda 8/31/20

Hugh A. McGhee, III Psi 3/25/84 Omicron Delta Lambda 4/20/20

Tony L. Pierce Delta Theta 12/5/81 Alpha Eta Lambda 4/23/20

Cordell E. Johnson Beta Kappa 12/12/52 Ets Chi Lambda 4/27/20

Russell L. Livingston Eta Epsilon 4/21/74 Beta Tau Lambda 6/1/20

Louis T. Mckinnie Epsilon Lambda 10/1/56 Delta Xi Lambda 8/13/20

Vernon Randall Epsilon Nu Lambda 12/9/60 Epsilon Nu Lambda 4/5/20

Horace J. Johnson, II Mu Alpha 1/15/77 Eta Lambda 7/1/20

Drew M. Love Eta Alpha 4/4/87 Mu Lambda 6/6/20

Shawn Middlebrooks Xi Zeta 2/26/05 General Organization 7/4/20

Howard Marks Richard Beta Sigma 10/1/53 Alpha Phi Lambda 5/24/20

Zeta Zeta Lambda 6/6/20

TO ALL OUR BROTHERS IN OMEGA CHAPTER, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

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OMEGA CHAPTER

Kenneth J. Riley Beta Nu 4/7/67 Gamma Mu Lambda 6/7/20

Nathaniel H. Simpson Theta 11/30/66 Xi Lambda 8/8/20

Floyd Russaw Xi Lambda 8/22/92 Rho Zeta Lambda 5/3/20

Leonard W. Sloan Gamma Iota 3/1/51 Sigma Mu Lambda 9/13/20

Ronald Russell Beta Eta 3/31/78 Xi Lambda 7/8/20

Richard G. Smith Beta Alpha 4/1/71 Kappa Phi Lambda 4/23/20

Gil Dean Rutherford Beta Eta 3/27/81 Mu Xi Lambda 4/30/20

Wallace L. Smith Theta Gamma Lambda 3/13/63 Rho Upsilon Lambda 7/29/20

James M. Schooler, Jr. Beta Theta Lambda 7/1/75 Beta Theta Lambda 7/1/20

James M. Sowell Beta Nu 3/14/66 General Organization 8/21/20

Abraham Shelton, Jr. Beta Omicron 1/18/60 General Organization 7/1/20

William D. Thomas Beta Delta 11/12/62 Mu Lambda 4/6/20

Donald H. Valliere, Sr. Zeta Xi 2/6/71 Eta Gamma Lambda 6/14/20 Cordy T. Vivian Eta Lambda 11/21/10 General Organization 7/17/20 James Walker, Jr. Psi 3/25/84 General Organization 4/5/20 Tyrone T. Webb Omicron Lambda 3/27/99 Omicron Lambda 5/27/20

Rayford Williams Gamma Psi 12/3/82 General Organization 5/30/20 Tylon L Wilson Epsilon Kappa 3/22/75 Theta Mu Lambda 4/16/20 Larry W. Womble Beta Iota 4/20/61 Alpha Pi Lambda 5/14/20 Derrick Lanardo Woody Omicron Kappa 5/5/91 General Organization 7/14/20

Clarence O. Wilkerson Delta Alpha 1/11/45 Delta Xi Lambda 7/23/20 Charles L. Williams Beta Mu 4/22/50 Alpha Xi Lambda 5/1/20

TO ALL OUR BROTHERS IN OMEGA CHAPTER, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE.

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ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY BOARD OF DIRECTORS GENERAL PRESIDENT Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. president@apa1906.net IMMEDIATE PAST GENERAL PRESIDENT Mark S. Tillman 34@apa1906.net EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & COO Vacant GENERAL TREASURER Densel Fleming General.treasurer@apa1906.net COMPTROLLER Donald E. Jackson comptroller@apa1906.net EASTERN REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Lucien Metellus eastvp@apa1906.net MIDWESTERN REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Ronald Stovall, Jr. midwestvp@apa1906.net SOUTHERN REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Kelsey Rushing southvp@apa1906.net SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Tarrynce Robinson southwestvp@apa1906.net WESTERN REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT Dondrell Swanson westvp@apa1906.net EASTERN REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Travis Nelson eastavp@apa1906.net MIDWESTERN REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Anthony J. Rucker midwestavp@apa1906.net SOUTHERN REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Kingsley Nwakorie southavp@apa1906.net SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Christopher Coleman southwestavp@apa1906.net WESTERN REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT Ryan Coleman westavp@apa1906.net

APPOINTED OFFICERS GENERAL COUNSEL Daryl D. Parks counsel@apa1906.net HISTORIAN Robert L. Harris Jr. historian@apa1906.net

GENERAL CONVENTION OFFICIALS

COLLEGE BROTHERS AFFAIRS (COMMISSION) Dominique C. Beaumonte college@apa1906.net

M.I.S. AND TECHNOLOGY Rufus P. Credle Jr., Co-Chair Matthew Bradford, Co-Chair MIS@apa1906.net

RACIAL JUSTICE (COMMISSION) Gregory Vincent racial.justice@apa1906.net

MARCH OF DIMES Wilbert L. Brown MOD@apa1906.net

CHAPLAIN Jonathan C. Augustine chaplain@apa1906.net

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (COMMISSION) William Pickard BED@apa1906.net

