The SPHINX | Fall 2010 | Volume 95 | Number 3 by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

The

FALL 2010 * VOLUME 95 H NO. 3

At Annual Convention Alphas Charter New Chapters in London and Johannesburg

DOWN ON THE FARM: How Black Farmers Won on Capitol Hill

ALPHA GOES GREEN: What is Your Carbon Footprint?

PAYTON: A Three-Decade Legacy of Leadership and Service

CONTENTS THE SPHINX® H FALL 2010 H VOLUME 95 H NO. 3

5 Down on the Farm and the Fight on Capitol Hill After decades of demonstrating and fighting for justice, America’s black farmers finally get their due in Washington. In December, the Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed legislation authorizing payment of a multi billion-dollar settlement in a long and historic discrimination case.

16 What Happens in Vegas Doesn’t Stay in Vegas After boycotting Phoenix, Ariz., Alpha Phi Alpha delegates from around the world come to Las Vegas, bringing an “ice- cold” chill to the hot desert. Members of the 90th General Convention conducted the business of Alpha, with decisions and actions that will reach worldwide. Among the top items on the agenda were authorizing new chapters in London and Johannesburg, South Africa, the developing of a new membership-admission program, building an academy in earthquake-torn Haiti and creating a brother’s keeper program.

33 Alpha’s own “Divine Nine” Finds the Light Many men walk in the light of Alpha for years, and sometimes it takes a long journey before they see the light. In November, nine men, two of them veteran civil rights leaders, were among the latest to become members of Alpha Phi Alpha, rounding out a lifetime of leadership and service with their admission to the House of Alpha.

46 7 QUESTIONS for George Reaves

16 33

In The Sphinx interview, Alpha’s immediate past General Treasurer George Reaves, one of the fraternity’s longestserving fiscal officers, talks about his 17 years in office and more. He reflects on the world, America and the role Alpha must play to improve society both here at home and abroad.

47 What Is Your Carbon Footprint? Many people can tell you, with precision, their body mass index (BMI), daily caloric intake, blood-pressure level, or perhaps even boast about how proud their doctor is of how they have maintained their bodies. Have you ever been asked about your carbon footprint?

47 Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

IN EVERY ISSUE 3 EDITOR’S DESK 4 GENERAL PRESIDENT’S LETTER 5 NEWS 37 REGIONAL ROUND-UP AND CHAPTER NEWS 46 7 QUESTIONS 47 INITIATIVES 51 ARTS AND CULTURE 53 BROTHERS ON THE MOVE 57 OMEGA CHAPTER 70 LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY

The

Organizing Editor RAYMOND W. CANNON (1892-1992) Organizing General President HENRY LAKE DICKASON (1886-1957) Official Organ of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.® Fall 2010 – Volume 95, No. 3

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RICK BLALOCK rlblalock@apa1906.net EXECUTIVE EDITOR Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. ASSOCIATE EDITORS Marvin H. Bailey Jr., Jabriel S. Ballentine, David C. Brown Jr., Russell J. Bunn Blaine Casanave, Chase-Julian Vernell Cheatham, Reginald Cooper, Troy Anthony Corbin Sr. Dennis A. Dean II, Dennis A. Doster, Leonard Le’Doux Jr., Audwin B. Fletcher Darrell V. Freeman, Ruben L. Freeman, Byron J. Grayson, Reynaldo P. Green Troy D. Griffin, Bernard M. Harris, Shaun Harris, James E. Hale II, Kenneth D. Hale Phillip C. Hayes, Terry L. Hazzard, Jonathan Hill, Jerret Holmes, Lee House Kemar Hunter, John W. Huggins, Drevon Jones, James E. Jones Jr. Jonathan C.W. Jones, Samuel H. Lloyd, Don Marshall, Robert A. Massey Roscoe W. McClain Jr., Calvin McNeill, M.D., Willie R. Mickell Jr., Renard Mobley Anthony Moore III, Blake Moorman, James A. Muhammad, Jeramaine O. Netherly Herbert Olivier, Garrison Owens, Carlos M. Parker, Philip E. Parker, Jimmie M. Peterson Trevor G. Piper, Freddie Player, Frisco Pullom, Michael D. Rachal, Ainsley A. Reynolds Ezzard Rolle, Damion Sean Samuels, Zahmu Sankofa, Kristian M. Sawyers Derrick L. Sibert, Karl J. Simon, Hamardo Sinclair, Julian Smart, De’Shawn Smith Steve Smith, Victor K Smith, Ross Stuckey, Bryan Thompson, Leemar Thorpe Charles M. Washington, Martinez White, Jeremy Wilkerson, Shelby Willis George Wimberly, Gabriel Winzer, Gerald Yerby

COPY EDITOR K. Thomas Oglesby CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Bryan J.A. Kelly, William Douglass Lyle, Don Weston

SENIOR WRITERS Ellis Albright, Waldo E. Johnson Jr., Derrick Alexander Pope, Ron Peters Andrew Timothy Siwo, F. Carl Walton

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Since the founding of The Sphinx in 1914, the African-American community has looked to the publication for its profound insight on issues of the day. The Sphinx is the world’s second-oldest continuously published African-American magazine in existence and is preserved in libraries and archives across the country as an historical record of community occurrences and the great issues of the day. Those interested in writing articles for The Sphinx are encouraged to read the writer’s guidelines at www.apa1906.net, or write the editorial office for a printed copy of the guidelines at The Sphinx Editorial Offices, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 2313 St. Paul St., Baltimore, MD 21218-5211.You may also request guidelines and instructions via direct e-mail at sphinx@apa1906.net. The deadline for submissions for upcoming issues is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates: Spring, January 31; Summer, April 30; Fall, July 31; and Winter 2012, October 22. The Sphinx® is printed in the United States of America

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS U. Grant Baldwin Jr., James E. Ball, Mark Barnes, Ferrel Bonner, Jean G. Celestin Jean McGianni, Celestin, James Crumel, Aaron Crutison, Rashid Darden Horace Dawson, Nicholas Fletcher, Ira L. Foster, Esq., Joseph Gambrell, M.D. Antoine M. Garibaldi, Justin Harlow, Ronald C. Jackson, Ricardo R. Jefferson M. Cole Jones, Khouri Marshall, Michael John Myers II, Quincy O’Neal Lowell W. Perry, Jr., James V. Pierce, Michael A. Smith, M.D., Roderick Smothers Zollie Stevenson, Bradley D. Thomas, Mark Tillman, Norman E.W. Towels Ronnie Versher Jr., Marques Wilkes, Sacoby Wilson CONTRIBUTORS Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye, Don M. Alameda, Cory J. Anderson, Mark A. Anderson Edward D. Anthony III, Michael E. Armour, Larry Armstrong, Kenneth Avery Marco Barker, Kengie Bass, Brandon Batts, Dominique Beaumonte, Will Bell Mark Brown, Rodney Cash, Keith Chaney, Tony Cheatham, Bobby Clark Charles C. Davis Jr., Milton C. Davis, Reginald Davis, Stanford L. Deckard, II Delores Diggs, Arthur Doctor, William Doctor, Horace Dukes, Von Eaglin Michael Feeney, Audwin B. Fletcher, Nicholas Fletcher, James Ford, Everette Garmon Ray Gittens, Gregory Glass, Henry Goodgame Jr., Larry Goodwin, Anthony Graham Henry Green, Carlton L. Haithcox Sr., James Hale, K.D. Hale, James Hammond Randy Hall, Brandon Hamilton, Eric E. Heath, Lewis C. Hicks, Billy J. Hill Ronnie Horne, Curtis Horton, Reginald Howard, Ajani B. Husbands, Maurice Hurry Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Jeffrey, Michael Jenkins, Richard T. James Jr., Brandon Johnson David M. Johnson, Emile Johnson, Kevin R. Johnson, Michael T. Johnson Franklin L. Jones, Jabari Jones, James Joyce, Issam Khoury, Eric King, Fonzell King Christi A. Landry, Claude Anthony Legree III, Eufrancia G. Lash, Anthony Lewis Antwan-La’Mont Lofton, Dale Long, Donald Lowrance, Tommie Mack Whittaker Mack III, Johnnie MacTwine Sr., Jonathan D. Madison Darryl R. Matthews Sr., Theo McClammy, Terence McPherson, Jeremy Mercer Ryan Eian Middleton, Matthew Miles, Paul B. Mohr Sr., Blake Moorman Demetri Morgan, Gordon C. Murray, Esq., Gary C. Nash, Keith Nelson Kedrick Nicholas, Gary D. Oliver, Jon Pack, Chris Palmer, Philip Parker Clinton R. Parks Jr., Thomas Pawley, Dameon Proctor, Charles V. Piphus Jr. Napoleon Richardson Jr., Ernest Jacob Rieux, Oz Roberts, Victor Robinson Vernon Ross Jr., Mark Scott, Michangelo Scruggs, John C. Shelby, Geoffrey R. Shiloh Benny Smith, Hilton O. Smith, Langston D. Smith, Marcus B. Stallworth Brandon M. Stark, Robbie Stokes, Henry Stovall, Michael Street, James Stukes Michael E.M. Sudarkasa, Rickey Thigpen, Ralph Thomas, Anthony Thompson Sherelle S. Torrence, Marvin Turner, Perrye Turner, Rayburne Turner Simon Valcin Jr., Darius White, Orrin White, Michael Williams, Rodney Williams T. Nelson Williams II, Zachery R. Williams, Corey Wilson Rhonda Workman, Kim Wright-King, Christopher Wyckoff, Billy Yarbrough

ART DIRECTION THE O’NEAL GROUP Toni O’Neal Mosley Michelle Glennon PHOTOGRAPHERS Alonzo S. Blalock, Rickey Brown, Jarvis Harris Bryan J.A. Kelly, Jeff Lewis, Jason Lewis Philip McCollum, Oz Roberts, Cory Thompson, Jamal Wiggins Christopher Williams, Evelyn Wright

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., General President William Douglass Lyle, Executive Director James W. Ward, Chairman, Committee on Publications FOUNDERS Henry Arthur Callis Charles Henry Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones George Biddle Kelley Nathaniel Allison Murray Robert Harold Ogle Vertner Woodson Tandy

2 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

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 © 2010 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ushering in a New Season of News and Comment

I always

think of fall as a time of renewal. This feeling, I am certain,

Editor’s Desk

stays with me because of the memories of being a kid in elementary school, back in Highland Park, Michigan. Fall was the time we returned to school—back in the 70s, that was after Labor Day. I always got a kick out of the shiny gym floor, from the new coat of wax the custodians had laid down during summer recess. The leaves would begin turning colors, and soon the trees would shed, making way for new buds the following spring. And so it is with this issue of The Sphinx. The fall edition is full of new stories, new comments, new photos, new everything. We start off with one of the biggest stories of the year for African-American communities, which occurred very late in the fall. The Black Farmers’ settlement payment from the U.S. government for its discrimination of black farmers and Native American landowners, was finalized in December. We cover Alpha Phi Alpha’s annual reception held during the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference. This year the event included a preliminary viewing of the statue that will be the focal point of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, to be dedicated in August next year. A huge part of this issue is dedicated to the fraternity’s 90th General Convention, held in Las Vegas. Our special report focuses on veteran civil rights leaders making the long journey into Alpha Phi Alpha membership, some key lieutenants of fellow

Rick Blalock

Alpha brother Martin Luther King Jr. In Initiatives, “Wall Street Alpha” Andrew

is a two-time Emmy®

T. Siwo makes a compelling argument about our carbon footprints, and what Americans—and citizens the world over—can do individually, and countries as a whole, to make the world greener and healthier for generations to come. H

winner and editor of The Sphinx. sphinx@apa1906.net

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

With 104 years behind us, Alpha readies for year 105 FROM THE

General President

It’s

hard to believe that when you look outside, the seasons are changing again. Fall came as quick as it always does, and in many parts of the country, already we are seeing flakes of snow! Fall brings with it a new school year, new aims, new hopes and, yes, new challenges. The November midterm elections have shown us that we cannot sit back and relax. Alpha must lead here at home and abroad. I am happy that the brothers bunkered down at our last General Convention and pushed through our own internal matters. We have a new preliminary intake program that will help secure our future and protect our future brothers. We have a more sensible election process being put to the test for the next Alpha general-president campaign. We have a new program, the Brother’s Keeper, which chapters are now implementing. The enthusiasm and the vigorous debate at the convention proved once again, that Alpha men never take anything for granted, or anything lightly. We must now take that same zeal and transform it to what is outside the House of Alpha. Every community will be impacted by decisions made by local school boards, city councils and mayors, county commissions, state legislatures and, yes, the Congress of the United States. Our job is to stay vigilant and on guard to ensure we continue to support what is right for our communities and work against those things that aim to hurt the forward progress Alpha has always stood and fought for. In the coming months, there will be more to celebrate. On the calendar for early 2011, a trip to South Africa to charter our newest chapter in Johannesburg. I also want to take a moment to encourage you to register for our 2011 General Convention in Chicago. We will meet in June next year to make room on our schedule for the summer dedication of the King Memorial in Washington. You will find plenty of information about all of these major events on our website: www.apa1906.net. Recently, I was in Rochester, New York, revisiting the birth city of Jewel Henry Arthur Callis and the home and final resting place of the Honorable Frederick Douglass (our posthumous brother). It was an emotional experience for me as I honored two great men.

Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. is the 33rd general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Lastly I hope that all members of Alpha took time to honor our Seven Jewels, our founders, on Founders’ Day. 104 years is nothing to take lightly. Wherever you were on that day, and wherever you are each and every day, I hope you pause to remember their leadership, their sacrifice and their spirit that helped to pave the way for so many African Americans. As we head toward our 105th year of service, I still “believe in the 7” and hope you do, too. H

president@alpha1906.net

Mason at final resting place of Brother Frederick Douglass (Omega) in Rochester, New York.

4 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

NEWS

Black Farmers Finally Get Their Due From U.S. Government

President Signs Settlement that Pays Claims for Discrimination

Righting a wrong: President Obama signs legislation to pay black farmers and Native American farmers $4.6 billion in a discrimination suit.

IN DECEMBER, black farmers celebrated a hard-won victory in a legal battle with the U.S. government that began in 1999. President Barack Obama, who campaigned on righting wrongs in discrimination cases, signed legislation that will pay black farmers and Native American farmers $4.6 billion to address claims of government mistreatment over many decades. The settlement, now law, “closes a long and unfortunate chapter in our history,” Obama said. “It’s finally time to make things right.” At a signing ceremony at the White House on Dec. 8, the president declared

that approval of the long-delayed legislation “isn’t simply a matter of making amends, it’s about reaffirming our values on which this nation was founded: the principles of fairness and equality and opportunity.” Obama promised during his campaign to work toward resolving disputes over the government’s past discrimination against minorities. The measure he signed settles a pair of long-standing class-action lawsuits. The measure also settles four long-standing disputes over Native-American water rights in Arizona, New Mexico and Montana. The black farmers’ case marked the second round of funding from a class-action lawsuit originally settled in 1999. The case,

which involves allegations of widespread discrimination by local Agriculture Department offices in awarding loans and other aid, is named after Timothy Pigford, a black farmer from North Carolina who was an original plaintiff. “I am happy that the Congress and the president have finally acted,” said Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. “This should have happened decades ago, and we in Alpha will continue to support causes that are right and just, and this case was a prime example.” The fraternity sent a letter nationwide urging its members to support CONTINUED

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

N EWS PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION WEEKEND the legislation, write their members of Congress and the Obama administration. John W. Boyd, Jr., of Baskerville, Va., had a pile of loan applications sitting, untouched, at his local USDA office. One agent tore up one of his applications in front of him and spit on him, he said in an interview. “The discrimination was real; it was real for me,” Boyd said. He now is president of the National Black Farmers Association,

and he has lobbied Congress for years to force the issue and get the government to settle with black farmers. The new settlement, totaling nearly $1.2 billion, is intended for people who were denied payments in the earlier settlement because they missed deadlines for filing. Individual amounts depend on how many claims are successfully filed. H

JR. AN “SKIP” MASON, STATEMENT OF HERM rnity, Inc. ate Alpha Phi Alpha Fr General President of Farmers k to Compensate Blac On Congress’ Inaction 2010 Tuesday, August 17,

John W. Boyd Jr., president of the National Black Farmers Association, reacts to the president’s signing the settlement legislation.

ving l reconvene, after ha ay, the U.S. Senate wil tod t due. The m jus fro ir ys the da rs ht me eig far Twenty America’s black ing giv ut ho farmers wit ck nth bla mo payments to recessed earlier this again, failed to fund ce on s, years of the res rly ng ea Co r the ou to ure dating back upper chamber of ult ric Ag of pt. De . by the U.S discriminated against r class in 1983. n tio tra nis mi d stem from an earlie Ad Reagan bipartisan support an ad rs and the bro me ve far ha the ich n wh ee The payments, negotiated betw en be dy ea alr ve ims. ha cla as Pigford, $1.15 billion in action lawsuit known bruary agreed to pay Fe in ich in the wh up n, tio me co tra nis ry time it has current (Obama) Admi the legislation, but eve d when 6, sse st pa gu es Au tiv s nta wa se st recent incident The House of Repre mo e Th d. nie to de , tio ed lled, delay ous consent mo n Senate, it has been sta objected to a unanim sso rra Ba hn Jo tor Sena Republican Wyoming e at our black farmers. e du ief rel horrific racial injustic the e vid pro iculous at best and a rid is l ea try. The us ord g ind to lon s au thi the Quite frankly, ress has bailed out ng Co t. ee e Str ll Wa t iled ou forcement tactics. Th worst. Congress has ba r harsh immigration en ove rt cue cou res to to a tan zon kis Ari Pa en er aid workers to administration has tak t the Marines and oth sen t jus s ha d an iti U.S. has aided Ha flood there. ir justice? When do they get the Pakistanis from the big n-AMERICAN farmers? ica government from n Afr r ow ou y t ver ou ir ab at the Wh minated against by cri dis re we merican. y the un gh It is bad enou deplorable, it is -A deny relief is not only d an tory, especially his lay of de e to t sid Bu ht . 1983 to 1987 stood on the rig ays alw ve ha ha t all farmers Alp i tha right to ensure Members of Alpha Ph ay, knowing that it is tod so do We e. tic in cases of racial jus of d fairly and equal. rs with the memory in America be treate ions ago, my ancesto rat ne ers ge pp al cro ver se are t orgia, first as sh Personally, I recall tha the soils of south Ge d me far de d ma an t ed tha till or , ir lab slavery in their spirit t of their brow and the ers. It was their swea times. Many left the ic om on ec rsh and then as landown ha g rin nd ily to sustain itself du bases where they fou it possible for my fam rth; some for military no dies bo the r in ou ies sh tor uri fac no el y food we eat to ver the farm for auto and ste e vid pro ay tod ny stayed and employment. But ma e ductive. pro d lieve in justice—to tak an hy to be healt all Americans who be d ee nd —i to ha m Alp the of e and urg We urge all brothers two senators TODAY, ail or telephone your ttlement upon their se ’ ers rm Fa ck Bla a moment to write, e-m the ss pa d an e vot editiously immediately and exp onvenes. , when the Senate rec 13 er mb pte Se return do. It is the right thing to

6 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

NEWS

Dateline: Across the A PHI A Nation Brothers Attend Annual Bayou Classic at Louisiana Superdome

Fraternity AVPs Visit Cornell University for Founders’ Day During the Founders’ Day celebration Assistant Vice Presidents, including Brothers Cameron Thierry, Midwest; Christopher Harvey, Southwest; Jonathan G. Leon, East; and Kenneth L. Wright, Jr., South, joined brothers of Alpha Chapter and others at the campus’ Alpha Phi Alpha Founders’ memorial site at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

Alpha brothers from Delta Sigma Chapter at Grambling State University in Grambling, La., win the Bayou Classic Step Show. The honor comes months after Alpha Phi Alpha won the national “Sprite Step Off” competition represented by brothers of Delta Xi Chapter at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Brothers at the Bayou Classic, from left: Don Weston, chief of staff to the general president; 27th General President Charles C. Teamer Sr.; Washington, D.C., Councilman Marion Barry; General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.; and Southwestern Regional Vice President Roderick L. Smothers.

Alphas Attend Executive Leadership Dinner in New York

King Documentary To Be Produced

At the Executive Leadership Dinner, pictured above from left: Brothers Kevin Carr, National Basketball Association vice president of community and player programs; Todd Corley, Abercrombie & Fitch senior vice president; General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.; and actor Hill Harper, master of ceremonies.

General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. represented the fraternity at the Abercrombie & Fitch Executive Leadership Dinner in New York on Oct. 28, 2010. Mason was the guest of Abercrombie & Fitch Senior Vice President Brother Todd Corley. This event brings together the highest ranking African Americans in Fortune 500 companies.

Beta Chapter Hosts Talk “Man and Religion” at Howard University Brother Martin Luther King III sits before the camera for an interview to be used in the documentary being produced by the fraternity about his father, the late Brother Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary will chronicle and highlight his father’s participation in Alpha and the journey to build the Washington D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. Excerpts of the documentary will be shown at the Chicago General Convention in June and during the memorial dedication weekend in August.

Pictured above: General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. joined renowned scholar Brother Cain Hope Felder at a symposium on “Man and Religion” on Nov. 15, 2010, at Howard University. The event was hosted by Beta Chapter, which is seated at Howard University. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

NEWS

Melvin to Head Nation’s Black Law Enforcement Officers EARLIER THIS YEAR, the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) elected a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Brother Patrick Melvin, as its new leader. Melvin assumed the duties of national president after previously serving as first vice president. He was installed during NOBLE’s 34th Annual Training Conference and Exhibition held in Baltimore in July. Melvin, the assistant city manager of Maricopa, Ariz., a suburb south of Phoenix, told the group he intends to focus on three critical and new areas of concentration: two dealing with safety and one aimed at enhancing NOBLE’s financial health. “I want to do all I can to encourage seatbelt usage nationally for the communities we serve, for our law enforcement colleagues, family members and friends,” said Melvin, a former motorcycle cop who has witnessed firsthand the results of not buckling-up. “NOBLE will provide recommendations for policy initiatives aimed at avoiding injuries and deaths related to non-seatbelt usage,” he said.

The other area of safety concern is the use of body armor. Melvin cited that less than “60 percent of the heads of agencies require their personnel to wear life-saving protection while working.” He said he plans to have NOBLE pushing agency heads to require their officers and agents to utilize body armor. The third initiative of Melvin’s administration will be internal operations, specifically financial health of the organization. While NOBLE has been making financial strides, Melvin explained he will challenge local chapters to significantly increase membership and fundraising. He said an emphasis will be placed on the “Each One Reach One” membership initiative. Founded in 1976, NOBLE seeks to serve as the conscience of law enforcement by being committed to justice by action. The organization represents more than 3,500 members nationally and internationally, primarily African-American chief executive officers of law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, county and municipal levels. It

Liberian Alpha Brother Named to Baptist World Alliance Leadership Team THE BAPTIST WORLD Alliance (BWA), the largest protestant Christian body in the world, has chosen an Alpha man to help lead it for the next five years. Brother Olu Q. Menjay, chief administrative officer and principal of Ricks Institute, a K-12 religious-based academy in Virginia, Liberia, was elected and installed as one of 12 new vice Brother Olu Q. Menjay presidents of the BWA for 2010-2015. The installation ceremony was held during the 20th Baptist World Congress, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from July 28 to Aug. 1, 2010. As an emerging leader of the organization Menjay has made history, by becoming the youngest person to serve as a BWA vice president. In his new role, he will lead the organization’s All Africa Baptists Fellowship region.

