Sphinx | The Race Issue | Volume 11, No. 3

SPHINX Race Issue | Volume 11, No. 3

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

The Race Issue

BLACK-lash: Surviving and Transcending the Future of Black Activism

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THE SPHINX

CONTENTS

features

in this issue

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Blacklash: Surviving & Transcending The End of The New Reconstruction

Letters

24 The National Urban League: Mobilizing Our Communities For An Accurate 2020 Census Count

49 Leading The Way: Alpha’s College Campus Leaders

62 Joanna Freeman Sutton: An Alpha first lady who epitomized grace and dignity

20 History The First Pan-African Congress

28 Advocacy Annual Congressional Black Legislative Caucus 2018 #SocialMediaMatters: The Future of Black Activism Black Voting Matters!

39 Religion

46 Health

56 Education

64 Brothers on the Move

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67 Literary

71 Chapter News

77 Omega Chapter

80 Leadership Directory

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CONTENTS

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Official Publication of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity RACE ISSUE | Volume 11, No. 3 www.apa1906.net EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Henry A. Stewart sphinx@apa1906.net MANAGING EDITOR Eric Christopher Webb sphinx@apa1906.net LAYOUT EDITOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR Malik Whatley CONTRIBUTORS Everett B. Ward, Jamie R. Riley, Henry A. Stewart, Eric Christopher Webb, Robert L. Harris, Marshall Glaze, Kevin Williams, Dwayne Crawford, Roland S. Martin, Jonathan C. Augustine, Kevin Dedner, Corey Hebert, Nehemiah Bester, Arthur D. Vaughn, Rick Blalock, Duane C. Jubert PHOTOGRAPHERS Malik Whatley, Chris Palmer PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Ramon E. Peralta, Jr., L.H.D., Chair Paul E. Brown, Lawrence Buirse, Ricardo P. Deveaux, Wendel Eckford, LaMarcus Hall, Aaron Jones, Steven Misher, Donald Ross, Jeffrey E. Sterling, Marvin Venay

34 SPHINX Race Issue | Volume 11, No.3

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

The Race Issue

EDITORIAL OFFICES Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity 2313 St. Paul Street Baltimore, MD 212I8-5211 (410) 554-0040 www.apa1906.net ADVERTISING AND SALES ads@apa1906.net DESIGN AND PRINTING Mercury Publishing Services, Inc. (800) 634-9409

BLACK-lash: Surviving, Transcending and the Future of Black Activism

ON THE COVER

FALL 2018

The Sphinx analyzes the complex issue of race and how we, as African Americans, fight, advocate, survive, and transcend in a seemingly more hostile America, reminiscent of the postReconstruction era.

Cover Model: Brother Jason Glover, Upsilon Zeta '17

© 2018 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. | All Rights Reserved

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FROM THE GENERAL PRESIDENT

Letter from the General President My Brothers of Alpha, The history of our fraternity tells us that seven tenacious and courageous college men boldly refused to accept societal norms and racial stereotypes associated with African American men. Since 1906, Alpha men have stood at the forefront against racial discrimination and injustice. Today, we must continue that legacy and intensify our collective resolve to fight against the resurgence of racism, voter suppression, and acts of violence disproportionally directed towards African American men.

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

As your general president, I am asking all men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity to increase your leadership presence, elevate your local civic engagement, and expand your educational outreach. Utilizing our national programs as well as any new specialized chapter initiatives, Alpha brothers must stand in the gap to reverse all societal backward steps that jeopardize the fundamental rights reserved in a democracy.

Brothers of Alpha I ask that you employ the following seven action steps: • Continue to register new voters and actively participate in local, state and national electoral affairs. A Voteless People, Is a Hopeless People. Governance happens 365 days a year.

• Sponsor issued oriented community forums to enlighten the community on critical issues affecting the African American community.

• Strategically confront issues of violence that disproportionally affect African American males.

• Elevate educational mentorship programs that focus on young African American males.

• Increase scholarship donations and financial aid literacy programs for deserving young people planning to attend college.

• Monitor your physical, spiritual, and mental health as a leader of society.

• Advance Alpha brotherhood through your intentional fraternal interaction and support of a fellow Alpha brother. I Am My Brother’s Keeper.

The current political and social landscape requires men of Alpha Phi Alpha, the fraternity of scholars and leaders, to build a wall of protection around our community and actively work with others to end the creation of a divided society. Alpha men never take back steps regardless of the circumstances.

As you read this issue of the Sphinx Magazine, remember our Jewels and our bold fraternal history. I ask you to affirm their legacy by intensifying our uncompromising legacy against injustice, discrimination, voter suppression and racism.

Onward and Upward always. S

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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

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Letter from the Executive Director INTERSECTIONALITY OF AMERICA Dear Brothers: As a Black man in America, I am constantly aware of intersectionality.

Intersectionality is a concept often used in critical theories to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately Jamie R. Riley, Ph. D. Executive Director/COO Twitter: @jrriley03

from one another.

The quality of intersectional discrimination can be understood by analogy with the synergy that occurs when natural elements are put together: just as tin and copper interact to make bronze (not “tin-per”), age, race and gender combine to create a unique discriminatory dynamic suffered by Black men. The tragic unjustified murders of Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Freddie Gray, Tamir Race, Oscar Grant, and countless others happened not just because of their race, or their age or their gender, but because all of these attributes when combined create a figure of fear that is vilified and demonized by society in a way not experienced by all people. Ever since the death of Emmitt Till, young black men have been seen as an intersectional group, created at the nexus of these attributes. They suffer a special type of discrimination in society because they are subject to a particular kind of stigma.

The social condition felt by Black men during this present time is reminiscent of a time in America’s not too distant past. While the US has ended the formal, legal codes of enslavement and segregation that stood for most of the nation’s history, little has been done to systemically eradicate the infrastructure that perpetuates oppression.

As Alpha Men, the implicit interconnectedness of our race and gender place us at a particularly precarious position in American society that can appear daunting. Our calling as individuals and as a fraternity to uplift downtrodden humanity beckons us to have critical conversations and offer viable solutions to the dilemmas that meet us at the intersection of race and gender. We must work with great intention to create the change that we seek in our society. S “If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything... that smacks of discrimination or slander.”

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)

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FROM THE EDITOR

Letter from the Editor-In-Chief THE ISSUE OF RACE Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.

James Baldwin Dear Brothers: As African Americans, we have seen America build an entire society on the idea of Henry A. Stewart Editor-In-Chief sphinx@apa1906.net

“race,” a false construct whose ramifications has caused damage around the world, but falls most-heavily on the bodies of Black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered disproportionately to the population. The sojourn of African Americans is one this wrought with danger that manifest itself in our economic viability, physical and emotional health as well as our safety. What is it like to inhabit a Black body and find a way to live within it?

Manhood is often thought of as an innate quality that is the natural result of being a biological male, but manhood is an identity that is constructed through intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. All men do not benefit equally from the social, economic and political benefits of being a man; many men are marginalized by race, ethnicity and class. Racism, segregation, economic discrimination and other structural forces in this country have limited the ways African American men can define themselves in relation to hegemonic masculine norms (e.g., fulfilling the role of economic provider, moving their families into desirable housing and neighborhood conditions, and accumulating wealth to pass on to their children and grandchildren). The future of Black manhood is a topic usually dealt with in bars, barbershops and at dinner tables. The urgency of now demands that we formalize these discussions to engender genuine systemic change. As the clearinghouse for relevant discussions concerning men of color, The Sphinx recognizes the necessity for critical conversation about race.

This issue of The Sphinx aims to pose very critical questions about all aspects of race and evaluate the sojourn of African Americans both historically and in present day. We look at the holistic experience of being a Black man in America and the disproportioned challenges that have existed for decades. The absence of thoughtful and solution-oriented discussion imprisons us in our present societal situation and dooms us to repeat the mistakes of the past. These conversations are meant to inform, incite, encourage and inspire action.

Let us continue to march onward and upward. S

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FEATURE

BROTHER ERIC CHRISTOPHER WEBB, DDIV., NU ’89, RHO TAU LAMBDA

BLACKLASH:

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fter the withdrawal of the last federal troops from the South in 1877, white lynch mobs killed thousands of African Americans over the next 70-year period. The troop withdrawal represented the formal end of Reconstruction efforts to establish racial equality and rights for African Americans in the former Confederacy.

In June of 1964, local police pulled over and arrested James Chaney, an African American, and fellow Civil Rights workers, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, both American Jews, for

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`black – lash, a noun – a hostile white response to Black or African American political, social or economic advances, characterized by individual and/or collective microaggressions to domestic, racial terrorism.

SURVIVING & TRANSCENDING THE END OF THE NEW RECONSTRUCTION

Models: Brothers Nehemiah Bester, Alpha Kappa Lambda ’16; Boubacar Diallo, Upsilon Zeta ’17

allegedly speeding outside Philadelphia, Mississippi after they spoke with congregation members whose church had been burned.

They escorted them to a local jail and held them for several hours, allowing time for law enforcement and others, who were affiliated with the local Ku Klux Klan, to organize, and plan for their release.

As the three men left town in their car, they followed them, pulling them over again before leaving Neshoba County. This time, however, all three were abducted, driven to another location, and shot at close range. The three men’s bodies were then transported to an earthen dam where they were buried.

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On June 7, 1998, a 49-year-old African American James Byrd, Jr. accepted a ride from three white men, Shawn Berry, 24, Lawrence Russell Brewer, 31, and John King, 23 Berry, who was driving, was acquainted with Byrd from around the town of Jasper, Texas.

However, Brewer and King were reportedly well-known white supremacists.

According to reports, the three men took Byrd to a remote county road out of town instead of taking him home, beat him severely, urinated and defecated on him, and chained him by his ankles to their pickup truck before dragging him while alive for about three miles.

Brewer later claimed that Byrd’s throat had been slashed by Berry before he was dragged.

However, forensic evidence suggests that Byrd had been attempting to keep his head up while being dragged, and an autopsy suggested that Byrd was alive during much of the dragging. Byrd died about halfway along the route of his dragging after when his body hit a culvert, severing his right arm and head.

His brain and skull were found intact, further suggesting he maintained consciousness while being dragged. The murderers drove on for another mile and a half before dumping his torso in front of a black cemetery in Jasper.

Byrd’s bloody and mutilated remains were littered over 81 locations.

America’s troubled past is replete with stories of racist white citizens, who have directly engaged in domestic terrorism against the Black community as well as those who have used laws, law enforcement, and the judicial system to not only intimidate, disenfranchise and imprison African Americans, but to conspire to kill them, as well as their allies.

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“During the period of slavery (and through the Jim Crow-era in the South), every white person was able to stop an African American, ask where they were going, what they were doing, and that was basically a way African Americans were basically kept under control from their vantage, kept in their place,” says Brother Dr. Robert Harris, the Fraternity’s National Historian. “Now we’ve gone back to the notion of keeping African Americans in their place.”

And he is correct.

Interestingly, African Americans are experiencing a backlash reminiscent of the end of the Reconstruction era when some 2,000 African Americans held local, state and even federal public office. Between 1868 and 1876, 14 Black men served in the United States House of Representatives and two Black men served in the U.S. Senate – Hiram Revels and Blanche K. Bruce, both born in Mississippi and educated in the north. Immediately following, Blacks faced a rise in racial violence, including lynching to so-called ‘race riots’ when racist white Democrats regained control.

Likewise, as the nation bid farewell to its first Black presidency, it subsequently embraced the thinly-veiled, racist, ‘Make America Great Again’ mantra of its Republican presidential successor, Donald Trump. His vitriol campaign and presidential rhetoric as well as his subsequent social media tweets and media comments have encouraged not only a divisive racial environment, but a violently hostile one, where African Americans are faced with a resurgence of similar racist and violent practices.

Most notably, Trump repeatedly refused to distance himself from or disavow David THE SPHINX

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Duke, the Alt-Right, and other white supremacists when they claimed he spoke for them or represented similar values.

Additionally, when white supremacists sparked violence at a Charlottesville, Va. rally, he defended them by characterizing them and counter protesters as “some very fine people on both sides.”

This, however, was not the first time the White House has embraced or played apologist for white supremacists or their ideals. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson’s White House hosted a premiere of D.W. Griffith’s silent epic drama, Birth of A Nation in which the Ku Klux Klan was hailed as heroes at the end of the Reconstruction era when some 2,000 African Americans held local, state and even federal public office.

Wilson said the film was “like writing history with lightening.”

Now, the Jim Crow laws and Poll Taxes of old have also now been replaced by voter identification laws, felony disenfranchisement laws, and gerrymandering. Even worse, the National Rifle Association and American Legislative Exchange Council’s lobbying efforts between 2005 and 2011 to successfully push for Stand Your Ground legislation in 22 states has also provided a virtual ‘hunting’ license, for average white citizens to kill

Hate crime and dragging victim, James Byrd, Jr.

African Americans with minimal to no consequences.

In a previous NRA statement, they characterized the legislation as “self-defense laws” and “a natural right” that empowered “lawful people to defend themselves, and deters would-be murderers, rapists and robbers.” Interestingly, the perception the NRA and the legislation promotes is that those who pull and use their guns are lawabiding and those others are automatically criminals regardless of the circumstances, especially when the shooting victim is Black.

The acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin also supports that contention. Zimmerman

From Left to Right: Convicted killers Lawrence Russell Brewer, Shawn Berry, and John William King

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Brother Parks is no stranger to Stand Your Ground defenses. He was part of the legal team for the family of Trayvon Martin as well as currently for the family of Corey Jones.

