GOOD HEALTH WINs Partnership

Since the onset of COVID-19, over 6.3 million deaths occurred globally, with over 1 million reported in the United States. The devastating loss of human lives in America could have been prevented if not for the widespread misinformation and the impact of political posturing.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the nation’s health protection agency, which is responsible for saving lives by providing guidance to protect people from health, safety and security threats. The national health organization sought trusted messengers to aid in its efforts to combat the spread of misinformation about COVID-19. One organization selected was the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) which received a grant to the organization’s Women Immunization Networks program to leverage networks to fight for vaccine equity and accurate communication.

After accessing a network of 2 million in only 12 states in 2021, the CDC reached out to the Divine Nine in 2022 to add another 2.5 million, making for potentially 4.5 million trusted messengers. The NCNW proposed the partnership to the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Council of Presidents and a 5-year grant was awarded to the group. Through the Good Health WINs program, each organization will receive $318,000 ($150,000 for Iota Phi Theta Fraternity) per year to advocate for positive engagement and to provide accurate information in communities for the prevention of COVID-19 infections and deaths.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity launched its foray into the program with a public service announcement campaign to educate the general public about vaccine equity, flu-related information and social distancing. Various members of the General Board recorded PSA videos with messages addressing the illness, members, neighborhoods or communities, race, occupation, insurance, or social distancing/masks.

Brother Malwan Johnson, International Director of Social Action is Sigma’s POC and facilitator of the program shared “The fraternity is fully engaged in the partnership which involves us making quarterly reports tracking COVID-related activity to CDC

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and through community practice meetings. We came together on one call to highlight what chapters are doing.”

Through Sigma’s partnership efforts, Brother Johnson encouraged chapters to do programs offering free PPE and hand sanitizers while sponsoring other events and making sure they report on those activities. “Our goal is to have 10% of chapters in grant processing,” says Brother Johnson. Chapters can apply for the grant on the BluPrint site.

In March of this year, Brother Johnson facilitated a Town Hall video recording highlighting COVID-19 safety and behavioral tips, featuring Honorable Brother Chris V. Rey, International President and six of the past international presidents, Hon. Bro. Carter D. Womack, Hon. Bro. William E. Stanley, Hon. Bro. Peter M. Adams, Hon. Bro. Arthur R. Thomas, Hon. Bro. Paul L. Griffin, Jr. and Hon. Bro. Micheal E. Cristal. This summer, Good Health WINs will be a lead sponsor supporting the Summer Strategic Session on July 22 – 23rd in Philadelphia, PA. Registrants will have the opportunity to continue advocating for trusted information relating to COVID-19 safety and prevention.

As Year 2 approaches, Sigma plans to expand the partnership with other groups, such as cities. Additionally, collegiate chapters can partner with their universities. The PBS program is hoping to issue 50 grants of $2,000 and 50 grants of $1,500.

President Chris Rey is excited about the awesome partnership: “Phi Beta Sigma continues to move the needle as it relates to truly being in the room and at the table making decisions that impact our communities. When we’re ‘All in Good Health WINs!”

Since the founding of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 35 men have been elected to sit in the seat of President. These notable gentlemen have the unique experience that can only be shared amongst themselves. They represent a legacy in leadership that will forever inspire, motivate, and teach past, present and future generations of Sigma Men.

The Crescent assembled and interviewed our esteemed Legacy of Leaders to document and glean, from their voices, their administration’s achievements and contributions to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. We invite you to take this opportunity to discover the many historical nuggets offered from each leader.

25th International President

TC: THE THEME FOR THE FLOYD ADMINISTRATION WAS “A RENAISSANCE IN BROTHERHOOD: FOCUSING ON GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE RELATIONS.” WHAT WAS THE STATE OF THE BROTHERHOOD THAT ENCOURAGED THIS FOCUS?

JF: In my long journey from chapter president to international president the ideals of good communication were with me, especially between our undergraduates and graduates. I saw a great need for our undergraduates in verbal communication with persons outside of the fraternity. As I traveled, generally, with our second vice president and director of undergraduate affairs, we talked to our undergraduate brothers about building a strong SIGMA communications network. Having great speakers and debaters would enhance our communication within, as well as, outside of the fraternity.

Developing a great national system of Sigma speakers and debaters was the aim, the problem was convincing nationally our brothers that we were serious in helping to build such a system. The answers were in our deeds not rhetoric. With this thought in mind, to help with the program’s formulation, the 2nd vice president, national director of undergraduate affairs, National Director of Education and Executive Director were designated— thus the program was funded and launched. Great assistance in topic and program development was provided by scholarly brothers throughout the country. All national officers and staff bought in, individual chapters bought into the programs nationwide with chapters and regions talking, speaking and debating with scholarships funded at all levels. With this new involvement and participation by the undergraduates other programs such as our National Miss Phi Beta Sigma Beauty Pageant developed a renewed interest and funding. Undergraduates participated in National Conclave planning and programs so much so, that our conclave concert became a program favorite and the O’JAYS became a SIGMA fixture. TC: DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION, THE REAGAN ERA ECONOMY WAS HAVING SERIOUS EFFECTS ON THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE FRATERNITY WAS IMPROVED AS REFLECTED BY AN IMPROVEMENT IN MEMBERSHIP SERVICES. WHAT OTHER FRATERNAL OPERATIONS WERE POSITIVELY IMPACTED DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION?

JF: The newfound interest and confidence that we experienced at the chapter, regional and national level paved the way for continued growth in what could have been troubled times. Because of innovatively funded programs, brothers not only joined but remained active and involved.

TC: THE PHI BETA SIGMA FEDERAL CREDIT UNION WAS FINALLY CHARTERED ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1987 AFTER PLANS BEGAN IN 1979; AND THE PHI BETA SIGMA NATIONAL HOUSING FOUNDATION WAS ESTABLISHED ON JANUARY 9, 1987.

JF: These two great programs suffered and lingered simply because of an unsure commitment by Phi Beta Sigma and the lack of a definitive planning and communication process. As an organization, we recognized the need for the PBS Credit Union early on but did not realize we had the organizational and management skills required within Sigma. By soliciting the assistance of the eastern regional director and the eastern region, we were able to meet the organization’s goal and the requirements on the National Federal Credit Union and formed the PHI BETA SIGMA CREDIT UNION. One basic need for the Credit Union is to provide a “life-line” for our undergraduates who have not yet established credit lines. The need for affordable housing was great during the 1980s and continues today. Sigma saw this need early and established a foundation to assist with addressing this need. TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE NEWTON ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE FLOYD ADMINISTRATION?

JF: The Oratorical and Debate program development and the Needs Assessment started under the Demetrius C. Newton administration and became full focus later and are doing well today. Being a dynamic speaker himself, as national president, Newton made every effort to insure Phi Beta Sigma had quality and well-known speakers for all programs, which brought many other brothers and outside guests to the Fraternity. We continued this trend and invited and funded top level speakers which brought many guests to Conclave public programs.

27th & 29th International President

TC: THE WOMACK ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATED A DRAMATIC ELEVATION OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY’S OVERALL BRAND THROUGH THE THEME “OUR PRIDE IS SHOWING.” WHAT WAS THE VISION THAT SERVED AS THE IMPETUS AND SOME OF THE TANGIBLE OUTCOMES OF THIS MAJOR OVERHAUL?

CW: The whole focus on Our Pride Is Showing relates to Phi Beta Sigma, in my assuming the position as the 27th International president.

I tell people that I was elected as the national president at the age of 34. The whole focus was about how do we elevate Phi Beta Sigma’s brand and recognition within the National PanHellenic Council and the broader community. I want the world to know about Phi Beta Sigma!

People did not know about Phi Beta Sigma. Our membership numbers weren’t as strong as they should have been. And our image was not as visible as it should have been. With that in mind, me and the team came together and talked about how we move Phi Beta Sigma forward with the whole thing about pride. And you talk about pride -- that means you want people to feel good about themselves. They want to look in the mirror and say I’m excited to be a Phi Beta Sigma man. Our theme, coupled with our focus on issues that impact African American males to strengthen America’s community, was all part of that whole branding piece that we thought was important for us to do. This was our rally cry … “Sigmas Focused on Issues that Impact African American Males to Strengthen America’s Community”

TC: DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION, NATIONALLY, THERE WAS A DRAMATIC DROP-OUT RATE AMONG BLACK MALES IN HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH PROMPTED THE FRATERNITY’S EMPHASIS ON “SAVING YOUNG BLACK MALES.” WHAT KEY DEVELOPMENTS WERE REALIZED AS A RESULT OF THIS FOCUS?