8 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Brother Patrick Melvin

also includes among its membership other law enforcement administrators and criminal justice practitioners. As assistant city manager Melvin is responsible for Maricopa’s Divisions of Police Services; Fire Services; Code Compliance and Animal Control Services; and the Division of Support Services, which includes human resources and information technology operations. Prior to his current job, Melvin was the city’s police chief. He had previously retired as a commander from the City of Phoenix Police Department, after 21 years on the force. H

The BWA membership includes more than 200 conventions and unions around the world, proclaiming and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Together, its member bodies include more than 37 million baptized Baptists around the world. Menjay, a native of Liberia, joined Alpha Phi Alpha at Iota Eta Chapter at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University in Durham, N.C., a second master’s in sacred theology from Boston University in Boston, Mass., and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Wales in the UK. “God does not discriminate in choosing servants for God’s mission,” said Menjay. “I stand on the shoulders of our capable past and present Christian leaders in Africa.” The election was part of the proceedings of the BWA Congress which meets once every five years. The Congress brings together Baptists from all over the world for a time of celebration, worship and fellowship. The theme for the 2010 Congress was “Hear the Spirit.” In addition to Menjay and the other 11 vice presidents, the BWA elected John Upton of Virginia, its new president. H

NEWS

New Health Science Facility Named for Robert Wright By Oz Roberts

LONGTIME BUSINESSMAN and eye doctor Robert L. Wright was honored in Columbus, Ga., when Columbus Technical College (CTC) recently named a new health-science building for him. The building had been a dream of the college’s for 11 years, and finally came true when the 78,000 square foot Robert L. Wright, Jr. Health Sciences Center officially opened in October. The college commemorated the opening Oct. 8, with a special event. It included brief comments from dignitaries, a ribbon-cutting, barbeque lunch, tours of the facility and giveaways for the more than 600 people who attended. More than two dozen dignitaries, CTC staff and elected officials joined the Wright family and about 100 CTC health sciences students for the cutting of the Robert L. Wright Health Sciences ceremonial ribbon. Center in Columbus, Ga. Wright is a life member of Alpha, having joined the fraternity at its Kappa Chapter in 1955, while a student at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He currently serves in Delta Iota Lambda Chapter in Columbus, Ga. Wright, who made a considerable contribution to the college to help build the center, accepted the honor while reflecting on the values of honor, trust and integrity. Values he says were instilled in him by his parents. He went on to say that his desire is for the Portrait of Brother Robert L. state-of-the-art facility to provide a catalyst for those Wright, which will hang in the who have chosen to pursue a career in the allied health new Wright Health Sciences Center. field, to aid people in need of health care. H

Cutting the ribbon: Bother Robert L. Wright, with his wife June, and his granddaughters join CTC President Bob Jones for the grandopening of the new Wright Health Sciences Center.

Alphas Honored for Continuous Work to End Domestic Violence Brothers join General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. at the Men Stopping Violence Gala at the Atlanta Ritz Carlton hotel in October. The general president was honored along with country music star Tim McGraw for being a “True Ally” in the battle to end domestic violence. The program was sponsored by Men Stopping Violence, an organization dedicated to ending domestic violence and abuse. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

NEWS

Alpha brother leads Illinois Judges Association Nixon Plans to Use Post to Help Teens Thrive LEWIS M. NIXON, a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., was recently installed as the 39th president of the Illinois Judges Association (IJA). Headquartered in Chicago, the 1,100-member association addresses issues impacting on a fair and impartial judiciary, access to justice, and educating the public about its courts and judges. Nixon, a longtime Alpha Phi Alpha member, said he plans to use his presidency as a “bully pulpit” to speak about the importance of judicial independence and helping young people stay on the straight and narrow. “Our country must do everything possible to ensure that judges remain independent,” said Nixon. “Judges must remain free to apply the law based on the facts of a case, not political pressure.” Judge Nixon wants to increase participation in “7 Reasons to Leave the Party,” the IJA’s hard-hitting, interactive presentation delivered on a volunteer basis by judges to educate teens about the importance of making wise lifestyle decisions. Using

a visual presentation and rap music, the 50-minute program walks students through every room at a house party where unlawful activity is taking place. “Hearing directly from a judge about the consequences of poor choices really has an impact,” said Nixon. “We view this program as a preventative approach to helping teens stay out of trouble and complete their education so they can enjoy self-sufficient, productive lives.” Nixon joined the IJA, which meets annually in May, in 2001 and was named to the IJA board and its executive committee for the 2006-07 fiscal year. He was treasurer in 2007-08, second vice president in 2008-09 and served as first vice president before his ascension to president. Prior to joining the bench, Nixon was assistant general counsel at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Chicago, administering the legal department for the six-state Midwest region. He began his legal career in 1975 as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago.

Sydnor Gets Maryland Gubernatorial Appointment WHEN THE GOVERNOR of Maryland was looking for a new member of the state’s consumer council, he turned to an Alpha man named Charles E. Sydnor III. Sydnor, a member of Delta Lambda Chapter in Baltimore, Md., was appointed in February to Maryland’s Consumer Council Brother Charles E. by Gov. Martin O’Malley. The Consumer Sydnor III Council advises the Division of Consumer Protection in the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. It also conducts studies and produces reports.

10 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Brother Lewis M. Nixon

An adjunct professor at Roosevelt University since 1989, he currently teaches at the university’s School of Paralegal Studies, and has taught trial advocacy at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Legal Education Institute in Washington, D.C. Nixon, a native of Chicago’s south side, attended Chicago public schools and earned his Juris Doctor degree from DePaul University College of Law in 1974. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., in 1971. H

In March, Sydnor was also promoted to senior attorney at Enterprise Community Partners, Inc., which is based in Columbia, Md. Enterprise is a public charity which creates opportunities for low- and moderate-income people to realize the American dream by becoming homeowners. Since 1982, Enterprise has raised and invested more than $10 billion to help finance more than 250,000 affordable homes across the United States. Sydnor earned a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., in 1996, the same year he was initiated into the fraternity. He also holds a master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in Catonsville, Md.; and in 2000 he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland Law School in Baltimore, Md. H

NEWS

Detroiters Send an Alpha to Represent Them in Congress

From the statehouse to Capitol Hill. Brother Hansen Clarke, D-Mich., was elevated to the U.S. House of Representatives by Detroit voters in November, to take office in January 2011.

Congressman-elect Brother Hansen Clarke with his chapter brothers of Gamma Lambda in Detroit.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA will have another member in United States Congress come January. Brother Hansen Clarke of Gamma Lambda Chapter in Detroit, Mich., defeated Republican John Hauler in the General Election November 2. Clarke, who will represent Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, earlier stunned the Detroit political establishment when he defeated the incumbent, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, in the Democratic Primary in the summer. Kilpatrick, whose son is the former mayor, was the matriarch of what was the Motor City’s most politically powerful family. Clarke’s political skills were honed over three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives and two terms in the state senate. After dropping out of college, his family and neighbors helped raise money and encouraged him to re-enroll. This resulted in his earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and later a law degree from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C. Congressman-elect Clarke was born to a Bangladeshi immigrant father and an African-American mother. He will be the first Bangladeshi-American ever to serve in the Congress. Clarke was raised a Muslim, and later converted to Catholicism. He says will also work hard to help end religious and racial profiling. Clarke’s father died when the younger Clarke was just eight years old; he says, however, his father greatly influenced him and that he strongly identifies with his father’s culture. Clarke, an outgoing Michigan state senator, said he plans to work on expanding commerce and trade with Bangladesh when he gets to Washington--among other important tasks, such as lowering unemployment. His home state of Michigan has the second-highest jobless rate in the country; only Nevada’s is higher. H

Williams Inaugurated as President of Delaware State University HARRY LEE WILLIAMS took the oath of office on January 10, 2010, as the 10th president of Delaware State University (DSU) during a packed Inauguration Ceremony held at the school in Dover, Del. The DSU Board of Trustees unanimously decided on the selection of Williams during a Brother Harry Lee Williams November 2009 executive session. Brother Williams served as DSU provost and vice president of Academic Affairs from July 2008 until he assumed the presidency. Under Dr. Williams’ leadership, the University established a new General Education Program, a Distance Education Strategic Plan and a Middle States Monitoring Report Plan. Under his provost leadership, the University successfully completed searches that led to the hiring of a new dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, a director of Distance Learning, a director of the Honors Program and an associate vice president for Sponsored Programs. Prior to his arrival at DSU, Williams served at the University of North Carolina General Administration as interim associate vice president for Academic Affairs, beginning in September 2007. He was elevated in March 2008 to interim senior associate vice president

for academic and student affairs, a position in which he focused on access and outreach for the 17 campuses of the University’s system. He remained in the latter post until he became the DSU provost. Williams also progressed from an associate director to associate vice chancellor posts in the areas of academic affairs, enrollment and diversity at Appalachian State University (ASU) from 1988 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2007. In between that tenure he served as an interim director of admissions for North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., from 2000 to 2004. In addition, Williams has also served from 2002-2008 as a national marketing and recruitment associate consultant with NoelLevitz, a top national enrollment-management consultation firm. In that capacity, Williams provided consultation expertise to 14 different institutions of higher education, including DSU. Williams earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication Broadcasting degree and a Master of Arts in Educational Media degree, both from Appalachian State University (ASU) in Boone, N.C. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis degree from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn. He is a co-founder of the fraternity’s Pi Nu Chapter at ASU. H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX 11

NEWS

Dateline: Alphas in the Capitol Alphas Participate in Annual CBC Conference Every year Alpha Phi Alpha journeys to Washington, D.C., to greet, meet with and discuss key issues with members of Congress and the White House staff. This year, in September, Alpha brothers added a visit to the construction site of the Washington D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. A major highlight of the visit was the annual Alpha Phi Alpha Congressional Black Caucus gathering. This year a dinner was held in honor of those members of Alpha Phi Alpha who serve in the House and Senate. Congressman Brother Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri, the new chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, addresses the brothers.

Alpha Phi Alpha members celebrate with brothers in Congress at the annual Alpha CBC reception. From left: Rep. Al Green, D-Texas; Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo.; 26th Gen. Pres. Ozell Sutton; Rep. Chaka Fattah, D-Pa.; Gen. Pres. Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.; 28th Gen. Pres. Henry Ponder; Rep. Robert “Bobby” Scott, D-Va.; 27th Gen. Pres. Charles C. Teamer Sr.; Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill.; 25th Gen. Pres. James R. Williams; 29th Gen. Pres. Milton C. Davis and 31st Gen. Pres. Harry E. Johnson Sr.

Laraine Davis, (left) and Gigi Dixon (center) of Wells Fargo, a corporate partner of Alpha Phi Alpha, join General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. and Brother Maurice Jenkins (right) of the UNCF, during the Alpha CBC dinner.

General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. welcomes to the Alpha CBC reception Rebecca Pringle (left) and Cynthia Swann (right) of the National Education Association.

Dignitaries speak to the brothers. Above left: U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., 2010 Alpha Award of Honor recipient with General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.; Above right: Deputy Head of Mission Dominick Chilcott of the British Embassy and bottom right: South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.

12 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. with Brothers Leonard James and Jesse Tyson of ExxonMobil, a sponsor of the annual Alpha CBC event.

NEWS

Getting Ready for the August 2011 Unveiling of the King Memorial The leaders of all the major black Greek-lettered organizations, with arms crossed, stand as King’s likeness will when the memorial is unveiled in August 2011. Pictured leaders of the Divine Nine, from left: Sheryl Underwood, Zeta Phi Beta, Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., Alpha Phi Alpha; Jennifer Jones, president, National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC); Dwayne Murray, Kappa Alpha Psi and chair, NPHC Council of Presidents; Cynthia M.A. Butler-McIntyre, Delta Sigma Theta; Joann G. Loveless, Sigma Gamma Rho and Jimmy Hammock, Phi Beta Sigma.

In December, the top portion of the statue was being put into placed at the construction site.

Members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication Planning Committee meet in Washington in September.

Historic plaque presented by the fraternity to the National Park Service. The plaque will be part of the King memorial, reminding the world that the project was the brainchild of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

Alpha Phi Alpha board members and general presidents, current and past, stand at the construction site that is to honor Brother King. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION NEWS

NEW NATIONAL PROGRAM ADOPTED, AIMS TO HELP BROTHERS AND OTHERS By Ron Peters

During the 90th General Convention in Las Vegas, Nev., the A. Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper Program was unanimously adopted by the delegates as a national program of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. In addition, the Convention directed that the program be “incorporated into the membership-intake process as one of its required national service projects” and that the program be named in honor of Brother A. Charles Haston, the Alpha brother with 76 years of membership, who is the inspiration behind the program. The mission of the Brother’s Keeper Program is to advocate for and improve the quality of life for disabled, mature, and ailing Alpha brothers, their spouses, widows and community members. The goal of the program is to promote dignity and independence among that same group— brothers, spouses, widows, and disadvantaged community members. There are seven objectives to the program: 1. Assist mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members in maintaining living environments that are compatible with their levels of functioning. 2. Assist mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and 14 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

community members in maintaining the upkeep of their properties. Assist mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members with health care decision making. Provide mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members with companionship Provide mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members with legal services Provide mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members with transportation Ensure mature or disabled Alpha brothers, widows and community members have adequate supplies of food, water and clothing, with special emphasis on disaster management and recovery.

“History has revealed that the healthiest cultures take care of their seniors and those who are disabled,” said Brother Ronald Peters Jr., the creator of the program. “The A. Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper program is a vehicle for Alpha to express love for all mankind. We can now put into real operation manly deeds toward those who helped pave the way for others, and for those who are unable to help themselves.” NEW ACADEMIC STANDARDS ADOPTED TO MAINTAIN COLLEGE MEMBERSHIP Among the several proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws, the General Convention adopted two key changes to the Constitution regarding membership in good standing. Offered by then Midwestern Assistant Vice

CHAPTERS CHARTERED IN LONDON, JOHANNESBURG Delegates approved the plan to charter two new international chapters. While in Las Vegas, a special recognition was held during the business session, noting the historic charters. See the images in the convention coverage on the next several pages. The official chartering ceremony will be held and conducted by a delegation of Alpha members in Johannesburg, South Africa, in early 2011, led by General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.

2010 CONVENTION NEWS

President Thomas Flynn, the new rules now require college brothers to maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (on a four point scale or its equivalent) to remain active. Previously, there was only a requirement to have that or better for admission to the fraternity. Similarly, an amendment by Flynn and adopted requires a college chapter to maintain a collective chapter cumulative grade point average of 2.5 (on a four point scale or its equivalent) in order for the chapter to remain in good active status. NEW MEMBERSHIP-INTAKE PROCESS ADOPTED By Zollie Stevenson Jr.

For intake in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out with the old and in with the new. At the General Convention in Las Vegas in July, delegates adopted the Membership Intake Task Force proposal to pilot a four-week membership-intake process during the spring next year. Under the leadership of task force chairman Darren Morton, the task force has aggressively

moved forward in making revisions to the fraternityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Standing Orders. The team is developing new training modules that will complement a fourweek process and assisting the regional vice presidents by providing the criteria that was used to select intake clusters to participate in the pilot intake process. Pilot intake clusters have been selected by the regional vice presidents in the districts that include Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, the International District, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The 18 clusters encompass 95 chapters, nearly 17 percent of the chapters in good standing. Pilot programs will take place during the spring 2011 intake season, and training of cluster participants will begin right after the beginning of the year. Evaluative information regarding the pilots will be presented at the General Convention in Chicago, in June, along with recommendations

from the task force. The Membership Intake Task Force is composed of 36 college and alumni brothers, appointed by the general president. An additional 14 members are assisting with curriculum writing, lecture-development and intake operational design. ELECTION PROCEDURES MODIFIED The General Convention approved the Committee on Elections plan to reform the process by which the general officers of the fraternity are elected. The committee worked the past two years reviewing documents, interviewing brothers, and developing a new, more streamlined process. The new election season start date was set for December 1. As part of the new rules, each candidate must now be certified and provide documentation authenticating their fit and ability to be a candidate. New rules also govern who can hold forums or debates and encourage responsible fiscal measures to reduce the cost of running for a national office in Alpha Phi Alpha. H

HAITI ALPHA ACADEMY GETS GREEN LIGHT Delegates approved a plan to help rebuild earthquake-torn Haiti. The plan is to work to develop an Alpha educational academy in Haiti. This follows up the effort of brothers who traveled on a mission to provide medical and food supplies and cash to relatives of Haitian Alpha Phi Alpha members.

Summer Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

WELCOME RECEPTION

104th Anniversary/ 90th General Convention The 104th Anniversary/90th General Convention of Alpha Phi Alpha in Las Vegas started off with all the fanfare you can imagine. From the beginning, with the Welcome Reception, to the conclusion, with the Awards Luncheon, the “ice-cold” Alphas illustrated that what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. On the following pages, The Sphinx provides a snapshot of the sites and scenes of the 2010 convention in the desert. Photos by Rickey Brown, Jarvis Harris and Jeff Lewis.

Executive Director William Douglass Lyle, Historian Robert Harris, Parliamentarian Anderson Eldridge and other members of the board of directors welcome the delegates to the General Convention.

16 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Tucker Perry, Miss Tennessee USA, with actor-songwriter and minister Brother Clifton Davis were emcees of the Welcome Reception.

Brother Jason Beasley, president of Theta Pi Lambda, the host chapter, officially welcomes the delegates.

Las Vegas City Councilman Brother Ricki Y. Barlow gives Alpha General President Herman â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skipâ&#x20AC;? Mason, Jr. the key to the city.

Ladies and guests were ready to play at the Alpha poker and other card-game tables.

Brother Ken Martin and wife Maria of North Carolina share a moment with singer Kenny Lattimore. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

Pre-convention Activities and Board of Directors Meeting

Brother Payton C. Cook cuts the ribbon, officially opening the Senior Brothersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lounge, named in his honor, at the Ballyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hotel. Alphas receive a proclamation from the mayor and city leaders in the Las Vegas City Council Chambers.

Western Regional Vice President Aaron Crutison makes a point at board meeting as Western Assistant Vice President Jarvis Givens looks on.

General Treasurer Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye talks about fiscal matters at board of directors meeting.

18 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, addresses the board.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Board of Directors poses for the annual convention photograph. Third from right is guest Benjamin Jealous, president and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Education Foundation board.

2010 CONVENTION

Immigration Forum

Alpha Athletes Forum

Brother Charles Haley, five-time Super Bowl champion player, speaks to a youth at the forum.

Carlos Famadas, chairman of Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, the world’s oldest Latino fraternity, speaks as General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., session moderator, looks on. Newark City Councilman Brother Ronald C. Rice makes a point as the athletes on the panel look on.

Brother Arthur Lewis of Los Angeles, in the audience, raises an issue.

Brother Wes Chandler, former NFL Pro Bowl player offers an opinion.

Panelist Brother Charles Hamilton Houston III, Esq. (center), makes a point. Other panelists, Carlos Famadas (left) and Brother Teddy McDaniel (right), look on.

Brother Rosie Grier, former NFL player, offering a comment, was a panelist. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

Fraternal Luncheon

28th General President Henry Ponder addresses the luncheon as the members of the head table look on.

Dhani Jones, (second from left) greets college brothers. Jones, an Epsilon Chapter initiate at the Univ. of Michigan, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, was keynote speaker.

Brother Charles Haley shows off one of his Super Bowl rings.

The 2010 Presidential Citation.

Alpha Athletes Saluted: Jesse Owens Award Recipients

Saluted for the greatness in the world of sports, several brothers received the Jesse Owens Award of Excellence and an Alpha Presidential Citation. From left: NFL player Dhani Jones; former NBA player Walt Wesley; former NFL players Eric Cortez Wright; Michael Merriweather; Rosie Greer; Charles Haley; former NBA player Stan McKenzie; former NFL players Henry Lawrence; Carl Eller and former NBA player Walter Bellamy.

20 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

2010 CONVENTION

College Brothers’ Luncheon

AVPS Honored

Retired U.S. Army Captain Brother Wes Moore was keynote speaker at the College Brothers’ Luncheon.

U.S. Marine Corps Major General Brother Ronald L. Bailey delivering remarks.

Brother John Mack of the National Urban League giving remarks.

Brother Michael Patton of Iota Rho Lambda Chapter at the podium.

Eastern AVP Taurean Branch

Midwestern AVP Thomas Flynn

Southern AVP Justin Harlow

Alpha’s regional vice presidents and assistant vice presidents join the general president and U.S. Marines for a photo. The U.S. Marine Corps sponsored the College Brothers’ Luncheon.

Southwestern AVP Jamel D. Jones

Nationwide Insurance representatives present a check for $10,000 to the education foundation.

Ramzi Bivens (at left) and Robert Marcus (at right) of Abercrombie & Fitch, an Alpha corporate partner, address the brothers.

Western AVP Jarvis R. Givens

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

Distinguished Collegians: 2010 Education Foundation Scholars

Scholarship recipients, wearing their medallions, pose for the annual group photo with members of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Education Foundation Board of Directors and program sponsors.

Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contestants

National oratorical contest finalists, from left: William Lawrence, Alpha Rho Chapter, Southern Region; Kendall Plain, Rho Iota Chapter, (winner) Southwestern Region; Donald Knight, Theta Rho Chapter, Eastern Region; Eric A. Hawthorne Sr., Delta Rho Chapter, Midwestern Region; and Kazeem Omidiji, Sigma Psi Chapter, Western Region.

Collegiate Scholars Bowl Championship

ABOVE: Two teams answer questions during a round of questioning at the national Collegiate Scholars Bowl competition. AT RIGHT: The Southern Region team, from Mu Zeta Chapter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, accepts the 2010 national title award from General President Herman â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skipâ&#x20AC;? Mason, Jr. From left: Chapter President Terence McPherson; Brothers Terrence Wilson; Mason; Brandon Patton; and Justin Clayton.

22 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

2010 CONVENTION

Step Show Competition

ABOVE: The winner, Delta Xi at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, representing the Midwestern Region, takes the national title for the second consecutive year. AT RIGHT AND BELOW: The other regional winners in the 2010 National Step Show Competition.

Community Service: Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program

Brothers ascend on the Iced Out Beauty N Barbershop in Las Vegas to conduct health screenings.

Taking a break from the convention to administer diabetes and blood-pressure screenings to local residents.

A brother examines a customer. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

Business Sessions

Brothers handling the business of Alpha. Pictured from left: U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., addressing the convention; Michael Blake, past Midwestern assistant vice president, and now an aide to President Barack Obama, brought greetings from the White House; Immediate Past General President Darryl R. Matthews Sr., bringing greetings; R. Anthony Mills, of Delta Lambda Chapter in Baltimore, Md., reacting to a ruling from the chair; U.S. Sen. Roland Burris speaking; former Ambassador to the U.N. Andrew Young delivering remarks and Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Frank Humphrey presenting the annual budget.

Delegates of the 104th Anniversary Convention, from the head table perspective.

Brother Noel Sherman of Gamma Eta Lambda Chapter in Austin, Texas reviews reports on his computer. To save dollars and the planet, the Convention issued most reports electronically.

Brother Joseph Gambrell of Mu Sigma Lambda Chapter in Los Angeles raises a question.

O. Wilson Winters Life Members’ Breakfast

Brother Rodney Harris gets his lifemembership pin from General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. as Life Membership Committee Chairman Brother Charles Loeb II looks on.

24 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Brothers sing the Alpha hymn during the breakfast. From left: 28th General President Henry Ponder; 75-year member Brother Peyton Cook; Life Member No. 21 Brother John Rawls; and 26th General President Ozell Sutton.

Keynote speaker 25th General President James R. Williams

Fifty-year member Brother James A. Wright, a Delta Xi initiate at Central State University, introduces the speaker.

2010 CONVENTION

Black and Gold Awards Luncheon

Executive Director and Alpha COO William Douglass Lyle was recognized by the general presidents after receiving a Presidential Citation.

Southwestern Regional Assistant Vice President Christopher Harvey; Regional Vice President Roderick Smothers and General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. salute Brother A. Charles Haston on being the eldest brother registered at the convention.

Longtime General Office staff member Delores Diggs was honored at the convention with a Presidential Citation by General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.

“Hymnmaster” Brother Henry Goodgame of Georgia leads the brothers in the singing of the “Alpha Phi Alpha Hymn.”

Brothers Jibreel Khazan and Wendell Brothers partake in the Vegas-style buffet during the T. Foster Jr. earn the Alpha Award Black and Gold Awards Luncheon. of Merit, the fraternity’s highest individual award given to a member.

26th General President Ozell Sutton administers the oath of office to the new class of regional assistant vice presidents. From left: Jonathan G. Leon, East; Cameron Thierry, Midwest; Kenneth J. Wright Jr., South; Mario Carroll, West; and Christopher Harvey, Southwest. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

College Brother of the Year

Wayne Kimball Jr.