In 2015, Jones, an African American musician and housing authority worker was shot multiple times and killed by a plainclothes police officer while waiting by his disabled car in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

stalked, confronted, and then murdered Martin as he walked home from a convenience store with a can of Arizona ice tea and Skittles.

According to the Urban Institute’s Race, Justifiable Homicide, and Stand Your Ground Laws: Analysis of FBI Supplementary Homicide Report Data, when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is Black, and the victim is white.

The Fraternity’s General Counsel, Brother Daryl Parks, offers a slightly different explanation.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say the law has a racial slant to it, but like most applications of laws in America, it tends to be a racial slant in the application of law and the enforcement,” he says. “That’s across the board so that’s not just a stand your ground issue. How we enforce laws in this country has everything to do with who is enforcing the laws and who it is being enforced upon. That has always been the case.”

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The officer, who has been charged with manslaughter and attempted murder, has attempted to claim a Stand Your Ground defense, arguing that Jones hopped out of his SUV and immediately aimed a gun at him.

A Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge didn’t believe him, however, and refused to dismiss the charges under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, considered one of the toughest in the country. The law grants immunity to anyone acting in self-defense and puts the burden of proof on the state.

In August, an appeals court upheld that lower court’s finding, clearing the way for his trial.

“It’s (Stand Your Ground) probably a concept most people don’t agree with. And when you start talking about application, it’s even more confusing,” Park says. “When you start talking criminal law, the last thing you want to see is confusion. Take for example the two situations in Florida, with Trayvon Martin (and Zimmerman) and the situation which happened in Pinellas County (with Markeis McGlockton and Michael Drejka). In both situations, you have the law enforcement officer taking a statement from a person who just shot someone and the law enforcement person then becoming the trier of fact in the case and that should not be – judge and jury, all in one, that’s not how a process should work.”

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In July, McGlockton was shot and killed outside the Circle A Food Store in Clearwater, Florida when he found another man, 48-yearold Michael Drejka arguing with his girlfriend over the parking space which they had parked.

She was waiting in the car while McGlockton went into the store.

When he returned, he sees Drejka arguing and threatening his girlfriend. McGlockton shoves him to the ground, then turns and noticeably begins walking away. That’s when Drejka pulled his gun and shot him.

Reportedly, months earlier, Drejka had accosted and pulled his gun on another Black man for parking in the same handicap space.

With the McGlockton shooting, Drejka initially invoked the Stand Your Ground selfdefense law and the sheriff refused to charge him. A month later, the state prosecutor overruled that decision and decided to charge him with manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

That case has spurred more debate over Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, and led Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to actively advocate against it.

Recently, the Fraternity participated in a press conference at Bethel Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida led by Brother R.B. Holmes calling for the state legislature to address Stand Your Ground again and is also continuing to ask other legislatures to address the Stand Your Ground problem that exists.

Across the country, law enforcement is also under increased scrutiny for recurring shootings of unarmed Black men, especially since many of these incidents were caught on video and shared virally on social media.

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According to a 2018 Washington Post study, Blacks, which make up 13% percent of the population, have been disproportionately killed by police officers under all circumstances since 2015.

On the other hand, police killed less than half the number of unarmed Blacks between 2015 and 2016, while the number dropped further from 38 to 17, in 2017, but the trend so far in 2018 shows no sign of continued decline.

In recent years, the nation has also been faced with fringe, racist domestic terrorists like Dylann Storm Roof, who murdered nine African American worshippers at a Charleston, South Carolina church in 2015, among the victims was the pastor of the church and a current state senator, Brother Clementa C. Pinckney, Gamma Gamma ’92.

And in March of this year, John Carothers was charged and later confessed in a letter to a white supremacist group of reportedly burning a Black man alive in Rutherford, Tennessee.

According to the report by Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism, hate crimes, in general in 2017, rose 12 percent over 2016 levels in 38 of the largest cities while there were 1,039 hate crimes in the nation’s 10 largest cities – the highest in more than a decade.

And with all this, closeted racists not only feel justified in their beliefs, but also protected and empowered to act without fear of repercussions or consequences. No longer are the micro-aggressions of clicking car door locks as Black pedestrians pass by or deliberately omitting Black coworkers from important work emails enough. Instead, they have adopted other passive aggressive tactics, but now with more deadly potential.

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DIALING FOR DEATH Today, frivolous 9-1-1 calls are commonly leveraged against African Americans for alleged criminal activities while they are instead conducting normal, everyday tasks such as shopping, parking in their own garage, opening their businesses, swimming at a community pool, working out at their gym, entering vacation rentals, barbecuing, selling water, meeting in a Starbuck’s, napping during a college study break or even babysitting.

While shopping, he picked up an un-packaged BB/pellet air rifle from the store’s sporting goods section in an open carry gun state. A customer, Ronald Ritchie, calls the police and claims Crawford is carrying a loaded rifle and pointing it at people, including children, causing a panic. That customer’s wife even claims Crawford is acting “very shady” and that she travels around warning shoppers about him, but no one later recalls her ever doing so.

“Why would someone call the police on someone for sleeping in a dorm common area or why would someone call the police to say someone doesn’t look like they belonged here,” says Brother Harris. “These are things that have been there under the surface and ‘45’ (Trump) has given people room to bring these things out in the open.”

Instead, Crawford was talking on a cellphone and carrying the BB gun at his side, not pointing the gun or threatening anyone as he looked at items on the shelf.

Activist Shaun King

Political commentator Jason Johnson was quoted in the Washington Post that “calling the police is the epitome of escalation and calling the police on Black people for noncrimes is a step away from asking for a taxfunded beatdown, if not an execution.”

In November 2014, Cleveland, Ohio police, who received a 9-1-1 call, gunned down 12-year-old Tamir Rice while playing alone on playground with a BB/pellet gun within two seconds of encountering him and without even stopping their vehicle.

Near Dayton, Ohio, a few months earlier, a 22-year-old African American father, John Crawford, visited a local Wal-Mart to buy marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers to make s’mores for a family cookout.

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When the police arrived, they went directly to Crawford and within mere seconds, shot him twice before he ever realized what was happening. He dies soon after at the hospital.

Conveniently, the customer changed his account with reporters and the police after Crawford’s death, claiming instead that he hadn’t pointed the gun at anyone, but was “waving it around.” A surveillance video later contradicted most of the customer and his wife’s account.

Afterwards, it was also revealed that only one of seven other customers recalled even seeing Crawford, but that customer was not alarmed and thought Crawford was an employee taking a gun on sale to a storeroom.

A grand jury declined to indict the two officers on criminal charges, but a judge later ruled that sufficient grounds existed to at least charge Ritchie with raising a false alarm, but a special prosecutor also declined to proceed as well.

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SURVIVING THE MOMENT & THE DILEMMA OF LAW ENFORCEMENT While race-based bias from some in law enforcement too remains a reality, other law enforcement officers, who attempt to exercise enforcement fairly, often find themselves being exploited by bigots.

“The police have no way of knowing what are and are not frivolous calls,” writes Brothers Dwayne Crawford, the executive director for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and Kevin H. Williams, a former chief of police and director of public safety at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and 40-year law enforcement veteran in a combined emailed response to the SPHINX magazine. “Therefore, they must respond to all calls after screening to obtain as much information as possible to determine if the call is actionable. It is critically important to comply when interacting with police. It is also highly-recommended not to have anything in your hands to ensure nothing could be perceived as a weapon.”

The added issue, they explain, involves training and mind-set.

“It is important to understand that too many police view encounters with others as dangerous,” they say. “Their training may have centered on a warrior/gladiator mind-set instead of servant leadership (model). Once ingrained, it is difficult for some officers to engage others (non-law enforcement) in ways that do not project us versus them.”

They emphasize that the critical point to remember is surviving the encounter with police officers to lawfully respond later if one believes they have been treated unjustly or mistreated. (SEE SURVIVAL 101) WINTER 2018

SEEKING JUSTICE Across the country, prosecutors, however, have either failed to file charges against or to successfully prosecute police officers who have shot or murdered unarmed Black men and women time and time again despite the existence of video evidence.

“Many of the publicized police shootings have not resulted in successful prosecution of the shooter,” Brothers Crawford and Williams writes. “It is important for community members to understand the significance of U.S. Supreme Court cases Tennessee v. Garner and Graham v. Connor. Those two cases (which involve the use of deadly force with fleeing suspects and the use of excessive force) have a significant impact on what is classified as a criminal act by police.”

They add, “Given the current administration, neither of these cases will be overturned or significantly changed during our lifetimes.

So, it is important not to engage police in an adversarial manner, except in a courtroom.”

In October, a Chicago jury did, however, convict Officer Jason Van Dyke of seconddegree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm in the death of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager who was carrying a knife, but veering away from the police. The shooting was captured on a widely-circulated dashboard cam video.

Still, that conviction represents a rare instance, where victims received a real semblance of justice.

Ultimately, African American victims and their families have been left with little legal redress other than suing for wrongful death or intentional infliction of emotional distress, when dealing with police killings and the false 9-1-1 call agitation. In the case of Tamir Rice, 15

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Social media meme shaming ‘Barbecue Becky’ and ‘Permit Patty.”

when a grand jury failed to indict the police officers involved, the City of Cleveland agreed to pay his family $6 million to settle a federal lawsuit.

Prominent Black activist and columnist, Shaun King, however, has decided to target the prosecutors and other officials directly, who fail to seek justice. King co-founded a political action committee to help elect “reform-minded prosecutors” at the county and city levels. The PAC also hopes to focus on electing sheriffs and judges. The group also will gauge how a district attorney candidate’s track on various criminal justice issues compares with that of the current officeholder.

That or similar strategies may be gaining ground, but only future election cycles and any incidents that may follow will reveal.

In Ferguson, Mo., Wesley Bell, a city council member, who promised to pursue criminal justice reform, soundly defeated seven-term Prosecutor Bob McCulloch in August, receiving nearly 57% of the vote in the Democratic primary – making him a lock for office without a Republican challenger.

The primary election largely focused on McCulloch’s failure to get an indictment 16

against Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot Michael Brown in 2014. The shooting triggered massive nationwide protests and gave birth to the Black Lives Matter Movement and subsequently, NFL’s Colin Kaepernick silent, kneeling protest during the singing of the national anthem.

Viral social media shaming has also become a popular form of justice for African American harassment victims. Social media posts, which included video, has identified and exposed individuals’ bigoted actions and comments to the general public, but most importantly to their neighbors, employers, and customers, earning them the monikers: ‘Permit Patty,’ ‘Pool Patrol Paula,’ ‘Burrito Bob,’ ‘Barbecue Becky,’ ‘Coupon Carl,’ ‘Shoplifting Steve,’ ‘Air BnB Amy,’ ‘Giftshop Gail’ and ‘Driveway Dan.’ The backlash from the video posts has not only led to embarrassment, but also cost some of their relationships, reputations, jobs, profits, and contracts.

Alison Ettel, also known as ‘Permit Patty,’ who called the police on an 8-year-old African American girl for selling water on a San Francisco sidewalk, had to resign as CEO of TreatWell Health, a company which sells cannabis-infused medical products THE SPHINX

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after dispensaries removed her products from their shelves and refused to sell them.

Morry Matson, a CVS manager who called the police on an African American woman for attempting to use a valid, manufacturers coupon, which he claimed was fake, lost his job as well withdrew as a candidate for the Chicago City Council.

York Times interview. “I would argue that it is pathological, which means it is a disorder that we can assess and treat. To me, that means these are symptoms that are a diagnosable disorder that require a clinical intervention. It goes largely unrecognized in most people, and that’s based on my experience as a clinician.”

TRANSCENDING THE BARRAGE Beyond the harassment, viral videos, deaths, protests, failed prosecutions, civil lawsuits, and social media shaming, those African Americans who survive and persist continue to suffer.

Research has also linked ‘race-based traumatic stress injury’ to a host of other problems, including serious psychological distress, physical health problems, depression, anxiety, binge drinking, and even disordered eating.

“Constant fear of these experiences may lead to constant vigilance or even paranoia, which over time may result in traumatization or contribute to PTSD when a more stressful event occurs later,” writes R.T. Carter in the article, “Racism and psychological and emotional injury: Recognizing and assessing race-based traumatic stress” published in The Counseling Psychologist.

While some have sought psychotherapy, for most, online communities, or discussions with pastors, family members, and also friends, who won’t rebuff those to stop complaining, have helped to vent, cope and process.

Clinical Psychologist Monica Williams, who studies the link between racism and traumatic stress disorder, argues that racism should be included as a cause of PTSD in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (D.S.M.).

“Within the Black community, positive coping with racism may involve faith, forgiveness, humor, and optimism,” Dr. Williams writes. “These cultural values have allowed African Americans to persevere for centuries even under the most oppressive conditions.” S Brother Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv, Nu ’89 (Rho Tau Lambda), a life member of the Alpha Phi

In a 2013 Psychology Today article, Dr. Williams explains that race-based stress reactions can be triggered by events that are experienced vicariously, or externally through a third party – like social media or national news events.

Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is the Fraternity’s assistant director for public relations & community engagement and the managing editor of the Sphinx magazine. Webb, a former awardwinning journalist and a National Black Authors Tour bestselling author of five books,

“It’s a natural byproduct of the types of experiences that minorities have to deal with on a regular basis,” she says in a New WINTER 2018

speaks at institutions, conferences, and universities nationwide.