CW: Those things would be coupled with the whole pride piece, and the focus was, as we said, if we’re going to move America forward from an African-American perspective, that Phi Beta Sigma with our rich heritage in history from 1914 -- we had to find our niche and; our niche was already there with our Sigma Beta Club. The fraternity established the Sigma Beta Club in 1950 under the leadership of Honorable Brother Dr. Parlett Moore. And we’d never really put a lot of effort in promoting the Sigma Beta Club, bringing young men into the fraternity, developing them to be successful graduates from high school and then supporting them to move into colleges and universities. And, at the same time, working with those young men such that they would then want to ultimately join the fraternity; graduate, join an alumni chapter and they continue to grow the brand. This whole focus on issues that impact the African American male was very critical to the whole branding and image of the organization which was critical for us, if we were going to grow and be impactful. And more importantly, it gave us the opportunity to measure our impact so we can know how many young men were in Sigma Beta Clubs across the country. We can know how many went to college, how many graduated and ultimately, how many of those young men joined the fraternity after graduation; joined an alumni chapter and built a base that gave us a brand that no other fraternity had. Because the belief was then, and still is, that we are in this competition with the other organizations to grow the brand and have impact.

That was a part of that whole push. There were other things that were important for us at that time. We needed press and we needed to be in the newspapers, on radio and TV telling the stories of our great history and all the works we were doing. People needed to read about Phi Beta Sigma. Back then there was no internet, there was no Facebook, there was no Twitter, there was no Instagram. The team that had been assembled made it happen. Because of their work, Sigma Brothers were showing their SIGMA PRIDE--OUR PRIDE WAS TRULY SHOWING.

If you look at what Phi Beta Sigma was doing, my administration among the Divine Eight or the Great Eight, because there were not nine members of the NPHC, we were ranked number four out of four of the fraternities from the standpoint of membership engagement and visibility.

We would always say at national meetings that you have joined the greatest fraternity in the world. And my response was that’s not true. Was it well-received by the brothers? No. But my job as the international president was to tell them the truth and say, we can be the greatest fraternity, but it’s going to require you to be financially active, contribute to the organization, wear your paraphernalia, wear your frat pins all the time, get your Sigma license plates and show that pride; so that people would then elevate us from being four of four to being one of four.

There were other things that we did. We introduced the first fraternity plastic credit card type membership card. Before, the membership cards were a piece of paper, laminated and sent to brothers. We brought in the credit card membership cards that we now have as Sigmas. We made ourselves visible in every major activity, even though back then we didn’t have a lot of money. So, a part of that “pride is showing” was to get brothers to want to give to support the organization

TC: YOUR LEADERSHIP SHINED A HUGE LIGHT ON THE CORPORATE EXECUTIVE LEADER. GIVING CLUBS WERE INSTITUTED TO RAISE THE FRATERNITY’S NATIONAL PROFILE THROUGH PHILANTHROPY. WHAT WERE THE FRUITS OF CONNECTING WITH NATIONAL CORPORATE SERVICE PARTNERS?

CW: The fraternity, for many reasons, had not reached out and dealt with this whole thing about corporate partnerships and gaining support from corporate and governmental organizations.

A lot of that had to do with the fact that many of my predecessors were not connected to corporate organizations. Also, we must realize that corporate organizations back then did not hire us or see Black organizations as having anything to offer them. We brought in a new era to Sigma and thus was born the Corporate, Business and Governmental Relations partnerships that exist today and continues to grow.

I think that I was probably the second person to serve in this role that was a corporate person. The president prior to that was Honorable Brother Charles B. Wright, my mentor. Charles worked for the March of Dimes at the corporate senior level. We never went out and asked corporate America to be a part of the organization. We had always had programs where we asked brothers to give, but not at the level that we knew we had to take it, if we were going to move the fraternity, not just from a visibility standpoint but to a prestigious standpoint. We needed the funds to make the fraternity more viable and able to present programs and services to the community. Corporate partnerships were a must. When I was elected president, I was working with Ryder Truck Rental and a Brother said to me, “Why are you standing in front of that Ryder truck on the cover of the first issue of The Crescent Magazine?”, which was done by Brother Steve Ballard and Steve was very instrumental in the development of our brand, the designing of the membership credit card, the redesign of The Crescent and rebranding the magazine. I stood in front of a Ryder truck and people said, Wow, Ryder. I said, “because Ryder gave us, at my request, $15,000 every year, when I was international president and I worked for Ryder.” But that launched us in other corporations to say, wow, Phi Beta Sigma has a membership that we want to tap into.

And it also gave our chapters and brothers something to feel good about, and they had a story to tell: to recruit other people like me and others to assume the role of president and lead at all levels.

TC: YOU HAVE THE HISTORY-MAKING ACHIEVEMENT OF SERVING TWICE AS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT. AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE MCCLENDON AND STANLEY ADMINISTRATIONS DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE WOMACK ADMINISTRATIONS?

CW: Hon. Brother Moses McClendon served as 26th International President and Brother McLendon was, I would say, a soft leader in leading the fraternity. He led with a commitment to build the organization. He created a great relationship with brothers and brought this whole concept that we need to be stronger as brothers, working and collaborating together.

I took many of the things that McClendon did to create this great bond of brotherhood and relationships and expanded on that. We got brothers more engaged and communicating with each other, sharing information with each other. Brother McClendon gave that sense that we are one organization, one brotherhood, and we did that as a part of Our Pride Is Showing Campaign.

28th International President

TC: THE STANLEY ADMINISTRATION AFFORDED THE BROTHERHOOD AND NATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT OF ALLIANCES WHEN YOU APPROVED THE SUPPORT OF THE MILLION MAN MARCH. WHAT WAS THE VISION FOR AND RESULT OF THIS COLLABORATION?

WS: I knew Brother Benjamin Chavis, who’s an honorary member, when he was in Oxford, North Carolina. He, along with Howard Fuller and Floyd McKissick, you probably heard some of those names; were some of the civil rights leaders in our area. Benjamin Chavis Muhammad was the executive director of the NAACP, and he lost that position. He was planning the Million Man March but he lost his office where he was planning the march.

So, I gave him space at our international headquarters office -- space to plan the Million Man March. The interesting thing is when I used to go up to Washington, the Fruit of Islam (FOI) was standing out front guarding the building 24 hours a day. Several people were coming by taking pictures of it.

We became the headquarters for the Million Man March. At our Conclave, Brother Bob Greaux, National Director of Social Action, and his committee went out and came back with the national Social Action Program. He was chairman of that committee. I asked, “so, did you guys come up with a decision on what we were going to do about the Million Man March?” And he said “brother president, we didn’t discuss it.” And I said, “well, you can’t report.” So, I sent them back before they even came to the Conclave floor to make their presentation. And I sent members of the Nation of Islam to talk to them about the Million Man March. They came back and made the recommendation, that we support the Million Man March. Of course, I did.

We were the first and only fraternal organization to support the Million Man March publicly until it was popular to do so. And the interesting thing is, when Louis Farrakhan made his speech at the Million Man March, he thanked all of the fraternities and sororities that supported it. And his words, “especially Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.” And then he said “and it’s wonderful, wonderful president.”—he was talking about me! So that’s how we supported the Million Man March, but I really believed in the mission of the march. Marching is in Phi Beta Sigma’s DNA. A. Philip Randolph lead marches, John Lewis lead marches, and Hosea Williams lead marches. I also believe that as a result of the Million Man March, a lot of organizations prospered because men started going back to their organizations, the Masons and other fraternal organizations. I think the March gave everybody a lift in membership.

TC: AS A CORPORATE LEADER SERVING AS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFORM YOUR CORPORATE LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO ADVANCING AN INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD ORGANIZATION?

WS: When I came into office, we had just come off of a low membership count because it was mandated by the General Board to be a financial member, you had to pay a headquarters assessment fee. I think it was like 100 bucks and a lot of brothers just didn’t pay their dues. Our membership dropped, to what I thought was, an all-time low. My administration repealed the mandate. I felt like I was a cheerleader during that time, and because I was a military sales manager for The Clorox Company, had a corporate credit card, I could go anywhere in the world I wanted to, and I did. In the course of my working with my people around the world, I visited the brothers while I was in the market in places like: Germany, Japan, Korea, Alaska, Hawaii, all the regional conferences, and chapters all over the country without charging Phi Beta Sigma a penny because, I was able to use my credit cards and frequent flyer miles.

