SUMMER 2013 www.apa1906.net
The
Representing The Best of Alpha 2013 Brothers of the Year Walter E. Turner Sr. and Victor Scotti Jr. are honored at the107th Anniversary Convention
AUSTIN: Alphas leave huge imprint at General Convention in Texas
FAREWELL: Huel D. Perkins improved America and the world with his service
SUPREME DECISIONS: Court rulings target voting, school admissions
CONTENTS
THE SPHINX® H SUMMER 2013 H VOLUME 99 H NO. 2
IN THIS ISSUE 3 EDITOR’S DESK 4 FROM THE GENERAL PRESIDENT 6 NEWS 10 CHAPTER NEWS 36 NEONEWS 37 BROTHERS ON THE MOVE 40 7 QUESTIONS The Sphinx Interview with Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre
41 ARTS AND CULTURE 42 OMEGA: CHAPTER OF SWEET REST 46 LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY 48
14 Taking Care of the Business of Alpha In June, Alpha brothers from around the world came to Austin, Texas, for the fraternity’s 92nd General/107th Anniversary Convention. Pictured above, taking a break between business sessions, from left: Brothers Jayrick Hayes of Wilmington, Del.; John Lee Jr., of New York; Lawrence Manning of Detroit; and Marion Bracy of New Orleans.
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PERSPECTIVE: THE LAST PAGE Alpha Phi Alpha and the Civil Rights Revolution
8 ON THE COVER:
Walter E. Turner Sr. (left) and Victor Scotti Jr. (right) are honored as the top brothers in Alpha for 2013 at the Austin General Convention. Photo by Jeff Lewis.
NOT GUILTY: Trayvon Martin’s killer is set free. Now Alpha men lead a national conversation on where we go from here.
43 MAKING LAW: Illinois legislators put action behind their words, proving they are brothers on the move.
HUEL PERKIN’S LEGACY: Remembering the Alpha man who led the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation and World Policy Council. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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EDITORS-IN-CHIEF EMERITI ORGANIZING EDITOR RAYMOND W. CANNON (1892-1992) ORGANIZING GENERAL PRESIDENT HENRY LAKE DICKASON (1886-1957)
The
Official Organ of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.® SUMMER 2013 • VOLUME 99, NO. 2 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RICK BLALOCK sphinx@apa1906.net MANAGING EDITOR Jaquon C. Heath SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS Sean M. Allen, Richard Butler WORLD AFFAIRS EDITOR Eric Ham ASSOCIATE EDITORS Terry Calhoun, Stephen Carter, Leslie Elus Carlos Harleaux, Reginald G. Howell Samuel H. Lloyd, Michael A. Smith, Ed Squires COPY EDITOR K. Thomas Oglesby CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Bryan J.A. Kelly, William Douglass Lyle Don Weston SENIOR WRITERS Ellis Albright, Joshua S.D. Harris, Waldo E. Johnson Jr., Ed Marshall, Darryl A. Peal, Derrick Alexander Pope, Ron Peters, Andrew Timothy Siwo, F. Carl Walton
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Andrea Larkin Brown, Jordan F.M. Casson Tyler Clifford, Horace Dawson, Ira L. Foster, Esq. Joseph Gambrell, M.D., Antoine M. Garibaldi Reginald Howell, Jeremy C. Kirk, Henry Ponder Lawrence Richardson, Roderick L. Smothers, Sr. Rudolph Williams II, Karin Wilson CONTRIBUTORS Jesse Allen, Dominique Beaumonte, Michael Blake, Delores Diggs, Ashley Evans Rodney T. Frank, Burke Gaddis, Carla Gaskin Chris Harvey, Mark Haskett, Richard T. James Jr. Graham Jones, Bernice Meadows, Lester Patrick John C. Shelby, Elgie R. Sims Jr., Robbie Stokes Stanley J. Taylor Jr., Cameron Jason N. Vasser Washington Wood, Carlos Williams ART DIRECTION THE O’NEAL GROUP Toni O’Neal Mosley Michelle Y. Glennon PHOTOGRAPHERS Rickey Brown, Jarvis Harris, Bryan J.A. Kelly Jeff Lewis, Jason Lewis, Oz Roberts Cory Thompson, Jamal Wiggins Christopher Williams, Evelyn Wright, James A. Wright
2013-2014 SUBMISSION DEADLINES (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time) WINTER 2014: Oct. 15, 2013 • SPRING 2014: Jan. 15, 2014 SUMMER 2014: April 15, 2014 • FALL 2014: August 15, 2014
Raymond W. Cannon 1914 Lucius L. McGee 1915 William A. Pollard 1916 V.D. Johnston 1917 V.E. Daniel 1917 Carl J. Murphy 1918-1922 Oscar C. Brown 1923-1929 P. Bernard Young Jr. 1930-1933 Arnett G. Lindsay 1934-1935, 1948 Lewis O. Swingler 1936-1943 1946-1947 1949-1950 Meredith G. Ferguson 1943-1944 Reid E. Jackson 1945 W. Barton Beatty Jr. 1951-1961 C. Anderson Davis 1962-1965 George M. Daniels 1966-1968 J. Herbert King 1969-1972 1973-1974 Laurence T. Young Sr. 1973 Michael J. Price 1974-1990 Charles F. Robinson III 1991-1993 John J. Johnson III 1993-1996 Seaton J. White III 1997-2000 2006-2008 John I. Harris III 2000-2001 William Douglass Lyle 2001-2006 ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. Mark S. Tillman, General President William Douglass Lyle, Executive Director COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS Wendel Eckford, Chairman Paul E. Brown Malik Bullard Tyler A. Clifford Jaquon Heath Christopher Hunte Ed Marshall Donald Ross Victor K. Smith Ozell Sutton Steven Templin II Rudolph Williams II FOUNDERS Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle Vertner Woodson Tandy
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THE SPHINX EDITORIAL OFFICES Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 2313 St. Paul St. • Baltimore, MD 21218-5211 (410) 554-0040 • (410) 554-0054 FAX www.alpha1906.net Advertising and Sales Contact: sphinx@apa1906.net ©2013 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. All rights reserved.
You Cannot Spell “Brothers” Without Spelling “Others”
I am often asked, what is the mission of The Sphinx? Our
Editor’s Desk
role, as told to me by the magazine’s founding editor Raymond Cannon (who was also Alpha’s 16th general president), is two-fold. He said the magazine was to not only be an “internal” magazine for the fraternity members, but that it must also serve as a factual, dependable publication of record of the major events and issues that impact our communities. Not too long after he established our “official organ” the fraternity ended publishing for-membersonly material, but maintained its quarterly publication schedule. At The Sphinx we take pride in knowing we are the world’s second-oldest, continuously published African-American publication—serving a broad and diverse audience. We continue this mission with emphasis on solid, fair and accurate coverage of world events and issues. This is why we covered both inaugurations of Barack Obama. Why we reported on the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.; the demonstrations demanding an arrest and prosecution; and now the verdict and aftermath of the George Zimmerman murder trial. Why we have included the historic opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court in our News section this issue. In 7 QUESTIONS: The Sphinx Interview, we provide a conversation with intriguing figures about issues impacting everyone—brothers and others. Featured in this issue is Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre, immediate past president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She makes history as the first woman featured in 7 QUESTIONS: The Sphinx Interview. All the while, we still provide “good-for-the-brotherhood” content. Our cover story is about the 107th Anniversary Convention in Austin, Texas. Scores of brothers participated in the debates as we conducted the “business of Alpha.” As a member of Omicron Mu Lambda Chapter in Marietta, Ga., I too was honored to make several motions on key issues my chapter was concerned about. In NEO NEWS, a University of Tennessee brother shows us how aspiring to be, and becoming, an Alpha are intertwined. And Omega: Chapter of Sweet Rest offers a fond farewell to several brothers, including a giant in the fraternity: former education foundation chairman Huel D. Perkins.
Rick Blalock is a two-time Emmy® winner and editor of The Sphinx. sphinx@apa1906.net
In Arts and Culture, we review the new political e-book co-written by The Sphinx’s world affairs editor Eric Ham. The GOP Civil War: Inside the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party examines the fallout of the 2012 presidential election and the prospects for Republicans and Democrats in 2016. Central to the book is how GOP infighting and the changing face of America will impact the next race. The book is available on Amazon.com. H
Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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FROM THE
General President
Time Waits for No One
It is a saying
that we often take for granted: “time waits for no one.” But it is so true. Already, since my administration took office in January, so much has happened across the country, indeed around the world, that needs Alpha Phi Alpha’s attention. We have seen an attack on voting rights from the nation’s highest court and then a chipping away at affirmative action in university admissions programs. The man who killed Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, has been tried and set free. Now there is, we hope, a national conversation going on about race relations and laws that may not let everyone stand their ground, but only a select few. In Egypt, another uprising there will test our country’s mettle here at home in how we define and promote democracy while maintaining our national-security interests.
Mark S. Tillman is 34th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. president@apa1906.net
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And as we celebrate summer, fall is right around the corner, with a slew of new challenges. These are challenges that we will face on college campuses as well as in the communities in which we are privileged to serve. Our college brothers have completed summer internships and are hitting the books again. Some who graduated this past spring will start graduate or professional school; others will start the transition from college life to their career life. Alpha will have to step up and provide the service and leadership necessary to ensure that our work with these young men and in our communities has a positive return on our investment. I remain confident that as we move ahead, every brother who believes in our aims and ideals will step up. We have much work to do, and as I said, time waits for no one. H
Normally on this page I provide an update on the fraternity’s
operations. However, I was so moved by the oratory of the brothers who competed in the annual Belford V. Lawson Jr. Oratorical Contest in Austin, Texas, that I thought we should hear again, some of the powerful words from the winner. Please enjoy an excerpt from Brother Donte Newman’s speech on the theme developed out of Brother W.E.B. Du Bois’ 1903 work, The Souls of Black Folk. It stated “For the problem of the 20th century is the problem of the colorline.” 100 years later, what is the problem of the 21st century and how should Alpha respond?”