Visit: WordsByWebb.com IG: @Webbswords

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SURVIVAL 101: HOW TO SURVIVE ENCOUNTERS WITH POLICE & RESPOND IF MISTREATED

“T

he correct way to ‘fight back’ is first to survive the encounter,” writes Brothers Dwayne Crawford, the executive director for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) and Kevin Williams, a former chief of police and director of public safety at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and 40-year law enforcement veteran in a combined emailed response to the SPHINX magazine. The following are their survival tips:

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I.

EMPTY HANDS Many police officers already view encounters with others as dangerous. Be sure there is nothing in your hands that can be misconstrued as a weapon.

II.

BE OBSERVANT TO DOCUMENT LATER “Immediately thereafter, it is important to document the contact and everything that is remembered including the badge number and any number of license plate on the police car.”

III.

DO NOT ARGUE “Arguing in the field will be perceived as threatening. Anything that is construed as a threatening action increases danger and therefore should be avoided.”

IV.

NOTIFY LEGAL REPRESENTATION & REPORT INCIDENT “Once clear of the incident place two calls: 1) to your attorney or legal services (if you believe the police acted inappropriately); call your local national Organization of Black law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) Chapter or our national office. After doing both, it is recommended a supervisor from that department be contacted to file a formal, professional standards (internal affairs) investigation.”

V.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE CONTINUED RACIAL BIAS AMONG LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS NOBLE recommends two significant changes to help prevent those in law enforcement who chose to engage in racial bias from having free reign to mistreat people.

Each state should empower an entity to review every professional standards (IA) investigation to ensure it is thorough, complete and unbiased. That entity must be empowered to reopen investigations and where appropriate have authority to suspend or revoke a law enforcement officer’s certification which effectively prevents them from acting with law enforcement authority anywhere in that state. The State of Oregon’s Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) has held that authority/responsibility and it is written into state law.

The second recommendation is to expand this to all 50 states and U.S. territories, and possessions so no law enforcement officer can travel to another state or jurisdiction with a ‘clean slate’ to start over. S

Brother Kevin Williams Former chief of police and director of public safety at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

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Brother Dwayne Crawford Executive director for the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

19

FEATURE

A session of The Pan African Congress, Paris, February 19-22, 1919.

BROTHER DR. ROBERT L. HARRIS, JR., THETA ’63, KAPPA PHI LAMBDA, NATIONAL HISTORIAN

100 Years Past: The First Pan African Congress PARIS, FRANCE 1919

S

ome 30 years before the outbreak

internationalization of the former German

of World War I, the major European

colonies; representation for the colonies

powers gathered in Berlin, Germany

by educated Africans, African Americans,

(1884-1885) to carve up the African continent.

West Indians, and South Americans through

They arbitrarily established boundaries that

a Pan-African Congress, and a merger of

did not conform to African history or tradition.

modern advances in science, education, and

No Africans were invited to participate in the

communications with traditional and efficient

conference, which formally began colonization

African institutions of local self-government.

of the continent, often referred to as “the

The NAACP accepted Du Bois proposal

scramble for Africa.” Aside from exploitation

and sponsored his travel to the Paris Peace

of Africa’s labor and natural resources, the

Conference that met for a year in Versailles,

two worse things that happened, according to

January, 1919 to January, 1920. He was also to

Brother W.E.B. Du Bois, were the destruction

study the role and condition of Black soldiers

of African cultural patterns and denial of

from throughout the diaspora in World War I.2

education.1 Brother Du Bois wrote in the Crisis Magazine,

20

Brother Du Bois anticipated that the end of

which he edited for the NAACP, that the

World War I would provide an opportunity

Pan-African movement was basically a

for the beginning of decolonization in

20th century development. He observed

Africa. He proposed to the NAACP a plan for

that: “Seven hundred and fifty years before THE SPHINX

HISTORY

Christ, the Negroes as rulers of Ethiopia and

Secretary. The U.S. State Department denied

conquerors of Egypt were practically supreme

passports to African Americans seeking to

in the civilized world,” but that supremacy

attend the Paris Peace Conference on the

brought no continental unity. He noted that

grounds that the French government would

during the Paris Exposition in 1900, there was

not look kindly on an unofficial delegation

a Pan-African Conference in Westminster Hall,

of African Americans. President Woodrow

London, “to examine how far differences of

Wilson, who segregated federal employees in

race which show themselves chiefly in color

Washington, D.C. and who showed the racist

of skin and texture of hair are made bases for

film “Birth of a Nation” in the White House,

denying to half the world the right of sharing

tried to prevent the Pan-African Congress from

to their utmost ability the opportunities and

taking place. “Birth of a Nation” influenced a

privileges of modern civilization.” Trinidadian

rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan at Stone Mountain,

lawyer Henry Sylvester Williams organized

Georgia in 1915.4 Brother Du Bois was able

the Pan-African Conference. To distinguish his

to travel to Paris as an accredited press

meeting from what was often referred to as the

representative for the Crisis.5 He assembled

First Pan-African Conference, Du Bois called his

57 delegates at the Grand Hotel in Paris,

meeting the Pan-African Congress.

primarily from individuals already living in

3

France, including 16 African Americans, 20 It was only with the assistance of Blaise Diagne

West Indians, 12 Africans, and the rest from

of Senegal that Du Bois was able to organize

France, Belgium, and Portugal. The Grand Hotel

the meeting. Diagne was the first African to

was located on Boulevard des Capercines,

hold a position in the French government as an

and the office for the Pan-African Congress

elected member of the Chamber of Deputies,

was at 63 Rue Richelieu. Several Alpha men

the lower house of the French Parliament.

attended the meeting, including Dr. John Hope,

Diagne became President of the First Pan-

President of Morehouse College; Henry A.

African Congress and Brother Du Bois became

Hunt, President of Fort Valley State College, and Dr. Channing Tobias, YMCA Executive and later Director of the Phelps-Stokes Fund.

Dr. Rayford W. Logan, who became Alpha’s Fifteenth General President, did not attend the meeting because he was still in the military. Dr. Logan, however, was appointed to the bureau for the Congress and helped Brother Du Bois with French translation.6 The Pan-African Congress recommended that the League of Nations develop a legal code to protect Africans and establish a permanent agency to guarantee political, economic, and social progress. The Congress demanded that Africans own all the land in Africa that they could profitably cultivate, and that they have the right to elementary, vocational, and higher education. They should have a voice in their

Brother W.E.B. DuBois

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own government, justice before the courts, 21

HISTORY

Pan-African Congress, it gave only lip service to the resolutions. With the unrest that swept the United States during the summer of 1919, the NAACP turned its attention to domestic matters. In Dusk of Dawn, Brother Du Bois wrote that the year 1919 for African Americans was a year of “extraordinary and unexpected reaction.” There were two main causes, i.e. labor competition for Black workers who had moved North during the war for jobs left behind by white men who had joined the military

Channing Tobias

Henry Hunt

and the resentment of returning white and economic and social equality according to

soldiers, especially those from the South

their ability. The Pan-African Congress urged

who questioned the status of African American

that the German colonies be turned over to an

men in uniform and the fairly, equal treatment

international organization rather than being

they received abroad, especially in France.

administered by the colonial powers.7 Du Bois

Because of the blood African Americans shed

had hoped to present these recommendations

in the streets of the United States, author and

to the Peace conference meeting at Versailles.

poet, James Weldon Johnson, called it the “red

Although representatives from other peoples

summer.” The worse riots took place in Chicago,

of the world received a hearing, the assembly

Washington, D.C., and Elaine, Arkansas.10 Du

refused to hear from representatives of Africans

Bois, who had counseled African Americans

and people of African ancestry.

at the beginning of World War I to put their

8

grievances behind them for the duration of war Although he did not get a formal hearing, Du

now wrote in the Crisis, May,1919, “We return

Bois forwarded the resolutions to key officials

from fighting. We return fighting.”11 World War I

at the Peace Conference and to the press.

was supposedly fought to “make the world safe

He returned from Paris in late March and

for democracy.” African Americans returned from the war determined to “make America

exclaimed: “We got … the ear of the civilized world. … The world-fight for black rights is on!”

safe for democracy” and to enjoy their full

While the NAACP had officially supported the

citizenship rights. S

9

References: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

22

W.E.B. Du Bois, The World and Africa: An Inquiry into the Part which Africa has Played in World History. New York: International Publishers, 1947, pp. 35-37.

Francis L. Broderick, W.E.B. Du Bois: Negro Leader in a Time of Crisis. Stanford, Ca.: Stanford U. Press, 1959, p. 129.

The Crisis Magazine, March, 1921, p.198.

Rayford W. Logan Papers, Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Howard University, 166-32, Folder 7 and 166-43, Folder 19. Rayford W. Logan, “The Fourth Pan-African Congress,” The Sphinx Magazine, June, 1927, p. 8.

Stephen R. Fox, The Guardian of Boston: William Monroe Trotter. New York: Atheneum, 1970, p. 224.

Charles H. Wesley, The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life. Baltimore: Foundation Publishers, 2008, passim.

Kenneth Robert Janken, Rayford W. Logan and the Dilemma of the African –American Intellectual. Amherst: U. of Massachusetts Press, 1993, pp. 49-50.

Elliott M. Rudwick, W.E.B. Du Bois: Propagandist of the Negro Protest. New York: Atheneum, 1968, pp. 212-214.

Logan, “The Fourth Pan-African Congress,” p. 8.

Fox, The Guardian of Boston, p. 225.

W.E.B. Du Bois, Dusk of Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept. New York: Schocken Books, 1968, pp. 263-265.

The Crisis Magazine, May 1919, p. 14.

THE SPHINX

HISTORY

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.

DEFINITION: Hazing is any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks

emotional WINTER 2018 and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.23

SPECIAL TO THE SPHINX

THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE: MOBILIZING OUR COMMUNITIES FOR AN ACCURATE 2020 CENSUS COUNT

T

he National Urban League (NUL), in partnership with the National Coalition On Black Civic Participation, has convened a “roundtable� of leading thinkers and organizers in the Black community to develop strategies to mobilize Black participation in the 2020 Census.

Organized in April 2018, the 2020 Census Black Roundtable reflects the diversity of the Black population, to include foreign born populations, faith-based leaders, Black youth organizers, civil and voting rights advocates, Black sororities and fraternal

24

organizations, academicians and service providers.

The trickle-down impact of an inaccurate 2020 Census would be sever to the Black population, whose inner cities and rural communities risk losing the most in terms of federal funding, political representation, and equal rights under the law. That is why the NUL has taken the historic step of convening a 2020 Census Black Roundtable, to ensure that we are visible, heard, and counted in the 2020 Census.

The Census Bureau has undercounted the Black population consistently since the first THE SPHINX

FEATURE

undertaking in 1790 through the 2010 Census. The upcoming 2020 Census poses formidable challenges placing the Black population in peril for an epic undercount­—if no intervention strategies are developed by Black organizations and leadership.

As a longstanding Census partner and observer, however, the NUL have never witnessed a more systematic and thorough ‘taking down,” of the Census as observed this decade. From severe underfunding, to descaled and terminated critical research, to the still vacant top leadership position at the U.S. Census Bureau—and now, regrettably, the political foisting of an untested, unjust, citizenship question on the backs of already vulnerable, historically undercounted populations.

AT RISK: BLACK REPRESENTATION, POWER AND MONEY The 2020 Census is the most important count of the Black population in modern history given unprecedented setbacks and challenges

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associated with 2020 Census planning the entire decade. 2020 Census challenges include: a) budgetary shortfalls throughout the decade which affected Census research and planning aimed at improving the count in historically undercounted communities, 2) a first time ever Internet-based Census and the digital divide among communities of color and, 3) political efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine 2020 Census participation within communities of color by imposing a “citizenship question” on the census form.

More than $700 billion are allocated to cities and states based on Census data. The trickledown impact of an inaccurate, poorly planned 2020 Census would be most severe to the Black population, whose inner cities and rural communities risk losing the most in terms of federal funding, political representation, and equal rights under the law.

Black communities cannot suffer the effects of a failed 2020 Census including the loss of federal funding and critical programs due

25

26

to a Black undercount. Issues such as Prison Gerrymandering, enabled by the Census Bureau’s recent decision to count incarcerated persons where they are imprisoned (and not at their home jurisdictions), further erode voting and civil rights protections and suppress the Black vote, given disparate incarceration levels of Black and Brown people.

that much of the growth in this country’s Black population can be credited to Black immigrants.

Recent Administration efforts to politicize the census through the imposition of an untested, citizenship question further threaten a complete count of the foreign-born Black population.

This is why a 2020 Census Black Roundtable is so vital; to mobilize our communities to ensure the Black population does not lose federal funds, political representation and hard-won civil rights protections under the law.

Immigrants are a rising share of the Black population. Census statistics show there are over four million immigrants from Caribbean countries residing in the U.S., reflecting about 9% of the United States’ 42.4 million immigrants, another 2.1% are African immigrants. It is not a stretch to say

OUTCOMES

Given this, Black immigrants cannot be overlooked in the NUL’s 2020 Census messaging, education, and awareness. Their growth is the Black communities’ growth.

• A unified Black platform to engage the Black population on the importance of the Census • A coordinated, strengthened approach to advocate for increased 2020 Census outreach THE SPHINX

FEATURE

to Black communities and a complete count of all Black people in the United States.

• Proactive Black advocacy and engagement to identify and address emerging threats to 2020 Census participation and enumeration, including cyber security, lack of messaging and communication outreach to Black communities, the growing undercount of Black children, and the impact of the digital divide for rural and poor Black communities.

• Feedback loop and information sharing on local, state and Congressional legislative measures and Administration policies impacting the 2020 Census and the Black count.