I’ve had all kinds of training. Clorox is a very good company when it comes to training. First of all, they hired people that were already trained. Procter and Gamble gave me a good background, but then they developed individual training programs where it felt that you needed to upgrade personal skills.

I went to public speaking and leadership training. In fact, I went to the Center for Creative Leadership course which was held at the University of Maryland. I was able to hang out with the collegiate brothers when I was there. And the United States Army sends all of their key people, particularly all of the Generals, to that course. There were three generals in my class, and we learned a lot of things about leadership skills. So, I’ve carried a lot of that with me. Also, we had individual training by the Clorox H.R. Department and Sales department.

So those skills became, I guess, ingrained in me, and I kind of used them as I still use them today. And I spent some time even with my children teaching them how to use those as they pursue their careers.

TC: WHO WERE YOUR PROMINENT SIGMA MENTORS AND HOW DID THEIR MENTORSHIP IMPACT YOU?

WS: First, there was Brother O.A. Dupree. He lived in Raleigh and he worked at Shaw University; he was a mentor and, on my campus, we had Brother Ed Ramsey, who worked in the economics department. J. Neil Armstrong came over from North Carolina A&T--he was regional director. Jim Floyd was a mentor of mine. And Sheryl Gilbert, Sr. was a mentor of mine in St. Louis. On the West Coast: Brothers Bill Riley, Richard Hall, Alfred Simmons and Oscar Morgan were influences. And then, of course, when I moved to Atlanta, I attached my wagon to Hon. Brothers R.O. Sutton and Demetrius Newton. So those are the ones off of the top of my head. But there are a lot of people that contributed to who I am today. Gil Francis. (I can’t start calling names because I know too many people.) And of course, Bill Doar. I had my first one-on-one conversation with brother Doar when he was executive secretary and lived at 1006 Carol St. in New York. I went over to visit the national headquarters as it were, he let me look into the files and encouraged me to become a life member which I did when I was a collegiate brother. When Brother Doar was planning the San Francisco conclave, he actually stayed in my apartment in Oakland. TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE WOMACK ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE STANLEY ADMINISTRATIONS?

WS: Brother Carter Womack and I were in lockstep when it came to the intake process and the elimination of hazing. When Carter was President of the NHPC, the Pan decided to eliminate all hazing during the pledge period. We had a lawsuit, as did the other organizations and hazing was not an activity that made better brothers. I always believe that.

When I first became president of my chapter, we cut dangerous hazing out. When I was National Director of Collegiate Affairs, I worked with Gerald Smith, who was the Executive Director and rewrote the ritual because there were things in the ritual that we were kind of like problems. You know some brothers, if they did not like what was written they would get a little creative and it turned into hazing. So, we had to write all possibilities for hazing out. Carter went up to a point of cutting hazing out, but we did not have a clearly defined intake process. So, Brother Peter Adams who was my International 1st Vice President, took the lead in developing a specific intake process.

All of the presidents of that era had to try to raise money for the organization and build membership. So, I was in lockstep on those initiatives, as well.

TC: WE’RE CELEBRATING OUR LEGACY. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOU HOPE TO BE YOUR LEGACY?

WS: Well, obviously I was the main supporter of the Million Man March. I did some things internally that we can’t talk about. I can talk about getting the shield copyrighted. Some things like that had just not been thought of as we grew so fast.

Remember, we worked in and out of Bill’s garage and house at 1006 Carroll Street in Brooklyn, New York, and we moved from a part time executive secretary to a full-time executive director in our newly acquired headquarters building. I was on the front end of some of that.

So, we had some growing pains and a lot of internal things to do. I would like the brothers to know that I’m one of the leaders that helped to carry this organization on his back, so as to hand it off to the next brother to carry it on his back, until we finally got to the point that the organization is standing alone; without being on someone’s back.

30th International President

TC: THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION USHERED THE FRATERNITY INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. WHAT WERE THE CHALLENGES AND HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THEM?

PA: As you might imagine, that was a very exciting time for everyone who was alive in the nineties, approaching a new century. But yes, there were challenges as well which went along with that for our fraternity. There were indeed opportunities for technology which we embraced.

Foremost among our immediate challenges were some stormy financial clouds. We had existed for 80 years, but in the process, as other organizations experienced, we had developed a particularly large debt around that time, which posed a great challenge for the fraternity. Let me first mention the harsh reality of coming into office when we were faced with a million-dollar debt and under-valued assets. We needed to get appropriate funding to see our way through. But, we are Sigmas -- have no fear, we got it done through a three-pronged approach. The brothers rallied, the leaders of the organization rallied and a strategic plan was mounted that protected the Headquarters and our financial footings.

First, we successfully performed a re-appraisal of key assets which increased the appraised value by some 63%. Second, an external audit was commissioned which gave us a clean report with no exceptions, along with a great credit history. Third, we instituted a capital campaign and in a direct appeal to the brotherhood raised significant cash and pledges, and generated good sales from a re-printed “Our Cause” history book, as led by now Past President Paul Griffin.

We reduced our debt, and obtained the necessary funding and commitments which allowed us to burn the mortgage in a few years. At the same time, we implemented a period of austerity. We suspended printing of The Crescent. Just like you might do in your home when you encounter large debt, you want to cool it. You want to make sure that you are on firm financial ground. That’s what we did as a national body and we positioned the fraternity for years to come. The strong position we experience today began with that foundation laid then and there - the brothers rallied. It was a time of rapidly emerging technology - we embraced technology. You might say that ours was the technology administration because many of you younger brothers would not recognize the fact that we really didn’t have websites back then, but Phi Beta Sigma, under this administration put a website in place. We had national officers with email addresses - who knew? That was with the help of technologically savvy brothers like Brother Alvin Blackshear and Brother Reginald Reed. Those brothers and others gave us the national technology team.

We conducted a reassessment of the data-processing and communications capability of the headquarters to service the membership. And we put in place, some new technologies that allowed us to better serve the membership and gain capacity.

To be effective and grow as an organization, Sigma must constantly earn and sustain “goodwill” both internally amongst members and externally with the communities and supporters. A smart use of technology in messaging, documenting and sharing stories of Brothers helping others was a conscious part of how my administration sought to generate “goodwill” and position the fraternity for success.

TC: THE THEME OF THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION, 1997 – 2001 WAS: “SIGMAS CHAMPIONING MALE RESPONSIBILITY, ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE THROUGH BROTHERHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP AND SERVICE”, EXPLAIN THE RELEVANCE TO THE TIME AND THE PROGRAMS IMPLEMENTED.

PA: The theme placed emphasis on “Sigmas” - the doers, the exemplars; “Championing” - asserting performance and stalwarts of male responsibility; committed to “Excellence” always in standards and achievements. We are a fraternity! We are keenly

concerned with preparing male youth, collegiate brothers and others for responsible leadership in the larger community and using our national programs of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service as key vehicles.

What specific programs? Well, we are not here to reinvent the wheel, but enhanced some programs and introduced others. We embraced our three tried-and-true major programs, with emphasis on service and education. We focused on completing education, mentoring, career opportunity and financial stability. As Vice President, I had celebrated and recognized graduates, presenting them with Certificates of Recognition by their Fraternity. Notably, our National Second Vice President Abby Raymond pronounced that “the greatest gift an undergraduate can give his Fraternity is to graduate college” and as a testament he literally presented his college degree that was displayed in Headquarters. I advanced that sentiment and the power of education.

All three national programs of Education, Social Action and Bigger & Better Business have education as an essential theme, whether it’s academics, or voter engagement, or entrepreneurship. Our ability to deliver for our families and the community depend on how we comprehend and smartly navigate pathways and access resources to achieve goals. As college-educated men, we have the capability and responsibility to share and motivate.

Central to our ability to achieve our goals was demonstrating “economic wisdom” and the “worth of organization”. We pushed forward what I take great pride in having started, our very own financial cooperative. We started the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union under my leadership as Eastern Regional Director in 1986 and delivered that on a silver platter to the larger fraternity. We made sure that the credit union received promotion and was available as a tangible member benefit for both Sigma and Zeta families. The credit union provided some early funding for our national fraternity’s needs. In time, the Credit Union could gain capacity and underwrite larger projects.