FROM THE
Executive Director
The problem of the 21st century and how should Alpha respond? By Donte Newman
IN HIS TEXT, The Souls of Black Folk, Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois eloquently created an argument that serves as a catalyst for intellectual and contentious debate regarding the educational preparation of the people in the United States. Du Bois’ exclaimed: “If we do not educate the people, we are creating a serious problem for the future.” The Souls of Black Folk ultimately underscores the importance of education. The color line was virtually dismantled when the U.S Supreme Court overturned the “separate but equal” doctrine and repealed Jim Crow laws in the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, moreover with the passages of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. However, a few achievements have not resulted in absolute equality. Racism has relocated to the inside of a velvet boxing glove. Albeit, the intrinsic power in its haymakers, jabs, and uppercuts in ‘south’-paw continues to engender irreparable damage to the wellness of the black community. Alpha, we have a problem. Black education has been admitted to the emergency room in critical condition. For more than a century, we have consistently attempted to cure its illnesses with inadequate first-aid kits. Although diligent in our efforts, we have been utilizing gauze pads to cover lifethreatening wounds. Alpha, we have a problem. The black–white achievement gap is apparent as early as kindergarten and grows as students matriculate. The National Assessment of Educational Progress’ achievement study shows that only 14 percent of black fourth graders were proficient readers—that is, performing at or above their grade’s reading level—compared with 43 percent of white fourth graders. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey states that African-American boys today spend 14 hours more each week in front of a television than their white counterparts, and a third of our boys spend nearly 21 hours, virtually a day out of their week, playing video games. To ask them to go to school, sit at a desk, and read science and math problems after watching high dosages of violence, sex, and dysfunctional relationships and wreaking havoc all night playing video games is practically impossible for anyone. It is my belief that this has led to African-American boys being falsely labeled as troubled and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or wrongly placed in special education. Alpha, we have a problem. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AIDS is a major health crisis in the black community. Although African Americans account for only 13 percent of the U.S. population, blacks represent 49 percent of new HIV/AIDS cases reported each year. And, according to the Sentencing Project, for black males in their thirties, one of every 10 is in prison or jail on any given day. Alpha, we have a problem. When I was initiated, I was taught that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities. However, this mission can no longer remain within our community but must extend academic excellence particularly in all communities. It is of vital importance that we further mobilize the programmatic aspects of our fraternity such as Go To High School, Go To College. There is no better time than now to truly begin marketing the aforementioned program in all communities. If we truly treasure education as a vehicle, we ought to put back on our seatbelts of purpose, tune up our fortitude, get an oil change for our equanimity, and refuel the gas tank of our tenacity. By reason, the end of the road was not arriving at the address of our dear Brother Martin Luther King Jr.’s memorial. We ought to keep a heavy foot on the gas pedal for acceleration toward the destination of King’s mission—educating the people. Education is our only means of transportation out of this current state. Education ought to be placed at the forefront of our agenda.
William Douglass Lyle is executive director and chief operating officer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. wlyle@apa1906.net
Brother Donte Newman, was initiated at Delta Theta Chapter at Texas Southern University in Houston.
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NEWS
Alpha Mobilizes as Supreme Court Dials Back Voting Rights By W. Michael McCoy III
THE U.S. SUPREME COURT before recessing for the summer struck a blow to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Its ruling, impacting one of the nation’s most important civil-rights laws, came in the highly anticipated case of Shelby County, Alabama v. Eric Holder. The decision addressed the constitutionality of two key provisions of the law. Section 5 requires certain states and local governments to obtain federal approval (called preclearance) before implementing any changes to their voting laws or practices. Section 4 contains the formula determining which jurisdictions are subject to preclearance based on their histories of voting discrimination. Section 5 was originally scheduled to expire after five years. In 1970, Congress extended it for five years, then again in 1975 for seven years, and 25 years in 1982. Congress renewed the act in 2006 for 25 years. But it relied on data from the 1975 reauthorization to decide which states and localities were covered. Originally, Section 4 applied to nine states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Also included were scores of counties and municipalities in other states containing large black, Latino, and Asian populations. By a 5-4 vote, along politically ideological lines, the court ruled Section 4 unconstitutional because the coverage formula used to ascertain voting discrimination is based upon data from nearly 40 years ago. The court determined the current formula is no longer responsive to today’s voting needs. Furthermore, the ruling indicates the current coverage formula will no longer be used to subject jurisdictions to the preclearance component outlined in Section 5 unless Congress authorizes a new formula. The opinion showed the ideological split among the justices highlighting a core disagreement of whether racial minorities continue to face obstacles to voting in states with a history of voting discrimination. Writing the majority opinion, Chief Justice John G. Roberts said: “Our country has changed. While any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions.” The ruling frees the states and jurisdictions impacted by Section 4 from federal oversight (as outlined in Section 5) by allowing them to make changes in their election laws. The state of Texas wasted no time in making changes to its election laws upon hearing the court’s ruling. Others are expected to follow. For example, in Georgia, several municipal and county governments such as Fulton County seated in Atlanta and Bibb County seated in Macon, Ga., are in the midst of reorganizing their governmental structures which will likely reduce black representation. Many African Americans believe that these moves will dilute their
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The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington handed down several critical rulings in June.
voting power and ability to have appropriate representation in city and county elective offices. In Fayette County, Ga., a battle is under way to prevent the creation of district seats on the local school board. The board has never had a person of color seated because the county has subscribed to at-large elections, despite enough black citizens to elect a district board member. The federal review by the Justice Department in these cases may now be moot. In her dissent, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cited the words of Alpha brother, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She said his legacy and the nation’s commitment to justice have been “disserved by [the Court’s] decision.” Ginsburg went on to say the focus of the Voting Rights Act had properly changed from “first-generation barriers to ballot access” to “second-generation barriers” like racial gerrymandering and laws requiring at-large voting in places with a sizable black minority. She said the law had been effective in thwarting these efforts. It was amid this backdrop that the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity convened in Austin, Texas, for their 92nd General Convention, the week the court released its opinion. The fraternity’s Public Policy Committee, Commission on Racial Justice and its Voteless People Is A Hopeless People Committee (VPHP) began developing and articulating the issues and concerns facing the African-American community. “We have drafted an action plan designed to engage every member and every chapter within the fraternity,” said Steven Jones, chairman of VPHP. “We want to ensure we do our part in upcoming local, state, and national elections.” The core elements of the VPHP plan are to ensure all Alpha men are registered to vote before registering others to vote; generate community awareness about changes in voting laws; and revise the fraternity’s Voteless People Is A Hopeless People Implementation Guide. The committee plans to target the historically low voter turnout during non-presidential elections starting with the 2013 fall gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia. H
NEWS
Brother Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents more than 1.6 million workers, speaks at the Supreme Court on the Fisher v. University of Texas affirmative action case in June. Photo by Leadership Council on Civil Rights.
Affirmative Action Survives, but Faces Tougher Scrutiny By Rick Blalock
AS THE U.S. SUPREME COURT ended its term in June, it inflicted a serious—but not a deadly—blow to affirmative action programs. The court affirmed the use of race in the admissions process, but made it harder for institutions to use such policies to achieve diversity. The ruling came in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The high court ruled, in a 7-to-1 decision, that the university will have to do more to prove such programs are needed to foster diversity on campus. The school will need to provide evidence that there are no feasible, available race-neutral alternatives to meet its goals, before being able to implement affirmative action programs. The case reached the Supreme Court after Abigail Fisher, a white woman from Sugar Land, Texas, sued the university claiming it denied her admission based on her race. The justices kicked the case back down to lower courts for further review. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Fifth Circuit, which heard the case in New Orleans, should not have accepted UT-Austin’s position that it considered affirmative-action alternatives in “good faith” before allowing admissions officers to consider student race. Only by demonstrating that the race-conscious policy is “necessary” and “narrowly tailored” can a university prove that its program is constitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Despite the stricter scrutiny, advocates of affirmative action can still claim a small victory. In ruling narrowly, the court reaffirmed earlier decisions allowing for a limited use of race-conscious public policies. Affirmative action lives for another day. While this case focuses squarely on Texas’ flagship public university, and leaves in place affirmative-action programs at other schools, those very programs will likely be exposed to future legal challenges under Fisher. Already, those who oppose affirmative action in principle are vowing to use the ruling as a road map to bring future cases.
“As you can imagine this is a significant concern for us and those we serve,” said G. Christopher Cutkelvin, Alpha Phi Alpha’s immediate past Southwestern regional assistant vice president, who attends Texas Southern University in Houston. “The fraternity’s convening its General Convention in Austin this year was no coincidence; it was providence. The decision rendered by the court will impact every American who dreams of going to college, and we must be vigilant now more than ever.” The high court will get another crack at the issue with a separate appeal in its next term. This fall, in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, the justices will decide the constitutionality of a voter referendum in Michigan banning race- and sex-based discrimination or preferential treatment in public university admission decisions. H —Gregory S. Parks contributed to this report. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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NEWS
NOT GUILTY: Verdict in Trayvon Martin Case Sparks New Debate About Race By Jaquon Heath and Rick Blalock
THE MURDER CASE INVOLVING the death of Trayvon Martin is history, and now the country is asking, “what’s next?” On July 12, after two days of deliberation, a jury of six women (five white, one Latina) returned the verdict in the highly controversial trial and said George Zimmerman, the defendant who killed the unarmed 17-year-old on Feb. 26, 2012, was not guilty. Zimmerman, 29, was charged with second-degree murder and a lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds that he intentionally set out to hurt and/or murder Martin. Although blood is on Zimmerman’s hands for the provocation of violent conflict and the death of a teenager, he is a free man. The jurors’ decision came down to whether or not Zimmerman was justified in his self-defense claim. The deliberation focused on hard evidence, including: weighing Zimmerman’s 911 phone call (where he notes that he spotted a “suspicious” black teenager); the fight that ensued after he trailed Martin; the projection of the bullet that went through Martin’s chest; Zimmerman’s head scars and fractured nose; an unclear recording of screams for “help” and testimonies from witnesses, friends and family members. From the very start, this case had given members of the African-American community pause. It took people rallying in the streets and protests from the civil-rights community to force an arrest weeks after the killing. And now, with the criminal case over and the not-guilty verdict, the questions in many communities have intensified on whether or not blacks in the U.S. are provided equal protection under the laws. The peaceful protests that immediately followed the verdict, outside the courthouse in Sanford, Fla., which resumed nationally in several big cities a week later, posited that the enraged black community does not believe the justice system protects them. Even President Barack Obama came forward to talk about his experiences. “Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago,” he said from the White House press briefing room. In an impromptu statement with unscripted remarks, the president broadened the discussion from the single incident to the Stand Your Ground laws and racial profiling, which many African Americans believe led Martin to be targeted by Zimmerman. “And for those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these Stand Your Ground laws, I just ask
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Trayvon Martin
George Zimmerman
Brother Daryl Parks, attorney for the Trayvon Martin family, talks about the verdict on CNN.
people to consider, if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened? And if the answer to that question is at least ambiguous, then it seems to me that we might want to examine those kinds of laws,” said Obama. The dialogue about race and race relations now afoot has not been seen in more than 20 years, since the Los Angeles riots that erupted after four white police officers were acquitted in the videotaped beating of Rodney King. “The Stand Your Ground law is one of the things which has excited and ignited this movement across the nation, which I think is the beginning of a new civil rights movement,” said Brother Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, appearing on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press.’ Brother Cornell West, the Class of 1943 University Professor at Princeton University, said he was happy with the president’s remarks but wanted to see them turn into something more. “Where is the moral indignation, I don’t want just political calculation,” West said appearing on CNN’s ‘New Day’ program. “I applaud his words, but I’m still waiting for action. People have been suffering for a long time, and too much. The personal will not be enough, we need policy and serious truth telling about a racist criminal justice system,” said West. Part of the action West is talking about is support and passing of Continued on page 9
NEWS a bill to end racial profiling altogether. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., the dean of the Congressional Black Caucus and second-most-senior member in the House of Representatives, is re-introducing his End Racial Profiling Act. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., has authored the Senate version. Alpha Phi Alpha announced that in the coming weeks and
months the fraternity will find ways to meaningfully engage around issues of racial justice. “If you are a mentor of some sort, a father, uncle or godfather, let’s work with our young men now and begin to discuss the value of life, using this as a teachable moment,” said fraternity General President Mark S. Tillman. H
Langston Scholarship Named for Holloway University Seeks Alphas’ Support for Endowment ERNEST L. HOLLOWAY SR., the former president of Langston University in Langston, Okla., was, as the familiar phrase goes, a “brother’s brother.” He died and entered the fraternity’s Omega Chapter in 2011. Now the university—which he led longer than anyone else—is honoring him with the creation of the Ernest L. Holloway Sr. Endowed Scholarship Fund. Brother Holloway was in regular attendance at all Alpha meetings— chapter, district, regional and national. He enjoyed sitting in the hotel lobbies to meet, greet, converse with and advise brothers of all ages. Initiated at Beta Kappa Chapter at Langston, he remained active until his death. During his Langston University presidency, nothing was “too good” for Beta Kappa and Alpha Phi Alpha. Some men are born to greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them. Holloway was destined to become president of his alma mater. The road map started with his four years as a Langston student. He then became a teacher and a high school principal. He returned to Langston as assistant registrar before serving 10 years as dean of students. Next, he served as vice president of administrative affairs. In 1979, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education appointed Holloway university president. He remained in that role 27 years until retiring in 2006.
