The Sphinx: Alpha Advocacy & Action | #1 Spring 2017

SPHINX SPRING 2017 | ADVOCACY

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

ALPHA ADVOCACY AND ACTION THE URGENCY OF NOW

Meet Our Servant Leader | The Alpha Public Policy Agenda | The Alpha Legacy of Advocacy and Action

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CONTENTS

features

in this issue

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The Inaugural Address

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Meet Our Servant Leader

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The Alpha Legacy of Advocacy and Action: Part I of 4

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Alpha Men Discuss Advocacy and Action at Inauguration

Service | Advocacy Baltimore: The Most Misunderstood City in America

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Leadership | Politics | Social Justice The Alpha Public Policy Agenda

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Leadership | Politics | Social Justice Chicago Violence: What’s at the Root, and How Can Alpha Help?

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Leadership | Politics | Social Justice For Future Consideration of BGLOs

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Arts | Sports | Entertainment

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Business | Finance

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Chapter News

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Omega Chapter

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Alpha Leadership Directory

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Official Publication of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity SPRING 2017 | Volume 10.3, No. 1 www.apa1906.net EDITOR-IN-CHIEF (INTERIM) Bryan J. A. Kelly sphinx@apa1906.net MANAGING EDITOR Joshua S. D. Harris sphinx@apa1906.net COPY EDITORS Christina Grimes, Amy Kopperude, Colette Gelwicks CONTRIBUTORS Robert L. Harris Jr., Jamie R. Riley, Joel K. Johnson, Gregory J. Vincent, Taiwo Sosina, Ron B. Thompson, Randall Pinkett, Jeffrey A. Robinson, Kathryn Hudson, Todd Alhart PHOTOGRAPHERS Ricky Brown, Bryan J. A. Kelly, Gideon Knife, Jeff J. Lewis, Jamal A. Wiggins COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS Ramon E. Peralta, Jr., Chairman Donald Ross, LaMarcus Hall, Richardo Deveaux, Lawrence Buirse, Aaron Jones 2017 SUBMISSION DEADLINES (11:59 P.M. Eastern Time) Spring: January 15 | Summer: April 15 Fall: August 15 | Winter: October 15

THE SPH IN X | S PR ING 201 7 | I NAU GU RAT IO N I SS U E

SPHINX SPRING 2017 | ADVOCACY

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Meet Our Servant Leader | The Alpha Public Policy Agenda | The Alpha Legacy of Advocacy and Action

© 2017 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. | All Rights Reserved

ON THE COVER

General President Everett B. Ward (center right) and 31st General President Harry E. Johnson Sr. (center left) meet with Congressmen and Brothers Gregory W. Meeks, Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Emanuel Cleaver II, and Al Green to discuss Alpha's public policy agenda.

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FROM THE GENERAL PRESIDENT

Letter from the General President During the first few months of my work as your new general president, I have never felt prouder to be a part of something than I do to be an Alpha. I was exposed to African-American leadership as early as I remember. From bank presidents and attorneys to medical doctors and educators, the men with whom I found my greatest affinity were always men of Alpha.

I knew they were empowering our people and improving our communities. After college, when I sought to make my way into the world, there was no question about the fraternity with which I would seek membership. It was Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. As a life member, I see myself as extremely blessed for the affiliation and the privilege to serve as the 35th general president of this great fraternity.

Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. General President Twitter: @AlphasforWARD

Brothers, right now everything we stand for as a brotherhood is in question. It is incumbent upon us to rededicate our collective strength to our fraternity motto— First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All. Servants of All—helping our communities thrive is our first and foremost priority in the journey ahead. Saving our communities coupled with the stewardship of the brotherhood are our call to arms each and every day.

As we approach the Baltimore General Convention, I look forward to engaging the brotherhood in strategic dialogue and national action plans to address critical issues impacting our community. This issue of the Sphinx magazine provides initial public policy information for you to utilize. Additionally, information will be forthcoming throughout this administration in order that we may engage elected officials and public policy leaders with accurate information relevant to our people. I’m pleased that within the House of Alpha we have the intellectual capital to address every issue confronting our communities. But more important, we, in the House of Alpha, have the intellectual capital to also provide the solutions. The collective voices of Alpha men have historically changed the world. Therefore, it is essential that we speak with one voice against racism, discrimination, and injustice today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

In closing, I leave you with the words of Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

Onward and Upward Always, S

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9 OUT OF 10

STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HAZING BEHAVIORS DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES TO HAVE BEEN HAZED. Hazing in View: College Students at Risk

Allan/Madden(2008)

HAZING. IT’S NEVER OK. REPORT HAZING ANONYMOUSLY AT (888) 668-4293 OR (888) NOT-HAZE

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. joins other fraternities, sororities, parents and academic institutions in the fight against hazing. No one person can eliminate hazing. It takes the commitment of everyone involved in the process of joining a group organization to make it happen. We encourage you to join us to make this world a better place through hazing prevention. The more we know about hazing the smarter we can work to stop it.

Go to apa1906.net/hazing to learn more about hazing prevention.

TOGETHER, WE CAN STOP HAZING.

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DEFINITION: Hazing is any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.

FROM THE EDITOR

What We Owe When I travel for Alpha, I do my best to talk to people I don’t know. Every opportunity to connect with someone usually opens the door to a positive branding experience.

People often ask me where I work during these conversations. After telling them I work for the greatest fraternity in the world, some people still have reservations.

Am I a volunteer? Is working for a fraternity even a “job?” Am I joking? I often have to reassure them that I receive a paycheck, it is actually a very challenging job, and although I joke a lot, I am very serious about what I do.

During my regional travels, I spoke to a young lady, Britney, who was traveling home from a college tour with her father. While making small talk on the plane ride home, she asked me a very interesting question. I had never been asked this question. “I know people work FOR fraternities and sororities,” Britney said, “but WHY would you work for one?” Without thinking, I answered, “I felt like I needed to pay what I owed.”

Bryan J. A. Kelly Editor-In-Chief (Interim) sphinx@apa1906.net

I know this to be true of all brothers of this fraternity. Many brothers have joined for various reasons, but I am convinced that brothers stay active in the fraternity because they feel a debt of service to the world. Reflecting on this debt keeps us humble and focused on meeting the challenge of changing, difficult times. But as the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Although circumstances change, we must never waiver on the debt we place on ourselves. To pay what we owe, we must persevere even amongst seemingly insurmountable odds.

What we owe as a fraternity can be found in our mission. What we owe as men can only be found in ourselves and the way we live our lives. My hope is that this issue of the Sphinx, which introduces you to our new general president (Meet Our Servant Leader, p.16), encourages you to fellowship with our brothers at our convention (Baltimore: The Most Misunderstood City in America, p.7), recounts the work Alpha men have done to positively impact human rights (The Alpha Legacy of Advocacy and Action: Part 1 of 4, p. 20), and reinvigorates you with the strength to continue moving forward. My hope is that we never forget what we owe and are never deterred from giving back. This fraternity has changed my life. This fraternity is a monument to the achievements Black men can accomplish when we come together, work hard, and struggle toward a goal. However, we cannot rest because there is so much more work to do.

Onward, brothers, and upward. S

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Letter from the Executive Director Dear Brothers: I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the gracious welcome I have received as your newest executive director. It has meant a great deal to me to be given the opportunity before me, especially as a fellow brother. I promise to do my utmost to fulfill my duties as your executive director and one day be able to say that I left Alpha’s General Office in a better place than I found it. I count on your help to do this.

Jamie R. Riley, Ph. D. Executive Director Twitter: @AlphasforWARD

We live in a challenging time, brothers. My background in university diversity and inclusion has prepped me for this role more than you know. We appreciate the history of Alpha but also the changes that have fallen at our feet. We must rise together, leaving no one behind, as we bring Alpha into its bicentennial years. The past must always be acknowledged and never forgotten, but we must hold the future in our embrace.

It is my goal to be as responsive to my brothers as possible. I appreciate the patience you’ve shown me to do my work, but also to help you do yours. I have put a high value on working harder to help our collegiate brothers find their place within the organization while also keeping our elders in mind who built this fraternity into the great place it has become. The balance is difficult at times, but this is something I’m fully prepared to do. We must all work together, with mutual respect for each other, if we are to be the “better men” we aspire to be, right?

Our upcoming convention here in Baltimore promises to be a great time to reconnect to the larger spirit of Alpha and bring thoughtful discourse into meaningful actions. I can’t wait to extend you all a warm welcome as we host our brothers here.

I take nothing in this role for granted. As I walk up the black slate steps into our offices every day, I feel a sense of pride in being part of history. You should, too. We have more than a brotherhood, we have a responsibility to our communities and to the world at large. I hope you’ll join me in being the changers and creators of all the good things we have to show the world as Alphas. S

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BALTIMORE THE MOST MISUNDERSTOOD CITY IN AMERICA

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icture a skyline of a medium-size city, complete with tall buildings occupied by major corporations, historical monuments, and inviting

museums, including a few dedicated to the AfricanAmerican experience. Now imagine further this scene juxtaposed against an awe-inspiring waterfront complete with boats full of tourists, the military, and merchants. Do you see New Orleans? Perhaps Providence, R.I.?

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What if I told you this was a story about Baltimore?

It’s easy to understand why Baltimore is overlooked when one’s mind conjures up a lovely harborside town. Baltimore is a city filled with as much filth and crime as it is with beauty and a dedication to creating a better world. Recently named one of the top mostviolent cities by Forbes, which ranked it 7 out of 15, it’s not particularly surprising one would see the worst things first. Dig a little deeper, however, and you’ll find THE SPHINX

SERVICE | ADVOCACY

infrastructure and employment access for countless residents who currently live in poverty. For many of the would-be riders of new light rail lines that would connect them to far-flung jobs across the city and into the neighboring counties, this was a stab to the heart.

That plan, replaced with a far more modest transit bus proposal, has drawn well-deserved criticism from voices across the city.

As a city that has produced many famous African Americans, Baltimore takes some of its greatest pride in Alpha brothers like Brother Justice Thurgood Marshall. Civil rights weren’t exactly forged here, being the home of redlining and hypersegregation.

Nevertheless, the city has been the residence of many prominent African Americans who have fought for social justice and better opportunities for African Americans everywhere.

During the spring of 2015, the city’s anger over police violence toward black and brown people exploded after the death of local son Freddie Gray at the hands of Baltimore City police. Baltimore is a city where 65 percent of the population is African American. No longer comfortable with the empty promises made by an array of city leaders, including many AfricanAmerican politicians, disenchanted people left their homes and took to the streets. There were some violent standoffs with police, but surprisingly, much of this “uprising” was civil and produced new discourse about how to finally put “Charm City” on a path where Baltimore could be what it longed to be: a safe and prosperous place to live. The fraternity released an entire Sphinx magazine titled “The Urgency of Now: Baltimore Focused on Solutions.” That magazine brought to the forefront many systemic ills that have prevented Baltimore from making much-needed progress.

a welcoming homestead that is working hard to shake its bad reputation and give its people the kind of city they’d be proud to call home.

Baltimore is a scrappy boxer in the fight for its life.

A large part of its greatness goes unnoticed by the very politicians who serve its often tired, yet steelwilled people. Shortly after taking office, Republican governor Larry Hogan killed a $3 billion federally funded mass transit plan that would have provided SPRING 2017

This summer, as brothers and their families find their way to the annual convention held here, no doubt some will have a few of the bad stereotypes about the city in their minds. But most cities change and grow, and so has this waterfront jewel of a town. Where blight and decrepitude once stood, now lie new homes and businesses. The city has been experiencing an arts and social renaissance, too. Will everyone really be able to recognize the changes? What about readers who have never been to Baltimore? How will they identify what's new? Newly-inaugurated general president Brother Dr. Everett Ward is looking forward to welcoming you to our thriving city. “It’s going to be a convention where we empower ourselves around the issues that are relevant to our community,” he announced.

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CHAPTER NEWS

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General President Ward elaborated about his plans for this upcoming convention. He wants brothers to feel ready, when they leave on Sunday, to get back to their communities with a commitment to working toward the issues that affect all our communities.

Things like public policy are in the forefront of his mind, especially with the current national political climate.

He feels strongly that it is far more important to focus on the issues than on which party is in charge in Washington, D.C. Cities like Baltimore need innovative solutions and effective policy implementation, regardless of the governing party.

Brother Van Strickland, director of conventions, is especially looking forward to this year’s convention. “With new leadership comes new vision. Our primary mission is to ensure we are properly mobilized to do the heavy lifting of rebuilding our communities.

However, during the convention this year, members and attendees can also participate in a tennis outing, a golf outing, and see a baseball game on Friday and Saturday night at Camden Yards.

While we plan to work hard on the goals and mission of Alpha, there’s plenty of time to enjoy this city and what it has to offer. Brother Strickland recalled some of the things that bring out the “charm” in Charm City. “Baltimore’s rich history and proximity to a variety of national monuments makes it an ideal location for brothers to not only gather to conduct business and participate in value-added trainings, but also to have fun and spend time with their family and friends.”

One of the best things about visiting Baltimore during our national convention is a tour of our stately headquarters, located in the historic district of Baltimore’s Old Goucher neighborhood. The building, built more than 100 years ago, is regal and dramatic with oak wall paneling, brass drinking fountains (left for historic significance), and many historic items from Alpha’s rich 110-year history. “It’s like a welcome home,” Executive Director Jamie Riley exclaimed. “You can touch and feel history here.” The offices have been updated to support the operations of the organization SPRING 2017

while striving to leave the character of the building intact.

Although Baltimore isn’t a perfect city, in many ways it’s the perfect place for the brothers of Alpha to meet.

You’ll find a majority black population that has a mix of affluence and poverty that affects us all. Baltimore needs us, and this is our opportunity to take care of home, where our national office sits. It’s a real-time study in learning about the different aspects of our own individual communities. Yes, there will be plenty of fun activities and sights to see in Baltimore, but if we really are “First of All and Servants of All,” then we must heed our general president’s clarion call to respond to the Urgency of Now in Baltimore and prepare ourselves to “Transcend All” wherever our community may be. See you in Baltimore. S 11

Inaugural

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Address

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few seconds ago, I raised my right hand to the heavens and I took a solemn oath that only 34 other men have taken. I did so realizing this sacred call carries with it a mantle of leadership and responsibility. I truly understand that the actions of the brother, who takes this oath, could affect the history of a nation.

From its founding on December 4, 1906, the leaders transformed a study group into a fraternity and subsequently created a driving force for justice and freedom in America. Our brotherhood is filled to the brim with talent, energy, and wisdom, coupled with unwavering drive, ability, and resources, and as an organization of brotherhood, has made a lasting impact on the lives of the people we serve.

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declared myself a candidate for general president.

And so now without reservation, I vow with God’s grace to always lead Alpha onward and upward.

