2024 FRIENDSHIP CHRONICLES Q2

Going From Good To

GREAT!

FRIENDSHIP

Chronicles

The State Organization of Georgia Q2: February 2024 – April 2024

Greetings Brothers of the Great State of Georgia and beyond. Welcome to Volume XVII of the Friendship Chronicles. The State of Georgia Organization is comprised of 46 chapters providing service in 40 counties and 16 colleges and universities. We are dedicated to empowering the youth, strengthening families, and uplifting the community. The purpose of the Friendship Chronicles is to highlight the great work that chapters and brothers are doing across the State.

In this edition of the Chronicles, you will see spotlights on Undergraduate Advisors and Undergraduate Chapter Leadership, along with various programming in the second quarter. Recaps of Omega Day at the Capitol & District Meeting are featured, and Bro. Solomon Thomas has provided another thought-provoking essay entitled, “Inhibitors of Empathy.” The Chaplain’s Corner features the Manhood Monday Call information, along with the Book Spotlight, “Choices & Consequences” with a short summary.

I hope you enjoy the continued updates to the Friendship Chronicles. As we continue striving in this fraternal year, our theme is ”Going From Good To Great!” Special thank you to Bro. Dr. John Williams, Director of Public Relations and our State Chaplain, Bro. Mohandas Martin, for their work on the Friendship Chronicles and continuing to demonstrate excellence in everything that we do.

LEADERSHIP WELCOME

Bro. David C. Jones GA State Representative

EDITOR’S NOTES Friends, it is indeed an honor to continue serving! I’m thrilled to continue in collaboration with Bro. Martin in the growth of this reinvigorated Friendship Chronicles. My goal as State PR Director is certainly to enrich the brand of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in the State of Georgia, and engage in dynamic storytelling. After serving as the State Graphic Designer for six years (s/o to Bro. Marvin Broadwater, Sr.), I’m excited for this platform to showcase much of the work, and of course, continue developing communications, branding, and PR skills and competencies.

I welcome ALL who may be interested in joining the State PR Team and becoming contributors to the FC -- BIG EMPHASIS on Undergraduate Relations and Professional Development.

Stay tuned for all forthcoming publications and communications from the State Organization. Special s/o to Bro. Phillip Mayo, our Social Media Lead. Make sure you follow us on all social media platforms (@OmegaPsiPhi_StateOfGeorgia) and stay connected to all the action and progress, as we endeavor in “Going From Good to GREAT!”

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Brother Dr. John Williams Editor & Designer BRAINIAQ | 8-16-HO

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

My Friends, Greeting & Salutations, in the name of the Supreme Basileus of the Universe, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior, welcome Brothers, to the newly refreshed, revived, and reinvigorated Friendship Chronicles (FC). The definitive goal of the FC team, is to ensure that the great Brothers of Georgia, are completely cognizant of what key events have taken placed, what key events will take place, also, present all prominent activities the Brothers are engaging in, through-out Georgia. Brothers, it is known fact (maybe not accepted by Alabama, Florida & Mississippi), that Georgia leads the Mighty 7th District in all arenas of Omega. The FC is a significant asset to maintain this “Tip of the Sphere” attitude.

Brothers as we approach the 84th Grand Conclave in Tampa Florida, the Monday Manhood prayer theme will be: "The Spiritual Impact on the Conclave." Be a part of this spiritual movement to be praying for the Conclave. The dates for this Spiritual movement: 3rd, 10th, 17th, & 24th of June 2024 @ 6:00AM. Don't miss out! This is a once in a lifetime Spiritual movement, "Be Outstanding Worth and True.”

Brother Mohandas Martin “Dino” State Chaplain & Editor Psi Omega Spr. 98

Brothers of the greatest Fraternity on the face of the Earth, I was reading and pondering on the goodness of life and came across this: “Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit.” With that being said, I look forward to seeing each of you reading this note on the Monday Manhood Prayer Call.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT

CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES Publisher’s Summary The pages of my debut autobiography Choices and Consequences are inspired by the events of my life. I wrote this book to enlighten, inform and empower others to be keenly aware of their daily choices. Dealing with consequences allows us to navigate through our daily lives and paint a picture of how we do or do not want our lives to appear.