Brother Ernest L. Holloway Sr.
The university, now led by Kent J. Smith Jr., aims to raise $250,000 to endow the new scholarship fund, and is counting on Holloway’s brothers to help lead the way. “This is a tremendous campaign to honor a tremendous Alpha,” says Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., Langston’s former vice president for institutional advancement and past Southwestern regional vice president of Alpha. “The Southwestern Region inducted Brother Holloway into its Hall of Fame last year and this will be yet another way his legacy will flourish, while helping students who need a financial boost to enroll and complete their college education,” Smothers says. Henry Ponder, 28th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha and a former president of several historically
black colleges and universities, says there are several reasons for Alpha men to step up and lead the way in the fundraising effort. “Brothers may ask, why should Alpha Phi Alpha support the Holloway Endowed Scholarship Fund?” says Ponder. “I can give them several good reasons, including: Brother Holloway was an Alpha; he nurtured and sustained the Alpha Phi Alpha Leadership Institute; he supported all Alpha events and programs; few higher education institutions have institutionalsponsored scholarships named for individuals; when the goal is reached, an Alpha brother’s name will live in perpetuity and provide education for the yet unborn; and lastly, Alpha’s leadership, in this effort, may be the catalyst for more brothers to be so honored,” says Ponder. Ponder has proposed that each chapter in the fraternity establish a committee to raise funds on its campus and in their own community. Another idea, he suggests, is perhaps adding a small tax-deductible assessment of $10.00 to each brother’s chapter dues. Individuals interested in the project may write the Langston University Foundation, P.O. Box 72, Langston, OK 73050 or visit the university’s website, www.langston.edu. Ponder may be reached at P.O. Box 417, Langston, OK 73050-0417 or by phone at (405) 466-3482. H Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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CHAPTER NEWS
N.C. College Brothers Build Habitat Home in Fayetteville
Past and present brothers of Epsilon Zeta Chapter take a break from building a home in Fayetteville, N.C., during the chapter’s annual retreat.
ON APRIL 19-21, the brothers of Epsilon Zeta Chapter at Fayetteville State University in Fayetteville, N.C., hosted the chapter’s annual retreat. Brothers from spring 1996, to the newest members initiated this spring, seized the opportunity to rekindle old bonds and establish new ones. The weekend featured numerous events highlighted by the brothers’ community service project, helping build a home with the local unit of Habitat for Humanity. The current members recognized Brother Dexter Sharp II, initiated in 2003, as the Epsilon Zeta Chapter Alumni Brother of the Year, for his outstanding contributions to the chapter over the last year. Brother Troy Pickens was recognized as the outstanding College Brother of the Year for academic excellence and contributions to Fayetteville State University. H
Theta Theta Lambda Marks 50 Years in Europe ON MAY 18, Theta Theta Lambda Chapter reached an historic milestone. The first chapter on the European continent reached its 50th anniversary. In an event full of pageantry and celebration, the chapter’s annual Black and Gold Scholarship Banquet was truly an international celebration. It coupled as a commemoration of 50 years of service to military and local host-nation communities across Germany and a scholarship program. More than $10,500 was awarded to 10 scholarship recipients. Held at the historic Kurhaus in Wiesbaden, the chapter played host to 34th General President Mark S. Tillman and his wife Velicia; chapter founder James E. Williams and his wife Susan; and Dr. Mathias Wagner, son of chapter founder Cloyd Trouth. The room exceeded capacity as brothers from across Europe came to hear remarks from the general president. He spoke before an audience of students, parents, educators, officers from the National PanHellenic Council Europe and members of the Divine Nine. Since 1985, Theta Theta Lambda has provided more than $210,000 in scholarship funds to qualified students. Scholarship recipients historically come from the surrounding military communities, including Ansbach, Bamberg, Bitburg, Heidelberg, Hoehnfels, Kaiserslautern, Schweinfurt, Spangdalehm, Stuttgart, and Wiesbaden. H
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Brothers from around the world gather and sing the fraternity hymn during Theta Theta Lambda Chapter’s 50th anniversary celebration in Germany. General President Mark S. Tillman brings greetings.
CHAPTER NEWS
Brothers Open New Chapter House in L.A. BETA PSI LAMBDA Los Angeles, Calif. IT GETS “ICE COLD” even in sunny Southern California. For proof, just ask the brothers of Beta Psi Lambda Chapter in Los Angeles. On July 13, they opened the chapter’s newly renovated multi-use house, which is named in honor of Brother Walter DeBose for his dedicated service. Brothers are using the facility for a host of events and occasions, including the recent “Black Family Reunion Block Party” sponsored by the National Council of Negro Women. “Having our own house will greatly enhance our chapter, our programs, and our ability to service our community,” says Brother Jason Douglas Lewis, Beta Psi Lambda
Beta Psi Lambda Chapter members and the Alpha Esquires in front of the new chapter house in Los Angeles.
Chapter president. In addition to providing small business office space, the new house will serve as a primary meeting location for the chapter and local organizations. It will also be a venue for hosting events. Brothers have already begun
using the building for its Alpha Esquires mentoring program. The chapter is mentoring more than 30 teenage boys from sixth to 12th grades. They participate in academic study sessions, financial seminars, fundraisers and etiquette workshops. H
Raising Scholarship Funds Through Collaboration ZETA UPSILON LAMBDA Reston/Fairfax, Va.
Zeta Upsilon Chapter brothers and students participate in the Paul Robeson Saturday Leadership Academy.
ZETA UPSILON LAMBDA Chapter’s Joyce-Gillespie-Harrington Educational and Charitable Foundation recently cosponsored the “Paul Robeson Saturday Leadership Academy” with George Mason University. The academy is geared toward underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The six-week curriculum combines STEM topics with digital literacy, writing, public speaking, critical thinking and college readiness. Since the program began, more than 130 students have participated. They have interacted with GMU faculty, staff and students, and as well as Alpha brothers who served as mentors. ZUL also has been actively raising money for the local A. Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper Program. Brothers partnered with the Lambda Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, to host an “Old Skool Jam” last September. Proceeds supported both the Brother’s Keeper program and the AKA chapter’s educational scholarship program. H Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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CHAPTER NEWS
Working Together to Empower Young Men Towards Excellence
Zeta Psi Lambda Chapter members and their mentees gather in Lake Charles, La.
ZETA PSI LAMBDA Lake Charles, La.
PROVING THAT YOU cannot spell brothers without spelling others, members of Zeta Psi Lambda Chapter in Lake Charles, La., recently joined Zeta Psi Omega
Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to host a teen workshop. Titled “Man Up: Empowering Young Men Towards Excellence,” Brother Brian Roberson was the program’s keynote speaker. He presented a powerful message to a group of young men ranging from 10 to 18. The workshop concluded
with an open forum to discuss prevalent issues in school. Members from the fraternity and the sorority considered the event such a success that they’ve already begun planning future events co-sponsored in Lake Charles to positively impact the community. H
SIGMA DELTA LAMBDA Southfield, Mich. ALPHA PHI ALPHA’S newest chapter in southeastern Michigan has had a whirlwind of a year since its chartering in July 2012. Sigma Delta Lambda Chapter, seated in Southfield, Mich., has participated in many community service efforts. In just one year, SDL brothers have worked with “Arts Beats and Eats” to raise money for the March of Dimes; fed over 345 homeless citizens in Detroit. They also partnered with Gamma Lambda Chapter in Detroit to volunteer with the Meals on Wheels program and delivered more than 600 meals to seniors and disabled homebound residents. The chapter has also created a scholarship foundation. H
12 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
Brothers of Sigma Delta Lambda, metro Detroit’s newest chapter, are celebrating one year of service in Southfield, Mich.
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
Everything is Big
Photography by Rickey Brown, Jason Lewis, Jeff Lewis and Jamal Wiggins.
14 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
SPECIAL REPORT
in Texas!
Brothers Gather for 2013 Convention to Celebrate, Conduct Business of Alpha FOR A WEEK IN JUNE, members of Alpha Phi Alpha came to Austin, Texas, to usher in and officially begin reinvesting in Alpha. Led by a new general president, brothers from around the world came to the capital of Texas on a mission—a mission to uplift the brothers assembled, and by extension, all of the many communities represented by the delegates and members. Every convention offers the traditional excitement of fellowshipping with brothers not seen since the last convention, or even those who have been absent for several years. For many, reconnecting and reasserting the fraternal bond is paramount at General Conventions. This year was no different in Austin. However, there was plenty of business to handle: a new membership admission process; adopting new fiscal plans and budgets; administering discipline to protect the “House” of Alpha; changing rules, regulations and laws to make for a more perfect fraternity and installing new members of the Board of Directors. On the next several pages, The Sphinx photographers provide a snapshot of the sights during the 107th Anniversary Convention. From the opening ceremonies to the public program to the step show and Miss Black and Gold Pageant, to the international awards program honoring Alpha’s best, another chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha history is recorded for the ages. As the slogan says, “everything is big in Texas,” and Alpha Phi Alpha lived up to that with its huge presence in the Lone Star State. —Rick Blalock
Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
WELCOME RECEPTION
Brothers Bob Willis of Atlanta (left) and past General Counsel Cecil Howard (right) pose with Brother Samuel Armstrong (center).
General President Mark S. Tillman welcomes longtime Alpha brothers from Xi Lambda Chapter in Chicago, James Palmer (center) and Allen Knox (right).
The band provides the splendid sound of Austin music at the Welcome Ladies enjoying themselves at the Welcome Reception. Reception.
Brothers from Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter in Houston pose for a group shot at the Welcome Reception.
16 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
registration
Brothers are greeted with smiles as they pick up their convention materials.