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The NUL will continue to fight and join forces with Census stakeholders to stare down and defeat insidious attacks on the constitutionality and Democratic underpinnings of the 2020 Census— including the now apparent, politically motivated citizenship question.

African Americans must fight as hard as we can, collectively and activate our own communities; educated our people. We cannot assume that our people know that the 2020 Census is a process that yields tremendous political, civil rights, and economic power.

It’s more than just a headcount. S

27

ADVOCACY

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference 2018 On September 12-16, 2018, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference hosted its 48th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC. The theme of this year’s conference was “The Dream Still Demands, Courage, Resilience, Leadership and Legislation. This conference brings together legislators, think tanks, policy makers, activist, and advocacy groups to discuss and devise workable solutions for the African American community. The staff and leadership of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. participated in several events during the conference to amplify our advocacy agenda and to collaborate with our partners on tangible outcomes for our constituents. In partnership with Rainbow / PUSH the fraternity hosted a discussion entitled 2018 and Beyond: Building a Strategy for Black America . This one-day summit included a meeting with leadership from the divine nine organizations, NAACP, National Urban League, US Black Chamber of Commerce, faith-based organizations. The leaders meeting was followed by a moderated public panel that engaged activist, community members and brothers from local DC chapters in a informative and fruitful discussion on the Urgency of Now. S

28

THE SPHINX

“

ADVOCACY

You have to not only be in the community, but of the community.

“

Brother Dr. Jamie R. Riley Executive Director

WINTER 2018

29

ADVOCACY

BROTHER MARSHALL GLAZE, DELTA LAMBDA '16

#SocialMediaMatters: The Future of Black Activism “The chief significance of Alpha Phi Alpha lies in its purpose to stimulate, develop, and cement an intelligent, trained leadership in the unending fight for freedom, equality, and fraternity. Our task is endless.”

P

— Jewel Henry Arthur Callis, May 1946

resident Donald Trump’s heavy and

“We came up with the event idea because

widely-criticized use of Twitter has

he’s (Trump) a hot topic right now and it’s

not only negatively impacted the

kind of different for the President of the U.S.

way that Americans perceive White House

to be such a hot topic,” said Brother Tremain

communications, but it has also expanded

Lasenby (Epsilon Eta ’16) former Chapter Vice

how information is disseminated and accepted

President, in an interview with the University

media advocacy strategy.

newspaper, The Eastern Echo.

In a culture where information can be simplified

The event, which was well received, allowed

to 280 characters or less and instantly available

students to have candid conversations

to the world, advocacy efforts can spread like wildfire, similar to President Trump’s tweets.

Realizing that many of their constituents TWITTER

utilized Twitter to receive news and updates around campus, the Brothers of Epsilon Eta created the hashtag #DearDonaldTrumpEMU to build interest for their event, “Dear Donald

about the recent presidential campaign, the

Trump,” an open forum for the student body to

President, racism against minorities, Deferred

have transparent discussions about President

Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA),

Donald Trump held October 3, 2017.

healthcare, and the importance of voting.

Brothers also facilitated a Voter Registration

30

THE SPHINX

ADVOCACY

drive for those who had not been registered

Instagram users, 26% of Twitter users, and 70%

prior to the forum.

of Facebook users.

Today, technology and culture are merging in

So what does this mean? Millennial African

fascinating ways throughout our nation and the

Americans are avid social media consumers.

world, demanding new means of messaging

Other popular sites such as YouTube, Pinterest,

from activists and the causes they support.

Snapchat, and LinkedIn have an equally substantial amount of African American

With that, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

consumers.

is extending its own history of social justice innovation and leadership into the digital

Due to the immense popularity of social media,

space, with collegiate and alumni brothers

many politicians, activists, and organizations—

setting the pace in using social platforms

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. included—rely

in areas of community organizing, political

on the internet to gain the traction needed to

campaigning, fundraising, and marketing.

hold successful campaigns to raise awareness amongst younger adults.

President of Dillard University, Brother Walter E. Kimbrough, Zeta Pi ’86, affectionately known as the “HipHopPrez” has a significant presence on Twitter with over 18,000 followers and nearly 41,000 tweets. His tweets, comprised of sharing events both

Currently, social networks have proved

on and off campus, encourages students to

to supersede the use of conventional

engage in dialogue on serious matters within

communications items such as email,

the U.S. Government. Brother Kimbrough

telephone, newspapers, newsletters, etc. It is no secret that social media has transformed the way younger generations communicate.

According to the Pew Research Center’s 2018 social media consumption survey, speculations TWITTER

aren’t far from reality.

The data collected in the survey shows that younger adults consume a substantial amount of social media each day.

also uses the platform to rally his student

Pew Research Center states that more

program orientations, Dance Team auditions,

than 60% of Americans 18-29 years old use

alumni award nominations, and more. The

Instagram and 40% are avid consumers of

level of engagement Brother Kimbrough has

Twitter. Similarly, more than 70% of those

on social media with students who regularly

users return to these platforms multiple

use platforms such as Twitter and Instagram,

times per day. African Americans 18-65+ who

has proved to be successful for campus

were surveyed in early 2018 made up 43% of

morale.

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body to support events on campus such as

31

ADVOCACY

When asked how important Social Media is

Mya Hall, Walter Scott, Sandra Bland, and

to a President of a prestigious HBCU, Brother

more), the digital space that #BlackLivesMatter

Kimbrough says, “Social media has been a

held propelled the conversation around these

great equalizer for small universities like mine,

tragic deaths.

as well as HBCUs. It allows us to tell great

On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was

stories which spread,

shot and killed by Ferguson, Missouri Police

for free. In the past,

Officer Darren Wilson. Darnell Moore and

big schools could

#BlackLivesMatter founder Patrisse Cullors

dominate the market

organized the Black Life Matters Ride, a

with million-dollar

campaign to support the efforts of the activists

advertising budgets,

protesting Michael Brown’s wrongful death.

even if just to push their

Twitter and YouTube were instrumental in

branding message. But

the success of the Black Life Matters Ride

now a great message is picked up by all kinds of

with constant reminders and Public Service

people and shared widely.”

Announcements that amounted to thousands of video views. As a result of the campaign,

Sending relevant messages that relates to

over 600 people rode into Ferguson on August

the masses can make or break a social media

28th, 2014.

campaign. Whether it is building a sense of community on an HBCU campus, or to advocate

Daniel Gilmore, Zeta Gamma ’18, a St. Louis

for social justice reform, social media has

native who grew up just a short distance from

transcended past conventional forms of advocacy.

Ground Zero where the majority of the protests occurred, served as a prominent voice on social

The rise in reported police brutality and

media during the uprising. Brother Gilmore,

unarmed killings of African American men and

only a senior in High School at the time, used

women has given birth to many viral social

social media to shed a light on the social

media advocacy campaigns the most prevalent

injustices that had affected his community long

being the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

before Michael Brown’s death had gone viral.

In the wake of the acquittal of George

Brother Gilmore says, “Social Media in the times

Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin in

of Ferguson was important. There would be no

2013, three African American activists--Alicia

documentation, there would be no clear-cut

Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi--

view of the impact it had on our city. America

created the #BlackLivesMatter movement

had the ability to sympathize and take action

which has since grown to a global network of

with us because they saw first-hand what

more than 40 chapters.

was being done and the unnecessary force our country used to attempt to calm furious

As #BlackLivesMatter gained traction and

people.”

continued to develop, the hashtag began

“It makes you wonder what the

to be more than just a twitter phenomenon. #BlackLivesMatter initially started as a platform and organizing tool as more unarmed killings were publicized (Tamir Rice, Tanisha Anderson, 32

Civil Rights Movement would have been like with the amount of technology we have now.”

THE SPHINX

ADVOCACY

At the age of seventeen, Brother Clifton Kinnie,

The future of black activism lies in the hands of

Beta ’17, another St. Louis native also became

the next generation. Young college brothers are

a prominent leader of the Ferguson protest

already at the helm of this revolutionary method

movement. Brother Kinnie, a graduate of the

of advocacy, taking to social media to rally their

Lutheran High School where he and Brother

contemporaries and forcing their

Gilmore founded Our Destiny, a network of over

voices onto mainstream media.

1,000 St. Louis high school student activists

Silence will not be an option for

uniting against police brutality.

those who experience social injustice, institutionalized racism,

Our Destiny focused on organizing massive

and state sanctioned violence

walkouts and demonstrations, protests inside

against minorities everyday.

and outside of schools, community outreach,

Social Media is a vital platform for

youth voter registration events, and support for

not only young activists, but for

black businesses affected by the looting and

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

vandalism that took place during the uprising.

and other advocacy groups and organizations. It is our duty as

“I strongly believe some of those business would

Brothers of Alpha to engage with and support

not be here today if the word would not have

our college brothers efforts on social media and

gotten out to support struggling business because

continue to further the aims that the Jewels

of the plight of the area,” says Brother Gilmore.

founded Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. upon.

Brother Kinnie is continuing the legacy of his

“When Michael Brown was murdered by Darren

mother, a former social worker whom he lost

Wilson on August 9, 2014, I had first seen

to stage four breast cancer. His work has been

Michael Brown’s body on Instagram, one of

documented in the The Hilltop, the St. Louis

my favorite social media outlets, Kinnie says.

American, The New York Times Magazine, PBS,

“Before Ferguson, I frequently used Instagram

the Atlantic and many other publications. In

and Twitter to update, influence and just post

2016, Clifton met with former President Barack

how I felt. I grew up reacting to the latest

Obama for his Presidential town hall meeting to

cultural news, or following various trends using

discuss race and policing.

Instagram. During protests, we shared our pain and frustration using hashtags, posts and

Brother Kinnie, now a Senior Political Science

eventually started using #BlackLivesMatter

Major at Howard University, is the first research

as a rallying cry. Social Media, and the

& development intern at the Aspen Institute,

accessibility of the iPhone brought us younger

Political Actions Chair for the NPHC, and a

activists information, news in real time, and

Recipient of the 2016 Ambassador Andrew

communication.” S

Young Award for Civil Rights Leadership.

Marshall T. Glaze (Delta Lambda ’16) is

Brother Gilmore is now a Senior Graphic Design

the New Media and Content Manager

Major at the University of Central Missouri,

for the Corporate Headquarters of Alpha

minoring in Africana Studies. He also founded a women’s empowerment group, EmpowerHER, and a creative marketing firm, Chosen Creative Concepts.

WINTER 2018

Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.®. He is also a freelance Digital Marketing professional specializing in increasing brand identity, social media presence, and website design and functionality. Instagram: @marshallglaze

33

BY BROTHER ROLAND S. MARTIN, PI OMICRON '89

Black Voting Matters!

M

any observers have stated that the

Such analysis is clearly devoid of any

political climate in which we find

understanding of American history.

ourselves in is something that we

have never experienced before.

The end of eight years of President Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the

34

If you listen to them, Donald Trump and his

United States and the transfer of power to

angry, racially-driven politics is an anomaly;

Donald Trump – I greatly respect the office of

the race-based attacks against Black folks and

president but can only do it when the occupant

people of color are at an all-time high; and the

shows the respect it deserves, thus, I don’t use

right tilt of our federal judiciary is leading to

that title for him – is just another example of

the erosion of our hard-fought rights.

white backlash following Black success.

THE SPHINX

ADVOCACY

end rather quickly. As a result, the contested election of 1876 led to the Great Compromise of 1877. That deal cut between Republicans and Democrats put Rutherford B. Hayes in the White House and led to the removal of federal troops from the last three remaining southern capitals – South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana.

Say Hello to Jim Crow Over the next 92 years, people of African descent were terrorized in this nation, especially in the South. Lynchings were common; the KKK unleashed its terror; and nothing was done to protect the folks who built this nation. The Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 and Black folks were essentially slaves without shackles.

Then we came upon the Black Freedom Movement – some call it the Civil Rights Movement – and over the course of 13 years men and women of African descent focused on, as Dr. King said, “to redeem the soul of America.”

Landmark civil rights bills were passed only after Black blood was shed – the 1964 Civil Rights Act; the 1965 Voting Rights Act; and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Yet as each bill was passed and America patted itself on the back for finally providing Black folks with what was rightfully theirs – freedom Even though the Emancipation Proclamation is

– and increasing number of white Americans

generally believed to be the end of slavery in the

said, “Ok, you got what you want. Now, please,

U.S., it really wasn’t until the passage of the 14th

leave us alone.”

Amendment on July 9, 1868, which outlawed the practice that drove the American economy

After this period of unrest, what happened?

for two centuries.

School busing and desegregation became a hotbed issue and white Americans made

Over the next decade, arguably the greatest

clear: we’ll just pack up and leave. White flight

period of success for people of African descent

expanded all across the country, and suburban

took place during the Reconstruction era. Yet,

power structures, built on the wealth of white

America, as it is wont to do, wanted to see that

homeowners, became real.

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35

ADVOCACY

In the 1970s we saw the advancement of

For far too long we focused on who was

Black mayors in Gary, Ind., Cleveland, Atlanta,

president and who represented us in Congress.

Washington, D.C., and Detroit. Finally, Black

Yet the old saying is that all politics is local.

folks had a seat at the political power table,

That means that while we have demanded

and that translated into economic power.

that the president and members of Congress confront mass incarceration, only 184,000

Then Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, and

folks were being held in federal prisons at

the subversive politics of the right began to

the end of 2017. The other 2 million are in our

roll back such crucial programs like affirmative

state prisons. And who plays the biggest role

action. Those 12 years were filled with battles

in putting them there? District attorneys and

over anti-apartheid in South Africa, battles

judges.

over civil rights and government programs designed to enfranchise Black folks following

That’s why the election of Kim Foxx as Cook

the 1960s.