However, we all know individuals who want to paint our picture for us or give their interpretation of us as if it were gospel. All of us have enough going on in our personal lives that we must each direct our attention to the Brush and Canvas of our own portrait. Regardless of what others think, say, or believe, every individual must make his or her own CHOICES and reap the resulting CONSEQUENCES. As the sun rises each day, we all have CHOICES to make. By the time the sun sets, we sometimes face the CONSEQUENCES for each one of our CHOICES. There is no question that God is the "Ultimate Decision Maker" and "Consequence Giver", but He allows us to navigate through our daily lives and paint a picture of what we want our lives to look like, or how they should not look.

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By: Bro. Clarence Pittman | Kappa Alpha Alpha Chapter Atlanta, GA | Omega Men from across the state convened at the annual Omega Day at the State Capitol. Brothers intently discussed issues and concerns on topics such as quality of public education, voting rights, resources for marginalized families, income disparities, and others. The morning and afternoon sessions were led by a few speakers, including DeKAAtur Chapter’s own Bro. Omari Crawford, State Representative for Georgia House District 084.

Bro. Crawford led the sponsorship of Bill HR1076 which is a resolution recognizing February 13, 2024, as Omega Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. Bro. Crawford was joined by five other sponsors: Edna Jackson Georgia House District 165, Brian Prince Georgia House District 132, Tremaine Reese Georgia House District 140, David Sampson Georgia House District 153, and Inga Willis Georgia House District 055.

The Resolution illuminated Omega’s 4 founders, 4 cardinal principles, The Mother Pearl, the 12 mandated programs, and the 250,000 global memberships, as such: NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend the State of Georgia Organization Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., for its continued commitment to public service and recognize February 13, 2024, as Omega Day at the state capitol.

WHEREAS the Georgia State Organization was established in 1963 and is composed of over 10,000 members and 46 chapters; it provides service in 40 counties throughout the State of Georgia & 16 colleges and universities including Historically Black Colleges & Universities; and WHEREAS there are many Omega men recognized for their leadership in various industries nationally and internationally, including: The Honorable Hank Johnson, congressman of Georgia's 4th Congressional District; Dr. M. Brian Blake, president of Georgia State University; Dr. Kevin James, president of Morris Brown College; Sheriff Gregory D. Countryman, sheriff of Muscogee County; Sheriff Craig Owens, sheriff of Cobb County; Fitz Johnson, public service commissioner for District; Scott Hamilton, police chief of Austell, Georgia; Omari Crawford, representative of House District; David Sampson, representative of House District; and former Dean of the House Calvin Smyre, just to name a few.

On this day, Omega Men had priceless comradery and dialogues which they feel will materialize into future impactful uplifting results. So, this blessed day did go from Good to Great!

Zeta Beta Beta Chapter 7th District Graduate Chapter of the Year The 87th 7th District Meeting in Biloxi, MS yielded great success for the State of Georgia.

Congratulations to the Zeta Beta Beta Chapter | Athens/Gainesville on securing the District’s Chapter of the Year designation. Kudos to former State Counselor, Bro. DeNorris Heard who was elevated to the office of District Counselor, along with former State Keeper of Finance, Bro. Robert Fields to District Keeper of Finance. Special s/o to all the Achievement Week Winners!