Brother Walter McDaniels looks on as his wife, Monique, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, picks up her conventionregistration materials and gift bag.
senior lounge
Brother Fred Cox (left) and General President Mark S. Tillman (center) welcome Brother Julius Brice to the Senior Lounge.
Two senior Alphas enjoy camaraderie in the Senior Lounge.
Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
Business sessions
General President Mark S. Tillman opens the convention.
Brother Orlando Hankins of North Carolina speaks on a constitutional amendment. Past general presidents pray during the invocation. From left: Henry Ponder, Milton C. Davis, Adrian Wallace, Harry E. Johnson, Sr., and Executive Director William D. Lyle. Davis and Johnson spoke from the floor during debate on a key motion.
Brother Tarrynce Robinson of Xi Eta Lambda Chapter in The Woodlands, Texas, addresses the brothers.
Brother Anthony Wilson, budget chairman, discusses the new spending plan.
18 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
The Special Committee on Reclamation, chaired by Brother Frank Russell (center), is recognized by the General Convention.
AUSTIN CONVENTION
Business sessions
Brothers from Alpha Delta Lambda Chapter in Memphis and others listen to the debate on the convention floor.
At the mic, Brother Darryl Parker of New York’s Alpha Gamma Lambda Chapter awaits his turn.
Brother Rodney Boyd (right) of Alpha Rho Chapter at Morehouse College in Atlanta makes a point.
Brother Andra Ward of Delta Gamma Lambda Chapter in Cincinnati debates a motion.
Brother Brandon Brock of Nu Psi Chapter at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge leads the debate as fellow college brothers look on.
General Treasurer Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye discusses the fraternity’s finances.
Brother Darren Morton, past Eastern RVP, leads the discussion on the membership intake process.
Brother Bobby Clark of Gamma Gamma Lambda Chapter in Greenville, S.C., speaks to a motion.
Sergeant at Arms David Moore of Las Vegas monitors the debate. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
O. Wilson winter life membership breakfast
General President Mark S. Tillman shares a light moment with Life Member A. Wendell Wheadon of Cleveland.
Brother John C. Rawls, life member #41, addresses the breakfast.
Brothers David Rogers of Eta Zeta Lambda Chapter and Anthony Thompson of Eta Theta Lambda Chapter pray during the invocation.
30th General President Adrian L. Wallace shares a laugh during the breakfast.
26th General President Ozell Sutton sips a hot brew at the breakfast.
wells fargo breakfast
General Treasurer Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye stands between Wells Fargo’s Mark Masten and Theresa Alvarez.
20 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
General President Mark S. Tillman shares a moment with Wells Fargo’s LeAnne Lange.
Participating in the Wells Fargo Breakfast, from left: Greg Young; Laraine Davis; Tiwannna Kenney.
AUSTIN CONVENTION
fraternal luncheon
Eastern Regional Vice President-Elect R. Anthony Mills (left) listens to the speech.
Alcorn State University president, Brother M. Christopher Brown (left) listens to the speech.
General President Mark S. Tillman salutes the keynote speaker, Brother Gregory Vincent, a vice president at the University of Texas at Austin.
Southwestern Regional Vice President Roderick L. Smothers Sr. brings greetings.
Alpha Award of Merit recipient Brother Joseph Heyward addresses the luncheon.
Brother Jeffery Gray of Eta Eta Lambda Chapter brings greetings.
Keynote speaker Brother Gregory Vincent addresses a full house. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
public program
Enjoying the reception, from left: Brother Marcus Garcia, the fraternity’s past International Relations chairman; General President Mark S. Tillman and Brother Solomon Bannister.
Alpha First Lady Velicia Tillman acknowledges applause.
Keynote speaker Ari Melber of MSNBC addresses the crowd.
Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority join General President Mark S. Tillman and their president Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre (right of Tillman) for a historic photo after she received the Alpha Award of Honor.
Participating in the Public Program, from left: Natalie Madeira Cofield of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce; Brother Larry Earvin, president of Huston-Tillotson University; Karl Price, international grand polaris of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity; William Bates, grand polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity;
22 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
public program
Mary Wright, international grand basileus of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority addresses the crowd.
Jimmy Hammock, international president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity brings greetings.
60-year Alpha Member Brother Audrey Mackey (front, left) and his wife stand with the crowd.
Brother Jermaine Smith, a noted tenor, gives a spirited performance.
Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre, Alpha Award of Honor recipient and president of Delta Sigma Theta, presents General President Mark S. Tillman with shirts from their alma mater, Dillard University.
Participating in the Public Program, from left: Brother Larry Green of Houston; Bonita Herring, international grand basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority; Brother Gregory Vincent, vice president of the University of Texas at Austin; Andrew Ray, grand basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Carolyn House Stewart, international president, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
College brothers luncheon
General President Mark S. Tillman accepts a $10,000 check from Nationwide to aid fraternity programs.
Brother Darryl Wilson (right) receives the Alpha Award of Merit from the general president (left).
Abdulrahman Hamid (center) receives the award for the highest GPA in the fraternity.
College brothers were paired with alumni members working in the profession they are pursuing. Shown here, Brother Russell Flye, Western Regional Vice President-Elect, of Nu Epsilon Lambda Chapter and Brother David Oguoma-Richards of Delta Eta Chapter at Savannah State University in Savannah, Ga.
College brothers from Upsilon Mu Chapter at Southern Methodist University in Dallas receive the award for the chapter with the highest GPA.
24 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
Belford V. LAWSON JR. ORATORICAL CONTEST ORATORS FROM ALL FIVE REGIONS brought their best voice to the annual oratorical contest. The contest is named in honor of Brother Belford V. Lawson Jr., the 16th general president of the fraternity. Lawson, who was one of the first AfricanAmerican football players for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, studied law at Yale and graduated from Howard University’s law school. He was known for his booming voice and commanding presence. He was the first black lawyer to win a case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
This year’s finalists were: Anthony Hyland of Eta Iota Chapter at Voorhees
College in Denmark, S.C., representing the Southern Region; the 2013 champion Donte Newman of Delta Theta Chapter at Texas Southern University in Houston, representing the Southwestern Region; David Rankine of Gamma Rho Chapter at Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind., represented the Midwestern Region; David Spencer of Rho Beta Chapter at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Ore., represented the Western Region; and Javaughn Griffin of Sigma Chapter in the New England District represented the Eastern Region. ,
Read the winning speech on page 5.
2013 champion Brother Donte Newman
Brother Javaughn Griffin
Brother Anthony Hyland
Brother David Spencer
Brother David Rankine Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE FORUM
Students Demetrius Brown and Jackson Owens listen to the speaker.
Brother Charles Cofin Jr. makes a point to the youngsters.
Students role-play during the forum.
Students pose for a group shot with General President Mark S. Tillman and the Leadership Development Institute Forum facilitators.
26 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
Ladies and kids tour
Convention-goers share a light moment and show their colors on the tour bus.
Ladies take a short cruise to see the sights.
Ladies visit the Texas State Capitol.
Kids go for a spin at the K1 Speed Indoor Kart Racing track.
Kids and Alpha brothers pause for group picture while touring Austin, Texas. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS BOWL
Brothers of Kappa Omicron Chapter at Duke University in Durham, N.C., pose at the awards ceremony after winning the 2013 Collegiate Scholars Bowl competition. The Scholars Bowl was created as a national program a few years ago. It is named for Brother John Hope Franklin, long considered the preeminent historian on the African-American experience in the 20th century. Brother Franklin, last taught at Duke, and he entered Omega Chapter in 2009.
HOBART S. JARRETT DEBATE COMPETITION
Finalists for the Hobart Jarrett Debate Competition and Brother Ryan Brown, chairman of the competition, pose after the event.
Mu Xi Brothers Don Holmes (left) and Ryan Luethje (right) defend an argument.
28 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
Rho Beta Brothers Anderson D. DuBoise III (left) and Monquize Dusseau (right) provide a response during the debate.
BROTHERS REPRESENTING the Southern Region walked away with the 2013 Hobart S. Jarrett Debate Competition title at the Austin General Convention. Members from Mu Xi Chapter at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. successfully defended against the team representing the Western Region from Rho Beta Chapter at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. The fraternity’s debate competition is named for one of America’s best debaters ever. Brother Hobart Sidney Jarrett was born in 1915 in Arlington, Texas, and grew up in Tulsa, Okla. He graduated from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, in 1936, but not before being a member of the Wiley team that defeated the University of Southern California national debate champions in 1935. He later earned a master’s degree at Syracuse University in New York, and studied at Harvard University. He taught at Langston University in Oklahoma, and spent most of his career in Greensboro, N.C., at Bennett College. He entered Omega Chapter in 2005, after more than 70 years in Alpha. H
AUSTIN CONVENTION
ecumenical service
Left: The audience stands and rejoices during the sermon. Middle: The Rev. Brother Clyde Carnegie, the fraternity chaplain, delivers the sermon. Right: Brother Randall Palmer (right) applaudes the preacher.
HUSTON-TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY VISIT AND FISH-FRY RECEPTION
28th General President Henry Ponder and brothers tour the historic administration building at Huston-Tillotson University.
Southwestern Regional Vice President Roderick L. Smothers, Sr., HTU’s vice president for institutional advancement, formally welcomes brothers to the university. Smothers represented Brother Larry Earvin, HTU president, who was out of the country. Providing a chance to break away from the convention center downtown, the university served fried catfish and other delights and drinks to more than 600 brothers and guests.
Hundreds of brothers link up and surround one of the oldest trees in Austin at the Delta Chapter plot on the HTU campus. They sing the fraternity hymn and recite the fraternity prayer. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
step show competition
The general president presents the first runner-up trophy to brothers from Eta Mu Chapter at the University of Houston.
Brothers from the Eastern Region’s New York team of Delta Chi and Theta Eta Chapters perform.
Brothers from Gamma Eta Chapter at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., took second-runner-up honors.
Southwestern Region brothers from Eta Mu Chapter perform in space suits.
Brothers from Nu Upsilon Chapter at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., celebrate winning first place.
30 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
miss black and gold pageant
Above: The 2013 queen and her court, from left: Southwestern finalist Shelby Clayton (4th R.U.); Western finalist Shakira Abney-Wisdom (2nd R.U.); Miss Black and Gold, Yvonne Winborne of the Eastern Region; Midwestern finalist Jasmine Moses (1st R.U.); and Southern finalist Gabrielle Symone Booth (3rd R.U.). At Right: The reigning (2011) queen Felicia Hachett of the Southwestern Region relinquishes her crown and places a tiara upon Winborne.
Brother Ibrahim Traore introduces the national finalists during their visit to a local school as part of their community service project in Austin, Texas. The national finalists visit a school as part of their community service project in Austin, Texas. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
black and gold awards banquet
25th General President James R. Williams administers the oath of office to General Treasurer Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye (left), Eastern Regional Vice President R. Anthony Mills (right), and the rest of the members of the Board of Directors.
New Southwestern Region officers take the oath, from left: Assistant Vice President DeShaun Artis and Vice President Maurice Gipson.
Outgoing members of the Board of Directors are recognized for their service.
Board members from the Eastern, Southern and Western Regions take the oath of office.