Brother Wayne Kimball Jr.

BROTHER WAYNE KIMBALL JR., a Roanoke Rapids, N.C., native, is a senior civil engineering major at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., where he is an U.S. Department of Agriculture 1890 national scholar. Kimball served as sophomore and junior class president, treasurer of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), parliamentarian of the North Carolina Association of Student Governments and director of minority affairs for the North Carolina Federation of College Democrats. He also was elected treasurer of Beta Epsilon Chapter. An academic standout, Kimball has been a mentor in the University Honors Program for three consecutive years. Kimball also is an entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Dow Kimball Enterprise, a management and strategic development consulting firm, and is the founder of Wayne Kimball, Jr. International. While fulfilling his company’s vision and representing his alma mater, he has traveled internationally to Ghana, West Africa, Trinidad, Tobago, France and Italy to speak and render volunteer service worldwide. Along with other students, Kimball collected more than 1,500 books, school supplies and sporting equipment to furnish two street academies in Ghana, West Africa. He also led an initiative in Trinidad to help with environmental issues there. Additionally, he has received a host of awards and recognitions on all levels for his outstanding scholastic achievements, leadership and oratorical skills. One of his favorite quotes is, “success is standard for today, greatness is a goal for tomorrow!” On winning the national College Brother of the Year Award he says: “It is a great honor to have been awarded the title. This is not so much a dream come true, I like to think of it as a destiny fulfilled.”

Alumni Brother of the Year

Darren M. Morton BROTHER DARREN M. MORTON is a man of many talents. Whether it is in his community, the church, on a college campus or in the boardroom, he constantly works to enhance the lives of young people of all races and nationalities. Ordained a Baptist minister in 1997, the Reverend Morton earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. He earned a Master of Education degree at St. John’s University in New York, where he currently serves as associate vice president for student affairs. His winning the Alumni Brother of the Year Award comes after a long tenure of service in Alpha. A 23-year member, he has held numerous leadership posts, including New York district director, Eastern Region executive director, Eastern Region vice president, in which he sat on the national Board of Directors 2001 to 2005, and most recently chairman of the Membership Intake Task Force. He was a candidate for 34th general president of the fraternity. In the community, he serves as both a religious and civic leader. He has been an interim pastor, an associate and youth minister and a Sunday School assistant superintendent. He is a member of the United Black Clergy of Westchester, N.Y.; works with the local units of the Big Brothers Big Sisters; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); and is past master of Progressive Lodge No. 64 and now president of the Third Masonic District of the Prince Hall Affiliated Free and Accepted Masons in New York. The Rev. Brother Darren M. Morton Brother Morton is the proud father of three adult children and eight grandchildren.

26 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

2010 CONVENTION

College Chapter of the Year

Theta Sigma Brothers from Theta Sigma Chapter at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., representing the Southern Region, accept their College Chapter of the Year award.

Alumni Chapter of the Year

Alpha Eta Lambda Brothers from Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter in Houston, Texas, representing the Southwestern Region, accept their Alumni Chapter of the Year award. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

2010 CONVENTION

Miss Black and Gold Pageant A new queen is crowned. The 2010-2011 Court, from left: Eastern Region Finalist Mariama Sesay-Bah; Miss Black and Gold Morgan Burnett of the Southern Region, General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr.; National Runner-up India Rejhauhn McGee of the Western Region; Southwestern Region Finalist Christine Kent; and Midwestern Region Finalist Erika Dickerson.

2010 National Award Winners COLLEGE BROTHER OF THE YEAR Travis Hunter, Eastern Region Gerard Taylor, Midwestern Region Wayne Kimball Jr., Southern Region Marshall Bailey, Southwestern Region Corey Matthews, Western Region

CHARLES H. WESLEY AWARD Gamma/Xi Delta Lambda, Eastern Region Theta Tau/Epsilon Upsilon Lambda, Midwestern Region Mu Alpha/Nu Mu Lambda, Southern Region Delta Theta/Alpha Eta Lambda, ALUMNI BROTHER OF THE YEAR Southwestern Region Darren Morton, Eastern Region Epsilon Mu/Eta Sigma Lambda, Dedric Dennist, Midwestern Region Western Region Kenneth Walker, Southern Region Charles Washington, Southwestern COLLEGE BROTHER HIGHEST GPA Region Anthony Farrar, Delta Nu, Eastern Wilbur Jackson, Western Region Region Cameron Thiery, Gamma Epsilon, COLLEGE CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Midwestern Region Pi Rho (Temple Univ.), Eastern Ezerioha Nnadozie, Gamma Pi, Region Southern Region Theta Tau (Univ. of Michigan-Flint; Phillip Gavin, Theta Alpha, Kettering Univ.; Mott Community Southwestern Region College; Baker College), Edwin Williams, Omicron Tau, Midwestern Region Western Region Theta Sigma (Univ. of Florida), Southern Region COLLEGE CHAPTER HIGHEST GPA Beta Kappa (Langston Univ.), Xi Delta (James Madison Univ.), Southwestern Region Eastern Region Alpha Epsilon (Univ. of California, Sigma Gamma (Xavier Univ., Ohio), Berkeley), Western Region Midwestern Region Alpha Rho (Morehouse College), ALUMNI CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Southern Region Pi Upsilon Lambda (Largo, Md.), Pi Psi (Univ. of ArkansasEastern Region Monticello), Southwestern Region Gamma Lambda (Detroit, Mich.), Gamma Xi (Univ. of California, Los Midwestern Region Angeles), Western Region Zeta Alpha Lambda (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), Southern Region BELFORD V. LAWSON ORATORICAL Alpha Eta Lambda (Houston, Donald Knight (Theta Rho), Texas), Southwestern Region Eastern Region Zeta Beta Lambda (Sacramento, Eric A. Hawthorne Sr. (Delta Rho), Calif.), Western Region Midwestern Region William Lawrence (Alpha Rho), Southern Region

28 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Kendall Plain (Rho Iota), Southwestern Region Kazeem Omidiji (Sigma Psi), Western Region MISS BLACK & GOLD Mariama Sesay-Bah (Beta Gamma), Eastern Region Erika Dickerson (Gamma Epsilon), Midwestern Region Morgan Burnett (Nu Upsilon), Southern Region Christine Nicole Kent (Theta Upsilon), Southwestern Region India Rejhauhn McGee (Alpha Delta), Western Region

COLLEGE CHAPTER TRAVELED LONGEST DISTANCE Theta Sigma (Univ. of Florida), Southern Region

MARCH FOR BABIES COLLEGE BROTHER OF THE YEAR Nick Norfolk, Kappa Psi (Univ. of Arkansas at Little Rock), Southwestern Region

ALUMNI CHAPTER TRAVELED LONGEST DISTANCE MARCH FOR BABIES COLLEGE Mu Phi Lambda, Seoul, South Korea CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Kappa Psi (Univ. of Arkansas at COLLEGE BROTHER TRAVELED Little Rock), Southwestern Region LONGEST DISTANCE Jeremy Mercer, Delta Beta MARCH FOR BABIES ALUMNI (Bethune-Cookman Univ.), BROTHER OF THE YEAR Southern Region Willie W. Houston Jr. (Chi Lambda), Midwestern Region OLDEST REGISTERED BROTHER A. Charles Haston, Alpha Eta MARCH FOR BABIES ALUMNI COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS BOWL Lambda (Houston, Texas), CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Alpha Gamma (Brown Univ.); Alpha Southwestern Region Theta Phi Lambda (Huntsville, Ala.), Kappa (American International Southern Region College); Sigma (Boston Univ./ ALUMNI CHAPTER MOST Northeastern Univ.); Theta Zeta REGISTERED BROTHERS PROJECT ALPHA ALUMNI (Dartmouth College), Eastern (OUTSIDE REGION) CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Region Pi Upsilon Lambda, Largo Md., Gamma Omicron Lambda Kappa Tau (Kansas State Univ.), Eastern Region (Albany, Ga.), Southern Region Midwestern Region Mu Zeta (Univ. of North Carolina at ALUMNI CHAPTER MOST MARCH OF DIMES PARTNERSHIP Chapel Hill), Southern Region REGISTERED BROTHERS AWARD Nu Alpha (Arkansas Tech. Univ.), (INSIDE REGION) Thomas A. Tatum (Eta Tau Southwestern Region Beta Psi Lambda, Los Angeles, Lambda), Midwestern Region Western Region STEP SHOW COMPETITION AWARD OF MERIT HONOREES Epsilon Pi (Norfolk State COLLEGE CHAPTER MOST Jibreel Khazan Univ.),Eastern Region REGISTERED BROTHERS (Formerly Ezell Blair Jr.) Delta Xi (Central State Univ.), (OUTSIDE REGION) Wendell T. Foster Jr. Midwestern Region Nu Omicron (Valdosta State Univ.) Alpha Phi (Clark Atlanta Univ.), Southern Region Southern Region Pi Omicron (Texas A&M Univ.), COLLEGE CHAPTER MOST Southwestern Region REGISTERED BROTHERS Alpha Delta (Univ. of Southern (INSIDE REGION) California), Western Region Alpha Epsilon (Univ. of California, Berkeley), Western Region

2010 CONVENTION

What happens in Vegas sometimes does stay in Vegas!

We are certain that 25th General President James R. Williams, was just asking for directions.

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

STATE OF FRATERNITY ADDRESS

104th Anniversary/90th General Convention State of the Fraternity Address HERMAN “SKIP” MASON, JR., GENERAL PRESIDENT

o the distinguished men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity: The men of distinction. The sons of Callis, Chapman, Jones, Kelly, Murray, Ogle and Tandy. From all corners of the world, you have made your way to Las Vegas, Nevada. A city that never sleeps now has brothers who will not get much sleep. But you come because you heard the clarion call that there was work to be done to keep the foundation of this house sturdy. So I stand in humility this morning with the honor that you have bestowed upon me to serve as your general president. And as Brother Smothers has so articulated, so eloquently, I stand on gigantic shoulders, and I ask that you will join me in the appropriate Alpha recognition of three of our past general presidents who grace our presence: they are our 25th general president, Brother James R. Williams. Would you stand, Brother Williams? Our 28th general president, Brother Henry Ponder; and, our 31st general president Brother Harry E. Johnson, Sr., Esq. If, young brothers, you want to touch the hem of a garment in Alpha, these are the hems you should touch. Here at this convention, but not in this session–and he will join us later–is our 26th general president, Brother Ozell Sutton. I did receive letters acknowledging their sincere regrets from our 27th general president, Brother Charles C. Teamer, Sr.; our 30th general president, Brother Adrian Wallace; and our 29th general president, Brother Milton Carver Davis, that unfortunately and regrettably, they could not be here. And we acknowledge that. We are expecting, later this evening, our 32nd general president, Brother Darryl Matthews, Sr., and we will welcome him at that time. To the members of the Board of Directors and the great leadership that you provide to this great august body, I greet you here in a city that was carved, literally, out of a desert. This city, known as Las Vegas, is a prime example of seeing the possible in an impossible situation. Some 60, years ago this area consisted of a few small hotels, casinos and lots of bright neon lights. The early pioneers of Las Vegas could not have envisioned or imagined the scope of what the Strip could and would become: gigantic luxury hotels; re-creations of the Eiffel Tower and the fountains of Italy; pyramids; and skyscrapers … all adorning the strip. Similarly, our founders stood in an oasis of sand and carved out a brotherhood whose primary purpose, according to Jewel Henry Arthur Callis, was to stimulate, develop and cement an intelligent, trained leadership in the unending fight for freedom, equality and fraternity. And so we gather here in Las Vegas because there was a fight, and we saw that it was fitting to get in it. It was a fight where the questions of a person’s immigration status may have presented some harm and danger to those of us who would have convened in the city of Phoenix and in the state of Arizona. Last year I envisioned that Alpha Phi Alpha would continue the efforts, and join the efforts, of groups and organizations committed to the struggle: the human rights struggle, the civil rights struggle, and the struggle to address the myriad of needs of young African-American males. So I called the great summit to convene in Phoenix with ambitious goals and plans to reposition the fraternity’s interests outside of itself. However, the summit plans were marred when men, who call themselves Alpha men–having been given the opportunity to mold–to build and to develop more men of distinction–clashed with young aspiring men who chose and allowed their course to become a man of distinction, to be interrupted by acts and activities unbecoming of a son of the Seven Jewels. And so, the plans were changed and the course of action rewritten. The

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winds shifted in a different direction. And as I faced the rising sun, I could hear the echoes of our beloved Seven Jewels saying, “Why don’t they believe? Why don’t they believe?” I closed my eyes and imagined that I was about to be interviewed for membership all over again, Brother Rawls. This time, not by members of my undergraduate chapter, but the interviewing committee consisted of the Seven Jewels themselves. And as I went into the room and sat in the chair nervously, they asked, “What kind of Alpha Man do you plan to be?” And as I left out, I posed this question: Would the Seven Jewels select you as a member? This is the question I pose to you. Just because you are a member and have been initiated does not mean you carry the aims and ideals of this fraternity. Like an old house, where sometimes wind seeps in, this house, unfortunately and tragically, have allowed men who are not molded in the spirit of the Seven and not becoming of Alpha to creep into its portals. And if we are not careful, those who have not been molded in that manner will work to destroy and bring this house down. But I declare to you today, with every breath in my body, joined by this Board

“In this house, there is business that we must take care of ...” of Directors and brothers who are seated here, that we will not allow that to happen. This is our house. The mortgage was paid by the Seven Jewels. They have left it, and the only rent that we pay is to make sure we hold up the aims of the fraternity. But I know that we do, because it is evidenced here. Brothers from the Eastern Region, will you please stand? What would Alpha Phi Alpha be without the conscious of this fraternity? You have no problems voicing your asked- and unasked-for opinions about this house. Brother McCaskill and Brother Branch, you are the conscious of this fraternity. Continue to be that and to provide that voice. We know that the Eastern Region is here and will help us keep this house intact. You may be seated. Brothers of the Western Region, would you please stand? You comprise of many states. You are, by number, the smallest region but you have the biggest heart. And it is your heart that keeps us pumping and keeps us connected. You remind us, Western Region, as the heartbeat, as to why we are Alpha men. I know in the past you’ve said to me that sometimes you feel left out, but I am here to declare to you today, Brother Crutison and Brother Givens, that we would be dead on arrival without the heartbeat of Alpha. You are that, brothers of Alpha West. You may be seated. Brothers of the Midwestern Region, would you please

stand? You are the spirit of Alpha. Your passion, your love and your commitment is obvious and evident. You remind us, as Jewel Murray would say, that the love for Alpha is unending. We appreciate your candor. We appreciate your honesty and your outspokenness. And reminded us that the true spirit of Alpha will rule our minds and guide our hearts. Brother Tillman and Brother Flynn, we thank you for leading the spirit of this great fraternity. You may be seated. Brothers of the Southwestern Region, would you please stand? I have dubbed you as the nerve center of this fraternity. If we touch a nerve in Alpha, the Southwestern Region will let us know. You are only four states, but the dynamic work that comes out of this great region is often sometimes unparalleled. You have produced perhaps the second largest number of general presidents coming from one region. And so, Brother Smothers and Brother Harvey continue to deliver to this fraternity the nerve that keeps us reminded of why we are Alphas in the first place. You may be seated. And last but certainly not least, the Southern Region, would you please stand? It was once quoted, “That as Alpha South goes, so goes Alpha.” Nothing to brag about, it’s just that because of the size, and the volume and the spirit and the love, and the passion that comes out, we can expect Alpha South to lead and to provide that soul to remind us why we joined Alpha in the first place. You do influence things, Alpha South, by your numbers, by your commitment and by your influence. And Brother Crummel and Brother Harlow, we thank you for leading the soul of Alpha and for reminding us, as the other regions, as to why we chose to become a member. You may be seated. What would a convention be without our senior Alpha brothers–those who occupy a very special place in the annals of this fraternity’s history, and those who are present here today? All brothers with 50-years-plus of membership in this fraternity, would you stand so that this fraternity can recognize you? Thank you! We are very honored at this convention. On yesterday we dedicated the Senior Brothers’ Lounge in honor of a Brother who has given his life for some 60-plus-years to this fraternity, initiated into Beta Sigma Chapter in 1941. We were very pleased to dedicate the lounge named for the one and only, the irascible and outspoken Brother Peyton C. Cooke. Would you please stand so the brothers can recognize your? Brother Cooke is a member of the great host Chapter and certainly a part of the Western Region. The Senior Brothers’ Lounge is for senior brothers. It is an earned spot. In that lounge, they will be taken care of. There will be amenities there which will take care of almost all of their needs. Every now and then you may see a Las Vegas showgirl going in to ask the senior brothers, “How may I serve you?” But we are very pleased. We are also pleased to have a man who holds the distinction as having the lowest life-member number amongst us and a guest of this fraternity. Brothers, recognize with me Life Member Number 21, Brother John C. Rawls. My brothers, are you in the house? My brothers, are you in the house? If you were made in the decade from 2000 to 2010, would you please stand? Wonderful! We are so glad to have you. Stay committed. Look at the youthfulness in this room. Thank you! You may be seated. Brothers, if you were made in the decade of the 1990s, would you please stand? Brothers of the ’90s, are you here? You may be seated. If you were made in the most absolutely best decade that any Alpha Man could have been made in–the decade of the 1980s–would you please stand? Brothers of the ’80s, are you

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here? Y’all getting a little slow there, brothers. I know, because I made a startling discovery this year: that I cannot see. And so, I have reading glasses. It is humbling to know that the words that I could read miles away are now a mere glimmer and a glare. Brothers from that disco decade of the 1970s–when Harry Johnson had the biggest Afro on the campus–would you please stand? Are you here, brothers of the ’70s? Boy, that was a tough decade to become an Alpha. There’s my friend. He’s still wearing those ’70s braids–my brother from the Midwestern Region. Gotcha! Brothers from the era of the Civil Rights, Motown, the Black Power Movement–the era of the 1960s–are you in the house? Brothers of the 1960s. Look at them holding up that Black Power sign. Brother Campbell still thinks he’s marching with the Black Panthers! Brothers of the ’60s, we are glad to have you. I see you Earl and Charles. Brothers from the ’50s–the decade that changed the course–I’m giving you a precount, so you can take your time and stand. Brothers from the ’50s, that decade when we marched and we protested. You were there. They called it the “Fabulous ’50s,” but it may not have been so fabulous; but you did the best that you could. If you are here in the house you should be up by now. Brothers of the ’50s–let’s give them a hand. If you were made in that decade of Word War II, the decade of the 1940s, would you please stand? Members who now have over 60 years in this fraternity, we salute you all. God bless you. Do we have brothers who were made in the 1930s? If so … Brother Emmett Bashful, God bless you. We are so honored to have the namesake of last year’s convention Senior Alphas’ Lounge. Brother Bashful, when I look at him, reminds me of all that Alpha has gone through and how we have maintained. And your presence here signifies that the presence of the Jewels permeates this room. We thank you. Brother Hastings ... Let’s give Brother Hastings a hand. I didn’t see you. You’re too far down. Will a brother please escort Brother Hastings all the way to the center of the room? We cannot have a brother who has been in this fraternity for over 65 years on that far end of the room. And as Brother Hastings makes his way, if you have served in any branch of the military, any tour of duty, have served and/or serving, would you please stand at this time? Remain standing. We owe you a debt of gratitude. To our brothers in the military, under the dynamic chair and leadership of Brother Langston Smith, we salute you. We salute our brothers who are currently on active duty now, serving and representing our country. We thank God for your service and for your commitment. And I would ask that as we depart this meeting, that following the senior Alpha brothers, that our brothers in the military will exit, so that they can go through. All brother in the military, you may be seated. Thank you. In this house, there is business that we must take care of. But how did we get here to Vegas? Leaving Phoenix was no easy decision. The steps leading to the decision made by the Board of Directors one very late evening, after a three-hour emergency board conference call, those steps were deliberate, thoughtful and prayerful. During the week, we gathered and collected the thoughts and opinions of the brotherhood. We surveyed brothers who had registered for Phoenix because we knew that they would be impacted physically by our decision–fiscally and physically, some. Yet in good ol’ Alpha fashion, we heard from hundreds of you. We heard from brothers who were not attending but very well opinionated on the issues at hand. As a subscriber and reader of many of the Alpha listservs, including Alpha East, perhaps the most widely known of the listservs, the majority of the comments were in favor of taking some action. To that end, I met with key brothers of the local Chapter in Phoenix: Brother Tinney (King) Gonzalez, president, and Brother Teddy McDaniels, chair of the Phoenix convention. I’m going to ask them to stand. We owe them a tremendous round of applause. But, why? Realizing the obligation that we had made with Phoenix, and the planning that had been put in place, those brothers of Phoenix who wanted a convention

to come said to me, emphatically, and to the board, “Please do not come to Phoenix at this time. There is much work to be done.” We would rather show Phoenix by our movement and by our dollars, perhaps even if we take a loss, that we cannot tolerate–not the sons of King and Thurgood Marshall and others on the battlefield for the movement–to come to a city that was the very last to approve the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Holiday … an Alpha Man … because a few brothers might be inconvenienced because of a flight change, would go there. Brother McDaniels, on behalf of this fraternity and to all the brothers of the state of Arizona—would you stand with him?–we salute you. We applaud you, and we thank you for your courage and courageous decision in encouraging the board not to come to Phoenix at this time. Let’s give them a rousing round of applause. Your Board of Directors voted to move the convention out of Phoenix. I met with the director of general conventions and the general counsel and asked them to review our contractual obligations with the hotel and other entities. I called our board members to get a sense of their thoughts on the issue and a possible move. Then late one evening, I picked up two books, the Bible and the History of Alpha Phi Alpha, to explore how man has dealt with conflict and crisis during challenging times. I could hear the voice of a crowd of witnesses that included W.E.B. DuBois, Brother Paul Robeson, Brother Thurgood Marshall, Brother Jesse Owens, Brother Martin Luther King Jr.–men who stood up in a time of change. And we voted to move.