We updated and enhanced existing Social Action partnerships, for example, “SATAP”, adding another “P”, making it “SATAPP”, Sigmas Against Teenage Pregnancy Plus. This was a program with the March of Dimes focusing on preventing teenage pregnancy. Well, teenage pregnancy numbers had rather improved at that time. But the second piece was setup as a “plus”, referring to male responsibility in general, not just in prevention, but in standing up in the family. Remember now during that time, the black male in particular was beset by very low numbers attending college, and high numbers in prison. Indeed, today’s statistics demonstrate a continuing need for the program.

Back then was the time of the Million Man March. There was some concern for the standing of the black male. And, this was the perfect time for us to double down on what we had always been doing since 1950 when Past President Dr. Parlett Moore, established our Sigma Beta Clubs, and for us to focus greater energies on mentoring. Brother Dr. Kevin West led the way as an exemplary advisor.

We implemented Project SWWAC: Sigmas Waging War Against Cancer, as a brand new national partnership with the American Cancer Society. After the untimely death of Brother Attorney Tyrone Key, a young brother, Eastern Regional Legal Counsel, our now past President Jonathan Mason, offered up this program focus back then. We put him in charge of that program as the National Director of Project SWACC, and the program has served us well.

Without going into other programs, we were pleased how the national partnerships were strengthened and expanded with formal MOUs. There was opportunity to participate on national and local planning boards and committees, obtain internships, sponsorships and financial underwriting of programs. A special mention as well of a partnership in which we included our Zeta sisters in working with the National Urban League and its then President Hugh Price with a focus on “Education Matters” and really starting in the early grades to prepare our youth, black youth in particular. A special Presidential initiative provided voluntary aid to Bugando Hospital, the only tertiary care center in Tanzania.

TC: THE HISTORY OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY WAS A TOP PRIORITY OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION. THE SIGMA MUSEUM WAS A MAJOR INITIATIVE TO COLLECT AND ARCHIVE THE HISTORY. WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS FOR AND OUTCOME OF THIS VISION?

PA: History, my brother, is so important. If we are going to do the work of Sigma, we have to understand and inculcate in our actual mission the principles our Founders envisioned for Sigma from the start. Other fraternities had already come on the scene, but our Founders said “we want to establish a fraternity which will excel among the rest”. They didn’t say our goal was to overshadow them, outstrip them, but we had a standard of excellence in serving others through “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity.” We have been true to that charge. There is much to show and celebrate for the impact of Sigma men as we have excelled through the decades.

31st International President

TC: DURING THE THOMAS ADMINISTRATION, VARIOUS ACTIONS AND SERVICES WERE PARAMOUNT TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES DESIGNATED BY HIM. SUCH PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS SUCH AS PROJECT SWWAC: SIGMAS WAGING WAR AGAINST CANCER, THE SIGMA RECOGNITION WALL AND THE NATIONAL SIGMA BETA CLUB FOUNDATION AND THE MS PHI BETA SIGMA PAGEANT, WERE PRIME EXAMPLES OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES HE DESIRED TO ACHIEVE DURING HIS ADMINISTRATION. SO PRESIDENT THOMAS, WHAT WAS THE DRIVING PASSION THAT PROPELLED YOU TO SELECT THOSE CAUSES TO ADVOCATE?

AT: So, let’s take a look at my administration’s efforts in addressing illnesses related to Cancer. Well, as you may know, there was a period of time in our recent history that African-American males, in particular, were exposed, substantially, to life threatening health problems, such as prostate cancer, another form of cancer, which were devastating, specifically to the African American Family, in light of the fact early diagnosis and treatment were, oftentimes, simply ignored. This lack of attention, to include the failure to obtain early diagnosis resulted in death and substantial financial hardship, related to expensive medical care and costs and children, without the nurturing and support of a male figure in their homes. As I reflect on the state of its devastating impact on African American Families, a substantial portion of these families had to endure life without the presence and financial, physical, and moral support of a Black male figure in their lives. During my administration, I had the opportunity and pleasure of attending a number of meetings with the leadership of American Cancer Society (ACA), which prompted me. As President of Phi Beta Sigma, to consider partnershipping with ACA and its substantial impact it would have in addressing early, the underlying inequities, in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer related illnesses of our members, specifically prostate cancer. It was equally necessary in exploring the idea and commitment of getting oru Sigma Family, to commit financial resources in assuring the need of getting our Sigma Brothers aware of early screening for Prostate Cancer, prior to being diagnosed with this deadly cancerous disease. So, through the efforts of our Social Action Director, Hon. Bro. Jonathan Mason, who served as Social Action Director during my administration, we were successful in addressing the needs of early screening, to include information on the treatment and care of our members through Sigma’s workshops and promotion of our National Social Action Program, Sigma Waging War Against Prostate Cancer.

TC: AFTER DECADES OF MINIMUM ATTENTION, LIFE MEMBERSHIP WAS A MAJOR PRIORITY DURING YOUR TERM. WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE AND OUTCOMES OF THIS FOCUS?

AT: We had problems in maintaining membership in our organization, so the Life Membership opportunity within the Fraternity provided another vehicle in keeping our brothers active and engaged. We saw the need, you know, to give our brothers an opportunity to be able to achieve a Life Member status by paying a certain amount of money annually, which kept him active for a number of years. with the ultimate goal of keeping them active for the rest of their lives. As a result of Life Membership accessibility, it allowed the fraternity to maintain growth, throughout the period of my administration, to include the present, while creating and securing a level of financial solvency. In fact, Life Membership helped us to actually raise a substantial amount of funds which provided us with the opportunity to address other pressing needs, The Sigma Recognition Wall, which I will discussed below, was a good example of our fundraising efforts, which helped the Fraternity to address renovation needs of our Headquarters, while creating funds to address other needs and in insuring financial solvency within Phi Beta Sigma. That goal occurred, in concert with promoting different types/levels of Life Membership within our Fraternity.

TC: FINANCIAL SOLVENCY PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE DURING THE THOMAS YEARS. THE SIGMA RECOGNITION WALL WAS A THREE-YEAR INVESTMENT THAT SUPPORTED THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF FRATERNITY. HOW DID THE IDEA COME TO FRUITION AND WHAT WAS ITS IMPACT?

AT: I’ve always believed in promoting excellence and getting more of our membership involved in all aspects of the Fraternity. But the idea of looking at how we can succeed in accomplishing this goal would require the support and involvement of our collegiate members, as well as our alumni members.

I discovered that our organization really did not have substantial and continued growth without stimulating the idea of getting our collegiate members more involved. So, one of my administration’s goals was to do just that by giving our collegiate members the opportunity to establish campus related programs and activities to accomplish those goals, to include a Ms National Phi Beta Sigma Pageant couple with a National Step Show Competition at the Chapter, State, Region and National Levels. I feel great about the fact that we have made a lot of progress, as a result of the involvement of our collegiate members. Especially in predominantly collegiate activities, such as step shows and Ms Phi Beta Sigma Pageants on their college campus in competition with Sigmas on other college campuses. I’m hopeful that we continue to look at our programs and projects at the collegiate levels to ensure that we can provide the kind of guidance and assistance to ensure continued growth within our Fraternity.

TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE THOMAS ADMINISTRATION?

AT: Well, myself and Peter talked a lot about the kind of things that we were doing. But I think during that same era, we were moving toward addressing issues of teenage pregnancy through the Sigma Against Teenage Pregnancy initiative, and in other areas that we thought were vital in sustaining the financial growth; of Phi Beta Sigma which was one of the other focuses of the Peter administration in bringing stability in terms of financial support of the organization. The various fundraising activities during my administration, especially The Sigma Recognition Wall, is a good example of our leverage we had in raising funds to improve the facade of the National Headquarters, and creating that kind of visibility that we felt our brothers would feel great about and support through members’ donations and other fundraising campaigns. Prior to this fundraising and reconstruction of the Headquarters, a substantial portion of our Sigma brothers had not visited the headquarters. When they had walked into it, they had that awful and discerning look, “is this where we are with the expression? We can do better.” We have to do something to improve it and real quick.

The Sigma Recognition Wall became that tool to do just that, by inviting our members to contribute to the renovation of our Headquarters. By financially supporting this fundraising effort, in doing so, they were definitely committed to and overwhelmingly supported it throughout my administration into the administrations of my predecessors. So, if you were to walk into the National Headquarters today, one of the first things you see in the middle of the foiyé is “The Sigma Recognition Wall” with the names of brothers and chapters enshrined on that wall. This successful venture just made me feel great to know that our brothers supported my administration’s goals and objectives through the renovations of our National Headquarters at all levels of the Fraternity.