Midwestern Assistant Vice President Adarious Payton takes the oath of office. Brothers throughout the ballroom join hands and sing the ‘Alpha Phi Alpha Hymn.’
32 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
black and gold awards banquet
Brother Vernon Nauls, a captain in the U.S. Army, watches the proceedings.
Fraternity Executive Director and COO William D. Lyle addresses the crowd as General President Mark S. Tillman looks on.
Brother Richard Carey and his wife Doris enjoy the moment.
Sixty-year life member Brother Monroe Manning and his wife suit up for the banquet.
Brother Reuben Joseph and his wife Deidre pose for the camera.
Brothers of Iota Nu Chapter, the College Chapter of the Year, pose with Shakira Abney-Wilson, the Miss Black and Gold Pageant Western Region finalist. Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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AUSTIN CONVENTION
chapter of the year award winners COLLEGE CHAPTER IOTA NU CHAPTER, UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM
ALUMNI CHAPTER XI ETA LAMBDA CHAPTER, WOODLANDS, TEXAS
34 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
AUSTIN CONVENTION
Alpha Phi Alpha 2013 International Award Winners College Brother of the Year Victor Scotti Jr. Eastern Region Psi University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pa.
Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest Southwestern Region Donte Newman Delta Theta Texas Southern University Houston, Texas
College Chapter/Brothers Traveling Greatest Distance Western Region Rho Beta Portland State University Portland, Ore.
Alumni Brother of the Year Southern Region Walter E. Turner Sr. Mu Psi Lambda Homewood, Ala.
John Hope Franklin Collegiate Scholars’ Bowl Southern Region Kappa Omicron Duke University Durham, N.C.
Alumni Chapter/Brothers Traveling Greatest Distance Eastern Region Eta Epsilon Lambda Monrovia, Liberia
College Chapter of the Year Southern Region Iota Nu University of Alabama-Birmingham Birmingham, Ala. Alumni Chapter of the Year Southwestern Region Xi Eta Lambda Woodlands, Texas Charles H. Wesley Brotherhood Award (For college-alumni chapter collaboration) Eastern Region Nu Theta Old Dominion University Norfolk, Va. and Alpha Phi Lambda Norfolk, Va. College Brother with Highest GPA Southern Region Abdulrahman Hamid, 4.0 Nu Upsilon University of Mississippi Oxford, Miss. College Chapter with Highest GPA Southwestern Region Upsilon Mu Chapter, 3.38 Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas
Hobart S. Jarrett Debate Competition Southern Region Mu Xi University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, Miss.
College Chapter with Most Registered Brothers Outside Host Region Southern Region Upsilon Eta Auburn University Montgomery Montgomery, Ala.
Step Show Competition Southern Region Nu Upsilon University of Mississippi Oxford, Miss.
Alumni Chapter with Most Registered Brothers Outside Host Region Southern Region Eta Lambda Atlanta, Ga.
Miss Black and Gold Pageant Eastern Region Yvonne Winbourne Gamma Nu Penn State University States College, Pa.
College Chapter with Most Registered Brothers Inside Host Region Southwestern Region Delta Chapter Huston-Tillotson University Austin, Texas
AUSTIN GENERAL CONVENTION SPIRIT AWARDS
Alumni Chapter with Most Registered Brothers Inside Host Region Gamma Eta Lambda Austin, Texas
Brother with Longest Membership in Alpha/Eldest Registered Brother Western Region Payton C. Cook Theta Pi Lambda Las Vegas, Nev. Years in Alpha: 72; Initiation: Dec. 1, 1941 Age: 92; Born: Feb. 7, 1921
Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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NEONEWS
Working for Youth Reminds Me Why I’m an Alpha Man By Harlin Miller
I
N MY NEOPHYTE YEAR, I am learning so much more about how my aspirations to become an Alpha are so intertwined in the reality of being an Alpha. I recall writing in my essay “Why I Want To Be An Alpha Man” that I wanted to join because this fraternity has produced some of the finest men of color. Men who have helped lead the cause of justice and improve our country. I wrote: It cannot be denied that some of the most impactful men in our nation’s history all share the commonality of being brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha. I cannot place my finger on it yet, but the characteristics of influence, generosity, integrity and love have all been qualities that each renowned brother of Alpha has possessed through the annals of history. For this reason, I aspire to become an Alpha Man. Our most celebrated brother, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., put it best when he said, “Everyone has the power for greatness—not for fame, but greatness, because greatness is determined by service.” I am a brother of faith. I believe that God is very purposeful in everything he does. In his purpose, I believe that he creates in all of us a desire to do certain things at a certain time. Therefore, I find it to be no coincidence that the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, originally the Boys Clubs of America (BGCA), was established as a national movement in 1906, the same year Alpha Phi Alpha was organized. More than 106 years later, during the past semester, I was given the privilege to intern at the BGCA’s national headquarters in Atlanta. I worked with the organization’s Keystone Club team and its youth leadership programs. I find it intriguing that these two organizations were created at the same time, for similar purposes, to serve those who were deemed disenfranchised outcasts at the time. Alpha was created as a means of keeping the very few men of color who made it to college, in college, through a support system wrapped in the mantra of brotherhood. Boys and Girls Clubs were created for youths who had no direction and seemingly had been left to fend for themselves. Sure enough, as so many Alpha men had told me, there’s an Alpha everywhere you go. When I walked through the doors, there was one at the BGCA headquarters. During my first week interning, I met Brother Gregory Doss. He knew I was a neophyte and he quickly took me under his wing. Brother Doss may not
36 THE SPHINX H Summer 2013
Neophyte Brother Harlin Miller, (left) at work in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America national office with Brother Gregory Doss.
have noticed, but I closely watched him. I watched not only his work but how he worked. I was curious to see if, after all his years in the fraternity, he was still living by the aims and ideals of Alpha Phi Alpha. It quickly became apparent that he was; I saw how he passionately worked on behalf of youth and how he was still active as an advisor for the college chapter at the University of West Georgia, in a suburb about an hour west of Atlanta. He put into practice all that we learn about service in Alpha on his “day job” and after hours on the campus. My experience with him brought back memories of my chapter volunteering at our local Boys and Girls Club in Tennessee. I can recall the look on the children’s faces and how impactful we were on their lives, simply by spending time with them. I’m sharing this story to encourage every brother to do more than the bare minimum requirement of service, but to meet the standard set by our Jewels, and then transcend it. I know first-hand the importance of a male mentor. I grew up in a single-mother-headed household. Having a male mentor meant the world to me when I was a child—even if I was too proud to admit it. And it was Alpha mentorship that guided me through my freshman year of college, as well as my initiation into the fraternity. It was an Alpha that I met when I was 14 who consistently guided and advised me—and continues to this day. So my challenge to each brother of Alpha is: get involved in a local Boys and Girls Club or other organization that works day in and day out to help those who need us now more than ever. The impact you can have is monumental and only upholds the standards we all took an oath to live by when we aspired to be an Alpha man. H Harlin Miller, a junior at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, was initiated on Oct. 13, 2012, at Mu Iota Chapter.
BROTHERS ON THE MOVE SAMUEL BROWN BETA ALPHA, ‘63
Brother Michael Pittman on campus at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
College Brother Starts Program to Feed Thousands in Dallas WHEN ALPHA PHI ALPHA neophyte Michael Pittman saw that students had extra money left over on their food cards at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, he came up with a unique idea. Why not help the hungry at a local food bank? At SMU, students receive what is called “flex dollars” which are electronically tied to their student ID cards and used like a debit card for food at various on-campus eateries. At the end of the school year, many students go on shopping sprees to spend up the excess funds on their card. Seeing an opportunity to put these remaining dollars to better use, Pittman, a 2012 neophyte initiate of Upsilon Mu Chapter at SMU, developed a program where students can donate the funds to the North Texas Food Bank. It is called the Flex Can Program. In addition to donating their excess flex dollars, students also can make cash donations. In its first year, with support from the university’s dining services office, the program raised more than $1,500 to feed needy families in the Dallas area. According to the North Texas Food Bank, it can provide three meals for every dollar raised. Through Brother Pittman’s efforts, the food bank will be able to provide 4,500 meals to needy North Texans. H
Lambda Chapter in Nashville, Tenn., Burks earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He also holds a master’s from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.
ARTHUR DOCTOR JR. PI ALPHA, ‘07 Delegate Brother Keith Haynes, Esq., of the Maryland House of Delegates, When Emory and Brother Samuel Brown Jr. University in Atlanta was Brother Samuel Brown Jr. was looking for a given Rho Tau Lambda Chapter’s leader to help Trailblazer Award for his service round out and dedication to the fraternity. its Greek life The award was presented at the chapter’s recent Legislative Night office, it found Brother Arthur E. Doctor Jr. He’s been appointed the in Annapolis, Md. university’s new assistant director Brown was initiated in1963, at Beta Alpha Chapter at Morgan for sorority and fraternity life. State University in Baltimore. This Doctor recently graduated from Florida State University in year marks his 50th anniversary as a member of Alpha. Previously, Tallahassee, Fla., with a master’s degree in higher education he was vice president of Delta administration. He is a 2007 initiate Lambda Chapter in Baltimore from Pi Alpha Chapter at Clemson before becoming a charter University in Clemson, S.C., and member of Rho Tau Lambda now resides in the metro Atlanta Chapter. area. TONY L. BURKS II RANDY DUNN TAU LAMBDA, ‘95 OMICRON XI LAMBDA, ‘08 Atlanta public Randy Dunn was schools recently elected administrator Tony to the Missouri L. Burks II was House of recently profiled in Representatives. WalkingtheEquity He represents Talk:AGuidefor citizens in the CulturallyCourageousLeadershipin state’s 23rd district in Kansas SchoolCommunities. The new book City. Brother Dunn won the includes promising practices for seat outright in the Democratic eliminating the racial-achievement Primary with 65 percent of the gap. Brother Burks is one of five leaders profiled who describe political vote. There was no opposition obstacles they have encountered and in the General Election. Previously, he served as a city how they overcame them. Continued on next page Initiated in 1995 at Tau Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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BROTHERS ON THE MOVE planner. Dunn, the immediate past president of Omicron Xi Lambda Chapter in Kansas City, is a licensed realtor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs and earned a master’s in public administration from the University of MissouriKansas City. RASHAD HOLLOWAY DELTA PI, ‘01 Baltimore County, Md., recently honored Brother Rashad Holloway with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Content of Character Award. It honors county
residents who strive to model exemplary character as described in Brother King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Holloway is the president of Rho Tau Lambda Chapter in the city of Baltimore. He currently serves as regulatory auditor with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Holloway has committed his life to service and participates in numerous philanthropic efforts targeted toward the improvement of urban communities and academic development of urban youth. MICHAEL IBEKWE PI MU, ‘11 Michael Ibekwe graduated from West Virginia University’s School of Medicine with a
bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology. Brother Ibekwe, who joined the fraternity in 2011, is immediate past president of Pi Mu Chapter. In addition to his fraternity service, Ibekwe was member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key International Honour Society, Ronald E. McNair Scholars, and the National Society of Leadership and Success. He plans to pursue his master’s degree in public health with a concentration in health policy management.