My brothers, it is my privilege and my honor to serve as the 35th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

I don’t take for granted that in our 110-year history only 34 other brothers have been elected to this historic office. Join me in paying special tribute to our living past general presidents: 25th General President James R. Williams, 27th General President Charles Teamer, 29th General President Milton Davis, 30th General President Adrian Wallace, 31st General President Harry Johnson, and 34th General President Mark Tillman. Thank you, brothers, for your mentorship and your endless dedication to our fraternity. Your seasoned wisdom and tenacity continue to provide valued guidance for our beloved Alpha Phi Alpha and I look forward to their guidance in the years ahead.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank those individuals who prayed with me, stood by me, and who watched over me before, during, and since I 14

I am delighted that my sister, Dr. Felicia Ward Hardy, my brother-in-law, Dr. James Hardy, and my nieces and our family members are here. It is truly an honor to have our family matriarch, Mrs. Gladys Williams, here with us. I am especially pleased to have my very special “sunshine,” Phyllis Palmer, here with me today. Finally, I want to acknowledge my close friend and brother, Chuck Ballard, and his wife, Karen, along with all my brothers of Phi Lambda Chapter and the brothers of Anca. Thank you all. Without you and your support, I would not be here. And to each of you here today and to our brothers around the world who want to be here but are unable I say, 'thank you!' I am well aware that I would not be here if you didn’t believe in me and if you weren’t ready, willing, and able to work with me over the next four years.

In some western African cultures, the people always call upon the spirits of their ancestors when they need advice and guidance. They rely on these spirits as if the individuals never left.

They carry with them the ideals and intentions of their forefathers who shape their existence.

And so in the western African tradition, I call upon the ancestors of Alpha who had the vision and courage to create this great fraternity, followed by leaders who over 110 years forged a pathway that we follow even today. And so now, as I embark on this new pathway of leadership, I reach back and I call upon the spirits of the Jewels, asking them to be with me and to be with us.

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I call upon Henry Arthur Callis, and ask for his wisdom as he was known as the “Philosopher of the Jewels.” I call upon Charles Henry Chapman, who loved the organization but also was known as the protector of the bond we share as brothers.

I call upon Eugene Kinckle Jones, asking him to keep us in the path of the rituals he wrote. I call upon the spirit of George Biddle Kelley, who furthered the bond of brotherhood by giving us a unique handshake and was a proponent of the idea of a fraternity. I call upon Nathaniel Allison Murray, who held us accountable to the commitment to education, the backbone of Alpha. I call upon Robert Harold Ogle, who gave us the black and old gold and worked on our ritual. I call out the name of Vertner Woodson Tandy, who was an architect and designed the fraternal pin. I also call upon those past general presidents who served us well and now reside in Omega Chapter, a place of sweet rest.

The spirits of these elders are with me. I can feel it. And they give me comfort and strength and the assurance that they shall never leave me. Their spirits give me the assurance that every day when I rise, my thoughts and energy must be focused on advancing the conditions of our people.

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Brothers, as I contemplated my first official address as your general president, the words of Alpha brothers Dr. Charles Wesley, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy have guided my thoughts.

From the moment of our founding until this very moment, the men of Alpha have fought against institutionalized racism, legalized discrimination, and manufactured social and economic oppression. Sadly, those issues are still very much alive and are present in today’s world. Therefore, in 2017 we have an obligation to continue this historic battle against racism, injustice, and discrimination. The Alpha legacy we embrace affirms that when intellectual courage, strategic organization, and courageous leadership were needed for the upward mobility of our people, the men of Alpha answered the call. Brother W.E.B. Du Bois answered the call and stood against organized racism. As editor of the NAACP’s The Crisis Magazine, he used his intellectual capital to lift the veil of oppression that covered our people.

Today, Brother Dubois celebrates from Omega Chapter that on January 14, 2017, Brother Jeffrey Ballou became the first African-

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American president of the National Press Club since its inception in 1908. Brothers, we cannot become so consumed with our celebrated past that we fail to continue the legacy for equality and justice today. The struggle continues today. Black lives do matter, and as Alpha men, we’re the protectors and defenders of our people. Here are three examples of how Alpha continues to answer the call: 1. When the American legal system required legal scholars to demand all men, regardless of the color of their skin, to have equal protection under the law, Brothers Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, Milton Davis, and Daryl Parks answered the clarion call for equal justice.

2. When Trayvon Martin’s family needed legal representation, they turned to the Crump and Parks law firm. Today, Brother Daryl Parks continues to fight for our people in courtrooms around the nation. Today, Brother Parks, former president of the National Bar Association, has agreed to serve as general counsel of our fraternity and lead our efforts against discrimination and injustice.

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3. We must never forget that our 29th general president, Milton Carver Davis, led the legal battle to free the last innocent black man convicted in the Scottsboro case.

With these legal scholars and countless other Alpha brothers, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will once again join in the legal battles against injustice engulfing our communities.

Brother Wesley, in his publication The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life, begins Chapter 11 with these profound words: “Where leadership and service were needed in black life, Alpha men could be found in these activities. Where ideals were needed to call out the best within the group, Alpha Phi Alpha seemed equal to be the emergency. Its march was ever onward and upward towards the better life for itself and for the people of whom it was the servant.”

Where leadership and service were needed in black life, Alpha men could be found in these activities. Brothers, just as we changed society in 1906, 1926, 1956, 1966, 1976, and 2016, we will answer the call for leadership today.

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As men of Alpha, we never run for cover when confronted with challenges and conflicts.

Remember that: We didn’t run for cover during the Civil Rights Movement when Brother King and C.T. Vivian faced Alabama Sheriff Bull Connor.

We didn’t run for cover when Brother Harvey Johnson was elected the first African-American mayor of Jackson, M.S., or when Brother Maynard Jackson was elected mayor of Atlanta, G.A. We didn’t run for cover when brothers believed a permanent memorial to Brother Martin Luther King Jr. should be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Brothers, as your general president, my first official act on January 7, 2017, is to serve official notice to the world that the men of Alpha Phi Alpha are even more determined now than ever before to stand against injustice and discrimination. As men of Alpha, we’re SPRING 2017

determined to fight against injustice no matter where we find it. Tell the nation and the world that in the House of Alpha it doesn’t matter who occupies the Oval Office. We stood and fought against discrimination under Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, and both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. We stand ready and fully capable to fight again and again for our people.

Alpha men never run for cover and we fear no man because we are Alpha Phi Alpha.

In the next 100 days and beyond, the words of Brother Dr. King will serve as the clarion call for our fraternity. At the 1963 March on Washington, Dr. King stated: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there ‘is’ such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”

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present a united force of college-educated people of color. Together black and old gold, purple and gold, red and white, brown and gold will stand united against racism and injustice. It’s a new day, and unity is the order of the day!

As men of Alpha we will strengthen our advocacy positions. During the upcoming regional conventions advocacy and action, strategic organization, and leadership development will be the central focus of our planning. The 2017 General Convention in Baltimore will serve as the “call to action” general convention. There, we will be focused on strategy development and implementation with action items to improve the conditions of the African-American community. We will partner with our fellow brothers and sisters of the Divine Nine to collectively address issues impacting our communities. The urgency of now demands we work together. When black men are shot down in the streets of America they aren’t asked before being shot if they're Alpha, Kappa, Sigma, Omega, or Iota.

As a black man in America, I’m not asked if I’m the 35th general president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. because my skin color is golden brown. In the eyes of many, I’m automatically guilty because I am a black man in America. That’s why we’re partnering with our Divine Nine brothers and sisters to fight against injustice. This is not just a fight for Alpha; it is a fight for all of us. We’re stronger together and so we must reach beyond our colors, rituals, and protocols and

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Brothers, we’re going into battle. If you’re timid, I invite you to search deep within for strength.

When we’re in battle against injustice, white supremacy, conservative ideology, and a resurgence of racism, we don’t have the time to deal with anything that takes our attention away from fighting the enemy. Our battleground mission is clear and we must have a laser focus on the enemy.

The enemy is police brutality! The enemy is inadequate school districts that negatively impact children of color! The enemy is poor health care for people of color! The enemy is low graduation rates among young black boys!

The enemy is overpopulated prison systems with too many young men and women who look like us!

When I began, I told you that I raised my hand to heaven and swore an oath. I now ask you to do the same. It does not matter whether you have been in the fraternity for five days or fifty years, we are in this together now. And so as we embark on this journey together, I would like to ask each Alpha brother to stand. As you do so, please raise your right hand and repeat after me: I am a brother initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha.

I take my responsibilities seriously.

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I am willing to fight for the good of the fraternity and the community.

I will be committed to the causes and the programs of Alpha Phi Alpha.

I will be the change that we seek.

I will fight ’til hell freezes over, and then fight on the ice!

So help me, God! Brothers, the combined words of Brother King and Jewel Tandy—“the fierce urgency of now demands we fight ’til hell freezes over and then fight on the ice”—must guide our actions each and every day!

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Brothers, I’m on the ice today. I am not leaving until my job is done. I am not resting until you have been satisfied that what we are doing is right and just. I am standing firm—like that tree planted by the water—and I shall not be moved. I’m going to fight until I have no more breath left in me.

The fight is on! Come on and join me.

May God continue to bless Alpha Phi Alpha.

Brothers! Let’s go to work! S

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very four years, Alpha men cast their ballot for the man who they believe is best suited to carry out the mission of our dear fraternity. We are a 110-year-old organization because we consistently select leadership committed to protecting the future of our beloved fraternity. The man who has taken the mantle of leadership is Focused ForWard and committed to ushering Alpha into a new generation of action and advocacy. He has continued the theme “The Urgency of Now,” first laid out after the 2015 unrest in Baltimore, home of our national headquarters.

For over 30 consecutive, active years, Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. [Phi Lambda ’85] held fraternal leadership positions from the chapter level to the national level. As a chapter president, regional vice president, national foundation chairman, and regional and national committee chairman, his leadership skills have proven beneficial to the mission of the fraternity. As chairman of the Alpha Phi Alpha Building Foundation, Brother Ward facilitated property sales, and as southern regional vice president he led the fraternity’s largest region through four years of financial prosperity and organizational growth. During his tenure as chairman of the board of directors for strategic planning he coordinated the fiveyear strategic direction adopted by the fraternity’s board and the general organization.

Ward is also a respected transformational leader with more than three decades of national and statewide leadership experience. Ward

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was appointed by the Saint Augustine’s University board of trustees on April 23, 2014, as interim president. During his appointment, Ward put forth an aggressive agenda focused primarily on three key areas: (1) returning the institution to financial stability; (2) strengthening the faith of students, employees, and alumni in the viability of the institution; and (3) engaging the community and corporate stakeholders in mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations. Ultimately, the board of trustees named Ward the eleventh president of Saint Augustine's University on April 10, 2015. Ward is the third alumnus to hold the post in the 148-year history of Saint Augustine’s University. Transparency, shared governance, and collaboration are the cornerstones of his administration.

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Prior to his appointment as interim president, Ward served as the director of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)/ Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHE) program for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).

In this role, Ward worked with university chancellors and presidents, faculty, and staff in the areas of transportation curriculum development, research initiatives, and student development. Ward served on the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) HBCU/ MIHE workgroup. This workgroup is responsible for establishing and maintaining partnerships between FHWA and HBCU/ MIHE universities.

As a dedicated servant leader, Ward serves on several national, regional, and statewide

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boards to advance opportunities for citizens throughout the nation. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) where he serves as vice chairman of the DNC Black Caucus. He is also former co-chairman of the Credentials Committee and a former member of the DNC Rules and By-Laws Committee. In 1983, Ward was named special assistant to the chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party and subsequently was named political director. Because of his political achievements, Ward made history in 1989 as the first African-American executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party.

Ward has served on and chaired two university advisory boards. In recognition of his commitment to higher education, he was elected to serve on the board of trustees of Saint Augustine’s College (now University).

From 2009–2011, Ward was chairman of the board of trustees of Saint Augustine’s University, his family’s beloved alma mater.

A true Saint Augustine’s University falcon through and through, Ward was born on the campus at St. Agnes Hospital. Ward continued his family’s tradition by receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Augustine’s SPRING 2017

College. He also earned a Master of Arts degree from North Carolina State University (NCSU). In recognition of his academic and humanitarian achievements, Ward received the Steve Grissom Humanitarian Award from NCSU. Additionally, Ward served as a visiting lecturer in the Department of History. Ward was also invited by the Taiwanese government to study the political, educational, and cultural institutions of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

In 2013, Ward earned a doctoral degree from North Carolina A&T State University’s School of Education. As a result of his academic achievements, Ward was a North Carolina A&T State University Wardham Scholar and a member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Ward currently serves as vice chairman of the Association of Episcopal Colleges and Universities and recently accepted an appointment to the board of visitors of Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh, N.C. He is a lifelong member of Davie Street Presbyterian Church, where he is a ruling elder and member of the Presbyterian Men’s Council. S

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THE ALPHA LEGACY OF

DVOCACY & CTION PA R T O N E O F F O U R

“Alpha Phi Alpha does not idly boast of its record but does take inspiration out of its significant and evolving past which gives challenges to the present and the future.”

A

—Brother H. Councill Trenholm, Director of Educational Activities, 1940

t its July 1905 meeting in Buffalo, N.Y., the Niagara Movement issued a Declaration of Principles in which it proclaimed

that “Persistent manly agitation is the way to liberty.” Precursor to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity in 1906 and the NAACP in 1909, the Niagara Movement insisted that, “…the voice of protest…must never cease…so long as America is unjust.” The Niagara Movement had a profound influence on the founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and its enduring legacy. Jewel Henry Arthur Callis, in Bro. Charles H. Wesley’s biography, related that, “We wanted more than the traditional American college fraternity. Our job ahead required a fellowship, which would embrace those millions outside the ‘talented tenth.’ We realized that the leaders of any people emerge chiefly from the best trained, best oriented members of the group.”

Alpha Phi Alpha has been dedicated to using its talents to benefit “downtrodden humanity,” especially their brothers and sisters of African

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descent on the African continent and throughout the diaspora.

Jewel Callis indicated that African Americans had been “robbed” of their self-respect with the ascendancy of Booker T. Washington and his acquiesce to second-class citizenship.

“Then the clouds parted and we saw, over Niagara Falls, hope in the sky. Their platform allowed for no compromise concerning full and unfettered citizenship.

We, ourselves, had come to the recognition of human brotherhood as a workable creed, not merely a visionary ideal.”

Although the founders of Alpha Phi Alpha were dedicated to uplifting “downtrodden humanity,” they realized that they needed to prepare themselves for the task ahead and that they required fellowship in the bond of a fraternity for common purpose and action.

Jewel Callis observed that, “Alpha Phi Alpha was born in the shadows of slavery, on the lap of disfranchisement. We proposed to THE SPHINX

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foster scholarship and excellence among students; to bring leadership and vision to the social problems of our communities and the nation; to fight, with courage and self-sacrifice, every bar to the democratic way of life. So long as we swerve not from these purposes, Alpha Phi Alpha lives.”