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By: Bro. Solomon Thomas Introduction Something that can never be in too much supply is empathy. Empathy can manifest in relation to oneself, between individuals, and among the group. It's something we do both consciously and unconsciously, and it's a force whose absence is felt when heated conflicts arise. Given that individuals have different worldviews which are shaped by their past experience, biology, culture, and idiosyncrasies, we must reconcile our paradigms to the degree that they differ or else we risk miscommunication, misunderstandings, and the threat of violent conflict. I'll define what empathy is shortly, but first let me say a few words about what it's not. It's not the submission of one to another. It's not the affirmation of a worldview, nor is it the strawmanning or disfiguring of a world view. It's not the manipulation of a person's feelings or emotions for the benefit of the other. With that clear, let's dive into what empathy is. I'll then lay out some inhibitors of empathy that I think can hinder an individual, and then we'll walkthrough some ways around the blockers.

What is Empathy?

Empathy is the collaborative process generated by a shared understanding of experience.

To empathize is to set aside your own emotions and values in order to inhabit the frame of reference or perspective of the other (1). It's the shedding or suppression of your worldview for the adoption of the other. Once this is done consciously, you'll then begin to unconsciously feel emotions and sensations. You then articulate these feelings to the other person, and if your summary is an acceptable gist of what they are experiencing, then we could say that a connection of empathy has been established. The key in this definition of empathy is that it's not about agreeing with what the other person is saying or feeling, but it's about understanding the meaning of their experience.

To be empathic is to pay attention to how the other person communicates their external world with the intent of understanding the meaning of their internal world. You're not telling the other person how they should feel, you're just trying to gain clarity (2). This attention to the inner world, if done successfully, can manifest physiological responses.

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James Gibson wrote this in reference to visual perception, but I believe it to be metaphorically applicable: “To adopt the point of view of another person is not an advanced achievement of conceptual thought. It means, I can perceive surfaces hidden at my point of view but unhidden at yours. This means, I can perceive a surface that is behind another.

And if so, we can both perceive the same world” (3). When we understand what a person is going through, we say things like "I've been there" or "I see what you're saying". These metaphors make sense because true understanding is deeper than the merely cognitive. It's embodied.

We have this capacity for deep understanding of one another because we all share an evolutionary history that's filled with behavioral, imagistic, and semantic patterns of value.

We've been watching these patterns in each other, imitating them, codifying them, and articulating them into stories. This is why great art, like movies, novels, plays, and music can grip us despite our individual uniqueness. Tor Norretranders wrote, “For the true power of the fairy tale comes because children and grown-ups can together experience the wonder of the narrative: that a text with so little information can raise a tree of empathy in the mind of the reader or listener” (4). While we all experience life differently to some extent, there's always a bridge of empathy that can be built, across which the potential for human flourishing and meaning can flow freely.

Inhibitors of Empathy There are forces within the individual that aim to destroy this bridge. We'll focus on three for this paper which are resentment, ignorance, and a sub-optimal level of analysis.

Resentment is a negative, corrupting emotion that is generally targeted at another person. It manifests when a person's ego is attacked, or at least they perceive that it has been. Maybe your co-worker got an undeserved promotion that you believe belonged to you. Perhaps you put forward an idea to the group, only to have it shut down or ignored. Maybe your intimate partner failed to notice something good you did, so you develop a desire to get them back in the future.

Someone possessed by resentment first hunkers down in their worldview which is under attack. They get defensive, rigid in their thinking, seeking any justification for why they're right. This energy and attention is also shifted towards opportunities to prove their attacker wrong. The opportunity may manifest in the moment, the next day, or years into the future, but the longer the resentment festers, the less able the person will be to see clearly.

Resentment inhibits empathy because it makes it difficult for one to shed their own worldview to adopt that of the other person. They equate suppression of their perspective to an admission of defeat. They cannot begin the journey of understanding because their mind and soul are clouded, shrouded by a fear of vulnerability.

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Ignorance is another inhibitor of empathy. Here we can think of two forms of ignorance, one being the perennial form of ignorance that's part and parcel of being and the other is a form of ignorance that's willfully adopted. This latter form manifests because an individual does not want to obtain the knowledge of interest. There are plenty scenarios where this makes sense. To obtain knowledge is to update a part of your worldview, and sometimes this part of your worldview has been held for years or decades. It's a fundamental axiom that your past, present, and future is predicated on. To discover that it's wrong is to temporarily be exposed to the unknown which provokes anxiety.