DEVIN JENKINS GAMMA KAPPA, ‘12 Brother Devin Jenkins has been selected to receive the Gates Millennium Scholarship (GMS). The GMS program selects 1,000 talented students each year to receive a good-throughgraduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. Jenkins, a member of Gamma Kappa Chapter at Miles College in Fairfield, Ala., arrived on campus after being recruited by the Continued on next page
Watson Lands $10K Scholarship from AMA THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Foundation recently honored Christopher Watson with a Minority Scholars Award at the association’s annual meeting in Chicago. Brother Watson, a member of Chi Chapter at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, was one of only eight medical students in the country to receive the award. The $10,000 scholarship was awarded for his academic achievement and commitment to the elimination of healthcare disparities. Watson, initiated in 2009 at Eta Lambda Chapter in Atlanta, is a third-year medical student and the student government president at Meharry. He is active in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy. His major areas of study include healthcare policy and its impact on the distribution of—and access to—health services in the African-American community. Watson earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his master’s in public health degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta. While an undergraduate student, he conducted research on cancer-education-and-support programs
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Brother Christopher Watson is shown with AMA’s Dr. Dionne Hart, chair of the AMA’s Minority Affairs Section Governing Council and Dr. Clarence Chou, board president of the AMA Foundation.
for low-income, African-American cancer survivors. As a part of his master’s program, he examined strategies to reduce tobacco use in Atlanta. Watson also served as a Mayo Clinic summer intern. Prior to enrolling in medical school, Watson spent three years teaching high school in a low-income Atlanta neighborhood in the Teach for America program. H
BROTHERS ON THE MOVE
Alphas on the move in Illinois
Tennis Courts Named for Alpha Brother
ILLINOIS STATE REPRESENTATIVES Brothers Al Riley of Theta Mu Lambda Chapter in Joliet, Ill., and Arthur Turner Jr., initiated at Alpha Rho Chapter at Morehouse College in Atlanta, have been appointed to the House majority leadership team. Brother Chris Welch of Xi Lambda Chapter in Chicago has been appointed to the House Judiciary, Higher Education and Higher Education-Appropriations Committees. Brother Elgie Sims Jr. was recently named vice chairman of the House Mass Transit Committee. In the state’s upper chamber, Senator Brother Donne Trotter, also of Xi Lambda Chapter, the Senate’s lead budget negotiator, has been appointed to the Senate majority leadership team. H
Brother James Ewers stands at the tennis courts at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. An alumnus of Alpha Omicron Chapter at Johnson C. Smith University, Ewers was recently honored when the school named the courts complex in his honor.
college’s president, Brother George T. French Jr. Since his enrollment in 2011, he has maintained a 4.0 grade point average. Jenkins is treasurer of Gamma Kappa Chapter. JOHN JOHNSTON NU, ‘85 Lincoln University in Lincoln, Pa., has added Brother John Johnston to its board of trustees. Johnston is an alumnus of Lincoln, at which he was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha at Nu Chapter in 1985. He is currently an active member at Rho Tau Lambda Chapter in Baltimore. He is also a life member of the Alumni Association of Lincoln University (AALU) and a member of the Baltimore Alumni Chapter of Lincoln University.
RICHARD WINFREY ALPHA UPSILON, ‘10 Brother Richard Winfrey, a member of Alpha Upsilon Chapter at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, was recently awarded a $2,500 scholarship from the university‘s Department of Mechanical Engineering. He earned the award for academically achieving over a 3.0 grade point average. In addition to being active with the fraternity, Winfrey is active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers. Also, he is a WSU student ambassador in the school’s College of Engineering. H
Alpha Honored for Role in Fla. Judiciary JUDGE JAMES PIERCE, a member of Omicron Beta Lambda Chapter in Clearwater, Fla., was recently awarded the John U. Bird Judicial Excellence Award by the Clearwater Bar Association. The award recognizes a member of the judiciary, currently serving, who demonstrates high ideals, personal character, judicial competence and service. Brother Pierce, a past president of OBL Chapter, was initiated in 1977 at Delta Beta Chapter at Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Fla. In addition to the Bird honor, Pierce was presented with the St. Petersburg Bar Association’s 2013 Judicial Appreciation Award. Among other factors, the award recognizes Judge Pierce’s “courtroom demeanor, judicial experience, helpfulness to lawyers and litigants, and extra activities that promote the administration of justice and civic participation.” Pierce has served as vice chairperson and committee chairperson for the Criminal Procedures and Rules Committee of the Florida Bar as well as the Criminal Law Executive Council. He is a member of the Clearwater Bar Association and the Fred G. Minnis Bar Association, named for the first black lawyer to have a full-time practice in Pinellas County. He is also a past member of the Pinellas County Defense Lawyers Association and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association. H
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7
QUESTIONS
The Sphinx Interview
After leading Delta for five years, Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre leaves world stage and returns to Louisiana with warning for the new generation
Before ending your term as Delta Sigma Theta president at the sorority’s centennial convention in Washington, D.C., you received the Alpha Award of Honor in Austin, Texas. What did that mean to you? It is special because it is the highest award the fraternity gives a nonmember. It hit me that the brothers of Alpha would see something in me worthy of the honor. It means a little push, not a pat on the back. Pats on the back can make us stagnant. It will push me to continue to do what I do, impacting one life at a time. My mother said, “If you do one somebody, that one somebody can do another somebody.” It is also special—and I am grateful—to be honored by a member of the Divine Nine. Why is that special? It is special because I have great relationships with so many great men of Alpha, like Charles Teamer Sr. He was an administrator at Dillard University when I hit the campus as a student. His wife Mary was my advisor and basketball coach, and we do miss her. I remember the impact he and his wife had on student life and teaching us. And there are brothers like the president of Sigma Lambda Chapter, Reginald Starks. We all lived together for 20 months after Katrina; we all lost houses. His wife and I are friends; I was her dean of pledges at Dillard. But to see the impact he has made in New Orleans and the Alphas there is important to me. What will fraternities and sororities look like 20 years from now? I don’t think our missions, collectively, will ever change. I do think we will have a different type of member. We will have different kinds of outreach, mainly because the generations now have built their lives on their teachings, which are “quick, fast and in a hurry.” They focus on whatever it takes to get it done quickly. My generation was in it for the long haul. That scares me a little; I am hoping and praying we put a mechanism in place to teach and train young
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So no Montgomery Bus Boycott would happen with this generation? Oh no. No way. For one thing, those types of strategies and actions are inconvenient. This is a generation of convenience. We have young people at very young ages having cars, elementary school kids have phones; so it’s all about convenience and comfort. Anything that lies outside of their zone of convenience and that’s not an immediate direct benefit to them, they do not get involved. But again, we all are responsible for this because we don’t send home the message about being proactive; we are not making them critical thinkers and activists. people that results do not always come as quickly as we think they will come. There must be a plan of sustainability and longevity in making a difference and affecting change. The Supreme Court decisions, in June, impacted voting rights, same-sex marriage, and affirmative action. Is the younger generation in fraternities and sororities not as focused on these worldly issues as they should be? I think they are not. However, I think that is because we have not done a very good job of putting them inside of the struggle. We have isolated them from the struggle. It was Andrew Ray, the grand basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, who said we work so hard to give our children more than what we had, that we forgot to at least give them what we had. Now we have a generation which feels it has an inherent right of what they think they should have and what they are entitled to—so that there is no need for a struggle, and progress to them is automatic. Progress for us was something we fought for. Also worrisome is that if an issue does not impact them directly, it is just a “conversation piece” for today and then they move on. They do not seem to take a stand, until it’s time to go to the polls. In that sense, we have generated a reactionary generation; they will not prepare themselves to be proactive.
Do you fear for young folks coming along, and what can be done to change the course? I do worry. These recent court decisions, hopefully, will mean you and I will push the younger folks to become proactive. Many of us will react to the Court’s rulings. I believe we will have some leaders emerge as a result, but we’ve got to find a way to turn that reactive mindset to a proactive one. As for changing course, we have to start young, like with kindergartners. We have to help them understand; we have to teach them responsibility as human beings— that they are responsible for themselves and for their interaction with others. That’s how we deal with conflict, relationships—and this has to start at a young age. Your term is up as president of Delta Sigma Theta. What’s next for you? Well, I have been in the Jefferson Parish (Louisiana) schools system for 35 years, and I am about to retire as I leave the Delta presidency. I will, of course, miss the presidency of Delta because it has afforded me the opportunity to meet some great people, dialogue and interact, and share ideas and thoughts. But mostly I will miss having the ability to make a difference and impact the world. As for what’s next? I’m not sure. I’m asking God for guidance. H
A R T S A N D C U LT U R E
Alpha Men Pen Book on 2012 Election, GOP Strife THE GOP CIVIL WAR: Inside the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party BY ERIC HAM E-Book; $3.99; 130 pages SNAG Publishing Group Reviewed by F. Carl Walton
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY is at the very least at a crossroads in its existence. Since the 2012 presidential election, the party leadership has spent time attempting to regroup from within while continuing to seemingly defy practically every policy that is presented or promoted by the Democratic Party and specifically President Barack Obama. In the new book, The GOP Civil War: Inside the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party, Washington expert Brother Eric Ham, who collaborated with several Alpha brothers, presents valuable perspectives for understanding what is really going on within the GOP. The book, available now as an e-book on Amazon.com, is sure to add to the discourse on the current GOP and most particularly on what the party will or will
not be and how it should or should not function as it moves forward. Ham calls this phenomenon the “GOP Civil War.” It is a civil war for Republicans, even if they refuse to recognize that. The book meticulously explores the activity of the party. It also suggests that it is operating in the wake of the death of “the party of Lincoln,” that occurred after losing in 2012. Brother Ham points out that the party is dealing with the fact that all Republicans do not think alike, nor do they look alike. Therefore, internal strife has emerged. Beyond that, the party has to face the fact that the populist type politics that may have taken the party to majorities is not necessarily the formula that maintains political power. The re-election and the continued popularity of President Obama was the ultimate failure of Republican political maneuvering. For all the resources that were invested in defeating him, they came up empty. The GOP now has to face the fact that tactics that get you there may not keep you there. The book deconstructs these and
other factors. Ham presents questions for inquiry and provides responses to questions that must be rampant in the minds of Republican Party leaders as they seek to move beyond the GOP Civil War. If Republicans want to take back the White House, they best read this book; if Democrats want to hang on to 1600 Pennsylvania, they should give it a once over as well. H
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AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM MORE INFO: www.thegopcivilwar.com
POETRY
The Cornell Seven fashioned old gold and black, lived with unconquerable souls, against the cold attacks from those similar, though not the same, odd fellows of their time, ancient as Cheops in an Aethiopian desert, though fresh as spring rain. If, out of the dark that covers, the test of a man succeeds in unwavering faith, led blindly by the light of a drinking gourd let him free his chains, for is he not a man and a brother whose mother fed lady fingers and coffee in demitasse?