And then the other great thing about this fundraiser, it revealed the support and commitment of our members in raising badly needed funds while ensuring growth and commitment to the growth and financial solvency of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. So that opportunity allowed us to do just that–one of my administration’s noteworthy achievements.

32nd International President

TC: AFTER DECADES OF OPERATING, UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP, PHI BETA SIGMA WAS PRESENTED WITH A FIRST-IN-A-LONGTIME STRATEGIC PLAN. WHAT WAS THE STATE OF FRATERNITY, SUCH THAT THE PLAN WAS NEEDED AND WHAT WAS THE ACHIEVED OUTCOME?

PG: The brotherhood gave me the honor and privilege to serve as International President in July of 2005 in Los Angeles, CA, and my tenure ended in July 2009 in Philadelphia. But prior to being elected President, I had the opportunity to work within the administration of three International Presidents starting in the mid 1980’s, with Hon. James T. Floyd, our 25th International President. He appointed me to the position as the national Interorganizational Liaison, to the D-9, for the National Assault on Illiteracy Program, a national program that focused on eradicating adult illiteracy. Next was Hon. William E. Stanley, Jr., our 28th. At the time, I was a current member of the General Board serving as Gulf Coast Regional Director and was appointed to serve as Secretary to the General Board. In that role, I monitored and recorded all motions and key action items occurring during General Board meetings. The third was Hon. Peter M. Adams, our 30th International President. He appointed me as Chairman of S.O.A.R., “Sigma’s Obligating Available Resources”, an international campaign to raise dollars to pay off the fraternity’s debt after the fraternity lost a hazing lawsuit in Atlanta during the early 1990’s. Through S.O.A.R., the brothers donated close to a half million dollars that allowed us to refinance the mortgage on the IHQ. Each of these roles allowed me to work closely with these Presidents, thereby, the General Board. I watched and learned the actions and inactions of the General Board that allowed us to capitalize on opportunities and regrettably, those we missed. Those experiences taught me that the General Board is the most important entity in the fraternity. Many in the Brotherhood would say it’s the Conclave, and some might say the President. But my experiences have convinced me, it’s the General Board. Now, we all know the Conclave, when in session, is the most powerful entity. But, the Conclave, by constitution, only meets once every 24 months, and gives its power to the General Board between meeting of the Conclave. Therefore, the General Board is the most important, therefore, powerful, entity in the fraternity. Also, the General Board can meet many times a year and there are no limit to the number of times it can meet. The General Board decides what gets approved and get done on the national level. It determines all major and minor actions that affect the fraternity’s membership, programs, finances, assets, meetings, officers, committees, image, and more. So, during the years serving with those 3 leaders, I learned that Presidents can only recommend what they want to happen. It’s the General Board that decides what will happen.

You asked what was the state of the fraternity that made the strategic plan a need. Well, let me say it this way. I have been involved with several Presidential campaigns in the fraternity since joining the fraternity in 1975. All the campaigns were about what the candidate wanted the fraternity to be and do. And that’s ok, I did the same when I ran for President. But once elected, I wanted us to build a strategic plan, that one big thing, created and approved by the entire Brotherhood that the membership could call their own. So, during Conclave 2007 in Charlotte, NC, the entire Brotherhood voted to approve a Strategic Plan. This had not been done in modern times and we have not found it occurring within the annals of our history. Now, creating it was a long tedious process that officially started in August of 2006 with our first meeting with the leadership to refine our mission and vision. In September, we held a Blue-Ribbon Commission meeting in Houston, Texas to lay the framework for the Strategic Plan and held our first meeting with the committee’s leadership. In December of 2006, we met with the entire committee to review our work and conducted and SWOT analysis. And, after the development of the plan, in February of 2007, we presented a comprehensive Strategic Plan the plan to the General Board, and it was approved. In Charlotte, the delegates gathered for the 2007 Charlotte Conclave and formally adopted the Strategic Plan.

The 1970’s and 1980’s were politically charged times within the fraternity. This history provided a perspective for change. Nevertheless, I made a conscience decision to bring the fraternity together and utilize the strengths of all brothers. So, we brought together experienced corporate professionals, to start the process of thinking critically about our vales, vision, operations, assets, funding, programs, policies, procedures, image, branding and marketing, technology, leadership development, and organizational structures. We knew there was a need to develop and longterm plan with a process for the General Board to begin acting as “Strategic Thinkers” for the fraternity, so we could effectively start making not just good decisions, but great decisions, and to intelligently monitor progress, while creating the opportunity to

enhance our ability to effectively execute. So, we organized a few of our intellectuals to form the nucleus of the Strategic Plan Leadership Team, which included three Brothers, Honorable Brothers Dudley Flood, Jesse Williams, and Theo Woodard.

Then, we created strategic plan committee participants, one from each region, with Hon. Brother Theo Woodard serving as chairman. Out of the nine Strategic Plan Committee participants, one-third of them went on to become national leaders in the fraternity. Two of the strategic plan committee participants would go on to become International President of the fraternity and one President of the Distinguished Service Chapter.

You also asked what the achieved outcome was. Well, let me say the Strategic Plan focused on nine (9) areas. 1) Our Headquarter Building, 2) Headquarters Staffing, (operations, communications), 3) Fund Development, 4) Community Initiatives, 5) Operating Policies and Procedures, 6) Branding and Marketing, 7) Technology Systems, 8) Leadership Development, and 9) Organizational Structure, (general board composition, regional realignment).

To close this answer, the fraternity’s strategic plan (once approved) was one of many accomplishments made by the fraternity during my administration. Let me end by listing a few many are proud to cite. The appointment of the Centennial Planning Committee (3 International President Co-Chairs appointed seven years before the celebration commenced); the establishment of the Alain Leroy Locke Honors Chapter, the establishment of the Sigma Leadership Academy, the burning of the HQ mortgage; the successful award of a $500,000 grant from the Center for Disease Control for AIDS awareness; the creation of the PIA reporting system and the Sigma Wellness Brand, and the building of a $85,000 Habitat for Humanity Home at Conclave New Orleans; the approval of Honorary Members President Bill Clinton, Harry Belafonte, Rev. Al Sharpton, Ramsey Lewis, to name a few.

Strategic Planning is great but when a leader creates an environment that can bring together, a team of good quality thinkers, that are dedicated, passionate, and unselfish. We will always make big things happen, when, it’s combined with quality decision-making that’s been properly vetted. Thanks for the question. TC: YOUR ADMINISTRATION’S THEME WAS “THE POWER OF ONE.” THE MESSAGE THAT ONE BROTHER CAN MAKE A CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE HELPED TO MANIFEST THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND. WHAT PROMPTED THIS CAUSE AND HOW WAS THE FUND EFFECTIVE?

PG: Yes, our complete theme was “THE POWER OF ONE: Sigma United for Next Level Service”. It was not established of any one specific purpose. It was a comprehensive theme to encompass the whole fraternity. However, The Power of ONE was an important way to inform the brotherhood that each one can make a difference.

It was approximately six weeks into my administration. We were working hard to get the work of the administration done (having conference calls, forming teams, and scheduling meetings to bring into action the initiatives we shared during the campaign). Then it happened. At 6:10 am, Central time, on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall bringing 145 m.p.h. winds and rain ashore. Hurricane Katrina devastated my hometown of New Orleans and other parts of the south. The Emergency Relief Fund established in 2005 was created out of an absolute need.

This lone circumstance prompted the creation of Emergency Relief Fund. I will never forget those days after landfall. The destruction, the homelessness, the hunger, the desperation, the displacement, and most tragically the deaths. The loss of life was devastating, and many brothers lost everything. But the Power of ONE manifested itself throughout the brotherhood. The call for assistance was made to the brotherhood across the globe and they answered the call to aid the membership. This was the first demonstration of The Power of ONE making a difference.

Donna Summer said it best in her song the Power of One. She said, “… Each of us is chosen, there’s a mission just for you, just look inside, you’ll be surprised, what you can do, the power of one, begins with believing, it starts in the heart, then flows through the soul and changes the world, each of us holds the key to the power of one!” Our brotherhood strongly supported the mission to give.

The international headquarters team collected and recorded the donations received. Two brothers were appointed to serve as administrators to assess the need and disperse the funds. Brothers Charles T. Edwards out of Texas and William Fails, out of Alabama provided the leadership to administer the fund and disburse the funds.