This willful ignorance blocks the second step in the process of empathy. It makes it difficult to dawn the perspective of another person. To see the world from their perspective is to gain knowledge about their idiosyncrasies that shape their paradigm. Some aspects of their paradigm may conflict with yours, and once you expose yourself to that knowledge, it's highly unlikely that you can unlearn it. The same can be said about assessing your own perspective. It can be painful to dig up a deeply held assumption about the world for analysis. Some people would rather move forward not only in the dark, but in voluntary deception or delusion. You cannot establish an empathic relationship if you're not willing to obtain knowledge about yourself and others, even the knowledge you'd rather not know.

A final inhibitor of empathy is a sub-optimal level of analysis when thinking about other people. People can be thought of as individuals or as belonging to a group. This is a false dichotomy, but we'll maintain it for the sake of argument. If you think of yourself as purely an individual, you could make the argument that no one can understand you because you are the only person who's experienced your life. If you think of yourself as belonging to one or more identity groups, then you could make a similar argument that there's so much difference between my group and others that unless you're a part of my group, you could never understand my experience. Both directions have an element of hyper reductionism.

They fail to account for the facts that all people are the same and different simultaneously and that there's more difference within groups than between them.

A failure to categorize people properly can create a false distinction between in-group and out-group which can then become a boundary against understanding. With this paradigm, people in the out-group might as well speak a different language than those of the in-group.

We see this today with people who feel that in order to be inspired at work, they need their leadership to look like them. The notion is that only women can understand women or only black people can understand black people. These reductionist ways of looking at the world stifle empathy before a genuine relationship is even given a chance.

How to Facilitate Empathy Given these inhibitors, what could be done about them? We, as individuals, can start by learning about who we are. Many people don't know what resentment is, or they've experienced it before but only unconsciously. A famous psychoanalyst named Carl Jung .

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had this to say about the conscious and the unconscious; “Discrimination is the essence, the conditio sine qua non of consciousness. Hence, everything unconscious is undifferentiated, and everything happening unconsciously proceeds from a basis of nondifferentiation. That is to say, there is no certainty at all as to whether an unconscious content belongs, or does not belong to the self. It cannot be determined a priori whether it pertains to me, to others, or to both. Moreover, feeling is no sure guide in this respect” (5).

We all have an unconscious, a domain of our psyche that manifests in dreams and fantasies that impacts our conscious behaviors without our awareness. Within the unconscious lies the shadow which is an amalgam of our vices. People may say they don't have resentment in their heart. They may think that they are too good to harbor ill will towards another human, but people either allow their shadow to have its way or they keep it in check by listening to it and integrating all those negative aspects of their personality in a productive manner. Know that you're not transparent to yourself and learn to listen to your emotions which serve as low-resolution signals from your unconscious. Jung also wrote, “Real liberation comes not from glossing over or repressing painful states of feeling, but only from experiencing them to the full” (6). To practice empathy requires the proper contention with resentment which first entails recognizing and understanding it.

While we need knowledge of our shadow, we also need knowledge more broadly about how people see the world and are impacted by their beliefs. We must learn about physics, biology, culture, and the intellect. We are creatures that are always changing and always maintaining a sense of conservation, a status quo. How we balance this is the story of our existence. Why your girlfriend doesn't like the way you express appreciation, why your child acts out in school, why the power dynamics at work are setup the way they are, to answer these questions require both an admission of ignorance and a voluntary decision to seek the truth. Another way to pave a clear road for empathy is to "tell the truth, or at least don't lie" (7), and this could refer to the avoidance of the self-deception of omniscience.

“We are creatures that are always changing and always maintaining a sense of conservation, a status quo.”