“We could do so much more if we were not obsessed and preoccupied solely with how a member is made.” The question of how much would it cost to pull out was prevalent. And our fiscal officers, with whom I conferred with– and we all depend on for their sound counsel and leadership–all contributed to the discussion. But at the very end, we believed the cost of pulling out could not be the sole driving force to determine our decision and the course of action that we would take. For we would advance forward as one of the leading fraternities and organizations of African-American men, or we would move backwards. And we know that Alpha men take no backward steps. The financial obligation to the fraternity was over $400,000, but currently, our general counsel, Brother Keith Bishop, continues to negotiate with the hotel on reducing the debt. Further, the Council of Presidents unanimously supported our efforts with a letter urging the Sheraton hotel to reduce or wipe out the debt. Brother Bishop, in his report, will provide further details in regards to our negotiations because we are still in the process. And so, the brothers of Las Vegas, in May, welcomed us with open arms as we realized that we will have a new venue, a venue which brings us here today to discuss and weigh the issues and problems that are affecting us. In January, at the board meeting in Phoenix, given the

discussion and the actions and activity of membership intake, and the realization that we have a dual problem in the fraternity, which became even more apparent during the investigation of an off-campus incident near Fort Valley State University, that we needed to call and convene a convention that would discuss membership intake. To that end, I appointed a Membership Intake Task Force, which consisted of those who had served previously under the administration of 32nd General President Darryl Matthews, to take the work and feelings of previous task forces and to develop a new process for consideration by this body. And so, I asked the board to support my call for a convention because I believe, brothers, that we are at a critical crossroads as an organization. As an organization that continues to do good for the communities that we serve, we could do so much more if we were not obsessed and preoccupied solely with how a member is made. Our energies from a legal and financial perspective far outweigh the positive energy needed to make a difference in the lives of the young men that we mentor and should be mentoring. Sixty years ago, the fraternity operated with only one general secretary and an assistant. And now, our corporate office is evidence of how we have grown, how the changes have occurred. Change is imminent in this fraternity. This is a convention of change. Over the years, the fraternity has taken measures to create and maintain a respectable organization; to maintain a balanced budget; to support membership; and to provide quality membership services. However, at this convention there are decisions that must be discussed and made regarding our life membership; regarding membership intake; regarding codes of conduct; regarding protocol; regarding new vistas and initiatives for this fraternity. There are two initiatives that will come before you that I am extremely passionate about, and it involves our involvement in providing education and advocacy to young men who are marching onward and upward towards the light. It is called From the High Chair to Higher Education, which I have made as the pillar of my administration, to focus on saving our African-American boys. Our goal is to introduce this concept to you. This concept draws together all of our national programs and projects with a planned curriculum to aid every chapter to assist in the development and programmatic nurturing of young AfricanAmerican boys in your community. At this convention you will be presented with the From the High Chair to High School curriculum, thanks to the phenomenal work and sacrifice of Brother Ron Peters from the Southwestern Region, and Brother Terrance Robinson, who through the use of his school, we have already tested the curriculum and are convinced we are on the right track. During the presentation we will provide you a proposed calendar and schedule of monthly activities that tie into our national programs, our projects, affiliations, partnerships and national themes. When we leave this convention, we want every chapter to be on the same page doing the work of this fraternity. As we head into 2011, it is paramount that we continue to improve our financial picture. Given the state of the economy, the reduction of revenue in our targeted moratorium, and when I issued the moratorium and when the board issued the targeted moratorium, we knew that, perhaps, there would be a loss–a calculated loss–because we are a membership-driven organization. We rely on grand taxes, and we rely on new members. But we believe that either we lose now, as we go through this bumpy period in the history fraternity, or we wait until that lawsuit comes that will wipe out all of the assets. So at this convention, under the leadership of our Budget and Finance Committee chairman, we will continue to explore every opportunity at our disposal to help bolster our bottom line. This includes new revenue streams through our foundations, our media platforms, our website and The Sphinx magazine. We will work diligently with our Budget and Finance Committee and the Convention Oversight Committee to forecast pending changes and guide the board and general president in these financial situations. It is crucial the delegates lend their ears. We are going global. Alpha Phi Alpha has always led here

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STATE OF FRATERNITY ADDRESS at home. We know that. But I believe–and many of you believe, as the board believes–that we must now expand. I am pleased that the Board of Directors is recommending to the General Convention the adoption to charter a chapter in South Africa. And so, on Saturday, during the report of the Membership Standards and Extension Committee, we hope that this General Convention will approve that recommendation to expand our great fraternity into Africa, again. I hold as a goal that we must put Alpha on every continent where we are needed to help uplift our communities of color. We are also reviewing and exploring applications and proposals for new chapters in Monrovia, Liberia, as well as London, England. This is an exciting time for the fraternity as we expand globally, not just to the Atlantic but to the south of the United States, where our goal is to let the presence of the Sons of Black and Gold be known in the ravage-torn country of Haiti. I look forward to presenting to this convention our proposed plan to develop and finish the Alpha Academy in Haiti. We have brothers here: I am going to ask, Brother Sam Darguin, that if you’re in the room, would you please stand–Brother Darguin and Brother Leroy Stewart? You will have the opportunity to meet those brothers who are helping to spearhead this initiative. The Martin Luther King Memorial … and I would ask that you cue up the video from China. Having traveled to China with the foundation CEO and 31st general president, Brother Harry E. Johnson; the architect, Brother Ed Jackson and other members of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation to view the magnificent sculpture of our brother was an exhilarating experience. I cannot describe it to you, so we have a brief video footage for you to see my excitement and Brother Johnson’s excitement as we gazed upon that beautiful sculpture. Brothers, let me see if I can put this in perspective for you. When C.C. Poindexter said the time is not right for black men to establish a fraternity, seven men stood up and said, yeah, we believe the time is right, and Alpha Phi Alpha was formed. Some 25 years ago, these men in Washington, D.C.–some members of Iota Upsilon Lambda Chapter–sat around a table and said we need to build a memorial, a monument for our brother Dr. King. And people scoffed at the idea. They said that it will never happen. Yet those men, some of whom you remember, sat up a table. They had tin cans and jars, with memo graph papers and flyers, passing them out. Many of you walked by and you dropped your dollars and your change in. Some half-heartedly believing, but some believing, that indeed this could be done. And now, next year, on the 28th day of August 2011, in Washington, the president of these United States of America; the first lady; the secretary of the interior; world and international leaders from across the country; members of Congress; and presidents and CEOs of corporations will stand with Brother Harry Johnson, the president and CEO of the foundation, will stand with me, the 33rd general president, and will stand with you, as we dedicate the monument as a testament to what can be done. We have raised, to this date, a total of $107 million, and under the dynamic leadership of this 31st general president, we are only $13 million dollars away from that completion because brothers believed. Now, I don’t know if y’all had too much to drink last night … but there are some things that require support. And I need you to give our CEO of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial a rousing round of applause for leading this movement. Because I know you Alpha brothers, you will show up in Washington with your black and gold on, and your pins–all 10 of them lined up–looking for your reservedsection seating . . . especially those of you who gave $5 or $10. But we are thankful for that contribution, as well. It is going to be Alpha’s shining hour and a testament to what this fraternity can do. At this convention, under the leadership of Brother Zollie Stevenson, the Membership Intake Task Force will present to you. This committee has worked extremely hard to bring us to this point to provide to you, what they believe, after months, even years, of consultation to determine, a process that perhaps can satisfy our demanding brotherhood, yet keep us legally and fiscally protected. I would ask that members of the Membership Intake Task Force, would you please stand at this time so that we might recognize you? We will see you a little later, but there is much

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gratitude to you for the hard work that you will do. I’ll admit that I am glad that I do not have to present that report this afternoon. We are aware that there will be questions. In fact, I am going to ask that we bring two more microphones into this room so that we can place them here. We want you to ask questions. This is why we have convened this convention. In just a few moments, you will hear our accountability report coming from our comptroller. Later you will hear the report of our general treasurer and our chair of the Committee on Budget and Finance. And I am happy to report, through the collaboration with our fiscal officers and our General Office staff, and under the leadership of our executive director, we continue to adhere to strict professional protocols designed to make our fraternal operations more efficient. The staff and various officers have worked tirelessly to keep our books balanced and keep us accountable to the members who we serve on a daily basis. You will get a closer look in various fiscal officer reports. Executives of organizations, like ours, find themselves being fundraisers-in-chief more than anything else, these days.

“We salute our brothers on active duty serving our country, and thank God for your service and commitment.” So it is with Alpha Phi Alpha, and I am happy to report, that since taking office, we have done well in boosting our annual giving and contributions. And for the first time, we have raised nearly half a million dollars in one year’s time, including the $200,000 we raised for the New Orleans convention. Our partnerships with the FBI, led by Special Agent Brother Perry Turner, yielded the fraternity some $50,000. We are grateful for Brother Henry Stewart, formerly of the NEA, who assisted in providing to the fraternity over $90,000 in support. Brother Todd Corley, senior vice president at Abercrombie and Fitch, has given this fraternity over $40,000, plus to support webcasting at the General Conventions. Brother Terrance Dixon of Nationwide has been pivotal in the fraternity’s receiving over $35,000 in support and opportunities. Brother Maurice Cooper, a young man I made at Morehouse College–now worldwide brand manager of Sprite at the Coca-Cola Company–assisted in giving the fraternity over $100,000 in support during the 2009 fiscal year. Brother Andre Moss from the Bahamas, worked to open the doors of Exxon/ Mobil, which resulted in the four-year commitment of support for the fraternity, to the tune of $100,000. The brothers mentioned here have created opportunities you could only dream of, and I, as general president, publicly applaud them for giving us a chance and giving this brotherhood a chance to expand and promote the brand of Alpha Phi Alpha. We continue to work and to lead in the vanguard of stepping up to several issues, including the Arizona immigration issue; the Haitian-relief issue; being appointed to the President’s Council on Men and Boys; being listed in Forbes magazine, when the fraternity asked the president to create this initiative; being the subject of a full page of Earl Graves’ publisher’s page in Black Enterprise magazine, on the courage it took Alpha to move out of Phoenix. And so we applaud these public recognitions of the work that we do. And so, I have come, in my State of the Fraternity address, to ask you to keep in mind these following actions: 1. Under membership, we need to increase reclamation and

retention of members. And be more selective in our membership. During this time of the targeted moratorium, and even after a new membership process is selected, it will not be immediately implemented. It must be tested and tried. And so it will still mean that we have challenges to meet our operational funds. We need to increase reclamation and bring brothers back to the fold. 2. I am asking you to look at, closely, the Membership Intake Task Force to make your decision. Ask questions and, at the end of the day, to adopt a process, that you believe, best preserves the traditions of this fraternity, in making men into Alphas, yet protecting this organization. 3. I am asking you to adopt the recommendations from the Board of Directors and from the Life Membership Committee, regarding some proposed changes. 4. We are asking, as the board has recommended for adoption to this General Convention, the Jewels Project Foundation–that project that will preserve and care for that historical properties in Ithaca, New York. 5. We ask you to approve the Brothers’ Keeper program, a program that the board approved and recommends for adoption at this convention that will serve our brothers and our widows; and that you adopt the Haiti Alpha Academy project. 6. We are also recommending to this convention that you accept the recommendation of the board to establish a debating competition: a competition that will allow both collegiate and alumni brothers to engage in this wonderful art, and that the debate competition be named for our distinguished Brother Dr. Hobart Jarrett, who is a graduate of Wiley College. Some of you remember Brother Jarrett, who was portrayed in the film ‘The Great Debaters.’ 7. We are also asking at this convention that you adopt the recommendation, coming from the board, to rename the Collegiate Scholars Bowl in honor of our beloved brother and an American historian, Brother John Hope Franklin. 8. During this convention you will hear from Elections Committee. In fact, today and tomorrow they will be holding final deliberations on election-reform measures. What I do know–and those of you who have ever offered yourself for the Office of General President or the Office of Regional Vice President–is that we need reform. We need guidelines and policies that will guide us. No candidate should ever have to spend and raise $50,000 to $100,000 in order for them to become the general president of this magnificent organization of nonpaid volunteers. My brothers of Alpha, we have work to do. What shall guide us and inspire us during this convention–as we debate; as we agree to disagree; as we remain brotherly in all our actions, because we will not accept anything less than that? It is the spirit of our beloved Seven. Two years ago, as I was campaigning across the country, coming to your chapter meetings because you said to me, “Anyone who wants to be general president certainly will come to visit our chapter.” As I visited your district conventions and your regional conventions, as I passed out those miniature “7” pins, I asked you to believe in the Seven–believing the words and the spirit of our beloved Jewels will guide us. Then it hit me: How can you believe in the Seven if you are not sure what the Seven believed in? And so, I am very pleased to present, as a gift to all of you, a pocket book of the quotes of the Jewels, so that you can carry it around in your pocket and at your chapter meetings or where you can flip through, during those boring moments of this convention where 50 brothers of Alpha East are at the mic, asking the same question but in a different manner. Immediately after lunch you will receive a book and also a pin with the images of the Jewels, asking you to believe in the Seven. And, on Saturday, I am asking all brothers to wear that pin. As I conclude, to those who have helped me in this office: My senior advisor, Brother Jim Wright; my chief-of-staff, Brother Don Weston; my deputy chief-of-staff, Brother Keith Harris; my administrative assistant, Brother Robbie Stokes; my other assistants, Brother Cole Jones and Brother Marques Wilkes–these are brothers who lift me up. And every general president, past and those who shall come, should be so blessed and fortunate to have men … brothers…who believe in you. And so, brothers, he ain’t heavy … you’re not heavy. You are my brother. Let the work of the 104th Anniversary and 90th General Convention begin! God bless you.

SPECIAL REPORT

Alpha’s Own Divine Nine Part of the Fall 2010 Initiation Class By Rick Blalock Photos by Bryan J.A. Kelly

n November, Alpha Phi Alpha initiated its newest members. Among the class are world leaders in civil rights, business, education and religion. In a secret ceremony, held on Nov. 21, in Atlanta, Ga., the fraternity inducted nine men, including: the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, who along with fellow Alpha member Martin Luther King Jr., founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC); the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a fellow lieutenant of King’s in the American Civil Rights Movement; King’s son, Martin Luther King III, former president of the SCLC, who now is president and CEO of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change; John W. Franklin, son of the late historian and Alpha member John Hope Franklin, who is program manager at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.; Robert M. Franklin, president of Morehouse College in Atlanta;

the Very Rev. Robert C. Wright, the 10th rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, one of the oldest black Episcopal congregations in the U.S.; Reuben McDaniel III, president and CEO of Jackson Securities and a member of the Atlanta Board of Education; Timothy J. King, founder, president and CEO of Urban Prep Academies, a network of public college-prep boys’ schools in Chicago; and Leonard James III, ExxonMobil’s corporate policy advisor on diversity and community outreach. The group’s “line name” or class was dubbed the “Divine Nine.” After the ceremony, the fraternity held a special dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in downtown Atlanta. At the dinner all but one of the fraternity’s past general presidents were in attendance and gave remarks. They charged the new Alpha members to live up to the aims and ideals of the fraternity of leading and serving. CONTINUED

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SPECIAL REPORT

THOSE WHO WITNESSED HISTORY The Divine Nine Initiation Into Alpha Phi Alpha NOVEMBER 21, 2010 - ATLANTA, GEORGIA

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SPECIAL REPORT

General presidents salute Brother Ozell Sutton, 26th general president, on his 60 years in Alpha. He was honored during the Divine Nine’s initiation dinner. From left: General Presidents Harry E. Johnson Sr., 32nd; Charles C. Teamer Sr., 27th; Sutton, James R. Williams, 25th; Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., current and 33rd; Milton C. Davis, 29th; Adrian C. Wallace, 30th and Darryl R. Matthews Sr., 32nd.

“In Alpha we do not initiate honorary members,” said Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., general president of the fraternity. “These brothers, are full-fledged Alpha men who have gone through the very same process that a freshman or sophomore on a college campus travels in order to become a member of Alpha.” During the ceremony, Alpha member Andrew Young, another key lieutenant of Martin Luther King Jr., and a former ambassador to the United Nations, spoke of the new brothers coming full circle. “Most of you have been walking in the light of Alpha all these years, and now you have finally have made it official.” Young said. Young, like Martin Luther King Jr., joined Alpha Phi Alpha as a college student 60 years ago and worked alongside Lowery and Vivian during the heated years of the Civil Rights Movement. Lowery, 89, the eldest of the new group, delivered remarks on behalf of the initiates. His “unbrief ” remarks, as he jokingly called them, came with the same spirit and fervor he’s been known for over the past 60 years, up to his stirring benediction at

Some of Alpha Phi Alpha’s newest members. From left: the Rev. Joseph E. Lowery; Leonard James; the Rev. C. T. Vivian; Martin Luther King III; Robert Franklin; the Very Rev. Robert Wright; John W. Franklin; Tim King; and Reuben McDaniel.

the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009. The ceremony included about 100 brothers from around the U.S. and the Caribbean from all professions, including: academia, business, the clergy, journalism, legal, health and medical and politics and government. In an initiation ceremony the week before, in Atlanta, longtime actor/producer Tim Reid joined the fraternity. The new initiates only add to Alpha’s influential membership roll, which reads like a “Who’s Who” among world leaders, including: Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Edward Brooke, Cornel West, Mal Goode, Lionel Richie, John H. Johnson, Paul Robeson and Jesse Owens among many others. The initiations come at an appropriate time, especially for the civil-rights figures. All of the new brothers will join thousands of Alpha men on the National Mall in August for the dedication of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. The memorial was the idea of, and spearheaded by the fraternity. H

Above: General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., signing the The light of Alpha. membership shingles.

Brother Al Vivan places the membership pin on his father, civil rights veteran, the Rev. C.T. Vivian.

Tim Reid Initiated Brother Tim Reid, an actor, comedian and film director, was initiated on Nov. 14, 2010, in Atlanta, Ga. A graduate of Norfolk State University, he is best known for his prime-time television roles as Venus Flytrap on ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ (1978-82); Marcel ‘Downtown’ Brown on ‘Simon & Simon’ (1983-87); Ray Campbell on ‘Sister, Sister’ (1994-99); and William Barnett on ‘That 70’s Show’ (2004-2006). Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

Web stream on www.alphaphialpha.net sponsored by Abercrombie & Fitch. 20 THE THESPHINX SPHINX H Summer 2010 40

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Eastern Region Starts New Business Network WHEN THE LEADERSHIP TEAM of Alpha East met in September on the campus of Morgan State University, there was a full plate of issues and topics to discuss, debate and resolve. More than 50 collegiate and alumni brothers restated their loyalty to the fraternity during the meeting. And they promised to lead by example by living up to the aims and ideals of Alpha Phi Alpha and by exuding unimpeachable character. The measure of the East Region’s 2010-2011 success will be documented through the anagram S.E.R.V.E. (See and imagine the best, Engage and develop brothers, Reinvent Alpha Phi Alpha continuously, Value results and relationships and Embody the mission of Alpha Phi Alpha). These “outcomes” not only define where the brotherhood should be at the end of the year, but

Brothers of Alpha East meet at the Frederick Douglass statue on the Morgan State University campus on Sept. 10.

they are intrinsic to programming and service delivery to brothers and the communities in which it serves. A major accomplishment this year is the region’s establishment of the Brother to Brother Network. Its purpose is to provide a multiplatform medium in which brothers exchange information for professional growth. The first part of the network is an online business directory; the second part is an online career-development section. The password-protected

area of the network site will allow brothers in need of employment and those looking to change careers with another vital resource to meet those needs. In addition to providing self-help tools and finding job opportunities within the fraternity-developed job bank the Brother to Brother Network will also aid in finding merchants within the brotherhood and help grow individual businesses owned and operated by members of Alpha Phi Alpha. H

Leadership is Top Job for Midwest Brothers Retreat in Kentucky

Midwestern Alphas line the main staircase of the Louisville Marriott Downtown hotel in October. The hotel will play host to the 79th Midwestern Regional Convention next year.

THE MIDWESTERN REGION held its Leadership Staff Meeting and College Brothers Retreat Summit the weekend of Oct. 15. The event took place at the Louisville Marriott Downtown hotel in Louisville, Ky., host site of the Alpha Phi Alpha 79th Midwestern Regional Convention next year. Activities began with two workshops. Brother Robert E. Bedford, the region’s trainingand-development coordinator, led “The Truths about Leadership” workshop, a session during which explained are 10 key areas every Alpha man must possess. Later, Cornelia Shipley of 3C Consulting elevated the leadership conversation by leading members to interactively participate in honoring the fraternity’s legacy and showing how members are able to impact leadership in Alpha and elsewhere. Members left with individual plans designed to successfully improve and influence outcomes in their personal lives, in their careers, and as members of the fraternity. Brother Cameron M. Thierry, Midwestern regional assistant vice president, also facilitated activities aimed at fostering and engaging college brothers. His sessions provided an opportunity for college brothers to gain a better understanding of and appreciation for fraternity values, attitudes, beliefs and expectations. Also, brothers thanked Brother Evan J. Glover of Sigma Delta Chapter at Elon University in Elon, N.C., who encouraged college brothers to be accountable and pursue academic excellence. Members also had the opportunity to fellowship with one another and experience what the city of Louisville has to offer. The fraternity will return to the Derby City in 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Alpha Lambda Chapter. H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

A Call to Action in the Southwest By Roderick L. Smothers Sr.

A “CALL TO ACTION” was sent to the members of the Southwest Region the weekend of Nov. 5, 2010, and they responded in record numbers. More than 200 brothers registered for the Southwestern Region Leadership and College Brothers Retreat, held at the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Houston, Texas. Of the registered brothers 104 members—55 percent—were from college chapters. Southwestern Regional Vice President Roderick L. Smothers Sr., led the charge by calling members to work hard for Alpha. The no-frills retreat was packed with informational seminars including membership-intake certification. Brother Darren Morton, chairman of the national Membership Intake Task Force was the presenter, and the General Office was represented by

Executive Director William Douglass Lyle and Membership Director Corey Anderson. The brothers rolled up their sleeves and got down to work, as Smothers led a dynamic presentation on developing highperformance chapters. An outcome of the presentation was general agreement that the Southwestern Region should have 100% compliance among chapters with the General Office requirements by the spring of 2011. Regional Assistant Vice President Christopher Harvey led a large delegation of college brothers through a plethora of topics germane to advancing the mission of the fraternity. Chief among the issues discussed was how to maintain the zero-tolerance level of hazing in the region. It was noted that over the last year the number of reports of alleged hazing incidents has been significantly reduced in the Southwestern Region. Harvey and his leadership team were

congratulated and encouraged to continue the great work. Houston will also serve as the host city for the 65th Southwestern Regional Convention March 17-21, 2011. The Hyatt Hotel Downtown will be the host hotel. H

Regional Assistant Vice President Christopher Harvey (left) and Vice President Roderick L. Smothers Sr. listen with the crowd at the retreat in Houston, Texas.

Brothers participate in one of the seminars during the Southwestern retreat.

Alpha South Holds Annual Leadership Meeting in North Carolina UNDER THE LEADERSHIP of Southern Region Vice President James L. Crumel Sr. and Assistant Vice President Kenneth L. Wright Jr., the Southern Region Board of Directors held its fall board meeting in Raleigh, N.C., the weekend of Sept. 10, 2010. The city of Raleigh, also known as the “City of Oaks” for its many oak trees, will be the host city for the historic 80th Southern Region Convention, March 24-27, 2011. Southern hospitality was evident from the moment the brothers arrived. Immediate Past Southern Region Vice President Everett B. Ward and the brothers of the Phi Lambda Chapter rolled out the black and old gold carpet for members of the board of directors. Among the major issues tackled at the meeting were the financial health of the Southern Region, continued discussions about leadership expectations and accountability and board-development activities aimed at

38 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

creating more cohesion of the board as an entity. Special presentations included, the Chapter Scholastic Initiative presented by former General Office intern Brother Evan Glover, an update on the Southern Region’s Alpha University initiatives, risk-management certification and an outline of the new membership-intake process. The new program is to be test-piloted in three areas of the Southern Region. The board also discussed the concept of the inaugural Southern Region College Brothers Empowerment Retreat that is scheduled to convene Feb. 11, 2010, in Atlanta, Ga., under the direction of Assistant Vice President Wright. Another highlight of the weekend was the North Carolina Central University’s NCCUnity Day Football Game, with the pre-game tailgate party including an oldfashioned fish fry. NCCU lost the game to visiting WinstonSalem State University, 34-27. H

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Over 80 Alpha men “knew the way to San Jose,” where they attended the Western regional meeting at the Fairmont Hotel in the Capital of the Silicon Valley in September.

Alpha West Sets a Record, and Retires a Debt By Mario Carroll

FOR MANY BROTHERS of Alpha West, the weekend of Sept. 24 stands out as a monumental moment in time. More than 80 members attended the Western Region’s Leadership Academy Weekend at the Fairmount Hotel in San Jose, Calif., that weekend, making the regional leadership meeting one of the largest in the country. At the academy, brothers focused on “Investing in the Future By Leading from the Front.” The goal that weekend was to seek to cultivate members by providing them with necessary tools to lead within their various districts, areas and chapters. Academy Weekend included developmental workshops with leadership experts; technology training by Alpha’s corporate-headquarters staff and regional director of information technology; a keynote address from the fraternity’s executive director on leadership empowerment; and updates on the status of the national

and regional organizational units of the fraternity from Western Region Vice President Aaron Crutison Sr. Members were also give an update on the upcoming 2011 Regional Convention, to be held held in San Jose, and a financial report on the current fiscal status of the region. Western Regional Assistant Vice President Mario Carroll, Alpha’s 2009 National College Brother of the Year, moderated a college brothers’ panel, speaking to alumni brothers about college-life experiences that members currently go through on campus. Alumni brothers were also given a firsthand testimony from college brothers about their interactions with alumni brothers. The weekend was culminated with a substantial-check presentation to past Regional Vice President G. Bernard Brown. Crutison presented Brown with a final check for paying off a 10-year year debt totaling $15,000. H

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

CHAPTER NEWS

ALPHA UPSILON Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich. THE COLLEGE and alumni brothers of Alpha Upsilon Chapter at Wayne State University (WSU) in Detroit, Mich., celebrated their 84th Chapter Anniversary on March 27, 2010. A program was held at the McGregor Conference Center on the WSU campus. The highlight of the evening was Brother John Grahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, receiving of the Alpha Upsilon Gold Award, given to the oldest brother in attendance at the event.