The fund was effective because it immediately provided brothers with cash during a time of need. One by one the fraternity came to the aid of the membership to help their families. I am happy the Emergency Relief Fund remains a part of the fraternity’s operations.

33rd International President

TC: THE THEME FOR THE HAMMOCK ADMINISTRATION WAS “CHANGING LIVES THROUGH SERVICE.” AS A SIGN OF THE TIMES, ONE OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION’S PRIORITIES WAS REINSTATING PROJECT VOTE WITH A FOCUS ON VOTER REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION. HOW WAS THE REVAMPED INITIATIVE’S IMPACT?

JH: It was our vision that we make an impact through strategic program implementation and measurement to ensure that we continue to Change Lives Through Service!

This value proposition became a reality through the implementation of three key opportunities: (1) Putting Brothers First (2) Model and Develop Sigma Leaders -Reducing Our Leadership Variance (3) Making Impact Through Our Fraternity Signature Programs

Project Vote was launched to register over 100,000 new voters across the country along with voter education. We also began to focus on advocacy through our partnerships with the American Cancer Society, NAACP, and March of Dimes.

TC: YOUR ADMINISTRATION WAS PIVOTAL IN ADVANCING THE PRESERVATION OF THE FRATERNITY’S HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS THROUGH DIGITIZATION. WHAT WAS THE PASSION FOR THIS INITIATIVE AND ITS IMPACT ON FRATERNITY OPERATIONS?

JH: When we discovered a major gap in the preservation of and saving our history, the General Board and administration created strategies to ensure that the Fraternity own its story. We began a series of digitizing records for preservation. For far too long, we did not store or archive our history at the International Headquarters. The action we took allowed our history to be digitized and archived, inclusive of The Crescent magazine and historic photos.

With regards to Putting Brothers’ First, we delivered on Protecting and Enhancing Our Brand by creating the first brand policy and standards, and developed holistic marketing and branding solutions for the fraternity to further our Brand. We also developed and implemented strategies for brand consistency; and reviewed all approved visual branding components to ensure we were providing the look that shared the spirt of the Fraternity. Under my administration, three Crescent Magazines were produced each year. We increased the use of technology, development Membership Recruitment Tools, presented Executive Reports to financial Brothers and telling our story through development of the History Book.

TC: THE CULTURE OF BLACK-GREEK LIFE ON THE COLLEGIATE LEVEL HAD CHANGED IMMENSELY DURING THE EARLY 2000S. YOUR ADMINISTRATION ESTABLISHED THE NATIONAL ANTI-HAZING MOVEMENT. WHAT WAS THE DRIVING FORCE OF THIS CAUSE AND WHAT WAS ITS IMPACT ON THE WHOLE GREEK-LETTERED ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE?

JH: During my administration, unfortunately, we were faced with several hazing lawsuits and challenges. We implemented a moratorium on membership intake and had to change and revisit the MIP. Critical was the implementation of mandatory training in the intake process and risk management for Fraternity leadership, inclusive of chapter presidents and advisors.

Each chapter were required to remove all descriptive references from anything associated with the chapter’s name. We required submission of the new Anti-Hazing Acknowledgement Forms for all chapter members to the International Headquarters. All chapters were required to post on their websites the Fraternity’s, university, and their state’s laws on hazing. All advisors, chapter presidents, and MIC had to participate in a webinar recertifying each in the MIP Process and updates on important issue.

Before we lifted moratorium, members had to implement Hold Harmless Agreements and Notice of Anti-Hazing rules prior to approval of MIP.

We invested in the training and development of membership thus establishing the National Anti-Hazing Movement in collaboration of all Divine 9 organizations. The changes implemented were a key part of our Risk Management Processes, which exist today.

TC: FOR DECADES THE NPHC CULTURE HAVE BOAST OF INTERNATIONAL MEMBERSHIPS. YOUR ADMINISTRATION PUT WORDS INTO ACTION BY RENDERING GLOBAL SERVICE WITH THE GHANA SCHOOL PROJECT. HOW WAS THIS INITIATIVE BORN AND WHAT HAS BEEN ITS IMPACT?

JH: We begin talking about hosting a board meeting in Ghana under the Griffin Administration. The conversation continued and The Ghana School Project came to fruition while planning the Centennial Celebration. We targeted the project to be completed and implemented through the Centennial.

The Fraternity has a rich history that ties to Ghana. Being the first Fraternity to charter on the continent, it was important to work with the great people of Ghana to build and open a school. TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE GRIFFIN ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE HAMMOCK ADMINISTRATION?

JH: Despite our challenges as President, the state of our nation’s economy at the time and legal challenges during my administration, I was pleased to report that Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was alive and well, the State of Sigma was solid, and we were poised for greatness.

I was thankful for the opportunity to serve. I am still excited about our future. I was excited to lead Sigma from being a solid organization to a high performing, community impact organization.

We had the opportunity implement the Fraternity Strategic Plan adopted at Conclave 2009 during the Griffin Administration.

We continued to carry out the Conclave mandate for leadership development and focused on the fraternity’s capacity, program evaluation and measurement of community programs for collective impact. As an administration, we continued to sharpen our approach to Fraternity programming through the Sigma Wellness Initiatives.

34th International President

TC: THE THEME FOR THE MASON ADMINISTRATION WAS “ONE FRATERNITY WORKING TOGETHER TO TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITIES.” YET THE GREATEST TRANSFORMATION WAS PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY ITSELF! THE NATION’S AWARENESS OF THE FRATERNITY WAS EXPLOSIVE, A PHENOMENAL ELEVATION OF MAJOR PROPORTION. WHAT WAS THE MISSION, PASSION AND STRATEGY THAT DROVE THE ORGANIZATION’S NEWFOUND POSITION?

JM: First and foremost, I want to share with you that, it was an incredible honor and privilege to serve Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. as the 34th International President. It was one of the joys of my life to be able to work for my fraternity on a full-time basis. To execute visions and plans and ideas that were collected from brothers all across the country over a period of years. So, at the end of the day, serving as president, being one of the 35 men in the 108 years that have had the opportunity to sit in that seat – what an honor, what a privilege.

Before I can answer the question, I have to start off by sharing with you a conversation that I had with a gentleman who is one our trailblazers in media. His name is Byron Lewis, the founder of Uniworld Media Group. In fact, Mr. Lewis was the first African American to own an advertising agency. He was the money, influence and the strength behind a number of New York politicians who rose to fame in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s. As it relates to Phi Beta Sigma, Mr. Lewis and his team developed our Anti-Hazing Promotional Campaign that we executed in 2011 and 2012; a campaign which, I believe, absolutely helped change the culture of hazing that previously existing in our fraternity.

Mr. Lewis, a member of the Divine Nine, and I were talking, and he just could not understand why our Greek-Lettered Organizations were not seated at the national table of change. What do I mean by that: we had a Black president at that point. You did not see Divine Nine organizations interacting with the Obama Administration. You did not see us on the forefront—on the ground dealing with a number of the major social justice issues of the time. As we were discussing that and discussing the origin of our organizations—all of our organizations were founded after Reconstruction. If you study the history of our organizations, the goal was for us to be active in activism. In some way and somehow, we got away from that. He said, the reason many of our organizations are not seated at the table of influence, is because we don’t see ourselves there. We’re not at the major seats of change because we don’t see ourselves there! And I started thinking about the history of Phi Beta Sigma and the history of men that came through Phi Beta Sigma. I made up in my mind that if I were to be blessed to become president, we were going to be seated at the major tables of change.

Let me be clear, Sigma has always been a leader in the area of social action and advocacy. We’ve been doing that for the entirety of our existence. My goal was to see a brighter light shine on the works that we were doing. In order for that to happen, we needed to operate in new arenas and platforms. What do I mean by that? As soon as we came into office, there was an opportunity for us to “attend” the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. My conversation with Reverend Sharpton was not around attendance, my position and my focus were on how do we “speak” and attend. How do we get on that stage where Dr. King spoke? Where Congressman Lewis spoke and was going to speak. After several conversations with Rev. Sharpton and his team, that included at the time Tamika Mallory as Executive Director of the National Action Network, we were granted an opportunity to be on that stage. So, not only did we charter buses from across the country to bring Brothers to Washington, free of charge, to participate in this March.

The reason why this commemorative March was important to Phi Beta Sigma, is because A.Philip Randolph, one of our brothers, was the visionary behind this March. His goal and idea to have this national March was started during the Roosevelt Administration and was now being brought to fruition during the Kennedy Administration. That’s another reason it was so important – because the last living speaker at the original March was Congressman John Lewis, one of our great brothers. So, it was important for the fraternity to have a position on that stage to speak at the March.

