NATIONAL
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2019
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AKAs raise $1 million for HBCUs in one day, announce collaboration with Black Press of America
by Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Correspondent
For the second year in a row, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women, raised $1 million in just 24 hours during this month’s HBCU Impact Day. The AKA Sorority, Inc. also has agreed to collaborate in the planning for the upcoming 80th anniversary celebration of the NNPA in 2020. Dr. Glenda Glover, International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., said the sorority would work with NNPA Chair Karen Carter Richards and NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., during the NNPA’s annual convention June 23-25, 2020 in New Orleans. “When you need to know the positive stories—the real stories—about African Americans, then you understand our dependence on the Black Press for our news,” said Glover, the international president of AKA and president of the historically Black Tennessee State University. “It is my honor to be a part of this. Alpha Kappa Alpha has been a partner to the Black Press even right here in Nashville with the Tennessee Tribune,” she said. While the first African American-owned newspaper was founded 192 years ago, the establishment of the NNPA took place in 1940 during a meeting in Chicago. Since its founding, the NNPA has advo-
million in one day, but we knew HBCUs needed to have funding, sustainability, and we have to make sure to secure the endowments of each university,” she said. In February, AKA gifted $1.6 million from their AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund to 32 HBCUs. As an HBCU graduate, Glover said she has dedicated her life’s work to the HBCU community. “I understand the impact personally that establishing an endowment has on a student’s enrollment and graduation prospects,” Glover said. “The actions of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will go a long way toward ensuring that HBCUs remain open and able to encourage the best Black students to choose them as a first option,” she said. AKA began on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. Today, nearly 300,000 members make up the sorority in approximately 1,018 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, and South Korea. For her four-year tenure as president, Glover has implemented a five-point ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC. raised $1 million for HBCUs in one day. plan for AKA which includes the HBCU initiative. 223 Black-owned cated for the Black Press of America and The other four plan delivering news to millions of people daily newspapers throughpoints include a womout the country that and weekly from the African American en’s healthcare and comprise the Black perspective. The NNPA is the national wellness plan; buildPress of America. trade association that currently reping your economic For her part, Glover resents a vast conglomerate of more than legacy; the Arts; and and the AKAs have global impact. steadfastly continued “We try to make to promote support sure that we handle of HBCUs across the certain national and nation. international issues,” Glover has led that Glover said. “We have challenge for contria program of wellness butions as part of a and health. We have four-year $10 million a breast cancer mofundraising goal to bile unit that travels benefit HBCUs. around the country “As a college giving free mampresident, I need to mograms to African recognize the need American women,” for HBCUs. I need she said. to recognize the “We know that operating needs, and breast cancer tends the financial needs not to be found in because we need Black women until DR. GLENDA GLOVER funds to survive,” it reaches stage 4,” Glover said. Glover said. “I asked my membership to support this “With all of our initiatives, we want to initiative. We galvanized members, indimake sure that African Americans don’t viduals, and corporate sponsors. We kept get lost in the shuffle. That is why we going back again, and again,” she said. have programs and services that benefit “It’s a tremendous feat to raise $1 the community,” Glover said.