Members of Alpha Upsilon at the 84th Anniversary Celebration.

Graham was initiated in the fraternity in 1941. Brother Don Snider received the Outstanding Alumni Brother of the Year Award; Brother David M. Johnson received the Thomas F. Yancy Outstanding Service Award; and Bobby Smith was selected as entrepreneur of the year. Brothers Reginald Howard, Charles Washington, Shawn McDaniel and Clifton Clark were recipients of the Alpha Upsilon Spirit Award. H

EPSILON NU LAMBDA Portsmouth, Va.

Epsilon Nu Lambda Chapter members show the spirit of teamwork in feeding the hungry.

40 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

EPSILON NU LAMBDA CHAPTER continued the rich tradition of servant leadership through a recent community service project at Oasis Commission on Social Ministry of Portsmouth/Chesapeake. Brothers provided meals to more than 80 homeless people at Oasis, a charitable, nonprofit organization that sponsors a thrift shop and offers food, clothing, household and financial assistance to the needy. In March, the chapter purchased food, and brothers generously donated their time to cook and serve lunch to many of the homeless people who live on the streets of Portsmouth, Va. Chapter members say the idea is to serve the community by helping people meet basic human needs and providing individuals with an opportunity to become self-sufficient. Epsilon Nu Lambda was chartered in 1951. Ever since, it has provided exemplary leadership on civil-rights issues and in addressing humanitarian and social-justice needs in the Hampton Roads community. For more information, visit www.epsilonnulambda.org.H

CHAPTER NEWS

GAMMA GAMMA LAMBDA Greenville, S.C. PI ALPHA Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.

Alpha brothers who participated in the Health, Fitness and Safety Awareness Day program included, from left, Leslie Elus; RaShawn Daniels; with Randy Witt, South Miami city manager; and Jude Legiste.

ETA DELTA University of Miami, Miami, Fla. ETA DELTA CHAPTER at the University of Miami in Miami, Fla., served as one of the lead contributors to the South Miami Weed and Seed Project’s Health, Fitness and Safety Awareness Day. The event was held in July at the Gibson-Bethel Community Center. The event was one in a series of programs hosted by the coalition to promote the building of safe and healthy communities. The chapter was one of the group’s tier sponsors, assisting with the planning and execution of the program. Community health providers facilitated screenings and counseling services for metabolic disorders such as hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and obesity. Local businesses also had an opportunity to display nutritional dietary alternatives and fitness and sporting activities available to residents of all ages. The Miami Dade Police Department Crime Prevention and area Police Explorers Units provided supplementary support, including providing tips to patrons on bicycle and pedestrian safety. Brothers of the Eta Delta celebrated the chapter’s 40th anniversary with a week of events that highlighted its legacy at the University of Miami. H

BROTHERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA are proving that working together, college and alumni brothers and their chapters can really make a difference. One example is when Gamma Gamma Lambda Chapter in Greenville, S.C., and Pi Alpha Chapter at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., paired to sponsor the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Program and College Fair earlier this year. The event coordinated by Gamma Gamma Lambda has been conducting the program for 31 years at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. The program is a part of the chapter’s local effort to support the fraternity’s national educational program, Go to High School, Go to College. Students and other representatives from several South Carolina schools took part, including The Citadel, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, Furman University, Wofford College and Winthrop University. Students from 14-area schools won the Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Award. This year, with the help of the local school district, brothers recognized more than 230 award winners in five categories: Academics, Art, Athletics, Leadership and Music. H

Brothers from Gamma Gamma Lambda and Pi Alpha Chapters at the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Program and College Fair.

Some of the 230 students awarded a certificate during the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Program and College Fair. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

CHAPTER NEWS

MU ZETA The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Brothers at Iota Omicron Lambda Chapter are shown here preparing for the AAYLC program in Colorado Springs, Colo.

IOTA OMICRON LAMBDA Colorado Springs, Colo. BROTHERS IN COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., have helped make the African American Youth Leadership Conference (AAYLC) one of the most notable youth programs in Colorado. This year the program celebrates 18 successful years of serving the Colorado Springs community. The mission of the AAYLC is to educate, empower, and enlighten youths to become critical thinkers, responsible citizens, and to embrace the traditions, histories and cultures of their communities. The AAYLC focuses on grade six through 12. This year’s annual conference theme was “Youth Building Respect and Responsibility for Future Rewards.” Iota Omicron Lambda Chapter sponsored the first AAYLC in 1992, and has had a leadership role with the conference ever since. Brother Freeman Gault has chaired the AAYLC executive board and planning committee for the last five years. The AAYLC helps approximately 500 children from multiple Colorado Springs school districts annually. The sessions offered this year include: Civic Responsibility, Community Engagement, Education Readiness and Leadership in a Globally Changing Market. H

THE BROTHERS OF MU ZETA CHAPTER at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) showed their pride in “the better making of men” during the past school year by providing mentoring to young black males at Ephesus Elementary School. The UNC students met with the boys every Tuesday as part of the Boyz II Men program. Chapter brothers assisted the young men with reading, comprehension and other scholastic skills while teaching them crucial life lessons that will aid their success in the coming years. During Mu Zeta Week, the boys came to campus for an up-close and personal view of what university life is like. Participants engaged in a tour that included a visit to the football museum, a trip to see the various historical landmarks on campus with relevance to African-American history, and a special step-show performance. A once fledgling chapter with as little as three members in fall 2010, Mu Zeta added eight new members under the leadership of chapter president Terence McPherson. H

Brothers from Mu Zeta at UNC Chapel Hill pose with young boys they are mentoring near their North Carolina campus.

RHO (Alumni Chapter) Philadelphia, Pa. RHO CHAPTER recently celebrated its first Alpha Beautillion in Philadelphia at the African Episcopal Church of Saint Thomas. The rector at the historic church is the Rev. Brother Martini Shaw. Bros and the beaus. Brothers of Rho Chapter surround the beaus, who are in wearing full-dress tuxedos with white bow ties. From left: Shane Bernard, who graduated from The seven-month leadership-development Abington Friends School and is attending Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn.; Charles Solomon, who was declared “Mr. Beautillion 2010,” graduated from Lankenau program team was excited to present these Environmental Science Magnet High School and is attending Howard University in accomplished young men to the Philadelphia Washington, D.C.; and Austin Lightfoot, who graduated from Philadelphia High School community—and the world. H for the Creative and Performing Arts and is attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass.

42 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

CHAPTER NEWS

THETA SIGMA University of Florida Gainesville, Fla.

Above: The Alpha park bench, after Omicron Omicron brothers helped spruce up a local park. Left: Brothers with tools in hand prepare to clean up part of Washington, D.C.

OMICRON OMICRON University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C. OMICRON OMICRON CHAPTER, affectionately known as Double ‘O,’ has spent the past year participating in many community services, including the Annual District of Columbia Public Schools Beautification Day at Alice Deal Junior High The chapter, established in 1982, also participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day feed and clothe the homeless community service project along with Omicron Omicron’s regular community service initiative titled Loaves and Fishes. The Double “O” Chapter also hosted The Mid-Atlantic Association of Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters Conference at the University of the District of Columbia in March.H

Brothers of Rho Nu Lambda Chapter in Carrollton, Texas.

RHO NU LAMBDA Carrollton, TX

TAU XI University of Texas at Dallas

WORKING HAND IN HAND, college brothers at the University of Texas at Dallas with alumni brothers form Rho Nu Lambda in Carrollton, Texas, are making a showing how teamwork can result in positive outcomes. The fraternity chapters have partnered with Metrocrest Social Services to assist in the Annual School Supply Drive, Food Bank and Christmas Toy Drive. Rho Nu Lambda is committed to help families in immediate need. This special project comes along with the chapters continuing their commitment to Alpha Phi Alpha’s national service programs such as Project Alpha and Go-to-High School, Go-to-College and the new program called Brothers Keeper. For more information about the chapter, visit www.rhonulambda1906.org on the web. H

EVERY YEAR, for 14 years, brothers who hold membership in Theta Sigma Chapter at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., have spent at least one night outside. The Annual Sleep Out for the Homeless program provides a unique learning experience for hundreds of students each year to learn about the homeless problem—and more importantly do something about it through advocacy and exposure. This year 500 people attended the event held at Turlington Plaza, and brothers collected more than 200 pounds of food, clothing and other necessities for homeless people. The purpose of the annual event is to raise awareness about the current state of homelessness within the Gainesville community and Alachua County. Chapter members wanted to educate their peers on the matter while creating and fun and friendly atmosphere for the students at the university. In an effort to increase attendance the event was co-sponsored with SAVANT, the University’s most progressive leadership honorary organization. The local community supported the sleep-out as well, including local radio station Magic 101.3, Hungry Howie’s and Papa John’s Pizza. H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

CHAPTER NEWS

THETA ZETA LAMBDA Ann Arbor, Mich. EPSILON University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. EPSILON ETA Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Mich. THE BROTHERS of Theta Zeta Lambda Chapter in Ann Arbor, Mich., are in the midst of their third year of operation of an innovative and comprehensive mentoring program for African-American male youth’s ages 12 to18 this year. The program is titled the Esquire Leadership and Mentoring Program (ELMP) and is staffed, operated and maintained entirely by the Michigan South Central Area Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The Program is implemented in conjunction with Theta Zeta Lambda and the college chapters of Michigan’s South Central Area, including Epsilon Eta, seated at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich., and Epsilon at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Theta Zeta Lambda bears the primary responsibility of providing the structure; curriculum and record keeping of the program while Epsilon Eta and Epsilon provide regular meeting locations, additional mentors and academic access utilized primarily to expose the program’s Esquires to higher education in an authentic university setting. Brothers convene with the collection of Esquires at a minimum of twice per month. One meeting is dedicated to a “success seminar,” participants are immersed in activities and presentations centered around developing healthy and productive life skills such as decision-making, study habits, etiquette and impressionmanagement. The second meeting each month is dedicated to a social outing such as a mentor vs. mentee bowling night or a cultural-enrichment excursion. The program is currently in its third year, with increasing success annually.H

44 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

THETA TAU University of MichiganFlint Kettering University Flint, Mich. Mott Community College Flint, Mich. IN JULY, Theta Tau Chapter hosted its annual Woman’s Appreciation Awards Dinner on the campus of Mott Community College. The

purpose of the event is to recognize the great work of women in Flint, Mich. The honorees were treated to a night of Italian cuisine and soothing music. Presentations were given about each recipient. “We recognize that for many youth in our area, women are their major role models,” said Keith Chaney, chapter president. “As a chapter we feel their phenomenal work–often unseen– should not go without recognition.” More than 60 women from the local community attended the event.H

Women honorees display their awards presented by brothers of Theta Tau Chapter in Flint, Mich.

TAU XI University of Texas at Dallas THE MEN who make up the membership roster at Tau Xi Chapter at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) say they pride themselves on the principles of manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind. They put that pride to work last spring semester by being actively involved in providing mentoring to young minority males in an organization known as Project Still I Rise. This mentorship program has enabled Tau Xi brothers to dedicate and lead these young students into believing that they

Tau Xi Chapter brothers spending time with young men who are in the Project Still I Rise program in Dallas, Texas.

can achieve anything that they set their minds to. In this program the chapter routinely devotes time on Saturday mornings to teach mathematics and advise the young men on their future. There has been an added benefit to the brothers for volunteering: they have learned discipline and fortitude, as well as the need to make a change in peoples’ lives. As a result of their

hard work, the chapter received two honorary awards: Mentor of the Year Award and Service/ Partnership Award. Aside from those two accolades, Tau Xi Chapter swept the UTD Greek-Life Awards, winning Outstanding Greek Leader; Outstanding President; Most Active Member; Exceptional Greek Advisor, and Community Service of the Year honors. H

CHAPTER NEWS

XI OMICRON University of Delaware, Newark, Del.

A new street in Lake Charles, La.: Brother Frank Y. Pryce and his wife Delores assisted Mayor Randy Roach in unveiling the new signs on the new Pryce Street, as others looked on.

ZETA PSI LAMBDA Lake Charles, La. THE STREETS will never be the same in Lake Charles, La., thanks to the efforts of members of Zeta Psi Lambda Chapter, to get a street named to honor Brother Ulric Pryce. For over 100 years, the Pryce Pharmacy has served the Lake Charles community at the corner of Lawrence Street and Enterprise Boulevard. Dr. George S. Pryce founded the pharmacy in 1908—two years after Alpha Phi Alpha was born. His son, Alpha Brother Dr. Ulric Pryce, followed in the tradition of his father. And Brother Frank Y. Pryce followed in his father’s footsteps. All served as professionals and humanitarians in the first minority-owned-and-operated business in Southwest Louisiana. Zeta Psi Lambda Chapter launched a community effort to have Lawrence Street renamed Pryce Street. This effort was initiated by native Louisianan Brother Andrew J. Young, as he spoke at the centennial celebration of the Pryce Pharmacy. Young was the nephew of Ulric Pryce. Zeta Psi Lambda summoned the assistance of 100 Black Men of Lake Charles and the Lake Charles North Kiwanis Club to assist in the community effort to support renaming the street. City Council member Brother Marshall Semien was especially helpful. Recently, Zeta Psi Lambda Chapter members presented an unveiling of street signs that bear the name “Pryce.” A host of local dignitaries attended the event. H

AT THE UNIVERSITY of Delaware (UD), brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha continue to work hard to achieve the aims and ideals of the fraternity. The past school year, the chapter finished with a perfect score on the university’s Chapter Assessment Program and earned the right to co-host the fall homecoming party with the Lambda Gamma chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The chapter tied with the men of Alpha Epsilon Phi Celebrating leadership at Fraternity for the fraternity with the highest GPA. the University of Delaware. From left, James M. Jones, Chapters are only as good as the members director of Black American of which they are made. Xi Omicron, then, is Studies, congratulates UD junior Brother Shakir doing very well. Brothers Shakir McLean and McLean, recipient of the Wuroh Timbo were named Alpha Phi Alpha 2010 James E. Newton Student Award. Distinguished Collegians and Timbo won a scholarship from the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation. They are also UD African-American Students of Distinction. Brother Mark Powell won a Global Citizenship award and a scholarship to study abroad in Egypt during winter 2011; Powell also received the Residence Life Barack Obama Award for Leadership. And during the UD Black American Studies department spring commencement, Brother McLean, a junior, was awarded the James E. Newton Student Award. At the University of Delaware, the chapter has launched “Study with an Alpha,” a peer-tutoring program; raised money for the annual AIDS Walk; and was a named co-sponsor of the UD Center for Black Culture’s annual Kwanzaa celebration. Xi Omicron also teamed up with the men of the Interfraternity Council (IFC) fraternities, including Kappa Delta Rho, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Pi, to win the UD Greek Nation’s annual Step-n-Stroll show. The end of the school year did not mean vacation time. Brother McLean did a summer internship with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta; and Brothers Timbo and Powell participated in the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. H

ZETA BETA LAMBDA Sacramento, Calif. BROTHERS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA at Zeta Beta Lambda Chapter, seated in Sacramento, have teamed up with Hope Productions Foundation. They have already raised more than $700 during the annual Walk ’n Rock for Kids. As a result of the partnership, the foundation is able to increase efforts to provide support and training for charities serving children and youth. Each participating organization chose a children’s organization to support. Zeta Beta Lambda brothers chose to raise funds to support the Sacramento Big Brother Big Sisters program, to which many chapter brothers serve as Big Brothers. H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

QUESTIONS

The Sphinx Interview

George Reaves, fraternity’s longest-serving fiscal officer, reflects on Alpha, America and life after office prepared themselves to earn the pay or money. And of course, it doesn’t help that we have a generation of babies having babies. I believe Alpha has a role here. We cannot save everyone, but we have to do what we can by catching as many young men at an early age. We have to tell them what it means to be a man, and we have to do it, because most of these boys don’t have fathers in their lives.

As the general treasurer you were the custodian of all Alpha funds. What was it that “got your goat” the most? What drives me nuts is our proclivity, as a group of educated black men, we get apocalyptic about paying $100 for something we wouldn’t think twice about if our wives or significant others asked for. We hear the comparisons all the time. I hear people boasting over who had the largest convention, but we have not exceeded 8,000 in the last decade. We are far behind other groups. My wife is an AKA, and they’ll have that many at a regional convention. We have to be willing to pay for those things in our organization that we need to be successful. What do you make of the economic situation in America, and how will we get out of it? We’re in a place we have never been before; all sorts of comparisons with the Great Depression. The only common denominator from then and now is greed and avarice. The speeds with which these things happen are accelerated many times over. You can make hundreds of billions of dollars over a long period of time, and with such speed and volume with electronic trading, that we humanly cannot keep up. When you couple that with the need to have the biggest toy, or need to make the most money—the people in power that is—that’s part of the reason we’re in the fix we’re in right now. How do we get out of it? There has to be a shift to what’s important to people in this country. Right now, because people are in genuine pain, its all about “I have a job and a need to be able to take care of me and mine, and if I have some left over, I might share it with someone.” But unfortunately, that sentiment does not seem to exist right now. I suppose that’s because we are talking of people literally trying, not just to live, but survive. It may require governmental intervention to fix this. So how long will it take to resolve these problems? Well, it is kind of like TV shows like CSI, where people, detectives can solve crimes in a couple days or a week, when in reality it may take years. Thus, for our financial situation it took eight years for us to get into the mess we’re in and people expect it to be fixed in two, or even less than two years. And they’re blaming one man for it, the president. What about the bailouts and corporate crime? I blame the justice system, which would rather walk away with a simple plea deal or settlement, so they can say they did something, instead of making real examples of those who helped put the U.S. in the financial mess we’re in. The former CEO of Countrywide, Angelo Mozilo, is a good example. He made more than $139 million illegally, using inside information, knowingly making bad loans, forcing, in part, the collapse of the housing market. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused him of misleading shareholders about the quality of the loans

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on Countrywide’s books. And what was his punishment? He agreed to a $67.5 million settlement to avoid trial on civil fraud and insider-trading charges. What’s worse is the settlement allowed him to admit no wrong doing and spared him and others the risk of a verdict that could have been used against them in lawsuits by shareholders, or by prosecutors if a criminal probe into their activities lead to charges. Sure, it gave SEC the right to brag about what it said was the biggest financial penalty ever. But come on, had it been you or me or the average “Joe Citizen?” Where is the jail time? There is no incentive to stop this behavior. You and I would give up a year of our life if the result was we could come out on the other end with our reputation in tact and say we did not do anything wrong and pocket some $200 million. But if you had to spend to two to three years in jail— that might make you think about it twice, if you’re in that position. Again, I blame the justice system. You live in Chicago, a city in the news for horrible killings and crime this year. How bad is crime now, compared to when you were a teenager? You really cannot compare it. I’ll be 66 in November 2011. I don’t look back at those as the “good old days” because there has always been an element in every community that would rather to take the shortcut in life. Today, it just seems there are more black men involved in crime and similar situations now than before. They are being raised by single moms and have no real skills. Not that this is an excuse, but also in an indirect way, many of the young people who get into trouble do so because of the 24-7 entertainment cycle from TV and the Internet. The media promotes so heavily these superstars, athletes, and these young men see all the wealth the stars have. We don’t hear about or see manufacturers, business people and the likes of doctors, lawyers and educators. So, the young people say, “I want to be like them—the superstars.” They say, “I will do whatever it takes to get paid.” It doesn’t’ matter that they haven’t

Health care is an issue close to your heart, with your daughter’s battling cancer the last year. How does a situation like that, which so many face, put life in full perspective? It was traumatic for me. I’ll never forget it. It was just before the holidays, and she told me she had a test, and she got a second opinion. And I was sitting there waiting for her to tell me everything was fine and would be okay. But she said the test came back positive. The realization did not strike me then and there. So, I’m thinking a lot can be done. However, later after our conversation, I was sitting alone; my wife was at work. Then it hit me: This is my only daughter. This is MY daughter. This isn’t a statistic, a face on a poster or celebrity asking you to give generously. And I wept. I was by myself, and I wept. What is your message to people to stay healthy and to prevent diseases? The first step is prevention. Meaning, you don’t make a conscious decision to spend your money to put poison into your body. Then, if you have done that, you have done what you can. But you have to get in to see a physician annually. I tell folks, as soon as you can afford it or have a job with benefits, you have to take care of yourself. You can do exercise and take your vitamins, but then you have to get people to see things you cannot. My daughter is alive today because of that. We couldn’t prevent the cancer so much, but by seeing a doctor and doing regular check-ups and maintenance, she was at least able to detect cancer at an early stage— which gives her a fighting chance with treatment. You must do maintenance, just like you do on your car. That’s the first step. The second step is prevention; by seeing a doctor, getting your blood pressure checked—things like that. Now, women do this all the time, but black men must do this too. For some reason we are in denial. My message is, you can control the quality of your life until you do expire. I mean, all of us are going to die; the question is: what is the quality of your life between today, as we speak, and the day we die. You do have control over that. For some reason black men have this desire not to know, to stay out of the doctor’s office. We’re afraid to bend over and let a doctor look to see if we could have prostate cancer. Early detection can let you live a long time. Ignoring your health is a death sentence.

r u o y s i t Wha

INITIATIVES

N O B R A C NT I R P T O FO CARBON

NEUTRAL

any people can tell you, with precision, their Body Mass Index (BMI), calories consumed daily, blood pressure, or perhaps even boast about how proud their doctor is of how they have maintained their bodies. Have you ever been asked about your carbon footprint? Your carbon footprint is a number just as important as other statistics we tend to monitor, primarily because it affects you and others—both locally and globally. Carbon footprint is a term used to describe the amount of carbon dioxide a person or firm is responsible for releasing into the earth’s atmosphere. The seriousness of this action is its direct effect on increasing the earth’s temperature—more famously known as global warming.

o By Andrew Timothy Siw

gas corporations, emit enormous amounts of carbon to produce products that we purchase and use daily. Motor vehicles, for example, are manufactured in plants that emit a considerable amount of carbon from their production plants. By purchasing or driving a car with a standard gas or gas-powered engine, alone, is a major carbon-emitter. Congress’ noteworthy decision to encourage consumers to purchase fuel-efficient, hybrid or electrical cars is a positive step in compelling car owners to reduce their carbon emissions and a major step toward reducing global warming. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, taxpayers purchasing certain energy-efficient vehicles can receive a cash credit as high as $3,400 for owning vehicles such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid or Mercury Milan Hybrid (2010 models). Carbon is used in creating diamonds; carbon is involved in creating lubricants; carbon is used in producing lead for pencils; carbon is used to provide carbonation for soft drinks; carbon is used in fire extinguishers; carbon is a bleaching agent; carbon is used in ink jet printers, cooling devices, metal cutters, batteries, crystals, and many other products. Totally avoiding using a carbon derivate is nearly impossible.

renewable

ENERGY

REDUCBEe GREEN

REUSE CARBROINNT FOOTP

ABOUT CARBON

RECREUYSECLE REDUCE

Think back to third grade and recall that carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the six greenhouse gases. The burning of coal, the largest source of energy in the world, and petroleum account for almost 80 percent of U.S. energy-related carbondioxide emissions, according to the Energy Information Administration. As a result, massive energy users, such as oil and

RECYCLE

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

CARBON

NEUTRAL

7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT 1. Change light bulbs.

Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with longerlasting compact fluorescent light bulbs.

2. Avoid printing.

E-mail presentations to coworkers. Print double-sided documents. Avoid printing when possible.

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3. Travel.

ENERGY

Walk, use public transportation, or car pool when possible. Less consumers driving cars leads to less carbon emissions from vehicles.

4. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Use cloth towels when appropriate, rather than paper towels. Newspapers, papers and plastics can all be recycled. Purchase recycled products when possible.

5. Convert to online financial services.

Pay student loans, credit cards, utilities and other bills online, as well as elect to receive electronic statements. This preserves the need for paper and postage. Discontinue mailing of catalogs, which can be accessed online.

CARBROINNT FOOTP

6. Buy Energy Star products.

Energy Star is an exclusive Environmental Protection Agency rating for products that meet a high standard of using less energy and saving consumers money. The next time you visit an appliance store or purchase a product that uses any type of energy, inquire about which brands have Energy Star approval.