Our positioned to speak happened to be three speakers before Rev. Sharpton, meaning we had the national spotlight—we had the attention. What an honor it was to represent the fraternity on that stage, literally in front of millions. In fact, the next morning while watching coverage, Melissa Harris-Perry had a show on MSNBC. One of the clips she showed was the clip of us speaking. We had thousands of Sigma brothers there, we spoke in front of millions. What pride and energy did that provide to inactive brothers—all across the world who saw that. What pride and energy did that

give to brothers who were financial and active and who had been toiling in the vineyard all these many years. It started the growth of momentum in the organization.

Not only were we at the 50th Anniversary March on Washington, I also believed that, as opposed to us just being a part of events others hosted, that we could host major events ourselves. The first REAL TALK. For years we’d been going to the Congressional Black Caucus’ Legislative Conference. For years we’d also been attending others people’s events and activities. My thought was why don’t we host an activity where other people can come to us in large numbers. We put together a REAL TALK event were some of our speakers were Marc Morial, Al Sharpton, Lamont Hill, Michael Eric Dyson – the who’s who. What a source of pride to be able to look out into the audience and see Congressman John Lewis, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, so many congressional leaders participating in our event; along with over 500 brothers and sorors. When you share this information with the fraternity at large (financial and non-financial) they’re now saying to themselves “this is something that we need to be a part of!” Our frat is moving.

Our strategy was for us to be seen doing that work that we’d been doing for years in the brightest light possible. That energy, enthusiasm would become contagious all across the country.

Another example. When President Obama unveiled his “My Brother’s Keeper” program at the White House, there were only two fraternities invited: Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. We were there with Colin Powell, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton and all of the Civil Rights leaders of the day. We were seated there in the front row when he made this announcement. Again, when we market that back to the brothers, what a source of pride. It builds engagement.

Take a look at a bar chart of our membership numbers. Look at where membership growth really started to explode. It started during the tail end of the Hammock Administration when we did a couple of membership incentives. Then, it really took off in 2013 and 2014, leading up to our Centennial. We had to take advantage of that time period and bring brothers back home. We brought them home by allowing them to see their fraternity in places they never saw it before. So, we hosted major events that the world was paying attention to. But then, we were focused on being able to share our message in the national media. We appeared on Politics Nation with Rev. Al Sharpton, Roland Martin’s show of TVOne, Heraldo Rivera Show on FOX, The Imus in the Morning, and on radio stations and television shows around the country. This was not about the president, this was about the fraternity – and allowing our members to see that their fraternity was alive and well and engaged in the events of the day.

During our presidency, there were a lot of violent crimes against young black men. There were a number of crimes committed by police officers against unarmed black men. Case and point: Eric Garner was killed in Staten Island. All he was doing was selling cigarettes—he lost his life. Michael Brown was assassinated by a police officer in St. Louis—again unarmed. Well, our legacy of Social Action demanded that we be present in those situations; that we do more than send out a press release. We needed to be there physically! So, we brought our members to Missouri. We had a youth explosion there. We brought together young people from schools from all over the area and the police and we hosted a weekend of activities to help foster better relationships.

When the anniversary of Eric Garner’s death was commemorated, we sponsored buses to bring our members and members of the community to Staten Island to protest. We were on the front line. Again, when our members see this type of energy, they become energized. Those that were engaged, now have a higher level of engagement. Those that were not engaged, now have a renewed energy and desire to be engaged. We were doing what we were supposed to be doing as a fraternity, but we were doing it in a way to bring our brothers back home. And get them involved in being this great army globally, of which I speak.

35th International President

TC: THE THEME FOR THE CRISTAL ADMINISTRATION WAS “A BROTHERHOOD OF CONSCIOUS MEN ACTIVELY SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES.” THIS VISION WAS CAPSULIZED BY SIX PILLARS THAT, IN RETROSPECT, WAS A MANDATE FROM THE LAST 30 YEARS OF FRATERNAL OPERATIONS. DID YOU REALIZE WHEN YOUR ADMINISTRATION WAS IMPLEMENTING THE VISION, YOU WERE PREPARING THE FRATERNITY FOR OPERATING IN THE 21ST CENTURY?

MC: Yes! I’ve been active with the fraternity for an extended amount of time…when I ran for office, I had a real vision for what I thought was needed and was prepared to build a Team who had the skillsets to bring the vision to fruition. The biggest opportunity I saw was for us to build an infrastructure for the future of the organization. When you think about our organization, we had a lot of entities within it: the Sigma Beta Club Foundation, the PBS National Foundation and the PBS Federal Credit Union. All very relevant, but we didn’t have a formal working relationship with either of them. So, what I and the General Board did was formalize a working relationship with all three via MOUs…those MOUs allowed Phi Beta Sigma’s voice to always be heard as those entities were advancing their missions.

As a result of our MOU, the President of the Fraternity sat on the PBS National Foundation; the International Director of Education now sits on the Sigma Beta Club Foundation and the International Director of Bigger and Better Business sits on the Board of Directors of the PBS Federal Credit Union.

The pillars identified (I won’t go through all six of them) Centers of Excellence within membership services, publications and our retail store, Sigma Beta Club being the centerpiece of our programmatic focus area, improve our financial position long term; it was important that we develop an ecosystem that allows the fraternity operation to connect with our members in a meaningful way.

When I came in office, we were mentoring about 800 SBC members. Through the Trilogy of Change we were mentoring over 4,200 SBC members -- we encourage those SBC members to do great in high school with the intent of going off to college. Our goal is to recruit the SBC members when they get to college to join the fraternity and upon graduation we will continue mentoring the young alumni as he transition into his career. As an example, we’ve been mentoring Brandon, if you will, who graduated from the University of Arkansas, moved to Memphis, joined the alumni chapter -- we’ve been mentoring Brandon since he was eight years old. And by the time he becomes a productive alumnus, we believe we not only changed Brandon’s life, but we changed the life of the community that Brandon is living in; that’s what the Trilogy of Change was about.

If you look at our performance as it relates to providing long term financial solvency to the organization; when I came in, the membership had a concern around our finances, and we hadn’t positioned ourselves for long term financially.

Our first order, we wanted to build trust with our members knowing that with the dollars being provided we were being great stewards of those dollars: investing in our membership and putting measures in place to support us long term. Because of the financial discipline we put in place, delivering a $1,000,000 net income year over year has now become our norm. I tend to believe with this new administration, one of the things we’ve got to start thinking about is not just the expected net income, but what will our long-term annual net income look like for the next 10 years.

The last one I will speak to: branding the organization. I applaud Hon. Brother Jonathan Mason for advancing the brand of the fraternity, but the membership wanted guidelines on our branding. They wanted to understand what the guardrails were needed as they designed their chapter moniker. How should we advance G.O.M.A.B? Through Bro. Kevin Davis’ leadership, our Director of Branding, we put structure around our branding and released “One Sigma. One Brand” which provided branding expectations for our chapters and members.

When I think about my candidacy, I was very clear on where I wanted to take the Fraternity. As I transitioned from campaigning towards governing, I worked in collaboration with many constituencies within the fraternity for a better brotherhood experience. When you think about what our administration focused on, I believe we were successful in balancing investments within our members and the communities we serve while setting up the fraternity for long term success.

TC: DURING THE CRISTAL ADMINISTRATION, DEMOCRACY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE WAS SERIOUSLY CHALLENGED GLOBALLY. HOW WAS THE FRATERNITY ENGAGED IN MEETING THE CHALLENGE, WHILE STILL SERVING THE COMMUNITY?

MC: The year, 2020. Not only was that a defining moment for our fraternity, but it was also a defining moment for our nation as there were three critical national issues that occurred in the third year of my presidency.

During the year of 2020, the global pandemic COVID-19, major social unrest within the country with the murder of Mr. George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. And the third one: some would argue was probably one of the most defining presidential elections in our history, the presidential election of 2020. When I think about all three of those critical national issues, Phi Beta Sigma was on the front line of every one of them.

COVID hit In March of 2020, we paused and assessed where we were as an organization along with putting measures in place to educate our members on the health issues surrounding COVID so they could take care of themselves and their families and how we were going to support our headquarters staff. We put measures in place that balanced the safety of our members as well as supported chapters still being able to do the business of Sigma. I was very proud of the work we did educating and protecting our members while assisting the country flattening the curve.