Alpha Phi Alpha has been devoted to developing leadership and advocacy, not for personal, professional, or fraternal aggrandizement but for the benefit of others.

In April 1911, Alpha Chapter started an advocacy program that became the nucleus of the fraternity's first national program. Its aim was to encourage black students to attend institutions of higher education. At the 12th General Convention in 1919, the fraternity passed a resolution to start a movement to influence African-American students to go to high school and college. The Commission on Graduate Work and Public Affairs supervised the initial campaign in 1920. The commission established a goal of reaching every high school through personal contact or through the distribution of educational pamphlets. For the second campaign in April 1921, past General President, Dr. Roscoe C. Giles, who now chaired the commission, wrote to the chapters: “We must blaze the way and let others follow.… Our opportunity is here. We must not and will not fail now!”

A brochure for the campaign presented data highlighting the contrast between incomes for dropouts and those who remained in school. Newspapers and radio stations endorsed the campaign. Even U.S. President Warren Harding provided his support, stating that, “The need to reduce illiteracy among (African Americans) is very great.… You may be sure of my earnest sympathy and good will.” This campaign came during the period 1910–1940 when the American high school SPRING 2017

was beginning to emerge. The Sphinx, in its education issue, publicized the campaign and published articles on how to advance the project. Many brothers suggested that there was a need for a broader campaign to address issues of literacy and personal responsibility.

The 27th anniversary General Convention in 1933 created the Education Foundation, which incorporated Go to High School, Go to College in its program, later discontinued the slogan, and then replaced it with Education for Citizenship. Many brothers deemed it important to emphasize a purpose for education, for instance that African Americans needed to be educated about their rights and obligations as citizens and needed to make use of those rights. The Education Foundation had a mandate: “1) to assist in the encouragement, maintenance, and development of scholarship; 2) to promote research; 3) to aid in the publication of literary, scientific, and professional materials prepared

by Negroes; and 4) to foster a program of educational guidance and placement.”

Bro. Wesley wrote, “Through the year 1936, the chapters were conducting programs that were designed to translate the ideals of the fraternity into action.” Through mass meetings, radio talks, plays and pageants, displays of placards, and distributing tags with the slogan “A Voteless People is a Hopeless People,” the programs reached new heights.

Bro. H. Councill Trenholm, director of educational activities in 1940, reminded the fraternity that, “Alpha Phi Alpha does not idly boast of its record but does take inspiration

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out of its significant and evolving past, which gives challenges to the present and the future.”

With the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, Alpha leaders in Washington, D.C. anticipated that the United States would soon enter the battle to “make the world safe for democracy.”

Thirteen percent of the active duty military was African American but fewer than 1 percent were officers. The Marine Corps refused black enlistees while the Navy used them only as mess men and servants. College and alumni brothers met at Beta House in Washington, D.C. to begin a campaign for the establishment of an officers’ training camp for African-American soldiers. A training camp was opened at Fort Des Moines, Iowa, with 58 Alpha men in the program, a larger number than any other black fraternity. On October 15, 1917, 32 brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. received commissions, with four as captains and 90 percent of the rest as lieutenants. Some 600 black men received commissions as a result of the advocacy of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Eighth General President William A. Pollard stated, “If, for another ten years, we should do no more than continue as before to furnish to the various communities strong, influential men, we may yet consider that we have accomplished this year a feat sufficient to justify the existence and claims of the fraternity. In this one accomplishment, we have rendered to our race a service that shall mark an epoch in its history.”

Alpha men also fought segregation in the Army Training Corps on college campuses in Ohio. Pi Chapter in Cleveland, Ohio, spearheaded an investigation into the exclusion of black men from the training programs on predominantly white campuses. As a result of this advocacy, the state of Ohio issued an 26

order that: “Colored men are to barrack, mess and drill together with the other men. No segregation at all.” During World War I, the U.S. military, however, issued a memorandum, circulated primarily among the French, Secret Information Concerning Black American Troops. It warned against fraternizing with black soldiers and instructed the French on American views about African-American inferiority. It asked the French explicitly to prevent any intimacy between black troops and white women. Despite this propaganda, most black soldiers in Europe enjoyed an air of freedom unknown to them in the United States. Many of them returned home resolved to gain their share of freedom and democracy in their own country.

Racial conflict erupted in major cities across the United States after World War I as competition increased over jobs, housing, and recreation. African Americans, in what is referred to as “The Great Migration,” moved from the rural South to the urban South and North to escape the economic deprivation of sharecropping, tenant farming, and violence. During the summer of 1919, fewer than six months after the end of the war, race riots broke out in some 25 cities and towns. So much blood flowed in American cities, that it was called “The Red Summer.”

Segregation intensified after World War I. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1896 had ruled in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation did not violate the law of the land. Our brother, Dr. Rayford W. Logan, called this period in African-American history, “The Nadir,” the lowest point in our experience. Colleges and universities set quotas on the number of African-American and Jewish students offered admission.

African-American students could not live on campus and had to find accommodations in nearby black communities. Washington, THE SPHINX

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D.C., at the beginning of the 20th century, had relatively few Jim Crow laws, but de facto segregation existed throughout the city. The public schools and recreation facilities were segregated but not the streetcars and public libraries. African Americans, therefore, reacted strongly to President Woodrow Wilson’s (1913–1921) institution of segregation in all of the federal government agencies.

Despite rampant segregation during the 1920s, African-American arts and culture flourished during the period known as the Harlem Renaissance. Alpha men were prominent figures in defining what became known as the “new negro,” who shed the implied inferiority of the “plantation negro” and asserted pride in culture and heritage. Bro. Countee Cullen, noted poet of the Harlem Renaissance, was married for a time to Bro. W.E.B. Du Bois’s daughter, Yolande. Bro. Cullen’s poem “Heritage” was one of the most widely quoted poems of the era.

What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea, Jungle star or jungle track, Strong bronzed men, or regal black Women from whose loins I sprang When the birds of Eden sang?

One three centuries removed From the scenes his fathers loved, Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, What is Africa to me?

Brother Duke Ellington was a leading composer and bandleader of the era. In fact, during his career, he composed more than 1,000 musical compositions, including such famous pieces as “It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got that Swing,” “Satin Doll,” and “Sophisticated Lady.” Brother Nobel Sissle was also a leading bandleader and composer during the Harlem Renaissance. With Eubie Blake, he

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helped to open the musical foundations of the era with “Shuffle Along” in 1921. He wrote the famous song, “I’m Just Wild About Harry,” which President Harry S. Truman adopted as a campaign song in 1948.

Bro. Paul Robeson was without peer as a singer and actor of stage and screen. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Rutgers University, where he was class valedictorian, he was also a star athlete in football, basketball, baseball, and track. He earned a law degree from Columbia University in 1922 while playing professional football in the National Football League. Together with Brothers W.E.B. Du Bois and Max Yergan, he formed the Council on African Affairs. At the 1946 General Convention, Bro. Robeson criticized U.S. financial and military support of imperialism in Africa, domestic policies that allowed for the continuation of lynching in the United States, the poll tax which limited the right of African Americans to vote, and failure to establish a national commission to fight unfair labor practices. He and Bro. Du Bois were later blacklisted by the U.S. government for alleged subversive activities, which primarily involved advocating for civil and human rights as well as African independence. S Robert L. Harris Jr. [Theta ’63] is the fraternity’s historian and the professor emeritus of AfricanAmerican history, American studies, and public affairs at Cornell University, where he is also vice provost for diversity and faculty development emeritus. He is author of Teaching African American History and The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Tradition of Leadership and Service, Volume 2.. Read the full document with sources by going to issuu.com/apa1906network.

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ALPHA LEADERS DISCUSS ADVOCACY AND ACTION DURING INAUGURATION “We have a framework within this organization to tap into these issues,” explained Brother William Jawando [Pi Upsilon Lambda ’06].

“Whether we are talking about the school-toprison pipeline, the criminal justice system, we have been dealing with these issues through several of our programs.” Brother Jawando sat on a panel moderated by Brother Jeff Johnson [Delta Lambda ’16] that spoke to the involvement of Alpha Phi Alpha in public policy, what action and advocacy currently exist, and where there are opportunities to do more.

The panel was a part of the inaugural weekend in Greensboro, N.C. with the installation of

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General President Everett B. Ward. General President Ward has a passion for and a commitment to political activism. The panel also included Brother John H. Jackson [Beta Tau ’91], CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education, and Brother Donald Cravins Jr. [Nu Psi ’91], National Urban League’s senior vice president for policy and executive director of the Washington bureau. The panel was also used as an opportunity to reflect on the November 2016 election, where we are, and where we go from here as a community.

“When we take the headline of the election, as far as who went to the White House, there were some pretty positive things that

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happened,” explained Brother Jackson. “A number of states increased the minimum wage, a number of bond referendums to increase equity in education were passed, as well as the number of women of color that are in Congress, and all of these things are happening at the state and local level.”

the programs are receiving the resources that they need?” said Brother Jeff Johnson. “Since reconstruction, black folks have talked about voter engagement, voter training, voter registration, and voter mobilization, but we have not talked about, 'Did you write a check?' "

The dialogue went on to discuss issues of education and where Alpha can play a role.

Nationally, in 2015 1.2 million black students were suspended from k–12 schools in a single academic year. Brothers pointed out that this is an issue that directly relates to our Go-to-High School, Go-to-College initiative. If students are not in school, then we cannot get them to college. This is an issue that Alpha Phi Alpha has the opportunity to lead on. In the state of Maryland, kindergarten and pre-k suspensions are an issue that the Legislative Black Caucus is currently pushing to reform. The structure of our organization gives us the unique ability to creatively address local and state issues.

The conversation elaborated on the importance of contributing financially to candidates who represent our community's interest. It is money that helps those candidates reach others. Brother Johnson elaborated that when it is time to govern, officials aren’t concerned with how many people turned out but rather who wrote the checks. We have an opportunity to support quality candidates with financial resources from our organizations and as individuals. The more people who contribute, the less the burden is on an individual.

“We have to create ecosystems of action that say how we are excelling programmatically, but how are we fighting for the policies that ensure that those brothers who are doing

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There were several recommendations that came from the panel, all centered around Alpha being more actively engaged in discussions that lead to policy change. To see the full panel discussion you can visit Facebook. com/1906apanetwork S

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LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

ALPHA PUBLIC POLICY AGENDA

I

ONLY PERMANENT INTERESTS

n 1971, the number of Black representatives in Congress rose to 13—the greatest number of African Americans ever to serve simultaneously in Congress yet at that time. Those members came together and upon the suggestion of Brother Charles Rangel [Alpha Gamma Lambda ‘64], the Democratic Select Committee changed their name to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). This change reflected an updated perspective, and the new group sought to create a nonpartisan, formal network for African-American congressmen and women.

The CBC elected William Lacy Clay, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, as its first chairman. “Black people have no permanent friends, no permanent enemies… just permanent interests,” Clay stated. This declaration would eventually become the motto for the CBC. “We were truly uninhibited, really free to decide our own issues, formulate our own policies, and advance our own programs,” Clay would later recall. “Our mission was clear. We had to parlay massive voting potential into concrete economic results.”

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The brothers of Alpha have had a long history of making political waves that create change. The leadership of our fraternity has sought to turn our ideas into action. After a careful drafting of our public policy agenda under our new general president, the next step was to take our ideas forth to the Capitol and meet with members of the CBC to discuss our agenda.

On March 22, 2017, newly inaugurated General President Everett Ward, Past General President Harry E. Johnson, and the Alpha Phi Alpha Public Policy Chairman Yvesner Zamar [Iota Delta '03] sat down with Alpha members of Congress, Gregory W. Meeks [Zeta Zeta Lambda '89] (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver II [Delta Theta '64] (D-MO), Al Green [Beta Nu '68] (D-TX), and Robert C. "Bobby" Scott [Sigma '66] (D-VA), all of whom are members of the CBC, to gain perspective and feedback on their needs and how the fraternity can be effective in helping them influence policy to benefit people who are often left behind. The following are the resulting policy recommendations discussed by the group. S

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LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

EDUCATION A quality education is paramount to the success of African Americans. While Africans Americans are increasingly performing in the classroom, there still remains a large achievement gap compared to our white counterparts. It is imperative that we support measures that provide adequate infrastructure for our people to afford a quality educational experience.

Initiatives ✤✤ Increase access to high quality public education, particularly for children in underperforming subgroups. ✤✤ Improve higher education opportunities and college affordability. ✤✤ Protect Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). ✤✤ Decrease education disparities (i.e., support closure of the achievement gap and promote educational equity among all). ✤✤ Work toward reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), which expired in 2013.

Legislation to Watch • HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act makes important changes to the HBCU Capital Improvement Program to increase access to capital for HBCUs, which often is a major challenge for these institutions.

• Pell Grant Restoration Act of 2015 will restore Pell Grant eligibility for students who attended an institution of higher education that closed due to certain violations.

• File Once FAFSA Act of 2016 simplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for low-income students by requiring dependent Pell Grant recipients to file a FAFSA just once before going to college and forgo burdensome refiling in subsequent years. If enacted, this bill will make it easier for nearly 3.5 million low-income students to obtain critical Pell Grant aid and access and complete college.

• Student Loan Fairness Act of 2016 provides student loan forgiveness, caps on interest rates on federal student loans, and refinancing opportunities for private borrowers in an effort to increase purchasing power, strengthen economic recovery, and restore fairness in financing higher education in the United States.

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• Funding for Student Scholarships for the 1890s Land-Grant African-American Colleges and Universities Act would award $1 million in federal grants to each of the 19 schools established under the 1890 Land-Grant AfricanAmerican Colleges and Universities Act for scholarships to African-American students who commit to pursuing careers in agriculture.

• Go to High School, Go to College Act would allow Pell Grant funding for eligible students to be used for transferable college credits, including core general education requirements, that students complete in an early college program offered by an accredited Institution of Higher Education (IHE).

• America’s College Promise Act would authorize the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to states and Indian tribes to waive tuition and fees at community colleges. This bill also authorizes ED to award grants to four-year HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to waive or reduce tuition and fees for up to 60 credits for low-income students.

• Parent PLUS Loan Improvement Act amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to reduce the interest rate and eliminates the origination fee for a parent PLUS loan disbursed on or after July 1, 2016.

The bill also makes a parent PLUS loan eligible for the income-contingent and income-based repayment plans.

HEALTH CARE African-American men’s health has at times been regarded as irrelevant to the health and well-being of the communities where they are born, grow, live, work, and age. Why is men’s health important overall? It is a societal and family issue. Men’s health issues affects spouses and children and may result in diminished productivity, poverty associated with widowhood, fatherlessness leading to increased risk of drug and alcohol use, lower college aspirations, and more encounters with the criminal justice system among youth.