7. Visit the EPA’s emissions site and obtain your carbon footprint.

REDUCE

Obtain your or your household’s estimated emissions by going to www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ ind_calculator.html

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REUSE

GLOBAL WARMING In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (a group of scientists around the world), jointly with former Vice President Al Gore, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to counteract global warming. While this feat may signal the gravity of the phenomena, many dissenters offer varying and often opposite views on the popular theories surrounding global warming. Rarely do opposing experts dispute the existence of global warming, rather, the rate at which the earth is warming and the extent caused strictly from human activities—also known as Anthropogenic or “Man-Made” global warming. Regardless of the extent caused by man or the rate that the earth is getting warmer, the disastrous effects of global warming cannot be just observed and debated.

Be GRE

WHY SHOULD I CARE?

The arcane science and political sensitivity surrounding global warming can make the topic become very ethereal and hardly tangible to those who are unmoved by the issue. Recall that fossil fuels, such as coal, are finite resources. Not reducing and/or developing renewable energy sources spells doom for generations behind us. Imagine pulling up to the gas station to discover that there is no more gas left—forever. Take August of 2005, when infamous winds and waters—a storm named Katrina—nearly wiped out the Gulf Coast in an embarrassing event that left hundreds of Americans dead and New Orleans portrayed as helpless as a developing nation. Though it was the failure of the levees that caused much of New Orleans to be underwater, the unpredictable weather, shifts credited to global warming, is an undeniably topical discussion. Moreover, the four consecutive tropical storms occurring in Haiti in 2008 are unprecedented weather

FOOTPRINT

REDUCE

RENUSE CARBO ECLYCLE NEUTRRA

shifts that can be attributed to global warming; these storms resulted in over 800 deaths. Haiti, more so than other poor nations, does not have the wherewithal to contain such events or the infrastructure and capital to rebuild providently. Those who have lost loved ones or know those who have lost loved ones in these types of storms have an opportunity to take action in reducing their carbon footprint, as well as educate others.

INTERNATIONAL POLICY

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The Kyoto Protocol is an international climate treaty negotiated in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, in an effort for countries around the world to reduce their carbon emissions. Still today, the United States has not signed the treaty. Through two presidential administrations, the U.S. has avoided joining the treaty and international community in addressing global warming, despite over 150 countries having signed the treaty. China recently surpassed the United States to lead the world in carbon emissions, according to a report by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. Still, the United States is second only to Australia in per-capita carbon emissions— accounting for roughly four percent of the world population and over 20 percent of carbon missions. Though remnants of progress exist, politically, this is a “hot potato,” which is still being tossed around for a bipartisan resolution. (The U.S. Constitution requires treaties be approved by the U.S. Senate.)

ENERGY

CARBROINNT

P T O O F LET’S TRADE

Cap and trade is an open-market-based mechanism for trading carbon credits—similar to a stock market. For example, a regulator would provide a firm with a permit, which holds a specific amount of carbon credits that the entity can emit on a monthly basis. Usage is tallied at the end of the month; firms will be even with its cap-limit, have a surplus of credits, or a deficit of credits. A surplus would allow for unused credits to be sold at the market price or inventoried, while a deficit of

REDUCE

REUSE

INITIATIVES

credits would result in a financial penalty for each credit over the “cap” or the firm purchasing enough credits at the market price to avoid penalty. The goal of this trading scheme is to allow the market, based on a set number of credits by a regulator, to determine the price for a carbon credit. Firms managing their carbon emission can trade credits throughout the month, based on anticipated consumption. Success in an emissions-trading program occurred with the Acid Rain Program in 1990, which was created by the 1990 Clean Air Act. This Environmental Protection Agencysponsored program was a sulfur dioxide (SO2) trading system, which significantly reduced SO2 emitted from power plants. This type of success is more of a reason for the United States to commit to a reduction of carbon emissions. Carbon (emissions) trading is prevalent in Europe, with the European Climate Exchange leading the way. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is a dominant emissions-trading exchange in the United States, which allows participants to buy and sell credits. The CCX includes companies such as Ford, IBM, DuPont, Motorola, and colleges such as Michigan State University and University of California, Berkeley, which all have agreed to binding terms, despite that the U.S. is not a signatory of Kyoto. H

N E E R G e B ANDREW TIMOTHY SIWO works in the Securitized Products Group at JP Morgan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., and earned a Master of Public Administration degree in finance and fiscal policy from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha at Omicron Mu Lambda Chapter in Marietta, Ga., in 2005, he is currently a member of Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter in New York City, where he lives and works. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

INITIATIVES

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

a rare collaboration, members of three historically black Black In fraternities have put aside rivalry to work to save America’s black boys. Working with Fraternities the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi have pledged to increase the number of “Big Brothers” over the next Team-up few years. The top leaders of each organization put their signatures and the prestige of organizations, all on the dotted line to usher in a new era of cooperation. for Big their We have before us, a rare opportunity to demonstrate the unique power of our to make change happen, for real. We are, in fact, the most significant Brothers organizations gathering of black male leadership available for service to the nation. We are in a Big Sisters meaningful and growing relationship with the best youth mentoring organization in

history, Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). As of March 16, 2010, there were 7,453 young black boys who have stood up and stated they want a big brother. There are tens of thousands of active Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi men who are capable of answering the call of these vulnerable youth. Beyond the confines of our membership, we provide leadership in our churches, places of work and communities. Let us now call the entire community to action, and once and for all explode the myth that all black men are “missing in action” when it comes to being engaged where we worship, work and live. Our 2010 goal is impactful and doable: A minimum of 1,000 fraternity men become big brothers. With a win for our community in 2010, we will set ourselves up to do more in 2011 and beyond. The great news is that no one man has to step up for 1,000 boys. We are calling for one man to stand with one youth. As each man engages across our country, we will together bend the long arc of the moral universe toward justice. Our eventual goal is to find a mentor for every one of those nearly 7,500 kids who are waiting for the right kind of man to emulate. A man like you! We are moving forward, brothers. Men are becoming big brothers, now. Men are leading on BBBS boards, now. Men are building careers at BBBS, now. Men are contributing financially to BBBS, now. What are you going to do? You have to do something. If more men are not stepping up as mentors in focused one-to-one relationships we will not realize our collective vision. Gentlemen, the very future of the fraternal system as we currently know it is at risk of becoming irrelevant, if we stand idly by and do nothing. We are the ones to love mankind, achieve and see it through. Brothers, let us get this done. Start something big and be a big brother! Getting involved with this historic alliance compliments, and does not replace, our current programs. Go to www.mentoringbrothers. org to take action today. In order to become men, our boys must see men—Alpha, Kappa and Omega men! H Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. 33rd General President Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

50 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Dwayne M. Murray, Esq. 31st Grand Polemarch Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Warren G. Lee, Jr. 38th Grand Basileus Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc

A R T S A N D C U LT U R E

“From Yonder to Here”: The Life and Work of Dr. Ozell Sutton BY VIC CARTER

Lee-Com Media Services; 205 pages

Believing In The 7: Jewels of Wisdom From The Founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. EDITED BY HERMAN “SKIP” MASON, JR. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; 174 pages

FOR THOSE WHO love history and the architects who made it, this new paperback pocket book is a treasure to read over and over again—especially for those who have a keen interest in black, collegiate fraternal life. In Believing In The 7: Jewels of Wisdom From The Founders of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., current president of the fraternity and a noted historian, provides a plethora of photos dating back to the founding of the fraternity in 1906, through present-day snapshots. In addition, the book is filled with quotes from the founders of the organization, affectionately called the seven Jewels. The book has been designed to help fraternity members and others find wisdom and inspiration from the thoughts, ideas and beliefs of the men who organized the first-ever collegiate fraternity for black men on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. H

OZELL SUTTON is one of those unsung heroes of the American Civil Rights Movement. He left the fields of Arkansas for the U.S. Marines in World War II and upon return worked his way through college. He then became one of the first black news reporters at a U.S. daily newspaper, in Arkansas. His story is told in “From Yonder to Here”: The Life and Work of Dr. Ozell Sutton, the new book by Alpha Phi Alpha member and veteran journalist Vic Carter, of Baltimore, Md. The memoir details how Sutton was chased and beaten while acting as a decoy to help integrate the famous Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. He stared down the Ku Klux Klan three times, and was at the hotel in Memphis when fellow Alpha Brother the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. His work with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service helped to keep tense racial problems from escalating into violence in the Deep South. A lifelong member of Alpha Phi Alpha, Sutton became its world leader and used his power as its 26th general president to help establish the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. “From Yonder to Here” captures some of the highlights of a life well lived and one dedicated to others. It is a story of America—the good and the bad—and serves as a testament to heroes, known and unknown, who somehow made it from yonder to here.H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

A R T S A N D C U LT U R E

The Student Doctor Network Caribbean Medical School Primer: Everything You Need To Know Before You Go

BY MARCUS F. YARBROUGH, M.D. MedRounds Publications; 104 pages

THERE IS A GROWING concern in the United States medical community about the lack of practicing physicians available to meet the need of growing healthcare demands; yet there are many hopeful medical students who are the unfortunate bearers of rejection letters from U.S. medical schools. However, there is a second route to attaining

Black Faces In White Places: 16 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness

BY RANDAL PINKETT and JEFFREY ROBINSON with PHILANA PATTERSON AMACOM; 288 pages

IF THE NAME Randal Pinkett sounds familiar, it may be because Pinkett, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, was the first African-American winner on the NBC television series ‘The Apprentice.’ When he won, this black man also became the only contestant to be asked to share his victory—with a white woman. The request, and Pinkett’s subsequent refusal, set off a firestorm of controversy that inevitably focused on the issue of race in the American workplace and in society.

52 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

the Doctor of Medicine degree that has become a viable and reputable choice for many. This “road less traveled” is Caribbean medical schools. Students abroad enter the U.S. every year with sponsored visas by American hospitals to attain the credentials to practice medicine. So why not American students? The stringent admissions policies and limited seats available in United States medical schools have allowed these schools to accommodate a massive insurgence of applicants. Could this be an option for you or someone you know? The Student Doctor Network Caribbean Medical School Primer tells a personal account of a doctor’s journey through offshore medical school, gives first-hand answers to questions, and provides information that is not freely expressed on websites or in catalogs. Written by Dr. Marcus F. Yarbrough, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, who trained and earned his M.D. degree from Ross University School of Medicine, and now a general surgeon, this book can help a student make the right decision and be their step-by-step guide to realizing the dream of becoming a doctor. H

For generations, African Americans have been told that to succeed they need to work twice as hard as everyone else. But as millions of black Americans were reminded by Pinkett’s experience, sometimes hard work is not enough. Black Faces in White Places is about “the game,” the competitive world in which we live and work. The book offers 10 revolutionary strategies for playing, mastering, and changing the game for the current generation. It also undertakes a wholesale redefinition of the rules for those who will follow. It is not only about shattering the glass ceiling, but also about examining the four dimensions of the contemporary black experience: identity, society, meritocracy and opportunity. Ultimately, say the authors, it is about changing the very concept of success itself. Based on the authors’ considerable experiences in business, in the public eye and as a minority in the United States, the book shows how African-American professionals can— and must—think and act both entrepreneurially and intrapreneurially. The authors plan to launch a national town-hall tour in February 2011.H

Photo by Pearl Gabel

BROTHERS ON THE MOVE MICHAEL J. FEENEY The National Association of Black Journalists has chosen Brother Michael J. Feeney of Teaneck, N.J., as its Emerging Journalist of the Year for 2010. The honor was bestowed upon Feeney at the organization’s annual national convention in San Diego, Calif., in July. Feeney, who makes his home in Teaneck, the seat of the fraternity’s Kappa Theta Lambda Chapter, is a reporter and blogger with the Daily News in New York City. He has been an Alpha since fall 2003. He was initiated at Gamma Sigma Chapter at Delaware State University in Dover, Del., where he served as chapter president during the 20042005 school year. He also won the 2005 Belford V. Lawson Oratorical contest at the district and regional level and represented the Eastern Region at the national competition that year at the Houston, Texas, national convention. CLIFTON R. FORD Brother Clifton R. Ford graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Martin in Martin, Tenn., in May; he earned a Bachelor

of Science in Accounting degree. While on campus, Ford served as the president of the Tau Psi Chapter for the past two years. His many accomplishments include being selected to participate in the College 2 Corporate Program; receiving the Brother Warwrick Scott Scholarship; mentoring and tutoring at the Children’s Center in Martin, Tenn.; and participating in the TutorTOTS program in Mckenzie, Tenn. He also has worked as a volunteer at Greenbrier Meadows, a local assistedliving community facility. He now is now a graduate student at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn. CALEB GAYLE The University of Oklahoma in Tulsa, Okla., has bestowed a huge honor upon Brother Caleb Gayle, a member of Zeta Zeta Chapter. Gayle is one this year’s recipients of the Truman Scholarship, a prestigious award based on a student’s leadership potential, intellectual ability and the likelihood of “making a difference.” Truman Scholarship recipients must be committed to careers in government or the notfor-profit sector. Each scholarship provides $30,000 for graduate study. Sixty students from 54 U.S. colleges and universities earned the award this year. Gayle, who has served as vice

president of his chapter had a grade point of 3.65 (on a 4.0 scale) and is majoring in international security studies and political science, with minors in economics and Latin American studies. Gayle, who is of Jamaican heritage, says he will pursue a doctorate in comparative political economy of development. His career goals include, research in the political economy of development at the World Bank Institute and an future policy position within the U.S. State Dept. A community organizer since he was 14, Gayle created a charitable organization while in the ninth grade to help north Tulsans at Christmas. Two years later he co-founded a political-action committee to bring attention to the Greenwood area of Tulsa. Gayle has served as the Big 12 Conference coordinator for the University of Oklahoma Student Association. In that role, he has focused on initiatives that connect students within the Big 12 to their local, state and federal government leaders. He also organizes the ‘Big 12 on the Hill’ conference that sends delegates from each school to discuss policy with their government representatives. MAURICE HAWKINS A 1995 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha, from Epsilon Pi Chapter at Norfolk State

University in Norfolk, Va., Brother Maurice Hawkins has been named one of the “Top 40 Under 40” by Inside Business, (formerly The Hampton Roads Business Journal). Hawkins, 39, is the associate director of alumni relations at his alma mater. He also serves as the fraternity’s Eastern Region March for Babies coordinator and is a member of the March of Dimes’ Virginia board of directors. In this role he coordinates and implements fraternity initiatives with the March of Dimes across several jurisdictions, including New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the New England states and Washington, D.C. At work, Hawkins is the liaison between Norfolk State University and more than 20,000 alumni looking for ways to engage and interact with them as well as providing operational and logistical support to the alumni association. CALVIN D. JONES A 2010 initiate from the Tau Psi Chapter at the University of Tennessee at Martin, in Martin, Tenn., Brother Jones is on the verge of greatness. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

BROTHERS ON THE MOVE This young man won the 2010 Cunningham Award for Outstanding Freshman; received the award for Outstanding Freshman Council Member; is a Delta Sigma Theta Scholastic Achievement Recipient; president of Freshman Council; chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee in the Student Government Association among other posts he fills on campus. He also won the Warwrick Scott Scholarship, and was selected to represent his chapter in the Alpha Leadership Academy in the summer. JONATHAN D. MADISON Brother Jonathan D. Madison was recently named senior member of technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M., within the Computational Materials Science and Engineering Organization. This is a rare feat for many scientists, even more so for a researcher so early in his career. Madison earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from Clark Atlanta University in 2003 and earned a master’s and doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Throughout his academic matriculation, Madison has served in research

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capacities at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., on two separate occasions. This track record, combined with the innovate nature of his research, were undoubtedly instrumental in him being awarded the National Society of Black Engineers’ National Graduate Student of the Year Award. Initiated in 2004 at Theta Zeta Lambda Chapter in Ann Arbor, Mich., Madison has proven to be equally ambitious in the service of Alpha. He helped to develop and launch the Esquire Leadership and Mentoring Program, Michigan’s south central area comprehensive mentoring program for African-American males aged 12 to 18. Madison recently transferred to Iota Psi Lambda Chapter in Albuquerque, N.M. VERNON ROSS JR. A native of Utica, Miss., Brother Vernon Ross Jr. was recently appointed director of learning and development at Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Services. He oversees the management of all talent and organization capability including serving as the dean of the company’s Cyber University which he designed and developed.

Ross was initiated at Delta Phi Chapter at Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., where he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics. He earned a master’s degree in computer education from Philadelphia University in Philadelphia, Pa., and a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He also holds a doctorate in education from Wilmington University in New Castle, Del. As director of learning and development, he has the responsibility for leadership, employee, technical, professional, and strategicdevelopment for more than 50,000 employees around the world. ZOLLIE STEVENSON JR. Known for his attention to detail and work to improve education, Brother Zollie Stevenson Jr. was recently honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Educational Assessment Award by the National Association of Test Directors (NATD). The award was presented at NATD’s annual meeting in Denver, Colo., in May 2010. The association consists of assessment professionals from the nation’s largest school districts, who meet annually to share the latest

developments in assessment practice and psychometrics. An active member of Alpha for years, and currently co-chair of the Membership Intake Task Force, Stevenson is director of Student Achievement and School Accountability (SASA) programs for the U.S. Dept. of Education. In his role as SASA director, Stevenson oversees the operation of the Title I program, the largest federalassistance program for elementary and secondary education in the country. Under Title I, more than $14 billion is awarded annually through formula and discretionary grants to raise the academic performance of under-performing students from low-income families. Before joining the federal government, Brother Stevenson was director of Research, Assessment and Evaluation in the Baltimore City Public Schools in Baltimore, Md. Stevenson, a native of Greensboro, N.C., earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in Asheville, N.C. He holds a master’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, N.C., and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, N.C. H

BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

PAYTON LEAVES LEGACY AT TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY

Ends Three Decades of Progress AFTER 28 YEARS OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE and extraordinary accomplishments, Brother Benjamin F. Payton, the fifth President of Tuskegee University, retired in June. 1952 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha at Beta Delta Chapter at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, S.C., Payton holds several degrees. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at SC State in 1955; in 1958 he added a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.; in 1960 he was awarded a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in New York before earning his doctorate in philosophy at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in 1963. At the time of his retirement announcement, Tuskegee University Board of Trustees Chairman Andrew Brimmer said Payton had a “transformative and clear sense of what Tuskegee University could and should become, and his solid leadership, including his enormous fundraising capacities, have enabled him to achieve all of these goals.” “He has led the University through some very tough times to its current status of financial stability, academic excellence and even distinction in athletics,” Brimmer said. The Student Government Association President Erick Harris said “having a university president that cares about the students is critical. Dr. Payton cares about what is going on in the lives of all his students.” Among his accomplishments while at the helm of Tuskegee, Payton completed major capital-fund campaigns. The most notable was a $150 million capital campaign which raised $169 million, and a $60 million Legacy Campaign which raised in excess of $74 million. He also led the effort to build the General Daniel “Chappie” James Center for Aerospace Science Engineering and Physical Education. All tolled, more than $350 million has been invested in campus construction and

infrastructure, and the University’s endowment grew from less than $15 million to more than $102 million. The University also created its first Doctor of Philosophy programs under Payton’s tenure. In his earlier life Payton worked at the Ford Foundation as a program officer in higher education and research in New York. He also taught at Howard University in Washington, D.C., before taking the president’s job at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., in 1967. H

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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest

Blackwell Defied Racism, to Become World-Famous Statistician D

avid Harold Blackwell, an eminent statistician at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), who was the first black admitted to the National Academy of Sciences, died July 8, 2010, of complications of a stroke at a hospital in Berkeley. He was 91. Blackwell joined UC Berkeley’s faculty in 1954 and was the first tenured black professor in the school’s history. He later chaired the Department of Statistics, one of the world’s top centers for mathematical statistics, and served as president in 1955 of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, an international Brother David H. professional and scholarly society. Blackwell in later years, after retiring A mathematician as well as a in 1988. Inset: statistician, Brother Blackwell contributed Blackwell during his classroom to many fields, including probability theory, days at UC Berkeley game theory and information theory. in the 1950s. “He had this great talent for making things appear simple. He liked elegance and simplicity,” said Peter Bickel, a UC Berkeley professor who knew Blackwell since 1960. “Blackwell was a wonderful man and, given the trials and tribulations of his life, a very optimistic person.” According to Bickel, Blackwell was known for his independent invention of dynamic programming, which is used today in finance and in various areas of science, including genome analysis. He also is known for the renewal theorem, used today in areas of engineering, and for independently developing the Rao-Blackwell Theorem, a fundamental concept in modern statistics. Teaching was Blackwell’s other passion. In explaining why he liked to teach mathematics, he once said that “in transmitting it, you appreciate its beauty all over again.” During his career, he also participated in United Nations conferences on educational development in Africa, and was selected by the Mathematical Association of America to visit 30 colleges and give 120 lectures throughout the southern U.S. from 1959-60 to enhance mathematical education in undergraduate colleges, many of them historically black institutions. Blackwell was born in Centralia, a small town in southern Illinois, on April 24, 1919, as the oldest child of a railway worker.

He taught himself to read by looking at the words and pictures on seed packages. At 16, he enrolled at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign (UIUC) in 1935. While matriculating, he joined Alpha Phi Alpha, initiated at Tau Chapter. At the time, there were no black professors there. He graduated with three degrees, all in math. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1938, his master’s in 1939, and his doctorate in 1941 at the age of 22. After graduating, Blackwell completed a fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., one of the top research institutes in the nation that included Albert Einstein and John von Neumann among its fellows. After completing the fellowship, he expected to get a teaching position at nearby Princeton University; however, Blackwell left when, because of his race, he was denied the right to attend lectures or do research at Princeton University. He later took a teaching job at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., and at Clark College in Atlanta, Ga., before joining the faculty of Howard University (HU) in 1944. By 1947, he had become a full professor and head of the mathematics department at HU, a position he held until 1954. While at Howard, Blackwell became interested in statistics. He and colleague Abe Girshick, cowrote the book Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49 Theory of Games and Statistical Decisions in 1954–a textbook still in use a halfcentury later. Even before Blackwell moved to Howard, he was courted by UC Berkeley and was nearly offered a job there. However, the idea was met with protest from the wife of the mathematics department chairman. She was a Texas native who liked to invite the math faculty to dinner occasionally, and she said she “was not going to have that darky in her house,” according to Blackwell’s recollection in an oral history interview with Illinois Alumni magazine. After World War II, however, Blackwell arrived in 1954 as a visiting professor and joined the statistics department as a full professor when the department split off from the mathematics department in 1955. He became chair of the department between 1957 and 1961 and served as assistant dean of the College of Letters and Science between 1964 and 1968. In 1965, he became the first African-American elected to the National Academy of Sciences, whose members advise the president and members of Congress. In 1979, Blackwell was awarded the John von Neumann Theory Prize from the Operations Research Society of America and the Institute of Management Sciences for his “many contributions in probability theory, mathematical statistics, and game theory that have strengthened the methodology of operations research and management science” and in particular for developing the theory of Markovian decision processes. (The previous year’s winners were John Nash (the schizophrenic professor portrayed by actor Russell Crowe in the 2001 film ‘A Beautiful Mind’) and Carlton Lemke for their work on noncooperative games. After a long and stellar career, Blackwell retired in 1988. He had managed to mentor 65 Ph.D. students, write two books and publish more than 80 papers. He held 12 honorary degrees, including ones from Harvard, Yale, Carnegie Mellon and Howard universities and from the National University of Lesotho. H

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Earnest Wallace, Educator and Mentor, Led Alpha Southwest to New Heights

arnest L. Wallace, 82, a 1948 graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn., with a degree in education, embraced the idea of a higher education for young adults. Entering college at just 15 years old, Brother Wallace was an innovator in education arena all of his adult life. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, he left the Lone Star State for school, and after graduating, he returned to make Dallas his home. He worked in the Dallas Independent School District staffing, a classroom as a teacher for several years before accepting a job as a principal. After retiring from the school district, he taught mathematics at Bishop College and El Centro Junior College in Dallas. Initiated in 1945 at Alpha Chi Chapter while at Fisk, Wallace was very active in his 65 years as a member of Alpha—especially in advocating the fraternity’s educational goals. He spent 58 of his 65 years at Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter in Dallas, Texas, where he founded Alpha Merit Group Committee, Inc. (AMGC) in 1964. The AMGC was a forerunner of other educational nonprofit foundations across the United States, designed to help students who had the grades to get into college, but needed financial assistance to pay for tuition and other expenses. To support his vision of how to approach this task he consulted and corralled brothers in his chapter. He realized that financial contributions would be critical if the plan to develop a scholarship program was to be more than just a dream, but a reality. Students and parents saw the need and gravitated toward the program, and in short order local businesses recognized the value, got on board, and support grew. Wallace and the precursors of the program designed it so it would enhance leadership skills, promote academic excellence, and broaden social skills of young, upcoming African-American males from grades seven through twelve. And it worked. Firmly committed to excellence in scholarship, the Alpha Merit Committee Program began with 85 boys from predominately black schools in Dallas. Since that time, the program has mentored more than 35,000 young men and awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships. Wallace also became the first member of Alpha Sigma Lambda Chapter to serve two terms: 1954 to 1956 and again from 1973 to 1975. With his zest for the fraternity, he also served as chapter historian and in 2001, the brothers honored Wallace by making him historian emeritus of the chapter. Wallace did not let his talent stay in the confines of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He was also a regional and national leader: he served as regional vice president of the fraternity’s Southwestern Region and sat on the fraternity’s national Board of Directors. He entered Omega Chapter on March 31, 2010. H

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest

Young Was Doctor Who Made “Alpha” House Calls for 72 Years By William V. Hampton and Rick Blalock

nyone who frequented General Conventions the last half of the 20th century may have recognized the tall gray-haired gentleman who always wore a high-yellow-gold baseball jacket embroidered with the letters of Alpha Phi Alpha and who always carried a vintage brown briefcase stuffed with fraternity reports and other papers. He was the brother who, with his wife, always drove his RV to conventions—his chance to see the countryside, he said, and avoid paying for rooms at convention hotels. That man was Brother Watson A. Young, M.D. Young, 94, was known for his commitment to, and advocacy for, life membership and the fraternity’s Life Membership Committee. He served several years as committee chairman in the 1980s. Over several decades, he also sponsored—in many cases outright paid for—several brothers’ (including college brothers’) life-membership fees. Initiated Dec. 1, 1937, Young was for many years the oldestliving alumnus member of Epsilon Chapter at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, Mich. He remained active with Theta Zeta Lambda Chapter in Ann Arbor until he died. He logged 72 years of uninterrupted membership in the fraternity and had less than 10 unexcused absences from alumni chapter meetings in a 40-year span, from 1963 to 2003. During his long life, Young broke barriers and blazed trails upon which many African Americans now travel. At the time Young was born, in Abbeville, S.C., in 1915, Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was not yet published; the United States military was still segregated; public schools were not yet integrated; Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X nor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were not born; Booker T. Washington was still living; America had not entered World War I; women could not vote; juries could not include African-American members, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund had yet to be established. Young’s family moved to the Detroit suburb of Inkster in 1923 in search of better opportunities After high school, Young worked at a local Ford Motor Company facility to help pay his way through college. In 1942, despite never being allowed to live in U-M dorms because of his skin color, Young graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School. No hospital in Michigan would give him an internship. However, with the help of a fellow Alpha brother, he interned at black owned-andoperated Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, Mo.