MILITARY BROTHERS Darryl W. Sharp Sr. military@apa1906.net

SERGEANT AT ARMS James McFadden sergeant.at.arms@apa1906.net

LIFE MEMBERSHIP Rickey L. Thigpen life@apa1906.net

SECURITY DIRECTOR Perrye Turner security@apa1906.net

SPECIAL COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN

GENERAL CONVENTION COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN

AUDIT Donald Jackson comptroller@apa1906.net

DIRECTOR OF CONVENTIONS Van L. Strickland director.conventions@apa1906.net PARLIAMENTARIAN John M. Williams parliamentarian@apa1906.net

RULES AND CREDENTIALS Pierre Rutledge rules@apa1906.net RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS William J. Jernigan resolutions@apa1906.net AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENT Earl H. Duval Jr. awards@apa1906.net GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE Louis Morant grievances@apa1906.net

STANDING COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN CONSTITUTION Cash Sutton constitution@apa1906.net BUDGET AND FINANCE Ainsley A. Reynolds budget@apa1906.net ELECTIONS E. Christopher Washington elections@apa1906.net ENDOWMENT AND CAPITAL FORMATION Charles King ECF@apa1906.net MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Stephan W. Bridges MD@apa1906.net FRATERNAL STANDARDS Joseph Byrd FS@apa1906.net PUBLICATIONS Ramon E. Peralta publications@apa1906.net HISTORICAL COMMISSION Robert L. Harris Jr. historian@apa1906.net PUBLIC POLICY Yvesner H. Zamar policy@apa1906.net HUMAN RESOURCES Augustus G. Tolson Jr. HR@apa1906.net

THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE

A. CHARLES HASTON BROTHER’S KEEPER Ronald J. Peters Jr. bk@apa1906.net BELFORD V. LAWSON ORATORICAL CONTEST R. Sylvester Owens oratorical@apa1906.net BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Dale H. Long BBBSA@apa1906.net BOY SCOUTS Michael Files scouts@apa1906.net COLLEGE LIFE TO CORPORATE LIFE John Funny C2C@apa1906.net GO-TO-HIGH SCHOOL GO-TO-COLLEGE Anthony Graham GTHGTC@apa1906.net HEALTH AND WELLNESS Duane Dyson health@apa1906.net HOBART S. JARRETT Debate Competition Michael McClain debate@apa1906.net INTERNAL AUDIT REVIEW TEAM Dexter Leon Taylor audit@apa1906.net INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Ronald Sewell international.affairs@apa1906. net INVESTMENT Densel Fleming investment@apa1906.net JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS’ BOWL Gregory L. Baily scholars@apa1906.net LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Corey Branch LDI@apa1906.net

MISS BLACK AND GOLD PAGEANT Sean A. Bellamy pageant@apa1906.net PROJECT ALPHA Charles Marshall project@apa1906.net PROTOCOL AND LOGISTICS Kenyatta N. Shamburger protocol@apa1906.net RECLAMATION Ron Mangum reclamation@apa1906.net RITUAL AND CEREMONIES Stephen R. Spence ritual@apa1906.net SENIOR ALPHA AFFAIRS Audrey L. Mackey senior.affairs@apa1906.net STEP SHOW COMPETITION Cecil A. Duffie step.show@apa1906.net TIME AND PLACE Christopher Evans TP@apa1906.net VOTELESS PEOPLE IS A HOPELESS PEOPLE Cassius Rudolph VPHP@apa1906.net WORLD POLICY COUNCIL Horace G. Dawson WPC@apa1906.net CORPORATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Donovan K. Kirkland CEC@apa1906.net VETERAN AFFAIRS Robert V. McDonald VA@apa1906.net STRATEGIC PLANNING John Ellis strategic@apa1906.net ALPHA UNIVERSITY Adrian L. Wallace AlphaU@apa1906.net HBCUS TASK FORCE Walter T. Tillman, Jr. HBCU@apa1906.net POLITICAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Carl Pickney PCE@apa1906.net HEADQUARTERS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE Hebrew Dixon HAC@apa1906.net

FOUNDATIONS ALPHA PHI ALPHA BUILDING FOUNDATION R. Leandras “Bob” Jones building@apa1906.net ALPHA BUILDING FOUNDATION CORPORATION James R. Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536 ALPHA PHI ALPHA EDUCATION FOUNDATION Ruben Barkley education@apa1906.net JEWEL HERITAGE PROJECT FOUNDATIONS E. Eric Elmore JHP@apa1906.net

PAST GENERAL PRESIDENTS 34TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Mark S. Tillman 33RD GENERAL PRESIDENT Herman “Skip” Mason Jr. 32ND GENERAL PRESIDENT Darryl R. Matthews Sr. 32@apa1906.net 31ST GENERAL PRESIDENT Harry E. Johnson Sr. 31@apa1906.net 30TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Adrian L. Wallace 30@apa1906.net 29TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Milton C. Davis 29@apa1906.net 28TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Henry Ponder 28@apa1906.net 27TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Charles C. Teamer Sr. 27@apa1906.net 25TH GENERAL PRESIDENT James Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536 ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY Corporate Office 2313 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21218 (410) 554-0040 membersupport@apa1906.net www.apa1906.net

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY JEWEL FOUNDERS Henry Arthur Callis Charles Henry Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones George Biddle Kelley Nathaniel Allison Murray Robert Harold Ogle Vertner Woodson Tandy

EMERGING ALPHAS ADVISORY TO GP Nicholas Harrison EAA@apa1906.net

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T H E SPH INX | FAL SPRING L 2020 2017 | TH | INAUGURATION E SUSTAINABIL ITY ISSUE ISSUE

ALPHA A LPHAPHI PHIAALPHA LPHA F FRA RA TERNI TE RNTY ITY, | WWW.AP INC . | A PA1906.NE A1906.NET T