Initiatives ✤✤ Protect insurance for the vast number of people of color who have attained health care through the ACA.

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✤✤ Ensure that transitioning college brothers and those their age will be able to remain on their parent’s health care plan. ✤✤ Decrease the disparity gap in health care professionals, especially in the area of mental health care.

Legislation to Watch • Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA) provides robust support for improving the health and well-being of people of color.

HEAA improves and guides federal efforts in the following vital areas: data collection and reporting; culturally and linguistically appropriate health care; health workforce diversity; health care services; health outcomes for women, children, and families; mental health; high-impact minority diseases; health information technology; accountability and evaluation; and addressing the social causes of health disparities.

• Prostate Research, Outreach, Screening, Testing, Access, and Treatment Effectiveness Act of 2016 or “PROSTATE Act” provides a vehicle for addressing the significant racial and ethnic disparities in the prostate cancer space— where mortality rates of African-American men are more than double those in the white population.

• We must stand ready to preserve critical elements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which represents the biggest advancement for minority health in the last 40 years.

VOTING RIGHTS Access to the ballot box has a been a critical focal point of Alpha Phi Alpha since the 1930s, when A Voteless People is a Hopeless People was initiated as a national program. In spite of our vigilant efforts, over 20 states have passed laws to make it harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote. Since Shelby County v.

Holder (the 2013 case that effectively found the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional), there has been a steady increase in the number of restrictive voting laws that disproportionately suppress turnout among minorities, young adults, and the elderly. It is important we keep engaging our community to become more involved in the electoral process while advocating for policies that make voting more accessible for all, especially African Americans.

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Initiatives ✤✤ Safeguard the rights of voters, especially populations that are traditionally targeted by voter suppression efforts. ✤✤ Ensure equal access to the ballot box. ✤✤ Work to fix gerrymandering.

Legislation to Watch • Voter Empowerment Act will help ensure equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter, will modernize our voter registration system to help more Americans participate, and takes steps to eliminate deceptive practices and voter fraud that deter voters from casting their ballots.

• Voting Rights Advancement Act restores and advances the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by providing a modern-day coverage test that will extend federal oversight to jurisdictions that have a history of voter suppression. This act also protects vulnerable communities from discriminatory voting practices.

• Same Day Registration Act of 2015 makes it easier for Americans to register to vote by allowing same-day registration at polling places for all federal elections.

• Redistricting and Voter Protection Act will require states to establish independent, multiparty citizen redistricting commissions to draw open and transparent statewide district maps after each decennial census.

• H.CON.RES 9 is a house resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that a day should be designated as “National Voting Rights Act Mobilization Day” in order to: (1) remind all Americans of the critical role that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 continues to play in protecting the right to vote, and (2) be an occasion for them to voice their support for this landmark civil rights law.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM In a country that accounts for 5% of the world’s population, we have a disproportionate 25% of the world’s prison population. Over-criminalization and mass incarceration have been directly attributed to this disproportionate number. Previous bipartisan support for reform in Congress fell short of their goals. We must push our government at all levels to implement

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policies that lead to a more equitable criminal justice system.

Initiatives ✤✤ Reduce incarceration rates among minorities. ✤✤ Reform mandatory minimum sentencing. ✤✤ Dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. ✤✤ Promote successful re-entry into society.

Legislation to Watch • SAFE Justice Act limits the application of federal mandatory minimum drug sentences to the highest-level offenders, as Congress originally intended. The bill will reduce prison costs and populations, save money, reinvest savings into law enforcement needs (e.g., training, body cameras, blue alerts), and protect the public by using state-tested, evidence-based practices that are reducing crime.

• Youth PROMISE Act uses community decision making and proven programs to save money and prevent youth violence. In our most troubled areas, this bill will reduce crime and strengthen communities. The act will fund, implement, and evaluate an array of evidence-based, locally controlled youth and gang violence prevention and intervention practices. Programs will include proven violence prevention practices, such as mentoring and after-school programs, that have been shown to reduce crime more effectively and at a lower cost than incarceration. The act will also encourage communities to reinvest a portion of their savings back into PROMISE programs.

• Excessive Use of Force Prevention will make the deployment of a chokehold unlawful under federal civil rights law.

• End for Profit Prisons Act bans private prisons, reinstates the federal parole system, and eliminates quotas for the number of immigrants held in detention.

• End Racial Profiling Act will eliminate the well-documented problem of racial profiling by establishing a prohibition on the practice and mandating retraining and data collection by federal law enforcement agencies. The legislation also provides grants for the reinforcement and/ or development of effective, positive policing practices. For the first time, this bill will make a federal cause of action for racial profiling,

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meaning victims will be able to seek redress in a court of law.

ANTI-POVERTY African Americans account for the highest poverty rate in the United States. Economic development, jobs, and housing are critical to sustainable wealth creation in communities of color. We must advocate for policies that create more domestic jobs, educate our workforce, and provide livable working wages.

Initiatives ✤✤ Revitalize underserved communities. ✤✤ Advocate for affordable child and health care. ✤✤ Ensure federal investments are reaching communities suffering the most. ✤✤ Raise incomes and ensure quality jobs for all.

Legislation to Watch • Urban Progress Act will expand economic opportunities, improve community policing, and promote common-sense gun violence prevention in underserved communities and for other purposes.

• 10-20-30 Formula to Fight Persistent Poverty requires that any federal program subject to this plan would be required to direct at least 10 percent of total investments to counties where at least 20 percent of the population has lived under the federal poverty line for at least 30 years.

• Half in Ten Act will create a national strategy to cut poverty in half in 10 years.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT The wealth of white households was 13 times the median wealth of African-American households in 2013 compared with 8 times the wealth in 2010 and appears to be widening. Entrepreneurship is one of the more effective strategies for closing the wealth gap between whites and African Americans. African Americans are one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs in the country, but our businesses are still undercapitalized and face discriminatory lending practices that inhibit business growth and development. We must advocate for policies that support the creation and growth of AfricanAmerican owned businesses, help African-American THE SPHINX

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entrepreneurs access startup and growth capital, and ensure that African-American owned businesses have fair access to public contracts and private supplier diversity initiatives.

Initiatives ✤✤ Ensure more equitable access to Small Business Administration (SBA) lending for African-American owned businesses. ✤✤ Root out discriminatory lending practices that inhibit African-American business formation and development. ✤✤ Strengthen the financial institutions that support African-American owned businesses. ✤✤ Advocate for expanded access to federal contracting opportunities for African-American owned businesses.

Initiatives to Watch • Improving SBA lending to African-American owned businesses should help address longstanding access to capital challenges that undermine African-American owned business formation and development.

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• Ensuring that any infrastructure package includes robust minority contracting requirements will provide growth opportunities for African-American owned construction companies and drive job creation in our communities.

• Regulatory relief for community-based financial institutions will help to ensure that the financial institutions that disproportionately support African-American owned businesses have the resources and regulatory flexibility necessary to be responsive to the capital needs of AfricanAmerican owned businesses.

• Implementation of Section 1071 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act will ensure that financial institutions are held accountable for discriminatory small business lending practices.S Yvesner Zamar [Iota Delta '03] is the chair of the Public Policy Committee. He is a legislative counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives, a graduate of The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, and a former General Office intern.

Brother Zamar created the bulk of this document at the request of General President Ward.

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Meeting the New Executive Director

B

rother Jamie R. Riley, Ph.D. [Beta Omicron ‘03] has been a leader most of his life, dating back well before his college days at Tennessee State University, where he was initiated into Alpha through Beta Omicron Chapter in 2003. While in Nashville, he earned his Bachelor of Science in healthcare administration and planning and his Master of Education leadership concentration in administration and supervision. He earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in counseling and student personnel services from the University of Georgia in 2011.

Brother Riley comes to Alpha Phi Alpha from Johns Hopkins University where he served as the associate dean of Student Life for Diversity and Inclusion. His administrative skills have been demonstrated in previous positions, including having served as the assistant dean of students and director of the LEAD Center at the University of California, Berkeley.

Brother Riley has focused his research and administrative practice on addressing the impact of culturally oppressive campus climates on the success of African-American and Black male college students attending predominantly white institutions. Jamie’s doctoral dissertation, titled Racism, Discrimination, and Prejudice: Through the Voices of Black Men on Predominately White College Campuses, investigated the impact of race and racism on AfricanAmerican and black male students’ ability to thrive academically, socially, and developmentally.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Brother Riley is also a member of 100 Black Men of America and has held membership in several alumni chapters including Tau Lambda (Nashville, TN), Rho Kappa Lambda (Gwinnett County, GA), Iota Tau Lambda (Farmville, VA), Gamma Phi Lambda (Berkeley, CA), and most recently, Delta Lambda in Baltimore, MD. Brother Riley has also served as an Alpha and/or campus advisor for several chapters at colleges and universities across the country.

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Alpha’s new executive director has very high expectations for himself and for the fraternity. He said, “I think it is crucial that we streamline processes and procedures to align with the fraternal organizational structure and the needs of individual brothers. The General Office is the place where brothers should come to find solutions and answers in a timely fashion.

Our staffing must be adequate to meet the needs of brothers, chapters, districts, regions, and the general body all at the same time. I believe the better utilization of technology and personnel will help us to achieve that and much more.”

Brother Riley also has strong ideas to bring Alpha together and to bridge the gaps between new brothers and those who have experienced longevity in the fraternity. He wants to work with the executive leadership to develop initiatives that assist college brothers in their transition from college to professional life. S

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LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

BY JAMIE R. RILEY

THE REALITIES OF CAMPUS INCLUSION DURING THE ERA OF “45” Successfully achieving diversity and inclusion has been an ongoing issue for most colleges and universities across the country. As access to higher education has slowly increased, the population of students attending college has become more diverse. Many institutions have been challenged and have struggled to foster environments that embrace, celebrate, and, at minimum, acknowledge the vast diverse identities and cultural interests and needs of its students from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Many Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs), in particular, have continued to face obstacles in creating academic and social spaces that support the nuanced needs of Black and African-American students, for example.

Current trends and research show that students continue to contend with feelings of isolation and marginalization and often experience overt or covert forms of racism in their classrooms and in many nonacademic spaces. Although many private and public colleges and universities have been able to achieve small incremental increases in the enrollment of Black and African-American students, efforts to dismantle systemic and institutional forms of racism are still prominent on most PWI campuses, making inclusion a much more difficult challenge.

Over the past few years as we witnessed the issue of racism still plaguing most PWIs, we also witnessed an upsurge of violence against Black and AfricanAmerican bodies in mainstream society. Although these types of actions have been ongoing throughout U.S. history, the national media attention that was brought about by the unforeseen and unwarranted death of countless young Black and African-American people sparked a new resurgence of “Blackness.” This new societal norm ultimately led to the creation of the Black Lives Matter Movement, a movement that some would say awoke and unleashed the drive of many Black youth to stand up and demand justice while also seeking equitable cultural experiences and resources on their respective college campuses.

In 2014, colleges and universities began to see an uptick in campus activism (students were no longer sitting silent and allowing general society to continue to enact violence on their bodies) while college campuses continued to enact violence toward students’ emotional and psychological well-being by allowing racism to permeate. Similar to the Civil Rights Movement of 38

the past, students were now using their voices to hold their peers, campus administration, and public officials accountable for their actions and were actively speaking out against oppressive policies, behaviors, practices, and overall un-just climates. Some scholars and social scientists will argue that in addition to the public display of violence toward African-American and Black people, the election of our first president of color, Barack Hussein Obama, contributed to this new sense of “woke-ness” for Black or African-American people. The juxtaposition of his message of hope with his support for many more liberal or “left” polices and the onset of what seemed to be targeted efforts to eradicate Black and African-American people from this community created the perfect formula for young Black and African-American youth to feel empowered to move toward demanding change. However, some will also argue that the newfound “voice” of the Black and African-American community also enraged a large subset of white Americans, including some less progressive white college students who for too long had enjoyed the more silent and perceived docile demeanor of Blacks and African Americans. For decades, the topic of race and racism in America was a taboo, rarely openly discussed outside of Black History Month and the occasional documentary. White people were able to live within their racial privilege without the daily reminder of the unearned benefits they received simply due to the color of their skin. They became unsettled, some would even say distraught, which led to what I believe is the overwhelming support and finally the election of “45” (the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump).

During 45’s campaign, he made bigotry, hate, and disenfranchisement acceptable again. He gave voice to many whites who began to feel that “their country” was slowly being taken over by “others.” Not only did the election of 45 reawaken an unhealthy and damaging sense of whiteness, it also welcomed a new onslaught of racist incidents on college and university campuses across the country. Those white students who once felt that they were silenced by campus efforts to create welcoming and inclusive environments now felt vindicated. They once again felt in control and felt empowered to use their privilege, although often in secrecy, to demonstrate hate and their thoughts about the place of Blacks, African Americans, and other minorities within this country.

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Many students of color and higher education professionals, including myself, have spent years striving toward achieving inclusion on mostly white campuses. We have played the political game of trying to advocate for the needs of Black and African-American students and have often spent a lot of emotional and intellectual energy on what I would perceive as marginal return. I could share countless stories where I have sat with university administration, mostly white men, debating the need for Black and African-American cultural centers, attempting to persuade them on the need to publicly reprimand the racist acts of white students, and/or continuously pleading with them to dedicate the resources necessary to foster campus inclusion. Overall, it has been exhausting. However, this new onset of hate, this “45 hate” that has surfaced on our PWI campuses, is like nothing I have seen in my 13 years as an administrator/faculty. Daily, Black and African-American students face messages and cues that they are not wanted or that they don’t belong. It has grown beyond peer-to-peer interactions and the occasional use of racial slurs at social events. It has grown to faculty who use free speech and academic freedom to give their opinions about why so many Black and AfricanAmerican youth are slain by police. It is peers who hang nooses on trees. It is harassment by campus police and security. It is the spray painting of derogatory, racist language on academic buildings. It is the use of social media to advertise meetings of anti-Black student organizations. It is faculty and graduate assistants who tell Black students to “just get over it,” when another innocent Black or African-American person has been murdered by the police. It is when a campus leader is called “nigger” by the parents of the incoming student government association president, such as in the case of the alleged incident that happened on the campus of Wichita State University.

Many PWIs have become breeding grounds for racism.

Hollow and empty campus communications about values and low-resourced inclusion efforts are all too familiar and have not warranted true change. Black and African-American students are under attack at many of our PWI campuses, and Black and African-American students in general are looking toward Alpha men to stand with them in a demand for change. Use your voice and your social capital to speak out against racism on these campuses. If you are an alum, reach out to your board, trustees, or legislative officials and bring light to the warfare that is happening on many PWI campuses. The days of giving credit for good effort are gone. Too many young Black and African-American collegians are in pain because they are expected to SPRING 2017

thrive in an environment that continuously displays their lack of worth or importance. Alpha Phi Alpha has always been a leader in fighting for racial justice and equality.