County state’s attorney in Chicago; Marilyn Mosby in Baltimore; Aramis Ayala in Florida;

In 1992, Bill Clinton was elected president,

Larry Krasner in Philadelphia; and Wesley Bell

and we saw Black homeownership rise to its

in St. Louis are vital because these reformers

highest level in history, and advancements out

have replaced hard liners who are more apt to

of the wilderness.

align with police unions than the people.

Then it was eight years of George W. Bush

Yet that can’t happen when we ignore down

and more federal policies that were not

ballot races and only focus on the top of

advantageous to Blacks, especially a further

the ticket. Yes, those running for president,

rightward assault on the federal judiciary.

governor, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House get the most attention, but if we don’t pay

Why am outlining all of this? Because this vital

attention to the DA races, judicial matchups

history informs of us where we are today and

and other positions, we lose.

where we are headed.

Take for instance the secretary of state.

Gentleman, we are 25 years away from the

For decades this has always been a sleepy,

moment when America will be a nation that

statewide position. Major politicians wanted to

is majority people of color. By 2043, whites

be governor, lieutenant governor or speaker

will comprise 47 percent of this country and

of the house, but the first real moment when

Hispanics, Blacks, Asians and Native Americans

Americans realized how vital the secretary of

will make up 53 percent.

state is was during the 2000 election of Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.

But the most crucial question is whether we will be in position to take advantage of that

The reason we know the name Kathleen Harris

political power.

today is because she made many crucial decisions that favored the Bush campaign. That

36

What must be top of mind for every single one

is no surprise because she was a Republican

of us is that the political decisions we make

and endorsed Bush. It was at that moment that

today will determine whether we are closer to

many first realized that the secretary of state

freedom as we approach 2043.

oversees all elections.

THE SPHINX

ADVOCACY

Since then, we have seen that position used to

are determining education policy. But they

either deny folks voting rights (usually under

also oversee vast sums of bond money for new

Republicans) or expand access to the ballot

schools.

(typically by Democrats).

This is a place where African Americans should In my home state of Texas, seats on the state

really be paying attention. A $25,000 donation

Board of Education are elected. These 15

made by an individual or a group isn’t a big

seats are an after thought to many people.

deal for someone running for governor. But

But guess who determines what goes in

that amount could literally bankroll a majority

our kids’ textbooks? Yep, the state Board of

of the candidates running for the school board.

Education. So when the right wing took the board over, they began to remove critically

Why am I so focused on the political process

important periods of history to match up with

on the local, state and national level? Because

their ideology. Why is that so big? Because

there is no facet of our lives that isn’t affected

Texas, California and New York buys the most

by politics.

textbooks. So what they decide goes in their textbooks determines what is read by children

Take a moment and pick something in your

in the other 47 states.

home or work life, and I can guarantee you that government plays some role. Sure, it’s

Let’s stay on education. I’ve been a city hall

sounds great when people yell, “I want small

reporter in Fort Worth and covered county

government” or “the government needs to be

government in Austin, Texas, and I can tell you

out of our lives,” but that is simply nonsensical

that many of us completely overlook the folks

when you think about it.

who run for the school board. Those races are often won with as little as 200 votes in mid to

Need a driver’s license? You have to get it from

large cities, and these are the individuals who

government.

WINTER 2018

37

ADVOCACY

Tired of folks speeding down your street? Need

July 4, we are still fighting to be full Americans.

government to install speed bumps.

Or as Brother King often implored, forcing the United States to be the nation is says it is on

Don’t want lead paint impacting your kids as

paper.

they play on the playground? Government regulates the contents of the paint in those

We are faced with a monumental and daunting

products.

challenge: do we stay on the present course or do we redouble our efforts to advance

I could go on and on and on, but our nation

ourselves politically and economically?

is literally run by government in one form of another.

It was Alpha Brother Maynard Jackson, the first Black mayor of Atlanta, who was taught

That’s why we cannot afford to check out of

the three B’s by his grandfather: the book, the

this process.

ballot and the buck.

After two presidential cycles where Obama’s

The advancement of our people will be

name was on the ballot, Black folks turned out

contingent on how vigorous we are in

in record numbers. Our vote total had risen

addressing the three B’s over the next 25 years,

each year since the 1965 Voting Rights Act,

and the level of excellence we demand of

but we showed our power. Obama won North

ourselves and our family and friends. This is no

Carolina by 14,000 votes in 2008, and that was

time for us to be complacent. This is no time to

due to massive turnout of Black folks in places

be satisfied with our condition. This is no time

like High Point. Yet in 2016, disenchantment

to even say, “Let’s someone else do the fighting;

with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump led

I’m tired.”

Black voting participation to dip, especially amount voters 18-29 years old. This is not to

As long as there is breath in your body, you

say that had Black folks voted the same way we

are obligated to the ancestors and to your

did in 2008 and 2012 that Trump wouldn’t be

children’s children to keep plowing ahead and

president, but we sure didn’t need to test it!

to fight. And as Jewel Vertner Woodson Tandy implored the Alpha brotherhood to become

In many states we still see too many

more engaged in issues facing Negroes in 1937,

unregistered African Americans. Yes, it’s true

“We must fight till hell freezes over, and then

that the GOP is pushing voter ID and other

fight on the ice!” S

forms of voter suppression to frustrate us. But let me be real clear: poll taxes and scandalous requirements such as reciting the state constitution in order to vote, common practice in the South in the 50s and 60s, was far more difficult impediments to voting than what we see today.

Ours is a history of having to fight for what we deserved. Our freedom ain’t free. While white Americans celebrate Independence Day on 38

Brother Roland S. Martin is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha, initiated into the Pi Omicron chapter at Texas A&M in Spring 1989. He is the senior analyst on the Tom Joyner Morning Show; and is the host/managing of #RolandMartinUnfiltered, a daily digital show that streams on Facebook, Youtube and Periscope. For more information, please visit RolandMartinUnfiltered.com.

THE SPHINX

RELIGION

BROTHER REV. JONATHAN C. AUGUSTINE, JD, MDIV, BETA ’91, SIGMA LAMBDA, NATIONAL CHAPLAIN

And When Does the Black Church Get Political?

A REVIEW OF BROTHER DR. ERIC L. MCDANIEL’S POLITICS IN THE PEWS: THE POLITICAL MOBILIZATION OF BLACK CHURCHES But a religion true to its nature must

American and Native American voters in 61 of

also be concerned about man’s social

the nation’s most competitive mid-term races,

conditions. Religion deals with both earth

connecting the respondents attitudes toward

and heaven and, both time and eternity.

Trump Administration policies, and using those

Religion operates not only on the vertical

responses to project likely election outcomes.

plane but also on the horizontal. It seeks

According to Johnson, “Eighty-one percent of

not only to integrate men with God but

black respondents were angry at Mr. Trump for

to integrate men with men and each man

something he has said or done, while 61 percent

with himself. This means, at bottom, that

of whites felt the same.”

the Christian gospel is a two-way road. On the one hand, it seeks to change the souls

Furthermore, in addressing some of the most

of men, and thereby unite them with God;

incendiary issues that have long been at the

on the other hand[,] it seeks to change

heart of the African-American community’s

the environmental conditions of men so

political existence, Johnson also writes,

that the soul will have a chance after it is changed. Any religion that professes to be

Whether we look at the Justice

concerned with the souls of men and is not

Department’s pushing back against

concerned with the slums that damn them,

consent decrees to rein in police

the economic conditions that strangle

misconduct, Mr. Trump’s nearly all white

them, and the social conditions that cripple

and male judicial nominees, or the

them is a dry-as-dust religion.1

Education Department’s secession to pull back on investigations of civil rights cases,

I. Introduction

we see a pattern that devalues the gains

In a recent New York Times opinion piece,

that many earned through the ultimate

Derrick Johnson, president of the National

sacrifice. It would seem that Mr. Trump’s

Association for the Advancement of Colored

White House is engaged in none other than

People (“NAACP”), reports of a survey

a war against civil rights.

conducted for the NAACP, by the African American Research Collaborative, analyzing the

After reading Brother Dr. Eric McDaniel’s

views of African-American, white, Latino, Asian-

Politics in the Pews, although the Black church

WINTER 2018

39

RELIGION

is admittedly not monolithic, I maintain these

political activism. Bro. McDaniel argues

same issues are at the very heart of her current

that self-identity is at the core of when a

sociopolitical existence. Moreover, these issues

church becomes political and whether it

have also compelled her to return to a place of

remains political. Moreover, as a thesis-type

prophetic, political action.

introduction, Bro. McDaniel cites multiple factors as requisite conditions for a Black

A graduate of Wilberforce University, an

church to become political.

education ministry of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (“AMEC”), and godson of

Specifically, a church becomes politically

the late Bro. C. Garnett Henning, the 112th

active when four conditions are met:

elected and consecrated bishop of the AMEC,

the pastor [leadership] is interested in

Bro. McDaniel eared his masters and doctoral

involving his or her church in politics;

degrees from the University of Illinois. He

the members are receptive to the idea

wrote Politics in the Pews in 2008, as part of

of having a politically active church; the

The University of Michigan’s book series on

church itself is not restricted from having

the politics of race and ethnicity. Its research-

a presence in political matters; and the

based message is arguably more relevant

current political climate necessitates and

today, in 2018, than it was 10-years ago, when

allows political action.

originally published. Bro. McDaniel’s research suggests that recent sociopolitical events

Further, in testing the Black Church against

have created an environment to “Make the

the forgoing criteria, Bro. McDaniel also writes,

Black Church Great Again,” returning her to

“More than any other U.S. religious institution,

a highpoint of the same prophetic, political

the Black church serves as a symbol of

activism that necessitated action during

religious political action.” Insofar as the Civil

the 1950s and 60s Civil Rights Movement.

Rights Movement’s sociopolitical conditions

Indeed, the Black church was largely credited

birthed the prophetic, political leadership of

with the December 2017 political upset in

the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one

Alabama, when U.S Senator Doug Jones

of Alpha’s most celebrated members, similar

succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a

conditions have awaken a sleeping giant and

special election, becoming the first Democrat

given national acclaim to other politically

elected to the Senate from Alabama since

active Alpha clergymen, like the Reverend Dr.

1992. Jones is also the former U.S. attorney

William J. Barber, II.

for the Northern District of Alabama who, in 2001, prosecuted members of Ku Klux

In reporting his findings, resulting from

Klan for their 1963 bombings that killed four

both qualitative and quantitate research,

African American girls at 16th Street Baptist

Politics in the Pews provides an in-depth

Church.

examination of Bro. McDaniel’s interviews with seventy-six pastors and members from

40

As a professor of political science at the

seven churches, four in Detroit, Michigan and

University of Texas at Austin and active

three in Austin, Texas. His research supports

member of his beloved AMEC, Bro.

the conclusion that Black churches are not

McDaniel’s scholarly journal articles and

always political. Instead, they respond to

book, Politics in the Pews, exemplify his

environmental conditions necessitating

academic specialization in Black church

political activity.

THE SPHINX

RELIGION

Brother Dr. William Barber has become the conscience of the nation as the leader of the Poor Peoples Campaign. Brother Barber has also been a vocal advocate for social justice during times of national unrest.

existing institutions into political

II. Critiquing the Four Parts of Bro. McDaniel’s Thesis

organizations. By using churches as a

Each of Politics in the Pews’ seven chapters

means of organization, socialization,

unpacks aspects of the book’s central thesis,

mobilization, and participation, African

that the preciously cited four-fold criteria must

Americans have realized some of their

be met for a Black church to be political. In this

political goals. Nevertheless, the ability

section, I critique each part of Bro. McDaniel’s

to do so has not always been constant.

thesis by matching it against either historical or

Historically, windows of opportunity have

contemporary application.

. . . African Americans have transformed

opened, such as Reconstruction, the Great Migration, and the Black freedom struggle. In these instances, African

The Pastor is Interested in Involving His or Her Church in Politics

Americans have entered the political arena using the Black church.

In support of his argument that a political church is a church holding political awareness

If the previously cited NAACP survey is correct,

and activity as salient pieces of its identity,

and if Alabama’s December 2017 U.S. Senate

Bro. McDaniel highlights the fact that this

election is a universal indicator, the Trump

identity begins with the pastor. “Conveyance

Era has again created a window for the Black

refers to a pastor’s communication of a

church to be political.

need for political engagement on the part of the church . . . . For a church to become

WINTER 2018

41

RELIGION

politicized, political identity must possess

their churches, but larger communities, in

some level of salience with the pastor, who

becoming politically active.

must convey this salience to members by attempting to take or encourage political action and to increase political awareness.”

Recent sociopolitical attempts to setback

The Members are Receptive to the Idea of Having a Politically Active Church

America’s civil rights agenda have created an atmosphere where the requisite salience is as

Although a pastor’s willingness to operate in

prevalent today for pastors like Bro. Barber,

the political realm is one thing, that ability will

as it was during the Civil Rights Movement,

be significantly limited without the church

for pastors like Bro. King.

membership being receptive to political activity.

Stated otherwise, “The concept of receptivity

Alpha brothers like the Reverend Dr. Freddie

resembles the idea of support.”