How can we facilitate empathy by categorizing people properly? First, we should acknowledge that there is no getting around reducing people into a category during an interaction. We are limited beings that cannot possibly manage the near-infinite multitude of beings made in the image of God. Conscious beings have within them imitative ideas and physical genes shaped by millions of years of evolution. They have the capacity for great good and great evil. They also are tightly interconnected in a social fabric with thousands of other people. Lastly, they are in relation to their numerous potential selves that may manifest in the future. All of that and much more is embedded in a being, but to an extent we don't see all of that when we talk to one another, and for good reason.

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Given that we must undergo an operation of reduction, we can instill a practice of becoming aware of the boundaries we establish in an interaction, holding them loosely, and allowing the person we're speaking with to confirm or deny the validity of the boundaries. We have a priori beliefs about the things we see, but that does not mean they are correct given the current circumstances. Proper reduction should be allied with a collaborative dialogue on a substrate of humility. As a man, I have my knowledge of the general differences between men and women, and I use this knowledge as an initial, loosely held assumption when I meet a woman for the first time. I act off these assumptions, and sometimes will make them explicit by asking questions. As I get to know the person, the gaps are filled in and they become less so a part of the group and more so an individual that bears some resemblance to the group but also has an element of idiosyncrasies. The more that my interactions with her are successfully iterated in a manner that's playful, productive, and even meaningful, the more confident I can be in my dynamic categorization of them.

Conclusion The facilitation and development of empathy is something best initiated at the individual level. Jung echoed this point when he wrote, “The bettering of a general ill begins with the individual, and then only when he makes himself and not others responsible.” Every decision we make, between wrestling with our shadow or allowing it to possess us, between learning as a neophyte or clinging to our arrogance, between trying to see people for who they are and constricting them to an arbitrary box, tilts society towards prosperity or catastrophe. William James, a famous American philosopher, and psychologist wrote, “The hell to be endured hereafter, of which theology tells, is no worse than the hell we make for ourselves in the world by habitually fashioning our characters in the wrong way” (8). To resolve conflict gracefully, we need empathy, and to practice and bring about empathy is a function of the choices we make in our actions every day.

References 1. Rogers, C.R. (1980). A Way of Being. Houghton Mifflin Company.

2. Rogers, C.R. (1977). Carl Rogers On Personal Power. Delacorte.

3. Gibson, J.J. (2015). The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception. Psychology Press.

4. Norretranders, T. (1999). The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size.

5. Jung, C.G. (2014). Two Essays on Analytical Psychology. Martino Publishing. Bollingen.

6. Jung, C.G. (1990). The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious 7. Peterson, J.B. (2018). 12 Rules for Life. Random House Canada 8. James, W. (1980). Principles of Psychology. Pantianos Classics If you enjoyed this piece and are interested in supporting this work, please consider becoming a free subscriber, where weekly essays covering culture, psychology, and philosophy are posted:

ImperfectJourney.substack.com S. Thomas 5

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Eta Omega Hosts Blood Drive and Health Fair

By: Bro. Jason Jackson | Atlanta, GA On Saturday, February 10, in southwest Atlanta, Eta Omega Chapter and the National Pan Hellenic Council (NPHC) of Greater Atlanta held a Health Fair and Blood Drive.

Representatives from a wide variety of organizations including the Fulton County Board of Health, Ask a Black Doctor, and the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia were on hand at the AUC Institute Library to give presentations and disseminate information to a crowd of over 100 community members. Topics covered included mental health, senior care, and heart disease. Representatives of Eta Omega's Voter Registration Empowerment and Mobilization committee were also on hand to register voters and provide information on upcoming elections. The event was a great success, as Eta Omega exceeded their blood drive goal in support of the American Red Cross.

Phi Kappa Kappa Ques Brother Tarquinn Bates wins NAACP Award By: Bro. Marc Styles | Atlanta, GA On Monday, February 12, 2024, the Morehouse College NAACP Branch along with a few other sponsors, gathered at The Abernathy Center, to help the Clayton County NAACP Branch celebrate its 115th Founder’s Day, and to recognize eighteen black male teachers within the Clayton County Public School System as part of their “Black Men Teach Awards” Initiative.