It is my goal to work with leadership to galvanize our talents to ensure we not only lift up our brothers

who are directly impacted by these occurrences but that we challenge campuses to take direct and swift action in moving inclusion forward. Brothers, if you haven’t done so already, I ask that you and your respective chapter take the time to learn how racism is impacting your campus and the campuses of your surrounding institutions by contacting and meeting with the campuses’ offices of diversity and inclusion or the offices of multicultural affairs. Once you are aware, devise a plan to engage and create measurable recommendations that can be sustained and supported. The racial climate on PWI campuses is not going to get any better any time soon, especially while 45 is in office.

The clichè phrase, “If you see something, say something” is never truer than when it applies to racism on campuses. If you have experienced overt aggressions of racism directed at you or your fellow students of color, help is available. Most campuses have diversity officers who are happy to work with you to increase your level of comfort as you continue your studies in a safe, inclusive environment. Alpha is planning a roundtable of university presidents and other Alpha brothers to speak to their feelings and ideas about creating the change we hope to see happen. We will announce when it is scheduled.

It is up to us. “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.”S

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LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

BY JOEL K. JOHNSON [BETA NU ’90]

Chicago Violence: What’s at the Root, and How Can Alpha Help?

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uring the 2016 presidential campaign, Chicago, I.L. became the punching bag of then-candidate Donald Trump. Even now, not a news cycle goes by that does not highlight the effects of community violence that plagues Chicago streets. An uninformed person would believe that every neighborhood, every street, is the center of a gang-fueled shoot-out for turf and respect. That same person would think innocent people are dying at the hands of savages. Well, they would be partially correct; however, the full truth is far more complex and has been decades in the making.

Like all cities, Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. But unlike most cities, the Chicago neighborhood context defines the culture, politics, and social being of the city.

Anyone who has spent any time in Chicago will tell you there are three sides to the city: Northside, Southside, and Westside. The lake is east, so if anyone tells you they are from the Eastside, they are not from Chicago. These geographical endpoints are homes to ethnic jewels— places called Bronzeville, China Town, Ukrainian Village, and Austin, just to name a few. These neighborhoods are

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the beginning of the crisis we see today on our evening news, and a bulk of the violence reported occurs in three communities.

In 1919, there was a significant race riot in Chicago that resulted in the death of 15 whites and 23 blacks. More than 500 people (60% black) were injured, and over 1,000 black families were left homeless as the result of rioters burning their homes. The lasting result of this conflict was government-sponsored zoning laws that segregated housing in Chicago, a process known as redlining, as well as restrictions that limited employment opportunities for African Americans. In his article, “A Case for Reparations,” Ta-Nehisi Coates explained how redlining in Chicago negatively impacted not only housing choices but the building of wealth through homeownership. Property values were improperly held low, while neighboring communities’ property values soared, thus creating pockets of poverty adjacent to wealthy communities. Ultimately, the history and birth of Chicago gangs can be traced to these communities.

Over time, the gang culture of Chicago would influence

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gangs nationally and internationally. Many Chicago gang leaders and founders remain isolated in federal supermax prisons to this day for fear they will continue to influence the gangs from prison.

Gangs of today have evolved from neighborhood protection. Like organized crime in most cities, street organizations have become multi-million-dollar enterprises. Low-level street agents commit myriad crimes, for very little compensation, to the benefit of the organization's leaders and others. The concentrated poverty and loss of manufacturing jobs over the years has strengthened the ranks of Chicago gang members, who don’t see alternatives to crime as a sustainable means of survival.

In addition to being one of the most racially segregated cities in America, Chicago is also the heroin capital of the United States.

In addition to being one of the most racially segregated cities in America, Chicago is also the heroin capital of the United States. While crack cocaine ravaged most American cities, including Chicago, in the 1980s, heroin has been a mainstay drug in Chicago since the 1960s.

The Chicago Crime Commission listed Mexican drug cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman as #1 on its most wanted list, not because of his criminal activity in Mexico and border states but because of the impact that heroin has had on Chicago. Heroin is smuggled into Chicago and then distributed to the rest of the United States. Chicago gangs are at the epicenter of the heroin crisis. Now that suburban America is hooked on heroin, gangs on the south and west sides of Chicago are tour guides and hosts to Caucasian high school kids, soccer moms, and businessmen who seek what they sell.

The Eisenhower Expressway (US 290) that runs from downtown Chicago through the western suburbs is commonly referred to by law enforcement as the “Heroin Highway.” Any number of factors in the drug game can lead, and often does, to violence, and heroin is at the center.

In 2016, Chicago logged 762 murders. Although this is totally unacceptable, it is not as high as murder totals

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in the 1990s (922 murders in 1991) and is on par with murders in the 1980s (729 in 1983). Oddly, according to FBI statistics and news reports, while Chicago totaled the most murders in 2016, it ranked 8th in the per capita listing of cities for the same year and 18th in a 5-year look at the same data. The top twenty cities are as follows (in descending order): 1.

New Orleans

11. Memphis

2. Detroit

12. Buffalo

3.

13. Washington, DC

St. Louis

4. Baltimore

14. Stockton (CA)

5. Oakland

15. Miami

6.

16. Milwaukee

Kansas City

7. Cincinnati

17. Pittsburg

8. Cleveland

18. Chicago

9. Atlanta

19. Indianapolis

10. Philadelphia

20. Tulsa

Chicago has a problem, as do most of our large and midsize cities. So what can Alpha Phi Alpha do?

Local Chicago-area chapters are engaged in community programming in key Chicago neighborhoods. This includes mentoring as well as other national Alpha programs. Chicago has a U.S. congressman, two Cook County commissioners, one Chicago alderman, one state senator, and five state representatives who are all Alpha men. Recognizing that members of Alpha Phi Alpha serve in similar elected positions throughout the country, we could and should look at common issues and create legislation templates to address these issues in our communities. Similarly Alpha should develop and advocate for a policy and legislative agenda to improve all aspects of our communities as it relates to education, employment, health, public safety, and so forth.

Lastly, Alpha chapters that are engaged in the work of Alpha are already working to improve communities.

These chapters must share what is working in their communities and equally as important, highlight what is not working. The sharing of best practices among the chapters would give chapters the opportunity to learn from each other and borrow new techniques in community engagement and intervention. This sharing of best practices gives the General Organization an opportunity to reassess our national programs and partnerships. Alpha Phi Alpha’s history of service in these communities uniquely positions the fraternity to find solutions that speak to the complexity of the challenges while refocusing on the fierce urgency of now. S

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LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

Alpha Racial Justice Commission Brief CONSIDERING AFRICAN-AMERICAN POPULATION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary Given the dedicated history of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to address issues affecting African Americans and people of color around the world, this policy brief, commissioned by the Racial Justice Committee, analyzes population, education, and incarceration rates of African Americans.

With a history of supporting racial justice and social change that spans more than a century, the fraternity has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world since its inception. Mentoring is provided as an interventional method to address educational and correctional trends facing African-American youth. Through a national approach to the data, the purpose of this report is to give Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity some baseline data that can be useful going forward to enhance programs geared towards educational achievements of our youth.

Background African Americans have endured arduous experiences within the U.S. history of de jure and de facto segregation, which created separate and unequal schools for successive generations of African-American students (Vasquez Heilig, Reddick, Hamilton & Dietz, 2011) and led to the proverbial school to prison pipeline (Cole & Vasquez Heilig, 2011). A legacy of severely under-resourced schools and over-representation in prison populations remains despite the active struggle of African Americans for civil rights via litigation, state and federal legislation, and local activism throughout the 20th century (Walker, 1996). Although conditions have improved, continued isolation in inner cities and rural localities has resulted in unrelenting segregation and inequitable provision of vital educational resources (Noguera, 2008). In the modern era, African-American children continue to be undereducated in the U.S., as educational attainment in the U.S. tracks closely with residential segregation, family wealth or poverty, and the historical unequal funding of schools by race and ethnicity (Orfield, & Ashkinaze, 1991). Therefore, the efforts of African Americans to obtain a highquality education for their children in a structurally discriminatory system and to avoid the justice system have been uneven at best (Anderson, 1988).

Education The impact of lower quality educational experiences is dire as African American students obtain lower levels of educational attainment nationwide. A 2016 National 42

Center for Education Statistics (NCES) study reported alarming trends for African-American students: a national dropout rate of 7.4% and a higher education graduation rate of 73%. Indeed, access to higher level courses is often scarce within U.S. public schools educating predominately black and Hispanic students.

This significantly impacts student success and higher education attainment.

Nationally, the 2013 six-year graduation rate for whites at four-year public institutions was 60.7%; for blacks, 40.3%.

Although both figures were an increase from 2003, black students’ six-year graduation rate improved by only 2.1 percentage points, while white students’ six-year graduation rates improved by 5.3 percentage points.

As instructive and as helpful as six-year graduation rates can be, they do not tell the entire stories for specific types of institution—in particular, minority-serving institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Since HBCUs serve a significant population of African-American students, it is important to contextualize their contribution to student success and attainment. As a result, experts argue for the development of a performance index for evaluating HBCU efficacy, an investment in data collection and tracking, and duplicating successful retention programs.

School-to-Prison Pipeline Another aspect affecting higher education success is psychological and behavioral characteristics arising from the school-to-prison pipeline. As a result, exclusionary practices that disproportionately target students of color, particularly black students, are associated with the school-to-prison pipeline trajectory. This “pushout” of children from schools strongly correlates with higher drop-out rates and increased involvement with juvenile court and the correction system (Leone et al, 2003). Unfortunately, black youth are overrepresented at every stage of contact with the juvenile justice system. Suspension rates for African-American boys (20 percent) and girls (11 percent) were more than double their representation in the school population (Toldson & Lewis, 2012). Additionally, in six U.S. states, black youth are over 10 times more likely to be committed in the justice system than their white counterparts—Utah, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Rhode Island (The Sentencing Project, 2016).

Although black populations are overrepresented within the justice system, there is an underrepresentation of black populations within specialty courts (e.g., drug THE SPHINX

LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

courts and mental health courts) that are geared toward diverting individuals from the criminal focused system to a more rehabilitative system (Costello et al, 2014; Marlowe, 2013; Sarteschi, Vaughn, & Kim, 2011).

In addition, the increased exposure to violence within communities and schools is a significant contributor to mental health symptomology that can impact multiple facets of one’s functioning (e.g., emotion regulation, concentration, memory, motivation, etc.). When exposure to violence is cumulated over time and engagement with treatment or services are minimal (health disparities), the development of chronic mental health conditions may exacerbate pre-existing challenges. Approximately 60–75 percent of youth involved in the juvenile justice meet criteria for at least one mental health disorder (Gottesman & Scharz, 2011; Teplin, 2012), with many showing symptoms of affective-based disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder). Thus, despite the overrepresentation of Black youth within the juvenile justice system, there is an underrepresentation of Black youth receiving treatment (National Mental Health Association, 2004).

Mentoring Considering the plethora of issues facing black youth in the U.S. correctional and education systems, the brief then turns to a conceptual framework to undergird mentoring interventions. To assist the youth experiencing deleterious educational outcomes, we proffer that Alphas adopt strategies that provide young people with alternate pathways to accrue social and cultural capital that can enhance what they bring from their home environment. A central intervention that could prove valuable in this effort is engagement in mentoring. Two key theoretical concepts concerning mentoring—social exchange, and mentoring networks—are introduced to better serve as a foundation moving forward with mentoring initiatives. As has been seen nationally through President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper and complementary programs, mentoring is an important conduit to reach African-American youth and provide them protective factors for future success. Relationships developed through mentorship programs provide students the external and internal resources to enhance their educational experience.

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Individual Alpha chapters could consider mentoring models that are most appropriate according to interest and level of commitment. To this end, we have fashioned a typology of mentoring models that can be employed at the individual, regional, and local Alpha chapters. The typology consists of five different models: (a) traditional mentoring programs, (b) curricular resources delivered via the World Wide Web, (c) curricular resources delivered in print, (d) large-scale rallies and courses, and (e) social media and networks. Once completed, our brief will provide detailed, in depth models and examples of programs that exemplify each approach.

Even this cursory survey of data on African Americans and their educational outcomes provides a picture of the modern separate and unequal experiences as they exist currently and continuously.

Solutions to the oft-exclaimed crisis in urban education have been and are currently being sought. We proffer that mentoring programs, either large-scale or one-onone dyads (or some permutation of these forms), are a way that Alpha Phi Alpha might address these inequities.

The models profiled in the report are approaches that have garnered media attention – the evaluative data on many mentoring programs tends to be thin – but these programs have been transparent about their structure and their outcomes. Along these lines, we would recommend employing an assessment and evaluation system concurrent with any intervention that the fraternity engages in to provide data for members.

In conclusion, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has led the African-American community for over a century; it is our hope that this report contributes to continued leadership in the 21st century. S Gregory J. Vincent [Alpha Rho Lambda ’87], national chairman for the Commission on Racial Justice, is a national expert on civil rights, social justice, and campus culture.

Currently, he is the president of his alma mater, Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

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SUPPORT YOUR FOUNDATION. THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA EDUCATION FOUNDATION, INC. IS THE NON-PROFIT CHARITABLE ARM OF THE FRATERNITY, WHICH FOCUSES ON SCHOLARSHIP, PROGRAMS AND TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEMBERSHIP. ALPHA’S FOUNDATION NEEDS ALPHA MEN TO HELP STRENGTHEN IT. LOG INTO ALPHANET AND DONATE TO THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION, TODAY. ALPHANET.APA1906.NET/DONATIONS

LEADERSHIP | POLITICS | SOCIAL JUSTICE

ALPHA MAN RECEIVES THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR Ernest J. Harris [Gamma Delta ’48] received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service as one of the first African-American Marines at Montford Point, North Carolina.

Brother Harris, 88, the son of an Arkansas cotton farmer was honored by United States Senator Brian Shatz of Hawaii where Harris resides. “When I was picking cotton, I didn’t think of anything like this. If the job I did was successful, that was recognition enough,” stated a humble Harris.

Harris is most noted for his research in the field of entomology. He has developed a method called “male annihilation” that attracts male fruit flies to eat poisoned squares of bait. Through federal support, Harris and his team of researchers could use his methodology successfully on Rota Island in the Northern Marianas.

Millions of sterile fruit flies have been used throughout the world using Bro. Harris’s techniques. Currently, there are more than 20 nations that have implemented Harris’s methods. Most notably, the country of Chile has used Harris’s work, where he received the official commendation from the Chilean government in 1996.

Harris attended an all-black high school in Arkansas and graduated at the top of his class. He would later attend Arkansas AM & N (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff [UAPB]), a historically black university. It was at UAPB where Harris was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. on Nov 1, 1948, at Gamma Delta Chapter.