Haynes, senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church

In expounding on this idea of receptivity,

in Dallas, Texas,

Bro. McDaniel argues that the sociopolitical

have received

environment will influence member attitudes

widespread acclaim

and actions. He writes:

for their prophetic

Brother Dr. Freddie Haynes Jr., senior pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas, TX. Brother Haynes is a leading voice for political and civil engagement in the black church.

preaching and social

The environment can pressure an

justice ministries,

organization to assume certain roles

especially in reaction

that would not normally be seen as

to recent Trump

appropriate for that organization. A

Administration

member may be more receptive to

actions. Other

such activities if the church is in an

brothers, like the

environment that necessitates action . . .

Reverend Dr. Mark

[For example,] the legacy of the [C]ivil [R]

Kelly Tyler, senior

ights [M]ovement should lead members of

pastor of Mother

southern churches to be more supportive

Bethel AMEC in

of church engagement. The same should

Philadelphia, lead

hold true in urban areas, where political

morning radio

entrepreneurs and parties have historically

ministries, speaking

worked to mobilize individuals through

with prophetic outrage against matters

their churches.

like the attempted repeal of the Patient

42

Protection and Affordable Care Act (a/k/a

Indeed, in recent years, one could hardly

“Obama Care”), various district attorneys’

watch the news or read periodicals without

decisions not to prosecute law enforcement

noting active faith-based, protest resistance

officers who killed unarmed Black men,

in responding, for example, to environmental

and the border separation of children

conditions necessitating the Black Lives

from their families, as part of so-called

Matter Movement, the aftermath of the United

immigration reform. Brothers Haynes and

States’ widespread controversial confederate

Tyler are just two examples of pastors who

monument removals that undergirded the

use their ecclesial influence to lead not only

August 2017 acts of racially-motivated THE SPHINX

RELIGION

hatred in Charlottesville, Virginia, as well as

megachurches cast a wide net in recruiting

the resurgence of white nationalistic “dog

members, which may water down their

whistle” rhetoric that has again become

message . . . [M]any megachurches have

so commonplace in America. Indeed,

adopted a prosperity theology, which

environmental conditions again necessitate

argues that God wants Christians to

the Black church’s political involvement and

have material possessions and personal

members have apparently been very receptive

salvation . . . A message that focuses on

to her engagement.

material possessions undercuts the social gospel message for which Black churches

The Church Itself Is Not Restricted from Having a Presence in Political Matters

have received praise. A move by Black churches away from a focus on social consciousness to a focus on individualism and material goods may present major

Bro. McDaniel writes, “The Black church serves

problems for the defense of Black interests.

as the preeminent institution in Black social life.” In addition to its ability to unite Blacks

The popularization of megachurches is,

and defend their rights, however, Bro. McDaniel

therefore, just one example demonstrating

notes that “the church also receives criticism for

where the individualism of prosperity theology

its lack of action.” Recent scholarship expounds

might supplant a church’s engagement in social

upon one of Bro. McDaniel’s key observations:

justice. Consequently, within such parameters, a

some pastors are less emancipatory and more

church will not become political.

concerned about doctrinal orthodoxy than liberation theology. In the case of the prior,

In critiquing the previous three criteria, I

the church is much less likely to be engaged in

have applied contemporary conditions that

political matters.

determine when a Black church becomes political. In looking at the fourth, however, I use

As Bro. McDaniel highlights, church

the well-known historical example of Bro. King’s

politicization originates as a part of self-identity,

leadership in responding to conditions that

where the pastor and members decide to

necessitated the Black Church’s political action

become politically engaged. An argument can

at the onset of the Civil Rights Movement.

be made that the internal dynamics of the popularized megachurch phenomena prevent

In The Preacher King, Richard Lischer, a retired

such political activity, notwithstanding external

professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School,

political factors. Bro. McDaniel writes:

chronicles Bro. King’s transformation into a social justice-oriented preacher, during his

Megachurches have an average attendance

pastorate at Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue

of three thousand or greater, and their

Baptist Church. This transformation was

numbers have grown exponentially

necessitated by political circumstance when

since the early 1990s . . . Fewer than

Rosa Parks, an active member of the AMEC,

one-tenth of these megachurches are

was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on

predominately Black . . . In addition, the

a segregated Montgomery bus, an act of Jim

size of these institutions leads them to

Crow civil disobedience. Lischer highlights that

be highly professionalized and members

during the first part of his pastorate, Bro. King

are not needed as volunteers. . . Further,

enjoyed parish ministry and did not attempt

WINTER 2018

43

RELIGION

to make any waves. “During the summer and

III. Conclusion

fall of 1955 Pastor King reverted to a more

A popular old axiom provides, “The more things

philosophical style of preaching. He delivered

change, the more they stay the same!”, Politics

well-rounded statements on the meaning of life,

in the Pews, Bro. McDaniel’s research-based

such as ‘Discerning the Signs of History,’ ‘The

book, provides an effective lens to measure

Death of Evil Upon the Seashore,’ and ‘The One-

whether, in response to a resurrected political

Sided Approach of the Good Samaritan.’ During

climate thought to have been buried by the

the first year he rarely attacked the problem of

two-term presidency of Barack Obama, the

racism in Montgomery . . . .”

Black church will return to her propheticallydriven voice, emerging because of Jim Crow

It was after the Montgomery Bus Boycott

white nationalism during the Civil Rights

began on December 1, 1955, however,

Movement. If the old axiom is correct, Bro.

that Bro. King led his congregation—and

McDaniel’s research suggests the time is now to

ultimately the Black church—into Civil Rights

“Make the Black Church Great Again!” S

Movement political activism. Lischer writes, “After the Boycott had commenced, King’s Sunday morning sermons found a new purpose and vitality. The specificity of race . . . now sharpened the point of his biblical interpretation and preaching.” Similar to the current America-first, nationalistic political climate in the United States, the then-political climate in Montgomery, and throughout the South, necessitated the Black church’s prophetic action.

Rev. Jay Augustine is the 46th senior pastor of Historic St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown New Orleans, the birthplace of African Methodism in the Deep South. He also serves as the national chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and as an adjunct professor at Southern University Law Center, where he teaches Advanced Constitutional Law. Rev. Augustine is a pastor, professor, author and community activist.

REFERENCES: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

44

Martin Luther King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2001 [1958]), 36.

Derrick Johnson, “Frustration With Racism is Coming to the Ballot Box,” The New York Times, Aug. 26, 2018, https://www.nytimes. com/2018/08/27/opinion/politics/midterm-elections-race-polling.html.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Eric L. McDaniel, Politics in the Pews: The Political Mobilization of Black Churches (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2008).

Brian Naylor, “Black Votes Matter: African American Voters Propel Jones to Alabama Win,” NPR (Dec. 13, 2017), https://www.npr. org/2017/12/13/570531505/black-votes-matter-african-americans-propel-jones-to-alabama-win.

McDaniel, Politics in the Pews, 10.

Ibid., 5.

Ibid.

See, generally, Richard Lischer, The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr and the Word That Moved America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995).

See, generally, William J. Barber, II, The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and the Rise of a New Justice Movement (Boston: Beacon Press, 2016).

McDaniel, Politics in the Pews, 21.

Ibid., 19.

Ibid., 5.

Ibid., 21.

Ibid., 98-99.

Ibid., 126.

Ibid., 129.

Ibid., 151.

Ibid.

Roger Baumann, “Political Engagement Meets the Prosperity Gospel: African American Christian Zionism and Black Church Politics,” Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review, 2016, Vol. 77, no. 4:359-385.

McDaniel, Politics in the Pews, 154.

Lischer, The Preacher King, 83.

Ibid., 85 (emphasis in original).

THE SPHINX

RELIGION

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HEALTH

BY BROTHER KEVIN DEDNER, MPH, KAPPA KAPPA ’96

Reclaiming Our Strength: Shifting the Culture Around Mental Health and Black Men

A

merican is apparently in the midst of

stressors from daily activities are wearing black

a dramatic mental health cultural shift

men down. The macho, “I got this” attitude is

Celebrity suicides have rocked this

killing black men. Our culture has convinced us

country, and many stars are openly discussing

that to maintain our manhood; we must always

their mental health challenges. All of this points

appear to “have it together.” None of us are

to the awareness that mental health is essential.

SUPERman, and we shouldn’t pretend that we

July marked the National Minority Mental Health

are. Many men are reaching a point that they are

Awareness Month. It was the perfect time

forced to admit that they are not SUPERman.

to start a conversation about the emotional

However, the journey to realization is often

and mental health of Black men. That’s why

painful and destructive. That thinking must be

Henry Health partnered with Alpha Phi Alpha

shifted and it must be understood that the first

Fraternity, Inc.’s Office of the General President

step to reclaiming your strength is admitting one

to launch, #ReclaimOurStrength, a national

needs help.

digital campaign aimed at raising the awareness of the importance of the emotional and mental

People often ask what is the story behind the

health of black men as well as shifting the

name, Henry. In actuality, a focus group of

cultural stigma. Adult Blacks are 20% more likely

men was asked to tell us the name of a man in

to experience serious mental health problems

their life whose name was synonymous with

compared to the general population. The factors

strength. The men gave us several names, but

and stressors that trigger mental health issues

Henry stood out due to the story of the African

are more common among Black men. Only 6.6%

American folk hero, John Henry.

of Black men used mental health services last year. Through lived experience and countless

John Henry worked on the railroad and was

conversations with black men, it is clear that

known for his strength, the steel-driving man.

He was tasked with hammering a steel drill into rock to make holes of explosives. According to the legend, John Henry’s strength was ultimately measured in a race that he won.

However, he would die with his hammer in hand as his heart gave out from stress. That’s the story of Black men in America. While John Henry often appears to have won, the consequences to the pressure that he endures are deadly.

However, this doesn’t have to be the case for the masses of Black men. Henry Health

46

THE SPHINX

HEALTH

is building an app which will support men in making better self-care decisions as well as providing culturally-sensitive teletherapy. We are calling on Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to join us in reaching our moonshot which is to increase the life expectancy of Black men within the next twenty-five years. I am hopeful that Brothers will take the lead in starting local conversations about the importance of mental health. As Brother Ponder said when referring to our moonshot, “we are talking about the longevity of the Black man.” S

Brother Kevin Dedner (Kappa Kappa 96) is the Founder and CEO of Henry Health. Henry Health’s mobile app provides selfcare and mental health support through culturally sensitive teletherapy, serving the population with the lowest life expectancy in the U.S., black men.

Henry Health’s pilot is live in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Active brothers are eligible for a discount by using the code APA1906.

BY BROTHER COREY HEBERT, MD, ALPHA RHO ’88, SIGMA LAMBDA

THE REAL DEAL ABOUT SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND TRAIT FOR BLACK MEN

W

hile sickle cell anemia affects many

In a study published in Lancet, a global medical

things, including fertility in women,

journal, Seminal fluid examinations of 23 Nigerian

it also affects fertility in men as well.

men with sickle cell anemia showed that their

Sickle cell anemia or sickle cell disease, which

sperm density, motility, and morphology fell into the less fertile/infertile range.

occurs in about 1 out of every 365 AfricanAmerican births is an inherited form of anemia – a

Moreover, many of them had sexual problems,

condition commonly afflicting those of African

such as impotence, frequent priapism, and

descent in which there aren’t enough healthy red

premature ejaculation, which would further

blood cells. The red sickle or crescent moon-shaped

reduce their fertility.

blood cells become rigid and sticky and get stuck in small blood vessels, failing to carry adequate

Most importantly, if one desires to become

oxygen throughout the body, causing painful

a parent, its critical to understand how it

episodes, swelling of hands and feet, frequent

impacts one’s bodily functions in preparation

infections, delayed growth and vision problems.

as well as the threats it may pose to one’s partner.

Aside from those symptoms and complications, doctors believe Black men’s fertility issues are

For example, if one’s female spouse or

due to a delay in puberty causing abnormal

significant other has sickle cell disease, with

sperm and sometimes lower testosterone. It’s

regular prenatal care, most women with SCD

also very likely that males with sickle cell disease

can have a healthy pregnancy, but if the father

have an increase in testicular dysfunction and

has SCD, the mother-to-be is more likely than

prostate gland issues, which could cause a

other women to have health complications that

marked decrease in ejaculate volume.

can affect the pregnancy.

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HEALTH

In women, how sickle cell disease affects

By now, all men would know whether they

pregnancy depends on whether they have sickle

suffered from the disease since one would have

cell disease or sickle cell trait. Some women

been sick for a very long time. But as for the

with sickle cell disease have no change in their

trait, those, even unknowingly, enjoy normal

disease during pregnancy.

lives with no medical problems. Thanks to the enactment of the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act

In others, the disease may get worse. Painful

in 1972, federal interest significantly increased in

events called sickle cell crises may still occur in

the SCDs and other hemoglobinopathies.

pregnancy. If they have kidney disease or heart failure before they get pregnant, it may worsen

However, only since May 1, 2006, have all

during pregnancy as well.

states required and provided universal newborn screening for SCD despite a national

Some women may need blood transfusions to

recommendation to this effect in 1987.

replace the sickle cells with fresh blood. These may be done several times during the pregnancy.

For adults who are concerned about their risk

Blood transfusions can help the blood carry

of having a child with sickle cell disease, genetic

oxygen and lower the number of sickle cells.

carrier screening through a physician can help

Pregnant women with sickle cell trait can also

couples identify their carrier status.

have a kind of anemia caused by not having enough iron in their blood. If you have this type of

To better understand, the risks and the

anemia, you may need to take iron supplements.

implications:

In pregnancy, it is important for blood cells to

If both parents have SCT, there is a 50% chance

be able to carry oxygen. With sickle cell anemia,

that the child also will have SCT. Children

the abnormal red blood cells and anemia may

with trait, will not have symptoms of SCD, but

result in lower amounts of oxygen going to

they can pass SCT on to their children. If both

the developing baby. This can slow down the

parents have SCT, there is a 25% chance that

baby’s growth. Early and regular prenatal care

the child will have SCD. There is the same 25%

is important if they are pregnant and have sickle

chance that the child will not have SCD or SCT.

cell disease. Having prenatal visits allows the healthcare provider to keep a close watch on

If one parent has SCT, there is a 50% chance that

your mate and the health of developing baby.

the child will have SCT and an equal 50% chance that the child will not have SCT.