This effort is a transformative initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of Black male educators in our schools. This program seeks to empower and inspire young minds by fostering diversity in the teaching profession and further provide mentorship and educational resources to our communities, is the Mission Statement. The Black Men Teach Legacy Builder Award was presented to Brother Tarquinn Bates, he’s currently with Phi Kappa Kappa Chapter.

Brother Bates has 20 Years of dedicated service educating our youth throughout his career. He has a strong track record of increasing his student’s achievement levels as a mathematics teacher. Brother Bates, is also a former Clayton County Public School Teacher of the Year. In addition to his mathematics duties in the classroom, he also provides free Algebra tutoring on a daily basis. He has proven himself to be an awesome Varsity Baseball Coach at Morrow High School, by winning more games than any other coaches in the past 30 years.

During his speech Brother Bates said, “I teach young people about accountability, to increase their knowledge levels, how to achieve despite difficulties, and to help others by my mentorship and guidance, To God Be the Glory! I strive to make a positive impact on God’s children!

Someone in Clayton County’s NAACP sees the Light of Jesus in me and wanted me to be recognized. My rewards are seeing the achievement of my students, and God getting the Glory!”

In conclusion, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., taught me what I share in MSPU. God is Good!

Thank You Clayton County NAACP Chapter. Brother Bates is pictured with his award.

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VALDOSTA Ques Alpha Gamma Gamma Celebrates Bro. Tremaine Jackson, History-Making Valdosta State Blazers Head Football Coach

Submitted By: Bro. Tremaine Genias | Valdosta, GA At Valdosta State, Bro Tremaine Jackson (2-23-AGG) made history during the 2023 VSU Football Season as the first African American Head Coach to win the Gulf South Conference Championship in the league’s history. Jackson, now the third-year Valdosta State head football coach, was also the only African American head football coach to win a conference championship in any division aside from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

He became the first African American head coach and 11th overall in Valdosta State football history on January 3, 2022. Things got off to a rocky start in 2022 as the Blazers mustered a 5-6 record in Jackson's first season. However, his sophomore season in 2023 bore a historic 12-2 campaign which has the Blazers trending up with higher hopes and aspirations in the coming year. Entering his second season in Titletown, Jackson did not listen to all the outside noise as his somewhat disappointing first season left the fans wondering what his future in Titletown held.

He knew that 2022 was going to be tough and initially had doubts, even wondering if he had taken the wrong job. The 2022 season had ups and downs, so coming into the 2023 season, Jackson had a key goal in mind: making the playoff. "All I wanted to do was make the playoff," he said. "I didn't care what our record was. Whatever we've got to be, at least No. 7 in the region at the end of the season to make the playoffs, is what I wanted to be."

The Valdosta State football team started out hot, going 5-0. With an undefeated record, the team gained confidence and indeed made it to the playoffs. Jackson finished the 2023 season with a 12-2 overall record, a share of the GSC title, and an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals. For the 2024 season, he and the team have even higher goals and aspirations.

Photo & Excerpts from: https://vstateblazers.com/news/2024/4/9/in-spite-of-how-blazer-football-head-coach-tremaine-jackson-made-history.aspx

DeKAAtur Ques Kappa Alpha Alpha Chapter Endeavors to Encourage Students at a “Real Men Read” Program

By: Bro. Clarence Pittman | DeKalb County, GA March 7, 2024 – At Doraville United Elementary School in Dekalb County on a Thursday morning, DeKAAtur brothers engaged and entertained with students during picture book readings. This Real Men Read at this public school is in a large Atlanta suburban setting. The student population of Doraville Elementary is 700 and the school serves PK-5.

“Absolutely true! Real men do read, and they read in a place where it makes a difference! Good job! Keep the reading going which will inspire other young men,” said Virginia Jackson, retired educator/RCHA Commissioner at Indian River Beach, Florida.