To bed they went, with Neapolitan dreams of things to come, providing the mind’s light to shine in darkness—like jewels buried beneath. The youth, march onward and upward through the Middle Passage, cotton fields, and on to the Ivy League. —Jason N. Vasser Epsilon Lambda Chapter
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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest
Huel Davis Perkins Loved Alpha “Madly” A Reflection by Rick Blalock
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I asked him what he wanted me to tell the brothers for him. He said: “I love you madly! I love you madly!” Before Brother Peters and I left the hospital, the three of us held hands, and we recited the Alpha Phi Alpha prayer. Brother Perkins could only listen to Ron and me, but his eyes spoke volumes of joy. He said thank you as we ended. We shook hands, as only Alpha men can do, for the last time. A week later, I got the call from his son Huel A. Perkins that “Dad has gone home.” He entered Omega Chapter on April 15. However, he didn’t want a huge public funeral, didn’t want an Omega service, and did not want brothers spending dollars to fly from around the country to pay last respects. Instead, he wanted us to take that money and put it toward scholarships for young people—making a hearty donation to the fraternity educational foundation, in his memory. Even to his end, on earth, he was thinking of educating young people. While you never forget the last time you have been in the presence of greatness, it is the long streak of great things for which we also remember Huel D. Perkins. He was one of the original members of the Alpha Phi Alpha World Policy Council, and when his health began to fail, he resigned from the council and was designated member emeritus. He wrote the ‘Alpha Phi Alpha Sweetheart Song.’ He was a leader and role model for hundreds of students and Alpha men around the country, and especially to those who passed through the halls of Southern University Brother Huel D. Perkins meeting President Jimmy Carter. and Louisiana State
hen you talk to many of the senior members of Alpha Phi Alpha, they will remind you about those “giants” of Alpha—the Alpha men who became the pillars of the organization. The men who took the imagination of, and baton from, the Seven Jewels and built the fraternity into the leading international organization it is today. The men on whose shoulders new generations now stand. Huel Davis Perkins was one of those giants. My last visit with him was in a Baton Rouge hospital, the weekend of the Southwestern Regional Convention this past spring. I believe we both knew his days were numbered. But, he still cracked a smile. That same dashing smile I remember the first time I met him—as a college brother in 1987—when I was awarded a scholarship by the Alpha Phi Alpha Educational Foundation, of which Brother Perkins was chairman. He found the strength to utter a few words to me and Brother Ron Peters, the founder of the fraternity’s Brother’s Keeper program, which cares for our elderly and disabled brothers and their families.
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Brother Huel Davis Perkins
University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. Born in 1924, Brother Perkins served in the U.S. Navy and later graduated from Southern University with highest honors in 1947. He taught music at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., before becoming a music professor at his alma mater. Later, he earned a master’s degree in music and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. In 1978, he loaned his talent to the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C. He then began a long association with LSU rising to assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs from 1979 to 1990, before serving as executive assistant to the chancellor through retirement in1998. In 2005, LSU honored him with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree and named a doctoral fellowship program for him. The fraternity bestowed upon him its highest award for a member, the Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Merit. You could go on and on about Huel D. Perkins. But there simply is not enough ink or paper to record it all. He loved his wife of more than 60 years, Thelma, and he leaves a legacy behind in his only son. He told the History Makers website in 2008 that his favorite quote was: “Man comes to earth unarmed except for his mind. His brain is his only weapon.” Brother Perkins used his for the betterment of mankind and then some. H
O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest
Professor “Nick” Nelson was Leader in African-American Research By Rudy Williams
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merica lost a great academic leader in May when William Edwards Nelson joined Omega Chapter. Known as “Nick” to some, Brother Nelson was a trailblazer in the area of African-American and African studies. As professor emeritus at the Ohio State University, he spent more than 40 years helping develop the first and most comprehensive African-American research study program in the country. An award-winning scholar, his passion and desire to spread his knowledge took him abroad lecturing and teaching across five continents. Brother Nelson grew up in the Jim Crow South, in Memphis, Tenn. He graduated from high school in 1958. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Arkansas Agricultural Mechanical and
Normal College, now called the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Later, he earned his master’s degree at Clark Atlanta University. He studied political science at the University of Illinois, from which he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy Degree. Professor H. Ike OkaforNewsum, chairman of the Department of African-American and African Studies at OSU, called Nelson a pioneer of the black studies movement of the 1960s. Lawrence Potter, dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Jackson State University says he was greatly influenced by the life and work of Brother Nelson, recognizing him as a symbol for advancing the cause of equity and justice in education and employment for
Samuel C. Gregory, 57, of Washington, D.C., joined Alpha in 1974 at Epsilon Pi Chapter at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va. A life member, he was most recently active with Theta Theta Lambda Chapter in Frankfurt, Germany. He was a chapter president there and also was one of the charter members of Rho Chi Lambda Chapter in London. Brother Gregory earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree and a master’s in public administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo.
He served his country as an infantry officer from 1977 to 1988. After his uniform service, he worked as a civilian, supporting the U.S. Army 12th Combat Aviation Brigade in Europe as a budget analyst. Gregory was a decorated member of freemasonry and a stalwart member of the European community at large, having received many awards. He was the brain-child behind the first joint Founders’ Day celebration of Theta Theta Lambda and Rho Chi Lambda and Beta Nu Chapters, held at Richmond, The American International University in London. Gregory entered Omega Chapter April 2, 2012, in Wurzburg, Germany.
Brother “Nick” Nelson
the next generation of bright minds he trained to become scholar activists. Brother Nelson served Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity a long time. Active since his initiation in 1959 at Gamma Delta Chapter at UA-Pine Bluff, he was a member of Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter in Columbus, Ohio. H
Malcolm H. Lee, 81, of Chicago, was a life member who was active and engaged in all facets of Alpha since his initiation. He became an Alpha in 1953 at Alpha Psi Chapter at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Later, Brother Lee served as an alumni advisor to two college chapters. He was a longtime member of Xi Lambda Chapter and a founding member of Iota Delta Continued on next page
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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest Lambda Chapter, both located in Chicago. For more than two decades Lee was an integral figure with the Chicagoland Association of College and Alumni Chapters and was personally instrumental in recruiting and inspiring college brothers to be active in the fraternity at all levels. He served as chairman of the board of the Xi Lambda Educational Foundation for more than 20 years. Lee was a Marine and served during the Korean Conflict. Professionally, he was an administrator and social worker for Cook County
OMEGA CHAPTER LISTING
Below is a listing of brothers who have entered Omega Chapter. For each member, we list his name; the category of membership (college, alumni or life; with life member number if available); chapter of initiation; date of initiation; last chapter active with and date of death. All of the information is based on what is submitted by chapters and family members and reconciled with the fraternity’s records. A shield indicates a lifetime member.
Mark B. Brown, Alumni Alpha Rho 11/18/1978 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 1/17/2012 George W. Brown Jr. Life #1676 Alpha Phi Lambda 11/1/1953 Alpha Phi Lambda Entered Omega 3/17/2013 Alandis G. Craine, Life #10551 Xi Lambda 7/1/1995 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013 Macarthur A. Florence, Life #3145 Alpha Phi 12/1/1958 Iota Zeta Lambda Entered Omega 4/3/2006
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government, and he was a recruiter for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory. He entered Omega Chapter on January 24, 2013.
E. Marvin Goodwin, Sr., Life #8211 Xi Lambda 8/22/1993 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013 Huie L. Griffith, Life #2125 Xi Lambda 11/15/1959 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 4/1/2011 Carmen E. Hayes, Life #6393 Beta Upsilon 11/1/196 Iota Zeta Lambda Entered Omega 4/1/2010 Alvin Henry, Life #6482 Iota Zeta Lambda 10/25/1987 Iota Zeta Lambda Entered Omega 5/26/2006 Charles E. Johnson, Life #1547 Theta 6/1/1948 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 9/1/2010 Charles G. Lewis, Alumni Alpha Delta 2/2/1969 Alpha Delta Entered Omega 1/1/2008 Gay-Lloyd Lott, Life #7106 Tau 4/11/1955 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 1/19/2013
Anthony Thurston, 73, of Saint Petersburg, Fla., was a member of the Theta Eta Lambda Chapter in Saint Petersburg. After graduating
from high school in 1957, he later earned a bachelor’s degree at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, in Tallahassee, Fla. Brother Thurston remained in Florida and was a career educator in the Leon and Pinellas County School Systems. A drama instructor and later a school administrator, he invested heavily in his students and their families. Family members and friends say he possessed a generous spirit and always gave of his time, talent and self. Thurston entered Omega Chapter on April 20, 2013.