Very proud of the work we did addressing the social unrest, as described the murder of George Floyd, many people thought that murder was different. Not that we hadn’t seen that before because we had, but it shook the nation to its core, it shook the whole world. I believe the reason is because we witnessed the murder of George Floyd. We saw life come out of him. As a result, our members were anxiously wanting to get involved.

We did what we were supposed to do, just like John Lewis did, just like A. Philip Randolph did, just like Hosea Williams did. Phi Beta Sigma has always been on the front line of Civil Rights and advancing the righteousness of people. And in 2020, we were right there AGAIN!

We gave our chapters guidance on what participation might look like if they wanted to participate in civil unrest. We were very intentional on advancing our message on police brutality, and it was a simple one: Enough is Enough. We were very frustrated and disappointed that too many people within our community were being killed by police officers. In collaborations with Ralph Lauren, we had billboards across the country amplifying our “Enough Is Enough” message along with promoting our Sigma Beta Club mentoring program. We had two billboards in New York and one in Los Angeles. Lastly, I think it’s good to champion change, but I think it’s even more important to be a catalyst for sustainable change. We were there putting on a webinar centered around real reform: people, policies and policing. We brought in police chiefs from all over the country, (big cities, mid-size cities and small cities), along with social justice attorneys and attorneys general to give us their thoughts on what should be done to support our communities’ changing so Brandon, a young black man, has a level of confidence that the city, county or state had measures in place to protect him.

TC: ELEVATING THE BROTHERHOOD EXPERIENCE WAS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR THE CRISTAL ADMINISTRATION--THIS IS THE VERY FOUNDATION FOR A MEMBER’S AFFILIATION. WHAT WERE THE OUTCOMES OF THIS FOCUS AREA?

MC: The vision for our administration was a Brotherhood of Conscious Men Actively Serving Our Communities with a supporting mantra of Brotherhood First alerting our members to know they were our number one priority. When we talk about a Brotherhood of Conscious Men, we know the three principles: brotherhood, scholarship and service, but I tend to believe that brotherhood is the supreme principle. I wanted to elevate the brotherhood experience as it appeared to be lacking. I said before we could do anything, we needed to love on one another, we needed to create uplift for one another and we needed to showcase appreciation for one another.

We were going to define who we were; not the media or anyone else…we are college educated, professional men and we are dedicated fathers. We are dedicated husbands. Before we could serve the community, we had to be a brotherhood of conscious men actively serving. We came out the gate campaigning on being a “Brotherhood of Conscious Men Actively Serving Our Communities” with a supporting mantra of Brotherhood First…we themed our vision and we branded it on everything we promoted.

The excitement of a brand new neophyte brother can be spotted a mile away, across a crowded campus or the hotel lobby at a regional conference or international convention. Oftentimes that fresh fire turns into nervous jitters when for the first time, the new brother meets and engages with alumni or seasoned brothers. The unspoken pressure can be enormous as he grapples with the fear of saying the wrong thing or mishandling a “challenge”. Fortunately most neophytes manage to rise above the fears of the traditional rites of passage, as they become a standard memory held by most fraternity men. Those first meetings can become inspiration for the neo to seek out those who can provide wisdom and knowledge, and assist him in expanding his brotherhood network.

Sigma collegians serve as “brand ambassadors” for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity on the college campuses where they matriculate. In their service to the community and campus, they’re simultaneously learning, growing and adding value to a cause greater than themselves. The newfound excitement and commitment of neophytes to the organization only increases if they receive good guidance and encouragement. Oftentimes this encourages them to seek out greater ways to serve in Sigma as part of the leadership team on their campuses, regional conferences and at the International level.

As an international organization of collegeeducated men representing a vast network of career disciplines, professionals and high achievers, the brotherhood is especially responsible for assisting young collegians in identifying their in-born skill sets and setting them on the career trajectories for which they are best suited. Phi Beta Sigma has three international-level positions that were specifically established for collegiate members: Second Vice President; Collegiate Member-At-Large 1 and Collegiate Member-At-Large 2. For those who are relatively new to Sigma, gaining the opportunity to serve at this level is no small feat. It takes a certain level of courage, commitment, discipline and flexibility to be effective in these positions.

The position of International Second Vice President is an intense, yet rewarding training ground for a young leader preparing to make an impact on his chapter and college campus, future employer, industry of choice, and the community where he lives and serves.

Brother Maxwell McDaniel is a current collegiate leader positioned for success. A legacy born into the Blue & White Family, Maxwell is the son of Brother Timothy McDaniel and Chrischeryl McDaniel, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. He started serving in 2009 as a charter member of the Sigma Beta Club of Theta Mu Sigma Chapter in Dallas, TX. The club regularly worked with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, March of Dimes, American Heart Association and Toys for Tots. Even before he attended college, Maxwell attended four Sigma Beta Club National Leadership Conferences and Conclaves. His attendance at these conferences afforded Maxwell the opportunities to soak up knowledge and skills from various Sigma men and mentors, and to gain a sense of the role that Sigma played not only in the lives of youth but also in the African American community.

As a senior Business Management major attending Prairie View A&M University, Bro. McDaniel joined the Delta Theta Chapter in Spring 2020. He immediately moved into leadership serving the chapter as historian and Step Master. He did this while serving on the Social Media team for the campus’ American Marketing Association, Director of Campus Development for the Student Government Association, member of NAACP and an official campus DJ, a business he started in high school.

Volunteerism was a way of life for Bro. McDaniel in his early years. He worked with a national award-winning step team coached by his father and remains active offering his time as an adviser, coach and DJ services for shows. In addition, Max puts in volunteer time at his elementary school in DeSoto, TX and works as a summer camp counselor.

After serving nearly a year as International Second Vice President, The Crescent team spent some time with Bro. McDaniel to learn about his experiences in the position and to get some idea of how being in such a vital office has impacted his life.

MM: To be completely honest, I have always possessed a high admiration for the fraternity and always wanted to serve it in the best way that I knew how. This was one of those times where others help you to see all that you can become, more than what you already see yourself. My father set a phenomenal example for me in Sigma and I wanted to follow suit. I have always felt passionate about being a catalyst for change within anything that to which I devote my time. Once I was made aware of the position, I thought it would be the best way for me to start my legacy and make an immediate impact on a broader scale.

MM: I’m very passionate about the things and people that matter to me, as well as having a natural leadership ability that I’ve seen in other areas of my life. I also look at things objectively, seeing both sides of the coin and try to help the majority rather than a small minority.

MM: The most surprising educational experience has been seeing how powerful your words can be, as well as seeing what conducting real business at a high level looks like. I have experiences in internships and entrepreneurial experience, but nothing has been quite like participating in a General Board meeting and learning how to strategize, plan and make something happen on a global scale.

MM: Serving at this level has been everything I envisioned and more. The bonds that I have been able to make are ones that I will always cherish. The amount of time I’ve had learning how to separate school, my personal life, and the fraternity has definitely been an eye opener. It’s taken a bit of adjustment from the beginning, but it is something that I have been grateful for every step of the way. MM: Before serving in this role I was all over the place as it relates to what I wanted to do once I graduate from college. This position has shown me what it is like to work at a high level and present ideas to people who are many years your senior, but who are still finding ways to be effective and contribute. I want to experience that same feeling of satisfaction that I get when helping a large group of people through this position once I enter the corporate world. This position has brought out my better qualities, forcing me to think bigger and more analytical.

MM: The most difficult part of my position would have to be the same as the biggest lesson I’ve learned: figuring out how to properly prioritize your life and not just your time. It’s okay to care strongly about something but it is important not to let it become your entire identity. You must also put your mental health and peace of mind first and foremost because others won’t. Learning how to properly set time aside when you have so many obligations can feel overwhelming at times, but you need to step back and make sure you take care of your temple.

MM: Personally, I feel this experience will make me more appreciative of the opportunities to network that college offers. Greek life, in itself, offers that as well, but having those opportunities on a global scale gives me the chance to see and learn from people all over. I also get a sneak peek at what could potentially be down the road for me as a Business Management major once I enter the corporate world. MM: I would advise him to know what it is that he wants to accomplish and don’t be afraid to speak his mind. If you take this position, it is YOUR journey and legacy -- it belongs to nobody else so they cannot dictate how it begins or determine its outcome. That is something that only you can do. If you have a passion, follow it. If Sigma is one of your passions, you owe it to yourself and the fraternity to give it your best and nothing less. The position is a lot of work but it is worth it.