He graduated magna cum laude in 1951 majoring in chemistry and zoology. He married Bettye Joe Hawkins on April 11, 1954, and in 1959 earned his master’s from the University of Minnesota where he studied entomology.

Morocco, Algeria, and the greater regions of Northern Africa. His diligent work in fruit fly eradication using bio-rational tactics such as sterile fly releases, male annihilation, and augmentative biological controls is renowned in over 20 countries, and most have adopted his methods of eradication known as “The Harris Strain.”

Bro. Harris earned his doctorate in entomology at The University of Hawaii-Moana in 1975 and has published over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Bro. Harris continues to reside on the island of Ohau, Hawaii, where he is an active member of Mu Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. The chapter hosts an annual scholarship banquet in his honor at which the chapter awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors during its Black and Gold Ball.

He and Mrs. Harris are the proud parents of three children: Tanya, Mark, and Greg. S

Harris was one of the first African Americans who volunteered to be a Marine at Montford Point in North Carolina. During the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, a push was made to integrate a previously all-white armed forces. Bro. Harris was also one of the first African Americans to become a researcher for the U.S. Agriculture Research Service.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture invited Harris to conduct research in helping to eradicate the problem of fruit fly infestation in Hawaii and the Mariana Islands.

He gave the United States Department of Agriculture in Hawaii 40 years of faithful service. Harris has successfully trained people to combat the infestation in Tunisa,

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ARTS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT

CROSSING FARMERS BOULEVARD: A JOURNEY TO ONENESS IN A POLARIZING WORLD Defining moments refine our potential and give birth to our purpose. These unexpected twists of events, unforeseen challenges, and courageous leaps of faith outline the blueprint of the lives we build. Crossing Farmers Boulevard: A Journey to Oneness in a Polarizing World is a collection of the pivotal moments that shaped the character, tenacity, and empathy of Ronald J. Peters Jr. Born during the infancy of hip-hop culture in Queens, N.Y., an inquisitive young man discovers a world of wonder and limitless possibilities when he crosses Farmers Boulevard, sometimes with almost deadly consequences, but always with valuable lessons learned.

As a child, Peters was challenged by dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, and an environment that perpetuated fight-or-flight reactive behaviors, including drug use, violence, and devaluation.

He utilized hip-hop as a form of self-therapy. Tagging and drawing provided him with an escape from the confines of his learning disabilities and the outlet he needed to self-nurture and exercise his God-given creative thoughts.

These expressive activities cultivated his understanding of the polarity of his perceived academic weaknesses and the innovative gifts that they could afford. As an adult, he became a university professor and defied end-stage kidney disease. His engaging memoir plays out as the reverse engineering of an improbable life’s journey full of adventure, discovery, and the transformative power of love. S Crossing Farmers Boulevard: A Journey to Oneness in a Polarizing World is available on Amazon.com or by visiting www.crossingfarmersboulevard.com.

About the Author Ronald J. Peters Jr. [Theta Rho ’87] was born in Bricktown, Queens, N.Y. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Houston, Department of Health and Human Performance; Houston Baptist University Center for Health Studies; Prairie View A&M University, Department of Health and Human Performance; and Texas Southern University, Department of Health Sciences. His research has been featured on ABC News, CBS News, CNN, ESPN, Good Morning America, National Public Radio, NBC News, VICELAND, and NFL Live and in USA Today as well as myriad other national and international media outlets.

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FEAR NO EVIL: TACKLING QUARTERBACKS AND DEMONS ON MY WAY TO THE HALL OF FAME An elite pass rusher who was in the prime of his career, Charles Haley was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to an NFC rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Why would they make such a trade? The 49ers did so because Haley had become difficult for teammates and coaches alike. It turns out that he acted this way because he had bipolar disorder. Haley, a Hall of Famer and the first NFL player to earn five Super Bowl rings, documents what it was like suffering from that condition and how he overcame it. He details what it was like to play for two championship organizations and the fights, transgression, and squabbles that marked his career. S

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BY TAIWO “TY” SOSINA

The First to Five Rings: Making History in the NFL

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OAT (Greatest of all time) talk has made another comeback in light of Tom Brady winning another ring. Brady garnered MVP honors as he led the New England Patriots to a soul snatching 34-28 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. Brady is now the only signal caller in National Football League (NFL) history to have won five Super Bowls. Although he wasn't able to join his teammates during their trip to the White House, someone he will be joining is Hall-of-Famer Charles Haley.

“When I got traded to the Cowboys, the first handshake I received was [from] Jerry Jones,” said Haley.

Brother Charles Haley is actually the first professional football player to rack up five Super Bowl rings. History, am I right? With the 96th pick, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Haley out of then James Madison (now James Madison University). Haley’s 40-yard dash time is what dropped him into the fourth round, but the Niners would reap the benefits of the Virginia native. In the spring of 1985, while at James Madison, Charles Haley crossed the burning sands into our brotherhood via Xi Delta Chapter.

“When you think about the Hall of Fame, you think about winning,” Haley commented.

In Dallas, Haley racked up three more rings in his first four seasons going back to back again in 1993 and 1994. It’s safe to say the trade worked in his favor.

Charles was selected to five Pro Bowls and named an All-Pro twice in his career. Although Haley’s career was shortened by a back injury, he was selected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 1996, Haley racked up 12 sacks in his first season with San Francisco.

Haley not only lead the team but also was a half sack away from leading the NFL, earning him All-Rookie Team honors by two publications.

“When I stepped out on that field, I was determined to be the best every play,” Haley said in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. “Not some plays, but every play.”

Three years later, Haley would win his first of two backto-back Super Bowls for the 49ers. His defensive unit allowed an average of 13 points in both games including a 45-point beat-down in their second go around, this time against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV. Despite their success, a fallout between Haley and the Niners organization led to his trade to none other than “America’s Team,” the Dallas Cowboys, in 1992. Haley would spend the next five seasons in Dallas. Their passionate owner, Jerry Jones, will join Haley in the Hall of Fame in August.

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There you have it. The more you know, right? This has been a humble brag on another accomplishment to add to the list of trendsetting Alpha men. S Taiwo “Ty” Sosina [Mu ’09], an aspiring sports broadcaster, co-hosts Phirst Contention on YouTube and the Phinal Word, a podcast started by brothers from Mu Chapter. Both shows talk about every aspect of sports from breaking news to the social impact of sports and their players in our communities.

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ARTS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT

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THE SPHINX

ARTS | SPORTS | ENTERTAINMENT

BY RON B. THOMPSON

My America BEING HUMAN “Before you are a race or religion, you are a human being.” -KRS One In the 21st century, people of color are still fighting for our humanity and civil rights. In America, “the country of the free,” black communities will have to constantly challenge our idea of freedom without compromise.

The Ferguson riots, Baltimore riots, and Million Man March (Justice or Else) movements are a representation of the people refusing not to be invisible. The forces that contest their opposition for freedom and equality strengthen our culture. In spite of threats and attacks with tanks, police dogs, water hoses, and tear gas, the oppressed still stand for justice.

This sort of heroism displayed by the opposed is conveyed though the iconic superheroes in American comic books. A unique characteristic about these heroes is that they are able to live in the same time as their readers, making them more malleable to any era. From the start, superheroes have spoken out against civil injustice and exercised their super abilities to make a difference. Superheroes in the 1960s helped shape the reader’s identity and consciousness of reality. The imagery and context of comics push the status quo and present complex internal struggles; such as the X-Men are examples of the idea of Double Consciousness. Coined by W.E.B. Du Bois, this concept is deeply rooted within the African-American community and submits that blacks are typically outcast and torn between who they are and what society wants them to be. The aesthetic of this concept is a conveyance of anger, friction, and action. Superheroes in comic books display a full range of emotion, and just the same, it’s in our human right to express them as part of being human. S

Ron B. Thompson's [Alpha Psi ’05] first art supplies were Legos, model car kits, and drawing materials. Later, while attending Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts, his mentors and teachers pushed him to attend Lincoln University, an HBCU in Jefferson City, Mo. After graduating, Thompson decided to pursue his master’s in Fine Arts at the University of Missouri. While at the University of Missouri–Columbia, Thompson’s “My America” was born. “My America” was inspired by “My America” by John Biggers and W.E.B. Du Bois’s concept of Double Consciousness. Thompson combined these two concepts to redefine black identity in Western culture. Thompson became the second African American in the University of Missouri’s history to graduate with his Master of Fine Arts degree.

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BUSINESS | FINANCE FEATURE

BY MR. TODD ALHART

Major Laser: Blazing Past Obstacles, a Brother Will Join Edison, Tesla in National Inventors Hall of Fame

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joining GE research giants Thomas Edison, Charles Steinmetz, William Coolidge, Robert Hall, Katharine Blodgett, Edith Clarke, and others. He’s also a member of the National Academy of Engineering. “It is an incredible honor to join such a prestigious group of GE inventors and others in the National Inventors Hall of Fame,” Jones said. “If I trace my steps up to this point, GE GLOBAL RESEARCH

lobal Researcher Marshall Jones [Beta Pi Lambda ’85] knows a thing or two about beating the odds but not just because of his knack for mathematics. A model of perseverance, the laser pioneer was raised by his extended family on a duck farm but ended up laying the foundation for the new field of additive manufacturing, which includes 3D printing. He will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame this spring.

The institution, which counts Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and the Wright Brothers among its members, plans to recognize Brother Jones for his contributions in laser technology, which have expanded the application and use of lasers. “Marshall Jones isn’t just a laser pioneer, he’s a trailblazer whose laser research is helping to transform manufacturing and build a new additive business for GE today,” said Vic Abate, GE’s chief technology officer.

Additive technologies are writing the latest chapter in the story of manufacturing. Unlike machining, this approach enables engineers to produce virtually any design they want. One application already used

by GE grows jet engine parts from thin layers of metal powder by fusing them together with a powerful laser beam. Last year, the company opened a new lab studying industrial applications of the technology and also launched a new business called GE Additive. Jones’s laser and other breakthroughs are now helping the industry “increase the speed, size, availability, and ease of making 3D-printed parts,” Abate said.

Jones joined GE’s Global Research Center after graduating with his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

He became a leader in the company’s laser research program and received more than 50 patents over 42 years. In May, Jones will be part of the 2017 class inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame,

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it has been a love of learning, having a focused set of goals and sheer determination that has gotten me to this point and time.” In other words: never giving up.

That seems to be the leitmotif of his life. Jones was born during World War II in Southampton on New York’s Long Island, when the area was best known for agriculture rather than summer mansions of the rich and famous.

Because his father was serving in the Navy and his mother worked as a seamstress in New York City, he lived under his aunt and uncle’s care on their farm.

It wasn’t an easy childhood. He developed a speech impediment and, according to family lore, only his brother and the family’s dog could understand his speech.

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BUSINESS | FINANCE FEATURE

His early schooling also involved a series of setbacks.

He excelled at science and raced through algebraic equations in the fourth grade. But his teacher at the time didn’t believe his English was good enough and held him back. “I can honestly say that repeating the fourth grade is what helped me become an engineer,” he said during a talk at Duke University in 2005. “I just wasn’t learning reading and spelling at the same pace I was learning math, and I needed to take that extra year to get caught up.”

programming will be integral to GE’s developments in new machine concepts.

Jones also remains committed to promoting STEM education for young people, particularly in underserved communities. He has spent a lot of time with fourthgraders at his old elementary school in Riverhead, N.Y. While at GE, he also recruits students from historically black colleges and helps them follow his own GE GLOBAL RESEARCH

Catch up he did, but his troubles weren’t over. Because his family didn’t have much money, Jones, who loved sports, planned to write his ticket to college as an athlete.

But he injured his knee in his junior year of high school. With that avenue blocked, he attended a community college and later bootstrapped his education at the University of Michigan where he was the only African-American student in the engineering school. He went on to earn a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Years later, he self-published the aptly titled children’s book Never Give Up. Dale Lombardo, manager of GE’s Manufacturing Processes Laboratory who worked with Jones, said that “at a time when the original Star Wars trilogy and Superman movies dominated people’s imagination with light sabers and superheroes that could bend steel, Marshall was showing how lasers could perform amazing feats in the real world.”

He said that the laser applications Jones has developed “have changed the way manufacturing is done, demonstrating new ways to work with the most difficult advanced materials at a speed, cost, and quality that can’t be beat.”

When Jones arrived at the GE labs in 1974, he joined a cadre of scientists who in the 1960s and 1970s pioneered research into semiconductors and lasers, including Nick Holonyak, the inventor of the visible LED, and the late Robert N. Hall, who created the first diode laser. Building on their work, Jones came up with laser beams powerful enough to cut steel, among other innovations.

Lasers are at the core of melting metal powders into place to build up parts in additive manufacturing. As industry looks to increase the speed, size, availability, and ease of making 3D-printed components, Jones’s improvements in laser configuration, controls, and SPRING 2017

incredible journey.

He told his audience at Duke, “I am certain that my elementary teachers would not have predicted that ‘little Marshall’ would be where I am today.”

For more information about Brother Marshall Jones, this year’s class of inductees, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame, please visit their web site at http://www. invent.org/. S

Todd Alhart manages General Electric’s Research Lab’s media relations and external communications globally, with a focus on proactively telling GE’s technology story. This story was reprinted with GE’s permission.

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BUSINESS | FINANCE

BY RANDAL PINKETT [KAPPA PHI LAMBDA ’07], AND JEFFREY A. ROBINSON [KAPPA PHI LAMBDA ’07]

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ver since we co-founded our first company as undergraduates at Rutgers University, entrepreneurship has been at the center of our community-building strategies. Entrepreneurship is about creating value in the world. In our book, Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness, we further describe entrepreneurship as follows: Entrepreneurship is about using your talents to make a positive impact in your areas of influence, and then leveraging all of the resources at your disposal to create value in the world.… For those that find themselves looking to create new schools, new nonprofits, new businesses, and new religious institutions, we encourage you to “think and act entrepreneurially”—to apply the principles of the entrepreneurial mindset to creating new entities.… People who create new entities and apply the entrepreneurial mindset to their work are entrepreneurs.

We believe that this entrepreneurial mindset is the key to the future economic development of the black

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community. Entrepreneurs are the major wealth creators in America but unfortunately fewer than 5 percent of the black population is self-employed or engaged in founding and running registered businesses. Furthermore, the entrepreneurs who are making money in black communities are not black. Often, the wealth that is created through entrepreneurship doesn’t stay in the black community, and therefore our communities do not reap the benefits of the kind of entrepreneurship that also invests in the local community.

We see three strategies to increase the effectiveness of entrepreneurship as an economic development tool for the black community: 1. We must recognize the importance of entrepreneurship as the most important vehicle of economic development in the black community.