Gilbert A. Maddox, Alumni Alpha Upsilon 5/22/1952 Alpha Upsilon Entered Omega 1/12/2013
Ralph M. Stuart Jr., Alumni Eta Tau 4/6/1982 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013
Harrison E. McGee, Life #4227 Epsilon Upsilon Lambda 11/1/1962 Epsilon Upsilon Lambda Entered Omega 7/12/2012
John F. Warner, Alumni Gamma Nu 9/4/1966 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 10/30/2010
George L. Nearing, Life #5192 Xi Lambda 9/28/1955 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 12/29/2012
Anthony C. Williams, Alumni Xi Lambda 3/15/2008 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 1/26/2012
Adolph Paytes, Life #11259 Theta Mu Lambda 12/2/2000 Theta Mu lambda Entered Omega 3/8/2013
Alton J. Williams Sr., Alumni Tau 3/9/1961 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013
Lawrence R. Poole, Life #1358 Theta 9/23/1967 Theta Mu Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013
Theodore Williamson Sr., Alumni Alpha Psi 12/12/1941 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 3/11/2013
Earl J. Sanders, Life #6376 Theta 5/24/1958 Xi Lambda Entered Omega 8/13/2012
William R. Wood, Life #8448 Delta Alpha Lambda 4/30/1982 Kappa Psi Lambda Entered Omega 6/26/2012
Gordon A. Smith, Alumni Mu Delta Lambda 8/25/1979 Mu Delta Lambda Entered Omega 7/25/2013
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Henry Arthur Callis
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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General President Mark S. Tillman president@apa1906.net Immediate Past General President Vacant General Treasurer Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye generaltreasurer@apa1906.net Comptroller Steven Sims Jr. comptroller@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - East R. Anthony Mills vicepresident@alphaeast.com Regional Vice President - Midwest Elgie R. Sims Jr. midwestvp@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - South Ron Natson southvp@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - Southwest Maurice D. Gipson southwestvp@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - West Russell Flye westvp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President - East Brandon R. Johnson eastavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President Midwest Adarious Payton midwestavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President South Ismael Brown southavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President Southwest DeShaun Artis southwestavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President - West Darion Wallace westavp@apa1906.net
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Charles Henry Chapman
General Counsel Wayne C. Harvey counsel@apa1906.net Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer William Douglass Lyle edcoo@apa1906.net APPOINTED OFFICERS Historian Robert L. Harris Jr. rlh10@cornell.edu Editor-in-Chief The Sphinx Ricky L. Blalock sphinx@apa1906.net GENERAL CONVENTION OFFICIALS Director of Conventions Van L. Strickland director.conventions@apa1906.net Parliamentarian Lucien J. Metellus longshot1906@yahoo.com Chaplain Clyde D. Carnegie ccrac@comcast.net Sergeant At Arms Darrell M. Chase dchase1906@yahoo.com Security Director Donald L. Woods woods.donald@sbcglobal.net GENERAL CONVENTION COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN RULES & CREDENTIALS Ronald D. Stovall Jr. ronald.d.stovalljr@gmail.com RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Joseph K. Byrd jbyrd@xula.edu AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENT Rodney T. Frank ajamu06@hotmail.com GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE Hervery B.O. Young pathfinder1906@juno.com
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Eugene Kinckle Jones
STANDING COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN CONSTITUTION John M. Williams jmwarho@msn.com BUDGET & FINANCE Anthony D. Wilson addub_cali@yahoo.com ELECTIONS Lucious Turner III l_turner@bellsouth.net MEMBERSHIP, STANDARDS & EXTENSION Anthony L. Cheatham tony-cheatham@verizon.net PUBLICATIONS Wendel Eckford flailandcrook1906@gmail.com HISTORICAL COMMISSION Robert L. Harris Jr. rlh10@cornell.edu PUBLIC POLICY Jean Accius II jean.accius@gmail.com HUMAN RESOURCES Roger R. Gregory rogergregory6@msn.com COLLEGE BROTHERS AFFAIRS (COMMISSION) Frederick L. Cox III coxfredl@gmail.com RACIAL JUSTICE (COMMISSION) Gregory S. Parks parksgs@wfu.edu BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (COMMISSION) Jermaine B. Patterson jpatter06@aol.com LIFE MEMBERSHIP Alex DeJarnett alexdejarnett@aol.com
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George Biddle Kelley
SPECIAL COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN AUDIT Steven Sims comptroller@apa1906.net A. CHARLES HASTON BROTHER’S KEEPER Adrian G. Brockington brock07@msn.com BELFORD V. LAWSON ORATORICAL CONTEST LeAaron A. Foley leaaronfoley5@gmail.com BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Dale H. Long dale1906@verizon.net BOY SCOUTS Bobby R. Williams bobbyray_wms@yahoo.com COLLEGE LIFE TO CORPORATE LIFE Kevin P. McAllister kevin.p.mcallister@usa.dupont.com GO TO HIGH SCHOOL GO TO COLLEGE Ernest Black ebthedad@aol.com EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES James E. Baker james.edward.baker1@us.army.mil
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29th General President Milton C. Davis tuskmcd@aol.com
JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS’ BOWL Thomas A. Vance Jr. tommyvance1@gmail.com
VOTELESS PEOPLE IS A HOPELESS PEOPLE Steven L. Jones sljones53@comcast.net
28th General President Henry Ponder ewilsonp@aol.com
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Brandon R. Tucker brtucker@wccnet.edu
WORLD POLICY COUNCIL Horace G. Dawson hdawson@howard.edu
M.I.S. AND TECHNOLOGY Rufus P. Credle Jr. rpcredl@us.ibm.com MARCH OF DIMES Wilbert L. Brown wlb72@aol.com MILITARY BROTHERS Melvin L. Fogle shawn.fogle1906@gmail.com MISS BLACK AND GOLD PAGEANT André P. Prospere aprospere@gmail.com PROJECT ALPHA William T. Ealy , Co-chair williamealy1906@gmail.com Ramon E. Peralta, Co-chair Ramon.peralta@gmail.com
HOBART S. JARRETT DEBATE COMPETITION Ryan T. Brown brown.ryant@gmail.com
RECLAMATION Frank Russell Jr. frj41@aol.com
INVESTMENT Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye generaltreasurer@apa1906.net
RITUAL AND CEREMONIES Ryle A. Bell rbell@howard.edu SENIOR ALPHA AFFAIRS Sloan T. Letman III letmana@aol.com STEP SHOW COMPETITION Warren D. Isenhour dub1906@yahoo.com TIME AND PLACE Parker Burton III parker_burton@yahoo.com
FOUNDATIONS ALPHA PHI ALPHA BUILDING FOUNDATION R. Leandras “Bob” Jones rleandras7@gmail.com ALPHA BUILDING FOUNDATION CORPORATION James R. Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536 ALPHA PHI ALPHA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION Dennis G. Kemp Sr. dgksr1906@yahoo.com ALPHA PHI ALPHA EDUCATION FOUNDATION Ruben Barkley barkleyrjr@earthlink.net PAST GENERAL PRESIDENTS Acting General President Aaron Crutison Sr. crutison@apa1906.net
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Vertner Woodson Tandy
TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Clifford M. Clarke clifford.clarke@paradise-inc.com
PROTOCOL AND LOGISTICS Kenyatta N. Shamburger kshamburger@aol.com
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS André A. Moss aamoss@batelnet.bs
Robert Harold Ogle
JEWEL HERITAGE PROJECT E. Eric Elmore erex3@aol.com
HEALTH AND WELLNESS Jerald M. Grace jgrace09@gmail.com
INTERNAL AUDIT REVIEW TEAM Dexter Leon Taylor inspectorgadget07@yahoo.com
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Nathaniel Allison Murray
27th General President Charles C. Teamer Sr. cteamer@cox.net 26th General President Ozell Sutton 1640 Loch Lomond Trail, SW Atlanta, GA 30331 (404) 344-0370 25th General President James Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Corporate Office 2313 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21218 (410) 554-0040 (410) 554-0054 Fax www.apa1906.net ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY JEWEL FOUNDERS Henry Arthur Callis Charles Henry Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones George Biddle Kelley Nathaniel Allison Murray Robert Harold Ogle Vertner Woodson Tandy
33rd General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. 32nd General President Darryl R. Matthews Sr. darrylmatthews@apa1906.net 31st General President Harry E. Johnson, Sr. hej@flash.net 30th General President Adrian L. Wallace alwallacea@aol.com
Summer 2013 H THE SPHINX
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PERSPECTIVE: THE LAST PAGE
50 YEARS AGO
Alpha Phi Alpha and the Civil Rights Revolution
By Belford V. Lawson Jr. Originally published in The Sphinx October 1963 THE RIGHT TO PETITION a government was wrested from King John by his barons in the Magna Carta and was guaranteed in the First Amendment on Dec. 15, 1791. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity laid the foundation for the Civil Rights Movement in 1905, when Brother W. E. B. DuBois organized the Niagara Movement (forerunner of the NAACP). He said: “We claim for ourselves every right that belongs to a freeborn American: political, civil, and social. And until we get these rights, we will never cease to protest and assail the ears of America with the story of its shameful deeds toward us.” That statement represented the Negroes’ moral revulsion against ancient humiliations and was the first petition to the government for the redress of ancient wrongs. Roy Wilkins, speaking at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963, paid Brother DuBois a deserved tribute. “It is incontrovertible that at the dawn of the 20th century, his (DuBois) was the voice that was calling us here today,” Wilkins said. Out of the philosophy and spirit of Brother DuBois, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was organized at Cornell University in 1906, by seven scholars, “Jewels,” in residence there. Brother Henry A. Callis charged the fraternity with removing what Justice Harlan had called “the badges of slavery and servitude and public discrimination on account of race.” Since Dec. 6, 1906, to Aug. 28, 1963, when Alpha Phi Alpha led the historic March on Washington (see New York Times, August 29, 1963), the men of Alpha have been fighting and marching in dignity and freedom to redress old grievances and to help resolve the American crisis. We have believed in and practiced
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the Hellenistic-Hebraic-African concept of unity and universality and the conquest of justice and equality. We have participated in the second phase of the Civil Rights Revolution and developed a wide community of interest and organized several programs in education, employment, public accommodations and voting, in an effort to achieve basic civil rights and civil liberties for Negroes.
Brother Belford V. Lawson Jr. (left), meets with future President John F. Kennedy and Brother Walter Washington in Washington, D.C.
EMPLOYMENT In 1938, Alpha men conceived and prosecuted before the U.S. Supreme Court, the case of the New Negro Alliance, Inc. v. The Safeway Grocery Company. That case established the principle of the right to peacefully picket for jobs on EDUCATION the basis of the purchasing power In 1920, we organized the “Go to High of Negroes. School - Go To College” movement. The result was the immediate This program gave impetus and employment of hundreds of clerks encouragement to young people to in all types of chain stores and stay in school. In 1934, at the Chicago has had great impact in obtaining Convention, the fraternity further clerical and other white-collar jobs implemented these programs by the for Negroes. adoption of a program to file lawsuits to force the admission of qualified PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS students to publicly-supported Alpha Phi Alpha stormed the colleges and universities. citadels of power and privilege in These cases were precedents sustained and varied public efforts; for the historic decisions of 1954. notably, the case of Henderson A compelling fact is that the v. Southern Railway System. For presidents of 27 of the 33 Negro eight years, Alpha paid the cost land-grant colleges are, or have in that case from the Interstate been, members of Alpha Phi Alpha. Commerce Commission to the We have from the very Supreme Court where the reign beginning emphasized of the pro-consul of Jim Crow and scholarship, realizing that segregation in interstate travel scholarship is the keystone accommodations was successfully in the arch of progress and challenged. By a unanimous freedom. In 60 years, we have decision, the Supreme Court ruled distributed through the agencies that segregation of Negroes in of the fraternity, loans, grants, interstate travel, particularly in scholarships and fellowships dining cars, was finally buried, amounting to more than $2,000. never to be revived again. The first two phases of the Civil VOTING Rights Revolution emphasized Early emphasis was put on the equality and recognition. We are right to vote. We participated in winning that fight. The third phase organizing support to abolish the of the Civil Rights Revolution poll tax and urging Negroes to will emphasize economics, as vote. To this end, the fraternity we finish the task of making full organized a nation-wide campaign American citizens out of former called “A Voteless People is a chattels, slaves who suffer Hopeless People.” This was economic discrimination, inferior the forerunner of the national jobs and housing, poor education registration movement of today. and training.
These grievances are rooted in race and a sluggish economy operating below capacity and full employment. We have prevailed to some extent in concert with other civil rights organizations and leaders. We shall overcome in the complex and difficult third phase if, as in the past, we are led by courageous, competent and dedicated brothers. We have stood guard at the palaces of politics. We must now stand guard at the command posts of power. We can achieve economic equality by the conquest of poverty, by demanding long-range action by Congress, the Executive Branch and by business and industry. The fraternity’s record in the struggle for civil rights shows that in the best multi-talented renaissance tradition, we have been participants, not silent spectators. As free men of the American community, we demand the basic civil rights of equality of opportunity; the right of access to all public facilities, accommodations and enterprises; the right to walk in freedom and dignity wherever we may go and the right to share politically in the shaping of our government. We must be sure that our community responsibility does not come to a dead-end at the front door of Alpha Phi Alpha, with no purpose beyond self-amusement. H —Belford V. Lawson Jr. was chairman of the fraternity’s Human Rights Committee at the time he wrote this perspective. The 16th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha, he delivered this paper during the Civil Rights Program at the Boston General Convention in 1963.
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