U-M Medical School graduate Dr. Watson A. Young in 1942.

Young as national life membership chairman in 1987.

The familiar jacket worn by Brother Watson A. Young to conventions and his Alpha briefcase were on display during a September dinner in his honor.

Young vowed to return to Michigan as a full-fledged doctor. He later opened his first office in his parents’ home, before becoming the first black doctor with a practice in Belleville, Mich., a neighboring city to Ann Arbor, where he served his community until he retired in 1980. “Watson always told us younger brothers, that we shouldn’t be so much working for our money, but that our money should be working for us,” said Brother Rick Blalock, who was a neophyte member at U-M Dearborn when Young paid for a bulk of Blalock’s life membership fee in 1988. “Brother Young was a doctor, but also a smart businessman.” Young entered Omega Chapter Jan. 18, 2010. In true Watson Young style he entrusted his brief case and jacket to the care of brothers, and many of his papers and other memorabilia to be preserved at U-M and Epsilon Chapter. He chose not to have a public funeral or memorial, instead bequeathing funds with directions for brothers to host a fraternal dinner in his memory; to enjoy one another’s company and fellowship, to continue the true spirit of fraternity—even after he was gone. The brothers honored that request and celebrated his life in September in Ann Arbor. H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest

At 44, University Dean Oliver Wilson Still Had So Much More To Do

ancer does not discriminate. It triumph over personal adversity; cotakes the young, the old, the black chaired the Team Against Bias, and the white, the good and the evil. But it was instrumental in establishing the really hurts when it takes someone like University’s bias-incident protocol; Oliver Wilson. advised numerous student organizations; Brother Wilson, it seemed, not only and served on the Intercultural had everything going for him—married Awareness Council and the Diversity with three children and a successful Assessment Committee. career—he also was making a big President Thomas J. Haas said he difference in other people’s lives. As dean was saddened by the news and for the of multicultural affairs at Grand Valley loss of a friend. He reflected on Wilson’s leadership skills and said Wilson’s State University in Allendale, Mich., he Brother Oliver Wilson addressing positive impact was widespread. was a key figure in increasing enrollment a crowd on campus in Allendale, Mich. Photo by Grand Valley State “Oliver’s guidance has really helped of black and other minority students. University. us create a better atmosphere, a better But three years ago, cancer crept in, culture for inclusion and acceptance of and from that point on, it was a battle. One diversity in the most positive way at Grand Valley State that Oliver would lose on Aug. 31, 2009. He was only 44. University,” said Haas. “From Oliver’s leadership, we know Too young. Too valuable. Too early to die. better how to learn from each other and gain insight and Wilson joined Grand Valley’s staff in 1997. He worked appreciation of others.” in the admissions office as associate director of minority recruitment. He was promoted to dean of the Office of Wilson earned a doctorate in educational leadership Multicultural Affairs in 2003, the same year he joined Alpha from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich.; Phi Alpha at Eta Nu Lambda Chapter in Grand Rapids, Mich. he received a master’s degree in public administration Wilson left an indelible mark on Grand Valley’s and a bachelor’s degree in business education, both from campus, and served on a number of committees dedicated the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. While at the to inclusion. He helped to establish the Professionals University of Wyoming, Wilson, a native of Chicago, played of Color Lecture Series, bringing national speakers to basketball for the Cowboys. H campus to share their stories of career success and

Douglass T. Baker, 74, of Hattiesburg, Miss., was one of the founders of Mu Gamma Lambda Chapter in Hattiesburg. He was a staunch fighter for equal rights and justice. He became the first African American to integrate the University of Mississippi Law School in Oxford, Miss., at which he earned his Juris Doctor

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degree in 1968. Earlier, he matriculated at Dillard University in New Orleans, La. It was there that he joined Alpha at Beta Phi Chapter in December 1959. Two years later, in 1961, Baker graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Dillard. Baker practiced law in Pascagoula, Miss., and was later elected into the second class of the Robert F. Kennedy Fellows during his tenure at Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas. After returning to Hattiesburg, Baker helped to establish and charter Mu

Gamma Lambda Chapter, of which he served as president, recording secretary and legal counsel. Among other accomplishments, Baker created the Mu Gamma Lambda nonprofit foundation and chaired the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Winter Arts Festival, which continues to raise thousands in educational scholarship money. As an active advocate for civil rights, Baker constantly worked to bring racial reconciliation to light.

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest At the time of his death, he was still engaged in his law practice, actively served as a prominent board member for several organizations, including the local Salvation Army and the Hattiesburg Convention Center, and was a contract attorney with Southeast Mississippi Legal Services. He suffered a heart attack and entered Omega Chapter on March 22, 2010.

Gary G. Bonner, 48, of Cleveland was an initiate of Phi Chapter at Ohio University. He joined Alpha in 1980. Brother Bonner was a husband and father. He entered Omega Chapter on March 8, 2010.

Norman Charlton Sr., 61, of Columbus, Ohio, was a member of Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter in Columbus. Born in Coalwood, W.Va., he attended Bluefield State College in Bluefield, W.Va., where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. Charlton also received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Park College (now Park University) in Parkville, Mo., and he studied at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Charlton worked for more than 20 years with Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and was a member of International Christian Center in Columbus, Ohio. He entered Omega Chapter on Nov. 5, 2009.

Louis Drish, 88, of Chicago, was a member of Alpha since his initiation in 1950 at Tau Chapter at the University of Illinois, Champaign. He earned his bachelor’s degree there and would become a lifelong chemist. Brother Drish also served his country, rising to rank of sergeant during World War II and was a veteran of the Korean conflict as well. He used the G.I. Bill to pay for his college education. Drish remained active with the fraternity until he was no longer able to attend chapter meetings at his alumni chapter, Xi Lambda Chapter in Chicago. He entered Omega Chapter on July 26, 2009. Alvin Howard Floyd, 60, of Gaithersburg, Md., was initiated in 1968 at Gamma Gamma Chapter at Allen University in Columbia,

Blackmon Served in Iraq, But Dies Upon Return Home Life member Franklin C. Blackmon Jr., 35, of Dover, Del., was a member of Zeta Rho Lambda Chapter in Dover. In 1993, he was initiated at Epsilon Pi Chapter at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1997. Brother Blackmon was a major in the U.S. Army Delaware National Guard, and had just spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq. He and the rest of the members of the Guard’s 261st Signal Brigade returned to the United States Sept. 25, where they underwent demobilization processing, including a complete physical, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The tests did not indicate any problems. On October10, Blackmon was rushed to the emergency room for treatment of bacterial meningitis, and his condition deteriorated

over several days. The disorder, an infection of the brain’s membrane, often results in death if not caught and treated within 48 hours.

He entered Omega Chapter on October 15, 2010, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. H

Major Brother Franklin C. Blackmon Jr., center, of Dover, Del., was reunited with his son Curtis, and, from left, daughter Sophia, wife Christine, mother Janet Blackmon and sister Janell at a September 30 ceremony celebrating the return of the 261st Signal Brigade from Iraq. Photo courtesy Arlington National Cemetery. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest

University Professor Broke New Ground in Midwest Eddie V. Easley, 81, of Winston-Salem, N.C., was past president of Alpha Pi Lambda Chapter in Winston-Salem, a chapter he led from 1992 to 1996. Prior to serving as president, he was vice president and chairman of the chapter’s Founders’ Day program. A native of Virginia, Brother Easley spent most of his professional life in Iowa and North Carolina. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Virginia State University in Petersburg, Va., and a master’s and doctorate degrees from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. He served in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Research and Development Agency from 1954 to1956. His professional career took off after that, all while breaking barriers at the same time. In 1957, Easley joined Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He was the first African American to be hired by the University in a tenure-track position. He eventually became a full professor and chair of the Marketing Department from 1966 to 1984. He was chosen as Drake’s Teacher of the Year in 1968. In 1977, he received the Faculty Service Award. He also spent time teaching and conducting research at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wis. After leaving Drake in 1984 to be closer to his aging mother in Virginia, he joined the faculty of the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. He taught classes in marketing and created a sports-marketing class. He retired in 1999, but continued to teach part time for several years. S.C. He was last active with Xi Xi Lambda Chapter in Frederick, Md. Brother Floyd, who was born in Laurens, S.C., received his early education in the public school system of Laurens County, S.C., and he graduated with honors from Sanders High School in 1967. He graduated magna cum laude, in 1970, from Allen University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. He then went on to study pharmacy at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he was among the first black students to graduate from the program in 1974.

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Brother Easley teaching in the classroom.

Easley, initiated in 1946 at Beta Gamma Chapter, while matriculating in Virginia, remained active for more than 62 years and became a life member of the fraternity. He held membership in four chapters, was president of two, served as faculty advisor to two college chapters, and was selected Chapter Brother of the Year. He was a delegate to several regional and national conventions and was also chairman of the fraternity’s Public Policy Committee. Outside of Alpha, Easley was quite active too. He was a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (Gamma Kappa Boule), affiliated with YMCA programs, and volunteered in the Cancer Support Program at Wake Forest University Medical Center. Easley’s legacy in Alpha continues with two sons and one son-in-law, who are fraternity members. He entered Omega Chapter on Jan.13, 2010, after fighting a 15-year battle with cancer. H

He later became the first AfricanAmerican pharmacist employed by Eckerd Pharmacy in Rock Hill, S.C. He broke another racial barrier when he was among the first African-American pharmacists at Giant Foods stores in Maryland. Floyd would spend the next 35 years practicing pharmacy in South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. An avid sports enthusiast, Floyd’s favorite sports were basketball and football. He was very active for many years in multiple basketball leagues. Once

he decided to hang up his gym shoes, he continued to enjoy both sports by attending high school games and following his favorite teams, the Clemson University Tigers, University of South Carolina Gamecocks, and the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. He entered Omega Chapter on Feb. 3, 2010.

Thomas E. Greene, 70, was a native of Mobile, Ala. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Dillard University in New Orleans, La., where he was initiated in 1959 at Beta Phi Chapter. He received

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest a master of arts degree at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala. Greene had a distinguished career as an educator, for 31 years, with the Mobile County Public Schools system; during that time, he served as a teacher, counselor, administrative dean, assistant principal and principal. Following retirement, he served for seven years as the training coordinator with Atlantic Marine and Alabama Shipyards. Brother Greene was involved in many professional, civic and social

organizations and received numerous awards and honors for his service to the church, the community and to the field of education. At the time of his transition, he was serving as executive director of 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, Inc. He was a member of Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society, the Alabama Education Association, National Education Association, and the Alabama Retired Teacher’s AssociationUnit 11. He had also served as president of the National African-

American Archives & Museum in Mobile. Greene held numerous positions within the fraternity, including chaplain, recording secretary, president of the Beta Omicron Lambda Chapter in Mobile, deputy state director and secretary for the State of Alabama. He was also an active member of Bethel AME Church in Mobile; he served in many capacities within the church, including chairperson pro tem of the steward board, past president and member of the local AME Lay

Foster was a fellow of the Rosenwald General Education Board at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, from 1953 to 1955 for doctorate studies. On June 1, 1946, he became director of bands at FAMU, with 16 members, and he created what is known today as “The Most Imitated Marching Band in America.” His textbook Band Pageantry: A Guide for the Marching Band is considered to be the bible for the marching band. Foster is also the author of the book The Man Behind the Baton Foster also is the composer of ‘Marche Brillante,’ ‘National Honors March,’ ‘March Continental’ and Centennial Celebration.’

The university bestowed upon him an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree in 1998. Often called The Law and The Maestro, Foster served as the band’s director from 1946 to his retirement in 1998. He is credited with revolutionizing marching band techniques and reshaping the world’s concept of the collegiate marching-band. He brought more than 30 new techniques to the bands which have now become standard operating procedure for high school and college bands nationwide. Under Foster’s direction, the Marching “100” has appeared in films, commercials, numerous magazine and newspaper articles and nationally televised performances. In January 1993, the band appeared in the Inaugural parade for former president Bill Clinton. “Dr. Foster was a legend during his reign and will always be remembered as a key figure in the life and history of FAMU, helping to build our brand not only in America, but internationally,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “He left an indelible mark on this university. His work will live on at FAMU and in bands across this nation and the world.” H

Foster Earned His Divine Moniker “Dean of America’s Band Directors” William P. Foster, credited with innovating a much-imitated highstepping style as founder and longtime director of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Marching 100 band, entered Omega Chapter on Aug. 28, 2010, in Tallahassee. He was 91. Brother Foster joined Alpha Phi Alpha at Upsilon Chapter at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., in 1939. A native of Kansas City, Kan., he began his music career by learning to play the clarinet at age 12. While in high school, his talent was recognized, and he was appointed student director of the Sumner High School Orchestra. In 1936, he became the director of an all-city band. Foster received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., in 1941; a Master of Arts in Music degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich., in 1950; a doctorate in education, with a major in music, from Teachers College at Columbia University in New York, N.Y., in 1955.

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O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest Organization; class leader; teacher of the Ladies Bible Class; member of the Commission of Stewardship and Finance; and teacher of the New Members Class. Greene entered Omega Chapter on March 12, 2010.

Joseph H. Isom, 85, was a member of Iota Lambda Chapter in Indianapolis, Ind. He was initiated into Alpha at Alpha at Eta Chapter in St. Louis, Mo., in 1948. Brother Isom grew up in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis University. In 1952, he moved to Indianapolis, working for the General Accounting Office. He was also employed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He also established the Isom Enterprises Real Estate. A 33rd Degree Mason and charter member of Sumner A. Furniss Lodge, Isom was also a founder of a local Boy Scouts of America troop. He entered Omega Chapter on Feb. 25, 2009. Jeremy B. Jones, of Augusta, Ga., was a young college brother at Paine College in Augusta. He was a member of Eta Alpha Chapter. Brothers of Alpha Chi Lambda Chapter, the alumni chapter in Augusta, offered assistance to Brother Jones’ fellow Eta Alpha brothers, with the official Omega service and ceremony, presentation of the Transfer to Omega Chapter Resolution and a donation of funds to assist his family. Jones suffered from heart attack. He entered Omega Chapter on Oct. 24, 2009.

Chellis Madison, 82, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was a life member and faithful servant of Alpha Phi Alpha. He was initiated in 1949 at Alpha Zeta Chapter while a student at West Virginia State University in Institute, W.Va. Before matriculating he served in

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the U.S. Army Air Corps (forerunner of the Air Force) during World War II. After his military service, Brother Madison attended Bluefield State University in Bluefield, W.Va., and later transferred to West Virginia State, where he graduated cum laude in 1951, with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. He worked in the insurance industry in Newark, N.J., and in Columbus, Ohio, before moving to Cleveland in 1955 to work for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. A member of St. Timothy Missionary Baptist Church, where he helped establish its credit union, Madison was known as civic-minded and took pride in his community. In addition to his work with the fraternity’s Delta Alpha Lambda Chapter in Cleveland, he was a member of the Heights Community Congress and served as its treasurer. Madison entered Omega Chapter on Aug. 29, 2010.

Marc S. Maynor Sr., 31, of Round Rock, Texas, was an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha wherever he was living. Born in Detroit, Mich., Brother Maynor’s fraternal life began at Claflin University (CU) in Organgeburg, S.C., when he was initiated at Delta Alpha Chapter in fall 1998. He graduated summa cum laude in 2000, with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. While at CU, Maynor was a standout student. He participated in student government, was in the honors college, and completed multiple summer internships. He later attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky., at which he earned his Master of Science degree in chemistry. While in Lexington, Maynor affiliated with Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter. In 2006, he added another degree to his resume—a Doctor of Philosophy degree in physical organic chemistry from the University of South Carolina (USC) in Columbia, S.C. During his time

at USC he affiliated with Omicron Iota Lambda Chapter. He was awarded a coveted postdoctoral position at the University of Texas, followed by the offer of a tenuretrack faculty position in chemistry at the University of Louisville in 2010. Maynor was married and had one young son. He entered Omega Chapter on March 28, 2010, after a courageous battle with colon cancer.

Jackie Roy McCracken, 62, of Mobile, Ala., was a member of Beta Omicron Lambda Chapter in Mobile, Ala. He was initiated at Gamma Phi Chapter at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) (TU) in Tuskegee, Ala. A native of Selma, Ala., McCracken earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Architecture degree–both in 1971–at Tuskegee Institute. Brother McCracken designed many churches in Mobile and throughout Alabama, including Truevine Missionary Baptist Church, which was featured in Design Cost & Data magazine. He also designed Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Selma, Ala., and an addition to Macedonia Missionary Baptist church in Daphne, Ala. Some of his other projects included an addition to the Chickasaw City Hall building, medical offices and homes in Mobile, Tuskegee, and Selma. McCracken also worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, from which he retired in 1997. He was licensed as an architect by the State of Alabama and was certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Broads. In addition to his fraternal obligations with Alpha, McCracken served on various Mobile-area boards, including The Murray House assisted-living facility, The Mobile Museum, and Wilmer Hall children’s

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest home; he also served on the board of Architectural Review magazine. He served as chairman of the Black Heritage Council of the Alabama Historical Commission, receiving a Special Meritorious Service Award. He was also a member of the American Institute of Architects and served and president of the Mobile-Tuskegee Club. He was also a member of The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, where he served as a chalice bearer, lay reader, Bible-study leader, and a member of the vestry.

McCracken entered Omega Chapter on Jan. 1, 2010.

Robert “Bob” L. Myers, 91, was a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and a successful businessman and community leader. Born in the Midwestern town of Hannibal, Mo., Myers and his family moved to Omaha, Neb., when he was four. After his elementary and secondary education he enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he joined Alpha at Beta Chapter in 1938. He

Syphax Dies at 99, Led Howard University’s Department of Surgery Dr. Burke “Mickey” Syphax, a pioneering surgeon and an educational pillar who helped steer Howard University College of Medicine through one of its most turbulent periods and helped train most of Washington D.C.’s African-American surgeons, entered Omega Chapter on July 19, 2010. Syphax died of kidney failure at Howard University Hospital in the District. He was 99. Brother Syphax, one of the first medical residents trained in the Howard University Department of Surgery, was a faculty member under Dr. Charles R. Drew in 1950 when Drew, a medical giant who revolutionized health care through his system of storing blood plasma, died following an automobile accident. Syphax is credited with helping keep the medical school’s faculty, staff and students together following the untimely loss of Drew, then chair of the Department of Surgery. Syphax was chief of the Division of General Surgery from 1950 to 1970 and professor and chair of the Howard’s Department of Surgery from 1958 to 1970. During those periods, he trained 61 surgeons and helped train over 90 percent of the surgeons in the metropolitan Washington area. In his years at Howard, he taught some 5,000 medical students and helped train approximately 275 general surgeons. In the operating room, Syphax was known for his making difficult diagnoses. Because of his superb diagnostic acumen, clinical judgment and technical dexterity, he was often called the “Master of the Abdomen.” After leaving the surgery department chairmanship in 1970, he continued serving as a senior professor at Howard until his retirement in 1978. Syphax graduated from Dunbar High School in 1928

also attended San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. Myers partnered with his father in the family funeral-home company, Nebraska’s oldest, continuously operated African-American owned business. He stayed at the helm alongside his brother until their retirement. Following tradition they handed down the business to the next generation of Myers. Myers was very active in his church. At Zion Baptist Church in Omaha, Myers served as a member of the trustee board

and received a bachelor’s degree at Howard University, where he played tennis and basketball, in 1932. He graduated from Howard’s medical school in 1936 and interned at Freedmen’s Hospital, now known as Howard University Hospital. He received the Department of Surgery’s first Distinguished Surgeon’s Award, the department’s Brother Burke Syphax highest honor, in 1974. In 1978, the College of Medicine’s annual Charles R. Drew Lecture at Howard’s medical school was renamed the Drew-Syphax Lecture and Seminar in the late 1970s, to honor two of the department’s most outstanding faculty members. Syphax received numerous awards and was a member of many professional organizations, including the Washington Academy of Surgery and the National Medical Association. He was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. In 2008, the Department of Surgery renamed its minimally invasive, bariatric, surgical endoscopy and colorectal cancer service the Syphax Service in his honor. Dr. Edward Cornwell III, surgeon-in-chief at Howard University Hospital and the chair of the Department of Surgery at the College of Medicine said Syphax was one of the cornerstones of medicine at Howard University. “He has been part of the Howard family for over 80 years,” Dr. Cornwell said. “Dr Syphax’s stabilizing influence--following the presence of three chairs in seven years from 1950-1957 is a seminal feature in the history of this Department. His impact on our craft through his clinical mastery, research and teaching and training of generations of medical students and surgical residents is incalculable.” H Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest and chairman of the finance committee. An accomplished tenor and baritone, he also sang in the church choirs. Myers was active in numerous civic and community organizations. During the 1960s, he felt compelled to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He became a life member of the NAACP and treasurer of the local National Urban League affiliate. He and his family often participated in picket lines, in the struggle to overturn racial discrimination. On the political front, Myers was the first African-American male appointed, and then elected in a citywide election, to serve on the Board of Education for the Omaha Public Schools. During his tenure (1963 to 1969), he fought behind the scenes to create greater opportunities for black educators.