In a study conducted by the Kauffman Foundation it was noted that black Americans, and in particular black males, were the most likely to say they wanted to open their own business. Unfortunately, the statistics also tell us that blacks are the least likely

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BUSINESS | FINANCE

to actually open businesses. There may be several explanations for this paradox but it points toward the untapped potential for entrepreneurial activity in our communities. In fact, based on a study conducted by the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency, if we raised the participation rate of black and other minority entrepreneurs to a level even with our percentage of the U.S. population, we would not only create more wealth in the community but would also wipe out the unemployment problem in minority communities.

When we ran the same models specifically on black entrepreneurship in New Jersey, we found that by doubling the number of black-owned businesses we would create an additional 56,000 jobs in the state.

These findings should make building entrepreneurs and supporting entrepreneurship a priority in our communities.

2. We must shift the mindset from being small business owners to being executives of business enterprises.

We meet many “solo-preneurs” who are running small businesses without any business partners, and we know that their potential is limited. In order to truly transform our neighborhoods into thriving communities, we need to build more “business enterprises.” A business enterprise is an entity that builds wealth that can be shared in future generations or simultaneously creates community wealth through job creation and other social impacts. In fact, the most impactful entrepreneurship occurs when teams of entrepreneurial individuals join together to create enterprises that leverage the five Ms—money, marketing, management, mentors, and mergers/acquisitions—to create wealth.

For example, Oprah Winfrey and Jeff Jacobs formed a partnership that catapulted Oprah to becoming the first black female billionaire. When Bert Mitchell invited Robert Titus, a colleague working as a sole practitioner, to join his firm as a partner, they created Mitchell & Titus, which is now the largest minoritycontrolled accounting firm in the United States. Lastly, David Steward and James Kavanaugh joined forces to establish World Wide Technology, which has grown to become the largest black-owned business in the country.

3. We must use double- and triple-bottom line logic to make economic progress, have a social impact, and address issues of environmental justice and degradation. To use this kind of logic in your business

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endeavors means achieving financial goals and social and/or environmental goals simultaneously. These “social entrepreneurs” blur the lines between making a profit and making a difference by combining them into a holistic agenda. Just as entrepreneurs change the face of industry by focusing on the bottom line of making a profit, social entrepreneurs change the face of society by focusing on the “double-bottom line” of making a profit and making a difference, building organizations and building communities, doing good business and goodwill, and implementing solid business practices and socially responsible behavior (and environmentally friendly practices, which reflects a triple-bottom line). In this age of “buying local” and building “sustainable” communities, this double- and triple-bottom line logic is a must for all but especially for our black businesses. Several good examples of this model exist. In Chicago, I.L., Brenda Palms Barber founded Sweet Beginnings LLC as a business that would hire the graduates of their U-Turn Permitted Program. Sweet Beginnings hires people who were formerly incarcerated and are interested in turning their life around to create natural bath and beauty products derived from the honey and beeswax harvested from beehives they host on abandoned properties and rooftops in Chicago’s West Side. The products, known as BeeLove, are sold in Whole Foods stores, Hudson Bookseller shops, and boutiques around the country. Other examples include companies such as City Fresh Foods in Boston, M.A., and Brotherhood Brewing Company in St. Paul, M.N., which are similar to Sweet Beginnings because they function as for-profit companies that have specific local community impact goals that are tied to their business model. This double-bottom line logic must be taken up by more businesses in our community if we are ever going to make a significant impact on the social and economic problems we face in our communities.

These examples underscore the need to support black social entrepreneurs in every community. If we want to see significant economic improvement across our nation in the 21st century, we must increase the number of black business enterprises, entrepreneurs, and social entrepreneurs in our communities. S Randal Pinkett [Kappa Phi Lambda ’07], cofounder, chairman, and CEO, BCT Partners; Jeffrey A. Robinson [Kappa Phi Lambda ’07], Ph.D., senior fellow, The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Rutgers Business School.

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CHAPTER NEWS

OLA REACHES OUT TO LOCAL SCHOOLS

BY JAMES WRIGHT JR. [ETA GAMMA ’84] The brothers of Omicron Lambda Alpha Chapter have been involved in mentoring selected middle-school-age black and Latino young men at the Shaw campus of the Capital City Center Public Charter School since January 2013. This program was founded under the chapter president, Kenrick Kennedy [Gamma Nu ’99].

The program for the 2016–2017 school year is being managed by Michael Taylor [Beta Delta ’03], the chairman of OLA’s Education Committee. The brothers meet with the young men once a week on Fridays from 8:30–9:15 a.m. Some of the subjects addressed are life skills, conflict resolution, preparing for high school, the high school application process, writing a winning high school admissions essay, discussion of prospective high schools, managing career choices, and developing a life plan.

The mentoring at the charter school is the chapter’s part of the fraternity’s Go-to-High School, Go-to-College initiative that encourages young people in general and young men to pursue higher education. The chapter has donated backpacks filled with school supplies to each of the participants. The chapter is also involved with Paul International High School as a part of its black male outreach of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Recently, Emerson Bretous [Eta ’95] was honored at the school for his and the chapter’s participation in the program at the school.

OLA is planning on extending its mentoring program to the Ron Brown College Preparatory High School, the District of Columbia’s public all-boys institution. The principal at the school is Benjamin Williams [Iota Beta ’01], and Taylor is a community cabinet member.

In addition, OLA’s community service chair, Giani Clarkson [Beta Phi ’01], led the brotherhood in a children’s book and toy drive at Orr Elementary School in December 2016 and at a special event where brothers brought children’s books with special inspirational messages inside. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

UPSILON RHO BROTHERS WORK TO DIVERSIFY THEIR CAMPUS Upsilon Rho Chapter integrated their Go-to-High School, Go-to-College initiative in collaboration with the African-American Male Achievement Program of Mission High School, a pilot program within the San Francisco Unified School District, to have at-risk male middle and high school students take a class taught by an African-American male educator.

Chapter brothers worked closely with Jeremy Vasquez [Pi Epsilon ‘86] to secure participation for students from Mission High School to attend the 2016 Student Leadership Conference at the University of San Francisco (USF).

Pearci Bastiany [Upsilon Rho ‘14], president of Upsilon Rho Chapter, was given an opportunity to develop a program session at the conference about the vision and mission of USF. Bastiany’s session hosted 30 USF students and seven Mission High School students in roundtable discussions about increasing the diversity of the USF undergraduate student body by establishing relationships with diverse high school students throughout San Francisco. Bastiany began the program session with a speech about the current state of student diversity at USF and the need for increasing the number of diverse applicants, specifically African Americans, applying for undergraduate admissions to USF. The panel ultimately concluded that current USF college students can build important relationships with college-bound high school students through mentoring, tutoring, and assistance with college applications. The program session received positive reviews from participants, and administrators are eager to work with the chapter on future educational projects.

Throughout the duration of the USF’s Student Leadership Conference, Upsilon Rho Chapter mentored several high school students by facilitating meetings with other college student leaders and club presidents. Allowing mentees to observe the 400 USF student leaders in action at the Student Leadership Conference gave some of these young men their first exposure to an institution of higher learning and college life. Because of their participation in Upsilon Rho’s Go-to-High School, Go-to-College program at the USF Student Leadership Conference, the Mission High School students understood the value of caring about their learning environment, their fellow students, and the responsibility of leadership. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

Alpha Delta Lambda devoted an amazing amount of time trying to improve voter awareness and turnout during the important 2016 presidential election. Focusing on both local and national elections, the chapter took to the streets, barbershops, and schools, while also partnering with national organizations like the NAACP to spread the word about voting. S

Theta Rho Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has expanded into the City of Alexandria, V.A., becoming a dual-seated chapter. The chapter seat expansion was approved by the fraternity on August 8, 2016, after a year-long effort by brothers to give the city an official chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. This change will increase the visibility and effectiveness of Theta Rho Lambda in our local communities. It will as well help with the reclamation of brothers within Alexandria when they do a search to find a local chapter. S

The brothers of Zeta Rho Lambda Chapter celebrated Founders Day on Sunday, December 4, 2016, by honoring one of their chapter founders, Brother Ulysses S. Washington Jr. [Beta Gamma ’41]. Brother Washington has been an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for 75 years.

Initiated into Beta Gamma Chapter at Virginia State College, Petersburg on the same day the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, Brother Washington also served in the U.S. Navy as a motor machinist on a landing craft from 1944–1946. S

Iota Pi brothers gathered at Altitude Trampoline Park, which is the starting point of their adopted highway located at 91 Fountain Drive in Glen Carbon, I.L. The brothers walked up and down the highway for about a half mile and picked up any trash or debris in the area. Brother Rodrick Robins [Iota Pi ’14], chapter corresponding secretary, said, “It feels good to help the city out and to have a piece of the city that we can call our own.” The adoption of the highway is just the beginning for the Iota Pi brothers. Iota Pi brothers are currently in the planning process of a Black Male Summit Conference in the Metro East area. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter brothers earned advanced degrees in their respective fields.

Geshawn Williams [Kappa Xi Lambda ’09] graduated with a master’s degree in public administration from New York University.

David Williams [Sigma Delta ’12] completed a master of science degree in cyber security at New York University. Jamel Vanderburg [Xi ’08] received a master’s degree in public administration from CUNY Baruch College.

Junior Senat [Kappa Xi Lambda ’15] earned a doctorate in physical therapy from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. S

The brothers of Omicron Sigma Lambda celebrated Founders Day by taking a trip to Cornell University.

Seated in Murfreesboro, T.N., more than half of the chapter traveled to Ithaca to fellowship with local chapters, Iota Iota Lambda and Alpha, in remembrance of the beloved fraternity Jewels.

Brothers received a private tour to view the Alpha Archives Exhibit located in Kroch Library on the Cornell campus. Brothers also visited Syracuse University to bond with Iota Kappa Lambda and Delta Zeta to participate in the chapter’s Founders Day Luncheon. S The brothers of Zeta Phi Lambda Chapter held a successful black tie gala scholarship fundraiser celebrating a chapter milestone of 60 years of service and advocacy at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, C.T. Aquarium president, Brother Brian Davis, hosted the event which raised $10,000 in scholarships for college bound students and recognized Mu Phi Chapter’s 40th anniversary. S

On December 4, 2016, former civil rights leader, Brother Dr. Wyatt T. Walker, gave the Founders Day address for the District of Virginia of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity on the campus of Virginia State University. Dr. Wyatt had served as Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s chief of staff during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The noted speaker, theologian, cultural historian, former pastor, and author’s speech was derived from Leviticus 8:23, “Three Drops of Blood.” The Founders Day program also served as an opportunity for brothers to meet a living Alpha legend in a relaxed atmosphere. Following Dr. Wyatt’s engaging presentation, he and Brother Frederick D. Black Sr. were recognized for their 50 years of service in Alpha. S SPRING 2017

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OMEGA CHAPTER

Life Member #21 Passes

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ohn C. Rawls [Beta Epsilon ’46] passed into Omega Chapter, the fraternity’s chapter of sweet

his master’s degree from the University of Iowa, and his doctoral degree in education from Nova University.

rest, on January 18, 2017, at the age of 93 years old. Brother Rawls had the distinct honor of being Life Member #21 of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and was the longest serving district director for the Florida Federation of Alpha Chapters as well as the first brother to receive a 50-year Life Membership medallion.

Born in 1923, Brother Rawls worked in public school administration and education for 38 years. He taught at all levels of education from elementary to graduate school. He was also principal at Idylwild Elementary School in Gainesville, F.L. and an adjunct professor of administration and supervision at Nova University (now known as Nova Southeastern University), located in Fort Lauderdale, F.L. Brother Rawls is a charter member of both Epsilon Tau Lambda and Nu Eta Lambda chapters. A native of Gainesville, Brother Rawls earned his bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, 58

Brother Rawls mentored countless Alpha brothers, and we are a stronger fraternity as well as effective community leaders because of his tutelage. The ultimate tribute to his legacy is the brotherhood’s willingness to advance the fraternal precepts he embodied. I ask that we keep Mrs. Rawls in our prayers. Brother Rawls and his wife’s presence at Alpha events epitomized true Alpha love. It is because of Alpha brothers like John C. Rawls that we continue to be the College of Friendship, the University of Brotherly Love, and the School for the Better Making of Men.S THE SPHINX

OMEGA CHAPTER

First Black USAF Brigadier General Passes

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r. William Bill Banton [Alpha ’41] had a strong, at times larger-than-life personality.

He loved God, his wife, his country, and he cared genuinely and deeply for each and every member of his immediate and extended family. For more than 30 years, Dr. Banton served the St. Louis community and the nation as a civic leader, public health administrator, military leader, and physician.

Dr. Banton was born in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 1922, the second son of a banker and school teacher. He was educated in the public school system and later entered Howard University where he was initiated into Beta Chapter on December 12, 1941. His initial interest was in engineering, but he later changed to medicine and was accepted into Howard University’s School of Medicine in 1943 at the peak of World War II. Dr. Banton spent those first years of medical training in uniform as a member of the Army Specialized Training Corps and earned his medical degree after an accelerated 3-year program in 1946.

Upon graduation, Dr. Banton chose a rotating internship at Homer G. Phillips Hospital in St. Louis, M.O. While there, he developed an interest in diseases of the chest and went on to complete a residency program at the Robert Koch Hospital, specializing in tuberculosis and pulmonary disease. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Dr. Banton volunteered and received a commission as captain of the Medical Corps of the United States Air Force Reserve. He SPRING 2017

served on active duty from 1950 to 1952 receiving additional training in internal medicine at Mitchell Air Force Base in New York. During this tour, he completed training in aviation medicine and became a flight surgeon for his unit at Floyd Bennett Field Naval Air Station, N.Y. Following numerous tours of duty and a distinguished 30-year career in military service, Dr. Banton became the first AfricanAmerican brigadier general in the United States Air Force Reserves in 1973.

Concurrent with serving in the Reserves, Dr. Banton established a private medical practice at St. Louis’s predominately African-American north side. Dr. Banton became well known for his warm humor and genuine concern for his patients.

He used to have a small spotlight mounted on his car to find obscure addresses when making late night house calls to patients unable to visit his office. He served as an “attending” at many of the local hospitals, including Homer G. Phillips, The People’s Hospital, St. Mary’s Infirmary, Mount St. Rose Hospital, and the then-Firmin Desloge Hospital.

For many years, he remained on the clinical faculty of the St. Louis University School of Medicine as an assistant clinical professor in both the departments of internal medicine and of community medicine.

Dr. Banton’s commitment to the health care of the citizens of St. Louis continued with his work as a physician in the St. Louis Division of Health’s city chest clinics where he worked in addition to his private practice. He went on to become director 59

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of tuberculosis control for the city of St. Louis, establishing the first mobile X-ray screening unit for tuberculosis in the city. His interest in public health grew and prompted his return to studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health where he obtained his master’s degree in public health in 1970.