During pregnancy, SCD may increase the risk

48

of miscarriage, premature birth, and having a

Having a child with sickle cell trait isn’t that

baby with low birthweight. So, before a couple

big of a deal, but if that child has sickle cell

conceives it’s extremely important for both to

disease one is faced with a life of doctor visits

know whether either or both have sickle cell trait

and hospitalizations, which is why it’s critical to

or the disease.

make informed choices. S

THE SPHINX

FEATURE

BY BROTHER DR. JAMIE R. RILEY, BETA OMICRON ’03, DELTA LAMBDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

LEADING THE WAY: ALPHA’S COLLEGE CAMPUS LEADERS

S

tudent Government Association (SGA) Presidents and Black Student Union (BSU) Presidents have a long-standing history of not only sparking change on their respective campuses, but for also tackling some of our society’s most oppressive and challenging social issues.

During the Civil Rights era, these leaders were noted as key voices in the fight for equal rights throughout our nation. Within many communities, they served as grassroots organizers of sit-ins, protests, marches and other forms of civil disobedience. In the 1980’s, SGA and BSU leaders were also integral in the Anti-Apartheid Movement within the United States, where many of them openly advocate for social and racial equality in South Africa by demanding that their respective campuses divest from corporations financial supporting WINTER 2018

Apartheid as system of racial segregation and discrimination.

During my senior year at Tennessee State University (2002-03), I served as SGA President. Like those SGA leaders before me, I too focused my platform on addressing many of the problems impacting the surrounding Nashville community; in addition to campusbased issues such as enrollment, student support programs, funding, and faculty engagement.

By that time, I had fully immersed myself into Black Culture and found my passion in advocating for racial and cultural equity by making an inert commitment to ensuring the vitality and sustainability of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). I was able organize over 3,000 HBCU student leaders from colleges and universities across the country. Our focus was to discuss and develop 49

FEATURE

systemic and institutional strategies toward moving our community forward.

to achieve racial equality and inclusivity on campuses and in society.

In fact, some of the well-known attendees of the HBCU Think Tank include, our own Brother and now Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, Randall Woodfin, from Morehouse College and co-founder and senior advisor of The Collective Pac, Stefanie Brown-James, from Howard University. As elected student leaders, we spent time unpacking the nuances of the Black experience and immersed ourselves in the impact of race and racism on one’s ability to navigate the so-called American Dream. The experience many of us gained as elected activistleaders inspired our professional paths and still motivates and encourages our individual and collective efforts to this day.

One of the best examples of this is Brother Payton Head, a former SGA President at the University of Missouri that made national news back in 2015 for leading a campus uprising against systemic racism, which resulted in student protests, an enhanced cross-cultural curriculum, and ultimately, the resignation of the University’s president. Brother Head’s bravery represents only one example of how the leadership of Alpha Men serving as SGA Leaders has helped to continue our mission of providing service and advocacy for our communities.

Given the country’s socio-political climate, SGA presidents are still leading the charge

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is comprised of countless brothers that have and continue to challenge and dismantle campus racial inequalities.

Here, we recognize those college brothers who are currently on the frontlines of campus leadership.

BROTHER JARED GARRETT Xi Phi ’17

Student Body Vice President, Windthrop University Brother Jared Garrett has always expressed a passion for serving his community. He is a mentor and after-school teacher at a Montessori school in Rock Hill, SC, where he plans and provides STEM and physical activity lessons for students ages 3-6.

Currently, he serves as his University’s student body vice president, and is responsible for overseeing, mentoring, and assisting student led organizations on campus to help them reach their organizational goals.

“My role as a campus leader is simple,” he says. “I am the servant of the voices of 50

students who want to impact the campus and surrounding communities. I take each and every opportunity to lead as a professional development lesson to further better myself and to make sure that I lead with the upmost dignity and respect for all Mankind, with extreme emphasis on the uplifting of my community.”

The Spring 2017 initiate and vice president of Xi Phi Chapter, Brother Garrett also serves as the assistant area director for Area 1 of the South Carolina Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. After graduation, he will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the S.C. Army National Guard and plans to pursue a graduate degree in International Politics and Military Affairs.

THE SPHINX

FEATURE

BROTHER RICARDO HERRIOTT Gamma Gamma ’18

Student Government President, Allen University Brother Ricardo DaiQuan Desmond Herriott is the president of both the Allen University Student Government Association (SGA) and its Gamma Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The Spring 2018 Gamma Gamma chapter initiate is a senior in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in religion. The Dean’s List student is a native of Wadmalaw Island (Charleston County), South Carolina.

Brother Herriott, who is an active member of St. James Bethel African Methodist Episcopal

Church, is also the young people and children’s president of the South Carolina Annual Conference of the Seventh Episcopal District. Prior, he has served as the leaders in training minister at Bethel AME Church in Darlington, South Carolina.

Upon graduation, Brother Herriott plans to pursue a master’s degree in divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, GA.

BROTHER AMOS JACKSON Beta ’17

Student Association President, Howard University Civic and community engagement is central to Brother Amos Jackson’s vision and role as president of the Howard University Student Association.

In this role, Brother Amos, a Spring 2017 Beta chapter initiate is the chief student advocate and represents all undergraduate and graduate students. He previously served as the president of The College of Arts & Sciences Student Council, where he served over 2,700 students across over 31 academic programs.

“As the President of the Howard University Student Association, I am the chief advocate for students and the link to local and national movements,” he says. “Primarily, this year focused on the 2018 Midterm Elections and ensuring that our students understand how important it is to be civically engaged.”

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The senior political science and AfricanAmerican studies has always dedicated himself to community engagement and political action. In response to the Parkland School Shooting, Brother Amos along with students across the country formed the, “TeamENOUGH” executive council. A student led effort to end gun violence in America. This past February, Amos represented Howard University at Harvard University’s Kennedy School National Campaign Conference.

In 2016 Amos started the partnership with the United Planning Organization and the Freshman Leadership Academy for the annual “Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service”. Because of his leadership throughout this project Amos was awarded “National

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FEATURE

Volunteer of the Year” by the Maryland Community Action Partnership.

While working last summer at the “Center for Responsible Lending,” Brother Amos assisted clergy in the “African-American Clergy Advocacy Day” on Capitol Hill. During this intern for US Senator and Howard Alumna Kamala D. Harris. He has also worked on The White House Initiative on HBCUs and in the

day Amos walked the hall of Congress with clergy and advocated on the behalf of HBCUs, student loans, Pell grants, and people affected by the predatory lending practices at banks.

Brother Jackson, a West Palm Beach, Florida native, is currently serving as a legislative Department of Education focusing Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education, and K-12 African American Education.

BROTHER DAVID H. JACKSON, III Beta Nu ’17

Student Government Association President, Florida A&M University Brother David H. Jackson, III is the president of the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Student Government Association (SGA). He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Business Administration.

Upon graduation, he plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA), as well from FAMU. “Everything I do within my capacity as Student Government Association

During his first year at FAMU, he was elected to the 46th Student Senate and served a twoyear term. As a senator, he served on both the judicial and rules committee as well as the student relations committee. Mr. Jackson also served as a general body member of the FAMU First Year Experience Peer Mentor Organization. In addition, Brother Jackson worked in the FAMU Office of Assessment as an associate where he compiled and analyzed data from various university colleges, schools, and departments, and helped create student surveys to assess learning outcomes.

President is done with the interest of the student body at the forefront,” he says. “This makes my job a lot easier because I know that I am not doing it for myself, but rather for something so much bigger than me.”

Throughout his life, the Spring 2017 Beta Nu initiate has committed himself to public service and scholastic achievement.

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The Tallahassee, Florida native studied abroad at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) in Beijing, China and interned with General Electric (GE) Lighting in Cleveland, Ohio where his duties focused on distribution, finance, and supply chain management.

THE SPHINX

FEATURE

BROTHER JULIAN NEELY Omicron Pi ’16

Student Body President, Iowa State University In high school, Brother Julian Neely was drawn to activism and leadership with his involvement, he says, in the Black Lives Matter Movement in Des Moines, Iowa.

That experience, the Iowa State University senior says, led him to serve as the vice president and Freshman Action Team delegate for the Black Student Alliance, as well as the Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Student Government Association.

“My overall goal is to create pathways of (least) resistance and hardships for our youth than those that I had to endure,” Brother

Neeley says. “I know the

In his spare time, he says, he mentors Black and Latino students at the local high school.

Currently, a journalism and mass communications major with a minor in sociology, Brother Neeley is a 2016 Omicron Pi initiate as well as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar – a program for underrepresented students to place them on the track to receive their PhD degree and provides students the opportunity to engage in research.

His research focus is on Black Twitter with an emphasis of the influence of #BlackBoyJoy.

challenges that I have faced being a Black student (at) a predominately white institution and I don’t want our youth to experience that. To accomplish my goal, there are institutional and systemic issues that need to be solved and I am using my platform to implement change to better serve our students.”

“I truly didn’t envision my college career leading me to this point in my life,” he says. “My passion and drive stems from my life experiences, which influence my desire to identify changes in society that need to be made.”

BROTHER ARIE PARKER Phi Zeta ’18

Black Student Union President, Radford University Brother Arie Parker credits his vision and leadership to those who came before him, and the “village” who raised him.

The Fall 2018 Phi Zeta initiate, who is a social work major with a minor in sociology at Radford University, serves as the president of its Black Student Union. “. . . my vision . . . took much time and labor of not

The Danville, Virginia native has served as a resident advisor, a peer instructor, vice president of Men of Standards, and a former community service chair for the Black Student Alliance (BSA). In addition, he serves as a Highlander tour guide and a member of the student advisory board for the John Preston McConnell library.

only myself, but also the help of “my village” to come to fruition,” he says. “To me, it is very crucial that I

“I feel as if I possess a more “laid-

acknowledge that I did not get to the place I am at

back” approach to leadership, which gives me the

(from) the strength of “I”, and I think that every leader

advantage of having the common touch, as my peers

should realize that.”

respect me, but do not feel as if they have to change

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FEATURE

their demeanor around me,” he says. “Having (been)

have taught them how to carry themselves. Hearing

so involved on campus, I know that I have made

feedback like that makes me only want to strive

an impact when I hear my peers who are younger

harder to be better and do better for myself, my

than me, say that they (look) up to me and that I

campus and my community.”

BROTHER LA’CURTIS POWELL Delta Phi ’17

Student Government Association President, Jackson State University Brother La’Curtis Powell views role as a campus leader as being one of the most important and crucial position both on and off the campus.

Currently, the Spring 2017 initiate of Delta Phi Chapter is president of the student government association at Jackson State University.

“You have to be a good listener, an excellent collaborator, a brilliant problem solver, and have excellent communication skills and be a passionate leader,” he says. “My position requires me to listen to many points of view to be able to effectively make the best decisions.”

Brother Powell, who serves as both his chapter’s recording and financial secretary and convention delegate, is no stranger to leadership and service.

He also serves as the vice president for the Student Body President Council under IHL and Legal Affairs Director for The National Consortium of HBCUs Student Government Association Presidents. A year prior, he became junior class president for the student government association, secretary of Gentlemen’s Academy, NAACP, and chair of the SGA Street Team, Blue Ambassador,

54

Sodexo Food Committee, Political Science Club, Pre-Alumni Club and the student representative on the search committee to select the next Associate Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students.

Powell says that one of his biggest accomplishments was chartering the Young Democrats freshman year. His involvement in the process to gain active status for the organization led the criminal justice and political science major to receive an internship with the Mississippi Democratic House Party. Subsequently, that opportunity led him to serve as a campus campaign coordinator for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign.

Over the years, Brother Powell has served as Mr. Freshman on the 2015-2016 Royal Court for Jackson State and SGA director of public relations his sophomore year. Currently, the Jackson, Mississippi native also hosts free ACT workshops at his high school alma mater, Forest Hill High School.

A 4th year cadet in the Tiger Battalion ROTC program at the University, Brother Powell will be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army. He hopes to attend law school at the University of Mississippi and one day become Mississippi’s first African American governor of Mississippi.

THE SPHINX

FEATURE

BROTHER ROBERT TATUM Jr., Delta Kappa ’18

Student Government Association President, Alcorn State University For Brother Robert Tatum, Jr. leadership is not only about taking charge, but about cultivating leadership potential in others working with him. He says serves and does that by delegating important tasks and acting as a bridgebuilder between the administration and student body.

Brother Tatum, Jr., who is a president of the student government association at Alcorn State University, has served with various different organizations and in different roles, including: Biology Club, Khem Club, Alpha Chi Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Student Ambassadors, Junior Class President 20172018, SGA Business Manager 2016-2017, MAPS, Worship Experience, Debate Team Captain, Honda Campus All Star Challenge, Model United Nations, International Multicultural Club, LSMAMP, Leadership Alcorn, Honors Student Organization, and as the President Pro Tempore for the Senate.

During his high school years, the Madison, Mississippi native says he received numerous awards, including ranking as a state and national champion in speech and debate. While on school breaks, Brother Tatum says he participates in community service under Salvation Army and other agencies, as well as helping improve literacy and school skills for inner city kids.