With the help of Ms. Karessa Carter, an education specialist at this School, DeKAAtur Chapter was able to register and participate in the Real Men Read. Ms. Carter is the daughter of Mrs. Kay Jakes, who is a member of DeKAAtur Chapter’s own unique Omega Dear, which was chartered by Bro. Darrell DeShazier in May 2019. The members of Omega Dear are spouses of brothers who have transitioned to Omega Chapter. DeKAAtur Chapter keeps in touch with this membership.

Real Men Read is correlated with the Read Across America Week which was held March 4th through 8th to promote the power of literacy by the National Education Association (NEA). NEA has more than 3 million people—educators, students, activists, workers, parents, neighbors, friends—who believe in opportunity for all students and in the power of public education to transform lives and create a more just and inclusive society.

Assuredly, DeKAAtur Chapter’s presence at this school and others, in the past couple of months, shows its faithfulness to the Real Men Read initiative.

Brother Anderson Bentley, Jr. Honored Baldwin County Schools Names Track for Legendary Coach By: Bro. Dr. John Williams | Albany, GA On March 30, 2024, Baldwin County School District christened the Anderson Bentley, Jr. Track at Braves Stadium in honor of the legendary & longtime coach. A 1969 initiate of the Chi Epsilon Chapter at Albany State College (ASC), Bentley was honored and humbled.

“This is a tribute to me,” he said. “It is the most honored thing that has ever happened to me in my lifetime. It is a tribute to my work for the past 50 Years. I have tried to excel in everything at Baldwin,” Bentley said. He has mentored and assisted in raising hundreds of children during his years of coaching track and field and basketball at Baldwin High School.

At the January 9th Baldwin School District Board of Education meeting, Athletic Director Dexter Ricks, Sr., presented on the dedication of the Braves Stadium track in honor of Anderson Bentley Jr. According to Baldwin District policy, the board was required to hear and receive presentation on any part of school property to be named for individuals. Ricks said this presentation wasn't just about Baldwin High Athletics, but the “community as a whole.” He added, ”you know how it is when you have people who come into your life and change your life and become mentors…He is definitely one of those for me and everybody he touched.” Bentley credits Ricks with the push for naming the track after him.

Excerpts from:: https://sports.yahoo.com/move-underway-honor-bentley-legacy-045900725.html https://www.unionrecorder.com/news/anderson-bentley-jr-feels-blessed/article_a7fd67d8-16fe-11e5-bef1-87ff98fd33dd.html

Bentley landed in Milledgeville when he was just 22 years old, fresh from ASC with a degree in Biology/Pre-Med. He had plans of going to Medical School, but was offered a job at Baldwin Middle, with an opportunity to coach. He worked as a Supply Teacher, as he didn’t have an education degree. His Grandmother was an educator, and he knew the stories, so the last thing he wanted to do was teach. His goal was to be a Pediatrician, but he said, “God had a plan.” Immediately, he fell in love with teaching and went on to get certified. This paved the way for advancement and leadership in teaching, and ultimately for roles as head football coach, athletic director, track & field and head basketball coach.

Bentley believes that God saw in him something very special, that he could offer children that others couldn’t. He describes himself as a mentor for children of all ages. He has had great successes in teaching and coaching over the years, even being named Teacher of the Year along the way. His coaching successes have earned even more accolades, which include the Annual Anderson Bentley, Jr. Track & Field Invitational, now in its eighth year. Bentley retired in 2002 but came back in 2013 when asked to come and reinvigorate the track program. He’s now in his third generation, coaching the grandkids of students he coached when he first started.

“I’m turning 75 this year,” said Bentley. He got married at age 20 and has been with his wife for over 53 years. “She is my rock,” he said. A prostate cancer survivor, Bentley is grateful to God for allowing him longevity. He said God took him through that course and now living vibrantly is his testimony. Today, Bentley is thanking God for getting behind the people to make the recommendation. “I get energy from the kids I coach,” he said.

“Coaching gives me something to do and keeps me actively involved. I don’t take it lightly.”