In addition to Alpha, Myers was affiliated with the Omaha Benedict Club, and he was a Mason. He entered Omega Chapter on Nov. 25, 2009.

Ohio, was a prominent educator, minister and past president of Delta Alpha Lambda Chapter in Cleveland. He was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and attended Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio. While there he joined Alpha Phi Alpha at Xi Chapter in 1941, and two years later, in 1943, graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. Brother Tanner served in the U.S. Army and returned to Portsmouth,

where he taught school, and along with his wife, began raising their four children. Tanner returned to school in 1959, attending Columbia University in New York, as a Ford Foundation Fellow. He earned a master’s degree there in 1960 and then relocated to Cleveland. Tanner made a tremendous mark on the education community of Cleveland. Most notably he was the first African-American top-level administer in the Cleveland Public Schools, serving as deputy superintendent in the late sixties. As deputy superintendent, Tanner helped to find inclusive textbooks and integrate school staffs. In 1981, Tanner earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He was also a very active member of his church, St. James African

“Big Daddy” Sutton Was Mentor to College Brothers

An active member of the community, Sutton worked with the local Head Start programs in Leflore County and other Mississippi Delta counties; he was involved with government and elections and he also was an official refereeing games for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Sutton was initiated into Alpha at Epsilon Xi Lambda Chapter in Mound

Bayou, Miss., in 1963. He was a charter member and remained active with Rho Gamma Lambda Chapter in Greenwood, Miss. From 1969 until 2010 he served as chapter advisor to college brothers in the Zeta Phi Chapter at MVSU. He entered Omega Chapter at University Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., after complications from surgery, on Oct. 27, 2010. H

Lawrence M. Sutton Sr, 86, was know to everyone who knew him as “Big Daddy.” Brother Sutton, a native of Monticello Miss., joined the U.S. Army in 1944. After serving two years, he enrolled in college at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology education in 1950. He later received a master’s degree. His teaching career began in Belzoni, Miss., where he not only worked in the classroom, but also as an assistant principal, before becoming a principal at a high school in Louise, Miss. By 1964, Sutton left secondary education and took a position at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) in Itta Bena, Miss., first as a professor in the Biology Department until 1972, and then as the school’s registrar. He retired in 1983. 66 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

James R. Tanner Sr., 88, of Cleveland,

Brother Lawrence “Big Daddy” Sutton, center, with protégés; at left, Brothers Gary A. McGaha, a 1969 Zeta Phi Chapter alumnus, now president of Atlanta Technical College; and at right, Alpha General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. Sutton was being honored at the 40th anniversary of Zeta Phi Chapter in 2009.

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest Methodist Episcopal, at which he served as associate pastor. In addition to his work in Alpha, Tanner served as president of the alumni association at Wilberforce University and served on the school’s board of trustees. He was also vice president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. He entered Omega Chapter on Jan.19, 2010.

Robert F. Thomas, 76, of Orangeburg, S.C., was a member of Delta Zeta Lambda Chapter in Orangeburg and a former fraternity state executive secretary in South Carolina. An Atlanta native, Brother Thomas served in the U.S. Air Force before attending and graduating from Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) in Atlanta, Ga. At Clark he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree. He later earned a master’s degree in religious education from the Gammon Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. In 1980 he added the Doctor of Education degree in music education to his vita, graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He spent the bulk of his career at Claflin University in Orangeburg, where in 44 years he was professor of music as well as chairman of the music department. Thomas was not only active in Alpha. He was affiliated with the National Education Association, Music Teachers National Association, American Guild of Organists, the National Association of Negro Musicians and the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church Commission on Worship among others. He entered Omega Chapter on Oct. 30, 2008.

Anthony C. Warren, 70, of Westerville, Ohio, was a longtime member of Alpha Rho Lambda Chapter in Columbus, Ohio. In 1949, he was initiated at Kappa Chapter at The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus. Brother Warren was a buckeye through and through. Born in Columbus, he earned a bachelor’s degree in education at OSU, and a master’s degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati. After graduate study at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, he returned to Ohio. During his long business-andgovernment career he served as vice president of Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio, as an administrator with the City of Columbus and operated a restaurant. After 25 years of service to the state, he retired from the Ohio Department of Development. He entered Omega Chapter on March 11, 2010. Daniel T. Williams Jr., 78, of Hollywood, Fla., was a longtime archivist at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala., and a member of Alpha Nu Lambda Chapter of the fraternity. A native of Miami, Fla., Williams received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1956 at West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University) in Institute, W.Va., where he majored in Spanish and history. He received a Master of Science in library science degree at the University of Illinois-Urbana, in Urbana, Ill., in 1957. He received a certificate from the Archival Administration, American University/National Archives, in Washington, D.C., in 1969. His postgraduate study was conducted at the University of Michigan (in 1973) and the University of Chicago (in 1974). He earned a doctorate in education at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., in 1987. He received the honor of Certified Archivist

from the Academy of Certified Archivist in 1989. He was named a fellow of the Society of American Archivists in 1992. Williams’ professional experience began as a serials librarian–a position he held from 1957 to 1966–at Tuskegee University (TU) in Tuskegee, Ala. He was director of TU’s Professional Libraries from 1966 to 1968. From 1968 until his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, in 1999, he held the positions of university archivist and assistant professor; and since 1987, he had served as curator of the Daniel “Chappie” James Memorial Hall at the campus’ General Daniel “Chappie” James Center for Aerospace Science and Health Education. Outside the campus setting, Williams was very active in the archivaland-history profession, serving as a board member of various organizations, including the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, National Register Review Board, and the Booker T. Washington Papers Project at the University of Maryland. He was a consultant to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Ga., the King Papers Project at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., and the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond Grove, Mo. He was also an active member of the Society of American Archivists (SAA), for which he served on numerous committees, including the editorial board of The American Archivist and as a founding member and two-term co-chair of the Archivists and Archives of Color Roundtable. In 1992, he was selected as an SAA Fellow, the highest honor bestowed on individuals by the Society, awarded for outstanding contributions to the archival profession. After 42 years of service to Tuskegee, Williams retired in May 1999 and returned to his home state of Florida. He entered Omega Chapter on June 24, 2010. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest OMEGA CHAPTER LISTING Below is a listing of member of Omega Chapter, for whom limited information was submitted to The Sphinx. For each member, we list the name; the life member number if applicable; the last-known chapter of membership and its location; the chapter of initiation, its location, and the year of initiation; and the date the member entered Omega Chapter. Corrections or additions may be sent via e-mail to sphinx@apa1906.net or via U.S. mail, using the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s postal mailing address.

Marcus D. Barnes Last-known chapter: Theta Mu - Sam Chapter of initiation: Theta Mu - Sam Houston State Univ., Huntsville, TX Date entered Omega Chapter: July 3, 2009

Lionel C. Barrow Jr. Last-known chapter: Kappa Phi Lambda - Columbia, MD, Iota Upsilon Lambda; Silver Spring, MD Chapter of initiation: Alpha Rho Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA Date entered Omega Chapter: January 23, 2009

Jason Benning Last-known chapter: Eta Lambda Atlanta, GA Chapter of initiation: Iota - Morris Brown College, Atlanta, GA Date entered Omega Chapter: November 5, 2009

Lowell J. Bethel, LM # 2883 Last-known chapter: Gamma Eta Lambda - Austin, TX Chapter of initiation: Rho - Philadelphia, PA Date entered Omega Chapter: January 3, 2009 William Berry Black, LM # 8424 Last-known chapter: Epsilon Epsilon Lambda - Waco, TX Date entered Omega Chapter: May 13, 2010

68 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

Samuel Lewis Boykins

Lynzie Garrett, LM # 1255

Last-known chapter: Delta Delta Albany State Univ., Albany, GA Chapter of initiation: Detla Delta Albany State Univ., Albany, GA Date entered Omega Chapter: May 9, 2010

Last-known chapter: Alpha Eta Lambda - Houston, TX Chapter of initiation: Gamma Upsilon Lambda - Marshall, TX Date entered Omega Chapter: January 12, 2009

Edward G. Brown Last-known chapter: Alpha Upsilon Lambda - Montgomery, AL Chapter of initiation: Beta Upsilon Alabama State Univ., Montgomery, AL Date entered Omega Chapter: November 11, 2009

Frederick A.L. Glass, LM # 489 Last-known chapter: Nu Tau Lambda Pasadena, CA Chapter of initiation: Delta Eta Lambda - West Palm Beach, FL Date entered Omega Chapter: December 17, 2009

Joe Burns

Roy Henderson

Last-known chapter: Alpha Tau Lambda - Tulsa, OK Date entered Omega Chapter: January 2009

Last-known chapter: Gamma Xi Lambda - Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Chapter of initiation: Beta Kappa Langston, Univ., Langston, OK Date entered Omega Chapter: June 22, 2009

John E. Bynoe, LM # 6619 Last-known chapter: Epsilon Gamma Lambda - Boston, MA Chapter of initiation: Sigma - Boston Univ./Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA, 1955 Date entered Omega Chapter: August 13, 2009

Milton Hill Last-known chapter: Eta Iota Lambda - Athens, GA Chapter of initiation: Delta Alpha Claflin Univ., Orangeburg, SC Date entered Omega Chapter: September 18, 2009

Charlie Callier Last-known chapter: Eta Lambda Atlanta, GA Chapter of initiation: Iota - Morris Brown College, Atlanta, GA, 1947 Date entered Omega Chapter: May 29, 2010

Fred E. Hutt II, LM # 8536 Last-known chapter: Gamma Lambda - Detroit, MI Chapter of initiation: Gamma Lambda - Detroit, MI Date entered Omega Chapter: January 1, 2009

Gerald Carrington, LM # 10448 Last-known chapter: Alpha Eta Lambda - Houston, TX Chapter of initiation: Epsilon Iota - Austin, TX Date entered Omega Chapter: March 25, 2009

Isaac Johnson, LM # 7121 Last-known chapter: Zeta Sigma Lambda - San Diego, CA Chapter of initiation: Zeta Sigma Lambda - San Diego, CA, 1979 Date entered Omega Chapter: July 19, 2009

O M E G A : Chapter of Sweet Rest Richard L. Johnson, LM # 3744

Floyd Narcisse

C. Douglass Rockhold Jr.

Last-known chapter: Zeta Epsilon Lambda - Red Bank, NJ Chapter of initiation: Beta Epsilon - North Carolina A&T State Univ., Greensboro, NC Date entered Omega Chapter: March 21, 2010

Last-known chapter: Mu Theta University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL Chapter of initiation: Theta Iota Lambda - Springfield, MA Date entered Omega Chapter: December 30, 2009

Last-known chapter: Zeta Delta Lambda - Springfield, OH Chapter of initiation: Alpha Zeta - West Virginia State Univ., Institute, WV, 1949 Date entered Omega Chapter: January 20, 2009

Melvin Rogers Richard Jordan, LM # 6850

Charles H. Nelson Jr.

Last-known chapter: Alpha Upsilon Lambda - Montgomery, AL Chapter of initiation: Beta Upsilon Date entered Omega Chapter: January 27, 2010

Last-known chapter: Eta Lambda Atlanta, GA Chapter of initiation: Alpha Eta St. Louis, MO Date entered Omega Chapter: July 30, 2009

Roy L. Kendall Last-known chapter: Eta Lambda Atlanta, GA Chapter of initiation: Gamma Zeta Fort Valley State Univ., Fort Valley, GA Date entered Omega Chapter: April 30, 2010

Raymond Parker Last-known chapter: Alpha Tau Lambda - Tulsa, OK Date entered Omega Chapter: April 2010

Lyman S. Parks Calion Lockridge Last-known chapter: Alpha Tau Lambda - Tulsa, OK Date entered Omega Chapter: March 4, 2010

Last-known chapter: Eta Nu Lambda Grand Rapids, MI Chapter of initiation: Xi – Wilberforce Univ., Wilberforce, OH Date entered Omega Chapter: November 4, 2009

Edgar H. Mims, LM # 2350 Last-known chapter: Sigma Lambda New Orleans, LA Date entered Omega Chapter: June 26, 2009

George H. Muse, LM # 101529 Last-known chapter: Eta Delta Lambda - Monroe, LA Date entered Omega Chapter: December 2009 TO ALL OUR BROTHERS IN OMEGA CHAPTER ...

MAY YOU REST IN PEACE

Lee R. Perry Last-known chapter: Iota Pi Lambda Richmond Heights, FL Chapter of initiation: Beta Theta – Bluefield State College, Bluefield, WV, 1937 Date entered Omega Chapter: December 27, 2009

Last-known chapter: Eta Delta Lambda - Monroe, LA Date entered Omega Chapter: November 2009

Levi M. Terrill Sr. Last-known chapter: Eta Lambda Atlanta, GA Chapter of initiation: Alpha Rho, 1957 Date entered Omega Chapter: December 3, 2009

Wyatt Burghardt Turner Last-known chapter: Iota Upsilon Lambda - Silver Spring, MD Chapter of initiation: Beta Mu Kentucky State Univ. Date entered Omega Chapter: January 11, 2009

Wyman Wiggins, Sr. Last-known chapter: Beta Tau Lambda - Fort Worth, TX Chapter of initiation: Beta Alpha Morgan State College, Baltimore, MD Date entered Omega Chapter: April 18, 2010

OMEGA CHAPTER SUBMISSION GUIDELINES If you know of any brother who has transitioned to Omega Chapter within the last year, please forward the information to The Sphinx via your chapter’s associate editor. Associate editors or other members should e-mail a high-resolution image along with text of no more than 125 words about the brother. Text should include: member’s name, year and chapter of initiation, current chapter, academic and career information, outstanding achievements and awards, fraternity activities, date of death, cause of death (if published), and city in which the brother resided. Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

Henry Arthur Callis

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

70 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr. president@apa1906.net Immediate Past General President Darryl R. Matthews, Sr. drmatthews@apa1906.net General Treasurer Hyacinth Ahuruonye generaltreasurer@apa1906.net Comptroller Frank A. Jenkins, III frankaj@bellsouth.net Regional Vice President - East Sean McCaskill vicepresident@alphaeast.com Regional Vice President - Midwest Mark Tillman marktillman@comcast.net Regional Vice President - South James L. Crumel southvp@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - Southwest Roderick Smothers southwestvp@apa1906.net Regional Vice President - West Aaron Crutison westvp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President East Jonathan G. Leon eastavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President Midwest Cameron Thierry midwestavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President South Kenneth J. Wright Jr. southavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President Southwest Christopher Harvey southwestavp@apa1906.net Regional Assistant Vice President West Mario Carroll westavp@apa1906.net General Counsel Keith A. Bishop keithbishop@keithbishoplaw.com

Charles Henry Chapman

Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer William Douglass Lyle wdlylel@apa1906.net APPOINTED OFFICERS Historian Robert L. Harris, Jr. rlh10@cornell.edu Director of General Conventions Justin Shamell director.conventions@apa1906.net GENERAL CONVENTION OFFICIALS Parliamentarian Anderson C. Elridge, III aelridge1906@aol.com Chaplain William E. Flippin, Sr. srpastor@pineygrovebapt.org Sergeant of Arms Ron Russell ronstony@hotmail.com GENERAL CONVENTION COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN RULES & CREDENTIALS Desmond M. Ables desmondables@hotmail.com AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENT Herman Clifton Johnson jklift@bellsouth.net GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE Hervery B. O. Young, Esq. pathfinder1906@juno.com STANDING COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN CONSTITUTION Ricky L. Blalock rlblalock@aol.com ENDOWMENT & CAPITAL FORMATION Robert L Wright rlwright@sentel.com BUDGET & FINANCE Frank Humphrey fhumphre@voyager.net ELECTIONS Thomas A. Phillips thomphilli10@aol.com MEMBERSHIP, STANDARDS & EXTENSION Melvin M. Stroble, Sr. mstroble@msn.com

Eugene Kinckle Jones

PUBLICATIONS James W. Ward ward_jw@tsu.edu HISTORICAL COMMISSION Norman E.W. Towels betasigma7@msn.com PUBLIC POLICY Tyson King-Meadows kmcgrp@aol.com HUMAN RESOURCES Antonio I. M. Johnson, Esq. ajohnsonesq@gmail.com RACIAL JUSTICE (COMMISSION) Derrick Pope, Esq. dapope@bellsouth.net COLLEGE BROTHERS AFFAIRS (COMMISSION) Maurice D. Gipson mdgipson@gmail.com BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (COMMISSION) Cecil Howard, Esq. cehoward2@comcast.net LIFE MEMBERSHIP Charles P. Loeb, III cploeb@sbcglobal.net SPECIAL COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN ALPHA PHI ALPHA GOES GREEN INITIATIVE Sacoby Wilson wilsons2@mailbox.sc.edu ALPHA LITERACY INITIATIVE Vacant AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY Anton C. Bizzell antonbizzell@aol.com ALPHAS IN THE ACADEMY M. Christopher Brown mcb2@unlv.edu BELFORD V. LAWSON ORATORICAL Gregory L. Bailey gbailey@literacyaction.org BIG BROTHERS & BIG SISTERS Dale H. Long dale1906@verizon.net BOY SCOUTS Verdree Lockhart verdreel@aol.com BLACK AND GOLD PAGEANT Andre Prospere prosperea@bellsouth.net

George Biddle Kelley

COLLEGE BROTHER AFFAIRS Mark Crain mcrain@gmail.com COLLEGE LIFE TO CORPORATE LIFE Nicholas B. Fletcher Nick.Fletcher@kellogg.com COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS BOWL James “JI” Irvin JIrvin06@nemesispromotions.com HOUSING Jerryl E. Bennett jbennett91@mindspring.com HEALTH & WELLNESS Michael A. Smith mas1906@aol.com INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES Jamil Omar Buie jamil.buie@gmail.com MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL INTERNAL FUNDRAISING Frank Russell, Jr. frj41@bellsouth.net INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS Andre A. Moss aamoss@batelnet.bs LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Brandon Tucker btucker921@aol.com MEDIATION & ARBITRATION Edwin D. Givens, Esq. egivens@scsu.edu MILITARY BROTHERS Langston D. Smith ldsrcdoc@verizon.net MEMBERSHIP INTAKE TASK FORCE Walter Kimbrough wkimbrough@philander.edu MIS / TECHNOLOGY Wendell D. Ferguson alpha3bebc@aol.com NATIONAL ARTS AND HUMANITIES ADVISORY COUNCIL Darryl Bell darrylmbell@gmail.com

Nathaniel Allison Murray

Robert Harold Ogle

NEW FRATERNAL PROGRAM INITIATIVES Ronald J. Peters rpeters20@comcast.net

Assistant to the General President and Senior Advisor James A. Wright jewright@bellsouth.net

ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS Zollie J. Stevenson, Jr. zstevenson06@gmail.com

SPECIAL ADVISORS TO THE GENERAL PRESIDENT

POLITICAL ACTION Arthur Vaughn avaughn@spsu.edu RECLAMATION Bradley D. Thomas phdsocialwork@hotmail.com PROJECT ALPHA Byron D. Gautier projectalphacoordinator@apa.1906.net RITUAL & CEREMONIES Russell E. Flye phantom1906@charter.net SENIOR ALPHA AFFAIRS Sylvester L. Shannon slshannon06@aol.com TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Audrey L. Mackey amackey@austincc.edu TIME AND PLACE Maurice Jenkins jenkinsmaurice@bellsouth.net WALK AMERICA-MARCH OF DIMES Wilbert L. Brown wlb72@aol.com

Charles King charlesking1906@yahoo.com Calvin McNeill cmcnmd@aol.com Elvin Dowling ejdowling1906@gmail.com L. Sidney Gleaton gleato_s@bellsouth.net Joseph E. Heyward heywardj8@aol.com NATIONAL ARCHIVIST Jerome Offord, Jr. jeromeofford@aol.com DEPUTY ASSISTANTS TO THE GENERAL PRESIDENT Governmental and International Affairs Marc Garcia getsmart06@aol.com SPECIAL ASSISTANTS TO THE GENERAL PRESIDENT M. Cole Jones mcolejones@gmail.com

WORLD POLICY COUNCIL Horace G. Dawson, Jr. hdawson@howard.edu

Robbie Stokes Administrative Assistant rstokes@apa1906.net

FOUNDATIONS CHAIRMEN

Marques J. Wilkes mjwilkes1906@yahoo.com

EDUCATION FOUNDATION Waldo Johnson wejohnso@uchicago.edu

GENERAL PRESIDENT’S ADVANCE TEAM

BUILDING FOUNDATION Robert “Bob” Leandras Jones, II leandras2@aol.com

Chairman Warren Isenhour dub1906@yahoo.com

GENERAL PRESIDENT’S CABINET OFFICIALS

Ian Coleman iancoleman3@gmail.com

Assistant to the General President and Chief of Staff Don Weston chief-of-staff@apa1906.net

James McFadden mcfadden06@aol.com

Assistant to the General President and Deputy Chief of Staff Keith Harris harriskr1906@gmail.com

Vertner Woodson Tandy

VIP, Protocol and Logistics Chairman Robbie Stokes rstokes@apa1906.net Protocol and Logistics Anthony C. Hytche achytche@aol.com Transportation Chairman Ken Baskett kgbaskett@bellsouth.net PAST GENERAL PRESIDENTS 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 29th General President Milton C. Davis tuskmcd@aol.com 28th General President Henry Ponder ewilsonp@aol.com 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

Solomon Graves solomon.graves@gmail.com

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX

KIN

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity presents

2011 H THE YEAR OF OUR BROTHER KING: RETRACING THE “We must keep going in our struggle, with the faith that God lives. And they that stand with Him stand in the glow of the world’s bright tomorrow. And they that stand against Him stand in a tragic and an already declared minority. This is hope and this is our witness.” -Brother Martin Luther King Jr. to the brothers of Alpha Upsilon Lambda, January 31, 1960

2011 SELECTED READINGS OF BROTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. January: King’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech; Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958) February: The Measure of a Man (1959) March: Strength to Love (1963) April: Why We Can’t Wait (1964) May: Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (1967) June: The Trumpet of Conscience (1968) July: My Life with Martin Luther King Jr. by Coretta Scott King

2011 SUGGESTED OBSERVANCES OF BROTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. JANUARY 5-21

Observe and celebrate King’s birthday

JANUARY 15 • • • •

Pilgrimage to Atlanta, Georgia Visit King’s birth home and tomb Wreath-laying ceremony Salute to Greatness Dinner

JANUARY 16 Worship service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia

JANUARY 17 Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Ecumenical Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta

JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 5 • Alpha Phi Alpha journey to South Africa • Suggested reading: Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela

FEBRUARY

JANUARY 14

Celebrate and observe Black History Month

• Pilgrimage to Montgomery, Alabama • Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church & Parsonage • Steps of Montgomery Courthouse

MARCH 5-6

72 THE SPHINX H Fall 2010

• Annual commemoration of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama • Commemorative march on the Edmund Pettis Bridge

STEPS FROM MEMBERSHIP TO MOVEMENT TO MEMORIAL! APRIL 4

JULY 17

• •

• Service project to aid senior Alpha brothers under the A. Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper Program

Observances of the death and legacy of King in Memphis, Tennessee Wreath-laying ceremony at Lorraine Motel in Memphis

AUGUST 23-28*

MAY-JUNE

• Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Dedication Weekend

• Celebration of “The King Scholars,” the Class of 2011 academic achievers

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

JUNE 1

Observance of the Program Citizenship Rally: Operation 5000

JUNE 22 • •

105th Anniversary/91st General Convention in Chicago, Illinois Public-program celebration of 58th anniversary of Brother King’s initiation

JUNE 26 • •

Community-service project: “Taking It to the Streets” in Chicago Alpha Phi Alpha addresses gun violence and murders in urban America

JULY Brother’s Keeper Program activities for senior brothers

• Radio Unity Day • Brothers’ private tour of the memorial and luncheon • Alpha Phi Alpha All-Star Salute: Life and Legacy of Brother Martin Luther King Jr., 8 p.m. at Constitution Hall (ticket required)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 • Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation activities

SUNDAY, AUGUST 28 Dedication of the Memorial, 10 a.m.

* Some events are ticketed. Additional details and registration information to be released.

Fall 2010 H THE SPHINX