He returned to the City of St. Louis and accepted the position of health commissioner, which he held for the next 2 years. Dr. Banton was then appointed

by St. Louis County Supervisor Lawrence K. Roos as a special consultant for health and hospital coordination, charged with the redesign of the health care delivery system and forming the innovative single department called the St. Louis County Department of Community Health and Medical Care (DOCHMC.) When DOCHMC was complete, Dr. Banton was appointed as its first director, serving from 1973 to 1979. He returned to the private practice of internal medicine and served as medical consultant in the Missouri Department of Health, the state agency that he helped to establish during his tenure as the president of the Missouri Public Health Association.

Dr. Banton was an active member and leader of numerous organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Public

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Health Association, and the American Thoracic Society. He also served as president of the Missouri Public Health Association. He joined the St. Louis Metropolitan Medical Society in 1953, and in 1986 became the society’s 146th president and its first president of African-American descent. He was also a member since 1948 of the Mound City Medical Forum, a local organization of predominately AfricanAmerican physicians concerned with the health needs of St. Louis’s underprivileged and underserved populations. Dr. Banton served on many national committees including advisory committees for the Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Defense.

Much of what he accomplished could not have been done without the support and encouragement of his family. Dr. Banton met and eventually married Dr. Milagros T. Roman while she was completing her residency in Internal Medicine at Homer G. Phillips Hospital.

Brother Banton entered Omega Chapter on December 31, 2016. He was 94 years old. He lived his life with supreme positivity and optimism, always looking at the sunny side of any situation. He broke barriers and blazed trails for all of us. Dr. Banton was beloved by his family and by the broader community that he served. S

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OMEGA CHAPTER

The Passing of an Alpha Architect

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illiam Todd Wallace [Theta ’59] was the second eldest of two children born to the union of Willie Wallace and Helen Thomas Wallace on July 21, 1938, in Memphis, T.N. He passed into Omega Chapter, the fraternity’s chapter of sweet rest, on January 15, 2017.

Brother Wallace attended Skinner Elementary School and Crane High School located in Chicago, Illinois.

He graduated from Crane High School in June 1955. Wallace was joined in holy matrimony to Dr. Yolanda Deane GaylesWallace on September 23, 1966. To this union, two children were born: William Todd and Bryan Kent Wallace.

Wallace graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1961 from the University of Illinois. In 1968, he incorporated Environment Seven Limited where he was president and CEO. In 1993, Wallace was principal architect of WTW Architects Planners Engineers, P.C. In this capacity, Wallace provided comprehensive design services to institutions, corporations, communities, municipalities, and so forth. Wallace was also responsible for the development of an indigenous materials-based technology for the Central Bank of Ghana. His work in Ghana served to introduce several programs directed to the introduction of major industrialization programs and the development of local manpower.

For his service to the government of Ghana, Wallace was appointed honorary consul of Ghana, serving the Midwestern United States. He served in that capacity for 7 years.

At the request of Mayor Jane M. Byrne of the city of Chicago, Wallace served as a member of the mayor’s Architectural Advisory Committee. He also served as a member of President Jimmy Carter’s Council on Development Choices during the 1980s by appointment of the secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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Wallace served as architect and community planning advisor to the Illinois Medical District where he assisted in the development of the first comprehensive master plan for the Medical District. He also served as chairman of the Community Advisory Committee of the Illinois Medical District, a member of the Community Advisory Committee of University of Illinois at Chicago for development of the South Campus, and chairman of the board and treasurer of U.I.C. Mile Square Health Center.

Wallace’s extensive career included but was not limited to the following projects: Christ Universal Temple (3,500 seats); American Airlines Cargo Facility; New Town Plan, Karu, Nigeria; Providence Missionary Baptist Church banquet hall; Chicago Transit Forum (CTA) South Shops; Alpha Tower Senior Housing; CTA Driver Training Course Facility; Pullman Wheelworks, phase I; Bethany (Advocate) Hospital (JV); Hotel Florence restoration; Chicago Midway International Airport parking lots reconfiguration; Illinois Service Bank (branch); Paul G. Stewart Apartments, phases I, II, III, and IV; First Federal Savings and Loan (now Citi-Bank); Lucas Heights Village, St. Louis, M.O.; Metropolitan Village, St. Louis, M.O.; Leigh Johnson Courts; Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza; Neighborhood Commons Apartments; Evergreen-Sedgwick Apartments; West Point Plaza Senior Housing; Indigenous Housing for Ghana; Lake Grove Village Apartments; Wood Lake Apartments; and United Center Replacement Housing.

Wallace converted to Islam in October 23, 1988, on the same day he joined in marriage to Mrs. Robab Wallace. Fond and loving memories will live eternally in the hearts of his devoted family. His eldest son, William Todd Wallace II, preceded him in death.

He leaves to mourn his departure his beloved wife Robab Azar Sarshar Wallace of 29 years and numerous relatives and innumerable fraternity brothers and friends whose lives he touched. S 61

OMEGA CHAPTER

The following is a list of members who have entered Omega Chapter. For each member, included is: his name; the category of membership: college, alumni or life; life member number if available; chapter of initiation; date of initiation; last active chapter; and date of death. All of the information is based on what is submitted by chapters and family members and reconciled with the fraternity’s records.

William M. Batts Jr. Alumni Alpha Sigma Beta Tau Lambda Omega 1/24/17

Richard H. Brown Alumni Delta Pi Rho Omega 3/13/17

Stanley C. Burns Alumni Delta Epsilon Lambda Omega 2/10/17

Don E. Coleman Life Gamma Tau Kappa Delta Lambda Omega 1/30/17

Willie E. Conyers Life Gamma Mu Xi Xi Lambda Omega 3/24/17

Evies O. Cranford Life Eta Beta Lambda Omega 1/1/17

Willard G. Dallas Alumni Beta Kappa Beta Eta Lambda Omega 2/14/17

Arthur C. Ellis Alumni Theta Mu Lambda Omega 2/3/17

John E. Green Sr. Life Alpha Rho Beta Eta Lambda Omega 3/21/17

Wade H. Hammond, III Life Rho Omega 2/19/17

Raymond H. Onley III Alumni Xi Xi Lambda Omega 1/2/17

Powell R. Peebles Alumni Gamma Psi Phi Lambda Omega 3/17/17

John C. Rawls Life Beta Epsilon Nu Eta Lambda Omega 1/18/17

Thomas A. Ross Alumni Gamma Chi Lambda Omega 3/22/17

Willie J. Smith Life Beta Upsilon Gamma Lambda Omega 1/4/17

Wrage G. Wiley Jr. Life Alpha Sigma Beta Tau Lambda Omega 2/4/17

TO ALL OUR BROTHERS IN OMEGA CHAPTER, MAY YOU REST IN PEACE. 62

THE SPHINX

OMEGA CHAPTER

Come BaCk to the house. go to alphanet.apa1906.net

SPRING 2017

Brother,

Are You the missing piece?

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ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY

BOARD OF DIRECTORS GENERAL PRESIDENT Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. president@apa1906.net GENERAL TREASURER Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye general.treasurer@apa1906.net COMPTROLLER Donald E. Jackson comptroller@apa1906.net REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT - EAST R. Anthony Mills eastvp@apa1906.net REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT MIDWEST Willis L. Lonzer III midwestvp@apa1906.net REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT - SOUTH Ronald M. Natson Sr. southvp@apa1906.net

CHAPLAIN Jonathan C. Augustine chaplain@apa1906.net SERGEANT AT ARMS James McFadden sergeant.at.arms@apa1906.net SECURITY DIRECTOR Perrye Turner security@apa1906.net

GENERAL CONVENTION COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN RULES AND CREDENTIALS Pierre Rutledge rules@apa1906.net RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS William J. Jernigan resolutions@apa1906.net AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENT Earl H. Duval Jr. awards@apa1906.net

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT SOUTHWEST Maurice D. Gipson southwestvp@apa1906.net

GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE Louis Morant grievances@apa1906.net

REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT - WEST Russell E. Flye westvp@apa1906.net

STANDING COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN

REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - EAST Jordan P. Beckford eastavp@apa1906.net

CONSTITUTION Cash Sutton constitution@apa1906.net

BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (COMMISSION) William Pickard BED@apa1906.net LIFE MEMBERSHIP Rickey L. Thigpen life@apa1906.net

SPECIAL COMMITTEES CHAIRMEN AUDIT Donald Jackson comptroller@apa1906.net A. CHARLES HASTON BROTHER’S KEEPER Ronald J. Peters Jr. bk@apa1906.net BELFORD V. LAWSON ORATORICAL CONTEST R. Sylvester Owens oratorical@apa1906.net BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS Dale H. Long BBBSA@apa1906.net BOY SCOUTS Michael Files scouts@apa1906.net COLLEGE LIFE TO CORPORATE LIFE John Funny C2C@apa1906.net

military@apa1906.net MISS BLACK AND GOLD PAGEANT Sean A. Bellamy pageant@apa1906.net PROJECT ALPHA Charles Marshall project@apa1906.net PROTOCOL AND LOGISTICS Kenyatta N. Shamburger protocol@apa1906.net RECLAMATION Ron Mangum reclamation@apa1906.net

SENIOR ALPHA AFFAIRS Audrey L. Mackey senior.affairs@apa1906.net

PAST GENERAL PRESIDENTS

STEP SHOW COMPETITION Cecil A. Duffie step.show@apa1906.net TIME AND PLACE Christopher Evans TP@apa1906.net VOTELESS PEOPLE IS A HOPELESS PEOPLE Cassius Rudolph VPHP@apa1906.net WORLD POLICY COUNCIL Horace G. Dawson WPC@apa1906.net

ELECTIONS E. Christopher Washington elections@apa1906.net

HEALTH AND WELLNESS Wayne J. Riley health@apa1906.net

CORPORATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Donovan K. Kirkland CEC@apa1906.net

REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - SOUTH Qu’Derrick R. Covington southavp@apa1906.net

ENDOWMENT AND CAPITAL FORMATION Charles King ECF@apa1906.net

HOBART S. JARRETT Debate Competition Michael McClain debate@apa1906.net

VETERAN AFFAIRS Robert V. McDonald VA@apa1906.net

REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - SOUTHWEST Barry A. Taylor southwestavp@apa1906.net

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Stephan W. Bridges MD@apa1906.net

INTERNAL AUDIT REVIEW TEAM Dexter Leon Taylor audit@apa1906.net

REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - WEST Kagi M. Kananga westavp@apa1906.net EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jamie R. Riley, Ph.D. edcoo@apa1906.net

PUBLICATIONS Ramon E. Peralta publications@apa1906.net

APPOINTED OFFICERS

HISTORICAL COMMISSION Robert L. Harris Jr. historian@apa1906.net

GENERAL COUNSEL Daryl D. Parks counsel@apa1906.net

PUBLIC POLICY Yvesner H. Zamar policy@apa1906.net

HISTORIAN Robert L. Harris Jr. historian@apa1906.net

HUMAN RESOURCES Antonio Johnson - Co-Chair Augustus G. Tolson Jr. - CoChair HR@apa1906.net

GENERAL CONVENTION OFFICIALS DIRECTOR OF CONVENTIONS Van L. Strickland director.conventions@apa1906. net PARLIAMENTARIAN John M. Williams parliamentarian@apa1906.net

64

COLLEGE BROTHERS AFFAIRS (COMMISSION) Dominique C. Beaumonte college@apa1906.net RACIAL JUSTICE (COMMISSION) Gregory Vincent racial.justice@apa1906.net

International Affairs Ronald Sewell international.affairs@apa1906. net INVESTMENT Hyacinth C. Ahuruonye investment@apa1906.net JOHN HOPE FRANKLIN COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS’ BOWL Gregory L. Baily scholars@apa1906.net LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE Corey Branch LDI@apa1906.net M.I.S. AND TECHNOLOGY Rufus P. Credle Jr., Co-Chair Matthew Bradford, Co-Chair MIS@apa1906.net MARCH OF DIMES Wilbert L. Brown MOD@apa1906.net MILITARY BROTHERS Darryl W. Sharp Sr.

ALPHA PHI ALPHA EDUCATION FOUNDATION Ruben Barkley education@apa1906.net JEWEL HERITAGE PROJECT FOUNDATIONS E. Eric Elmore JHP@apa1906.net

GO-TO-HIGH SCHOOL GO-TO-COLLEGE Anthony Graham GTHGTC@apa1906.net

FRATERNAL STANDARDS Joseph Byrd FS@apa1906.net

ALPHA PHI ALPHA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION Dennis G. Kemp Sr. charitable@apa1906.net

RITUAL AND CEREMONIES Stephen R. Spence ritual@apa1906.net

BUDGET AND FINANCE Ainsley A. Reynolds budget@apa1906.net

REGIONAL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT - MIDWEST Kiel M. Barton midwestavp@apa1906.net

FOUNDATION CORPORATION James R. Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536

STRATEGIC PLANNING John Ellis strategic@apa1906.net ALPHA UNIVERSITY Sean McCaskill AlphaU@apa1906.net HBCUS TASK FORCE Roderick Smothers T. Ramon Stuart HBCU@apa1906.net POLITICAL AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Wayne M. Messam PCE@apa1906.net HEADQUARTERS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE Hebrew Dixon HAC@apa1906.net EMERGING ALPHAS ADVISORY TO GP Nicholas Harrison EAA@apa1906.net

FOUNDATIONS ALPHA PHI ALPHA BUILDING FOUNDATION R. Leandras “Bob” Jones building@apa1906.net ALPHA BUILDING

33RD GENERAL PRESIDENT Herman “Skip” Mason Jr. 32ND GENERAL PRESIDENT Darryl R. Matthews Sr. 32@apa1906.net 31ST GENERAL PRESIDENT Harry E. Johnson Sr. 31@apa1906.net 30TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Adrian L. Wallace 30@apa1906.net 29TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Milton C. Davis 29@apa1906.net 28TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Henry Ponder 28@apa1906.net 27TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Charles C. Teamer Sr. 27@apa1906.net 26TH GENERAL PRESIDENT Ozell Sutton 25TH GENERAL PRESIDENT James Williams 1733 Brookwood Drive Akron, OH 44313 (330) 867-7536 ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY Corporate Office 2313 St. Paul St. Baltimore, MD 21218 (410) 554-0040 membersupport@apa1906.net www.apa1906.net

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY JEWEL FOUNDERS Henry Arthur Callis Charles Henry Chapman Eugene Kinckle Jones George Biddle Kelley Nathaniel Allison Murray Robert Harold Ogle Vertner Woodson Tandy

THE SPHINX

The InformaTIon you need. rIghT When you need IT. Stay connected with your fraternity on your mobile deviceS. Scan the Qr code below, go to bIT.ly/aPhIaaPP or Search “alpha phi alpha” in your app Store today. the future of alpha iS here. iPhone | Android | BlAckBerry | WindoWs | online

BROTHER CORNELL BROOKS

BROTHER FREEMAN A. HRABOWSKI, III

BROTHER JEFF JOHNSON

BROTHER VIC CARTER