The human and economic toll of gun violence is staggering by Stacy M. Brown For New Pittsburgh Courier
Approximately 7,500 African Americans are killed each year because of gun violence. Further, it’s 20 times more likely that a young Black male will die by a firearm homicide than a White peer, according to a new report. In a study commissioned by Democratic members of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, researchers found that gun violence in America has especially taken its toll on young people. The report found that ru- COST OF GUN VIOLENCE—Researchers said it’s difficult to mearal states, where gun vio- sure the economic costs of gun violence because in the past, Conlence has reached its high- gress has blocked federal funding for research at the Centers for est levels in decades are the Disease Control and Prevention. (Photo: iStockphoto/NNPA) hardest hit. Researchers said Americans between the to stop gun violence and the trauma assoage of 15 and 24 are 50 times more likely to ciated with it. According to Everytown, students of coldie because of gun violence than they are in other economically advanced countries. or in cities are exposed to higher rates of The Sept. 18 state-by-state examination violence. The report also states, “although Black of the economic costs of gun violence, reveals numbers that the committee called students represent approximately 15 percent of the total K-12 school population in “staggering.” For instance, in 2017, for the first time, America, they constitute 24 percent of the the rate of firearm deaths exceeded the K-12 student victims of gunfire who were killed or injured on school grounds.” death rate by motor vehicle accidents. Researchers for the Joint Economic ComNearly 40,000 people were killed in the United States by a gun in 2017, including mittee said gun violence has direct and approximately 2,500 school-age children— indirect costs, including the reduction of or more than 100 people per day and more quality of life due to pain and suffering. Gun homicides are also associated with than five children murdered each day. According to a 2019 Pew Research study, fewer jobs, lost businesses, and lower home “Though they tend to get less attention values in local economies and communities than gun-related murders, suicides have across the nation. The latest estimate is that gun violence long accounted for the majority of U.S. gun deaths. In 2017, six-in-ten gun-related imposes $229 billion in total annual costs deaths in the U.S. were suicides (23,854), on the United States—1.4 percent of GDP, while 37 percent were murders (14,542), the report noted. Researchers said it’s difficult to measure according to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] CDC. The remainder the economic costs of gun violence because were unintentional (486), involved law en- in the past Congress has blocked federal forcement (553) or had undetermined cir- funding for research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. cumstances (338).” “The more than 20-year ban has had Directly measurable costs include lost income and spending, employer costs, police, a chilling effect on private and other reand criminal justice responses and health search,” researchers wrote in the report. “It is likely that the numbers underesticare treatment. “[More than] 200 days ago, the Demo- mate the total costs of gun violence,” they cratic House took decisive action to end said. The report breaks down the direct costs the gun violence epidemic in America by passing H.R. 8 and H.R. 1112, bipartisan, in four categories—lost income, employer commonsense legislation to expand back- costs, health care, and police and criminal ground checks, which is supported by more justice. And it shines a spotlight on two of the than 90 percent of the American people,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schum- fastest-growing areas of gun violence—suicides and firearm deaths of young people er said in a statement. “With the backing of the American peo- (under the age of 25). Among the key findings: ple, we continue to call on Sen. McConnell Rural states (Mississippi, Alabama, Arto ‘Give Us A Vote.’” “For [more than] 200 days, Sen. McCo- kansas, Louisiana, and West Virginia) nnell has refused to give the bipartisan have the highest costs of gun violence meabills a vote on the Senate Floor, “again sured as a share of their economies. States with high rates of gun ownership and again putting his political survival before the survival of our children,” Schum- (Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, West er said.“Every day that Sen. McConnell Virginia, and Wyoming) have the highest blocks our House-passed, life-saving bills, rates of gun suicide. The three largest states (California, Texan average of 100 people—including 47 children and teenagers—die from sense- as, and Florida) suffer the highest absolute less gun violence. Some 20,000 have died costs. The five states with the highest rate of since the House took action on February gun death in descending order are Alaska, 27,” he said. Schumer’s office has repeatedly voiced Montana, Alabama, Louisiana, and Misconcern about gun violence in urban com- souri. High youth death rates extend across the munities. According to Everytown, an organization nation, with Alaska, Louisiana, Missouri, dedicated to addressing gun violence, “fire- Alabama, and Delaware showing the higharms are the leading cause of death for est rates. “The human cost is beyond our ability Black children and teens in America.” Black children are 10 times more likely to to comprehend, it is tragic, it is sickening, be hospitalized from gun/firearm violence and it is a crisis,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the vice-chair of the committee, and are 14 times more likely to die. Officials said this fact is hurting Black said in a news conference Wednesday. “The children and teens at home and schools, gun violence needs to stop, and we need to especially in cities that lack the resources make it happen,” Maloney said.