A biochemistry and molecular biology major, Brother Tatum, Jr. says he aspires to follow in his father’s footsteps as an internal medicine physician. In preparation, he’s interned at many different medical schools, even being awarded a full scholarship to the University of MS Medical Center. In addition, he also interned in Belize and Japan where he worked on watersheds and it’s use to the constituents.

A Spring 2018 initiate of Alcorn’s Delta Kappa Chapter, he currently serves as its historian.

Brother Alston DeVega Gamma Psi ‘17

Student Government President, Saint Augustine's University Alston DeVega is a Spring 2017 initiate of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and a native of Raleigh, North Carolina.

In May of 2019, Bro. DeVega will be graduating from Saint Augustine’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, with the intent to work in federal law enforcement.

While at Saint Augustine’s University, Bro. DeVega has completed two internships with Wells Fargo and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, while serving as the Student Government Association President for his last year of undergraduate school. S

(Brothers Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv, Nu ’89, Rho Tau Lambda and Nehemiah Bester, Alpha Kappa Lambda ’16 contributed to this story.)

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EDUCATION

Following a charge given from General President Ward to the Assistant Regional Vice Presidents, one hundred of Alpha’s brightest collegiate leaders assembled on the campus of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia for the inaugural Alpha Collegiate Leadership Symposium. This symposium was built and executed by college brothers for college brothers as a way for collegiate leaders to influence the strategic plan of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The three-day conference featured workshops on career development, fraternal leadership development, and Black masculinity in America. The participants also had a candid leadership conversation with General President Ward. The conference culminated with brothers making group presentations on recommendations for the future of the fraternity. These recommendations were later shared with the Board of Directors during the summer meeting. The recommendations are being incorporated in the administrative direction of the fraternity.

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THE SPHINX

EDUCATION

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More than 200 students from across Alpha South pose for the annual class photo at the 2018 Southern Region Leadership Development Institute at Alcorn State University, in Lorman, Miss. Photo by Vanthony Smith.

BY BROTHER ARTHUR D. VAUGHN, DELTA ZETA '90, OMICRON MU LAMBDA

America’s Next Generation of Leaders Have “Hot” Time in Mississippi Alpha South Leadership Development Institute marks 35th year

I

n the middle of summer, most students are

Institute was five-day nonstop program of

basking in the fun and frolic of simply being

activities, symposiums, community service

out of school. No classes; no homework; no

projects and fun while learning.

parents reminding them its “a school night.”

As the buses arrived at the Medgar Evers But for more than 200 high school students

Heritage Village residence halls, it was clear this

from across the South, the third week in June

was the first time most of the students had ever

was something much more. A chance to learn

set foot on a college campus.

what it takes to be a leader.

“We’ve been doing this in ‘Alpha South’ for 35

58

These teenaged men and women made up the

years and the goal is just as important today

2018 class of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

as it was then,” says Brother Kelsey Rushing,

Southern Region Leadership Development

regional vice president of the fraternity’s

Institute (LDI).

Southern Region.

Held this summer on the historic campus of

“Our goal is to develop productive citizens who

Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss., the

will have the skills to lead later in life. And, when THE SPHINX

EDUCATION

you look at today’s circumstances in America

The annual “etiquette dinner” and Henry Ponder

and around the world, we need leaders now

Oratorical Contest capped off the Thursday

more than ever.”

program of events. The students’ speeches centered on the contest topic: “Urgency of Now:

The Institute is on a circuit, held in a different

Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders. In 2016, the

locale each year rotating among the seven states comprising the Southern Region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee). This year the Institute was hosted by Delta Kappa Chapter (Alcorn State University) and Theta Sigma Lambda Chapter in Lorman, Miss.

The Institute kicked off with a deep-dive discussion and workshop on teenage pregnancy prevention, titled “Walk It Talk It,” (a modern spin on the fraternity’s “Project Alpha” teenage pregnancy prevention initiative).

“The uniqueness of this Institute is that although we are a fraternity, we also mentor young women too,” says Brother Tracy Cook, chairman of the 2018 Institute, and an alumnus of Alcorn State and Delta Kappa Chapter (Fall 1990) and now a member of Theta Sigma Lambda Chapter.

High school students learn the ins and outs of berry picking at the Alcorn Model Farm on the campus of Alcorn State University in Lorman, Miss., during the 2018 Southern Region Leadership Development Institute. Photo by Vanthony Smith.

LDI oratorical contest was named in honor of Henry Ponder, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity 28th

“Alpha Phi Alpha has and will always continue

general president and founder of the Alpha

to uphold our mission and vision as we mold

South Leadership Development Institute.

young men and women for a better tomorrow.”

Students also received valuable life skills from All told, the 2018 Alpha South LDI numbered

the A Different World series, the Institute’s

212 students: 168 males and 44 females.

implementation of the fraternity’s national Go to High School Go To College program. It

Encompassing the five days of activities,

was modeled after Alcorn State’s first-year-

on Thursday, the students participated

experience programs, including information on:

in workshops on: attire to inspire, public

scholarship resources, leadership skills essential

speaking, networking and relationship building.

for Generation Z, resolving conflict and money

Alcorn State student leaders and former

management.

LDI participants led workshops covering youth leadership in affecting change, voter

Another key part of the LDI in summer 2018,

engagement and understanding critical issues

was inclusion of the Cannon/Dozier Project to

facing African-Americans.

educate students on the dangers of alcohol

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abuse—especially driving under the influence and how students can “save lives.”

The Cannon/Dozier Project is a result of the senseless deaths of two of Alpha Phi Alpha members killed by a drunk driver. Brothers Adrian Cannon of Omicron Phi Chapter at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss., and Julius Dozier of Nu Upsilon Chapter at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Miss.

On Saturday, in partnership with the Alcorn State University Extension Program, students spent the day giving and sharing of their time and talent at Windsor Ruins, a local fruit orchard and the Alcorn Model Farm, owned and operated by the University.

Many of the students, from urban areas, had never stepped foot on a farm, so the chance to perform animal husbandry and pick blueberries became not only a community service project but a rare educational experience too.

The Institute concluded with the students displaying their artistic talents at the student-produced talent show.

Overall, participation in the LDI has grown by 25 percent in the past three years. In 2016, 159 students participated; this year 212 attended.

“Once again the LDI was a great success and special thanks to the Southern Region leadership for the support,” said Cook. S

Brother Arthur D. Vaughn, Ph. D. (Delta Zeta ’90) is associate vice president of Morehouse College, in Atlanta.

He is the chairman of the Southern Region Leadership Development Institute. Rick Blalock (Pi Upsilon ’87), past editor-in-chief of THE SPHINX, contributed to this report.

The statue of Medgar Evers, the slain civil rights activist and first NAACP Mississippi field secretary, adorns the entrance of the Medgar Evers Village residence halls at Alcorn State University.

The village housed the 2018 Southern Region Leadership Development Institute students in Lorman, Miss. Photo by Vanthony Smith.

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EDUCATION

BY BROTHER ERIC CHRISTOPHER WEBB, NU ’89, RHO TAU LAMBDA

THE NATION’S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN FRATERNITY FOR COLLEGE MEN SUPPORTS PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR UNDERSERVED BOYS Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College National Program Works To Impact DC Youth; Underscores Commitment to Urban Communities

T

he Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. donated

development officer for the school. “(Since) the Bishop

$10,000 to support the independent, tuition-

Walker is a tuition-free school, we’re always open to

free Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys,

financial contributions, but we’re also interested in

which serves children from traditionally underserved

having men of color come down and be positive role

communities in the Washington, D.C. area during an

models for our students.”

Oct. 22nd public presentation.

The Fraternity’s donation, which underscores Alpha’s commitment to urban communities, is aligned with its national program, Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College – established in 1922 and concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Through the Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College educational initiative, young men receive information and learn strategies that facilitate success.

“Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is committed to the uplift and education of our youth, especially for African American males,” said Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. General President Everett B. Ward. “Throughout the Fraternity’s history, we have consistently provided support for institutions and initiatives that solidify our commitment to the community. Bishop John T. Walker

(L to R) Brother Adrian, associate executive director & senior development officer for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Brother Dr. Jamie R. Riley, executive director & chief operating officer; James Woody, chief development officer of the Bishop John T. Walker School; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. General President Dr. Everett B. Ward; General Treasurer Brother Densel Fleming; and Brother Bardell Brown, movement teacher & director of student culture and life at The Bishop John T. Walker School.

School for Boys is ensuring that our boys are challenged to reach their full academic potential and prepared for

The school, which receives no public funding and

future leadership and service in their communities and

covers all expenses through donations and contributed

we are grateful for the opportunity to support.”

services, is named for the first African American Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, the

According to its website, the school, which strives to

Rt. Reverend John Thomas Walker, who was “a pastor,

alter the educational and social trajectory of children

teacher, cathedral builder, civil rights leader, ecumenist,

from traditionally underserved communities, seeks to

social justice pioneer, urban missionary, relief worker

foster a love of learning, intellectual curiosity, spiritual

and statesman” and welcomes boys of all faiths and

foundation, and moral character that each boy will need

beliefs.

as a student, as a citizen and as a child of God. Currently, Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys, which “We’re really excited that the brothers of Alpha Phi

is located in Southeast D.C., serves Junior-Kindergarten

Alpha (Fraternity, Inc.) gave a very generous donation

through Sixth grade and is expanding to 8th grade by

to the Bishop Walker School,” said James Woody, chief

2020 when its total enrollment reaches 160 students. S

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FEATURE

A REFLECTION

BY BROTHER RICK BLALOCK, PI UPSILON '87, ETA LAMBDA

Joanna Freeman Sutton: An Alpha first lady who epitomized grace and dignity For many members of Alpha Phi Alpha, it just does not seem possible, all these months later, that former First Lady Joanna Freeman Sutton is gone. Surely, she is in our hearts and minds, but her physical presence was so impactful that it just does not seem real—even now.

Living in Atlanta over the past two decades, I was one of the fortunate brothers who got to spend time with her and her beloved Ozell Sutton: our “#26” (general president) as he often referred to himself. Joanna honored me with the task of penning Ozell’s obituary, and I am equally honored that our fraternity’s general president asked me to write a tribute to her for The Sphinx. The Suttons brought into the world three lovely daughters. However, I like so many other Alpha brothers, was blessed to have the family consider me one of “their sons.” Joanna and I even share November 20 as our birthday.

Joanna’s journey began in 1930, and what a wondrous life she had. From childhood days working the family land in Arkansas; to marrying a U.S. Marine named Ozell; to attending Philander Smith College in Little Rock; to fighting for equality in the Civil Rights Movement; to making a home and raising a family in Atlanta; to spending 50 years in public-schools as a teacher and administrator; and ultimately becoming the first lady of the world’s oldest and most-prestigious fraternity of African-American men.

In paying tribute to Joanna, General President Everett B. Ward at the February “Celebration of Life” funeral service, eloquently recited Brother Ozell’s words from his memoir From Here To Yonder calling Joanna, his “rose among the thorns.”

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“What most people don’t understand, is that when you are a member of the First Family of Alpha, you take on a heavy responsibility that only members of the First Family truly understand— and the first ladies of Alpha truly understand,” Ward told the several hundred mourners who packed Friendship Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta.

“You become the First Lady for Alphas around the world. And for those of us who loved Joanna, she was truly our yellow rose,” Ward says.

Brother Charles C. Teamer Sr. knew the Suttons well, and not just because he succeeded Brother Ozell as 27th general president. Teamer, through his association with Clark Atlanta University (as a student and executive) spent a good part of his life in Atlanta. He recalls that the reason Sutton was so successful leading Alpha Phi Alpha was because of his wife.

“Joanna was quiet and unassuming, but I always considered her to be the sails behind Ozell,” Teamer says. “She gave him what I called the bulldog tenacity that propelled him to succeed. She never raised her voice and was always a positive spirit.”

Joanna was a huge mentor to my wife,” says Darryl R. Matthews Sr., the 32nd general president, who also THE SPHINX

FEATURE

knew the Suttons when he was a fraternity General Office staff member.

Moreover, Joanna Sutton’s example transcended the first-ladies club, even the fraternity itself. As Ward noted in his remarks, she reminds “us that black womanhood with dignity and grace never go out of style; because Joanna made us all feel good.”

The 2017 Baltimore General Convention was Joanna’s last. Little did brothers know as they greeted her

that this would be the case. It just goes to show how important it is to show our love to those we cherish— now—while they are here. Joanna did that every day.

She gave us that example, of which all of us should live by. S Brother Rick Blalock (Pi Upsilon ’87) is a two-time Emmy® awardwinning journalist and past editorin-chief of The Sphinx. He served on the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Board of Directors as Midwestern regional assistant vice president.

Friends, family and Alpha brothers, say farewell to former Alpha Phi Alpha First Lady Joanna Freeman Sutton at Friendship Baptist Church in Atlanta, Feb. 13, 2018.

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BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

Brother Caleb Lewis BROTHER LEWIS PURSUES ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE & CAMPUS LEADERSHIP

B

rother Caleb J. Lewis, who has been named to the Dean’s List every single semester while at Kean University, is among the recipients of the

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Education Foundation scholarship and serves as the executive vice president of student organization at the university. The office is the second highest position a student can hold other than executive president.

With a 3.65 cumulative GPA, the global business

attempted to solve a local business problem and

and finance major is a 2017 Spring initiate of the Iota

provided five recommendations on foot traffic and

Rho Chapter. His chapter was also recognized for

outlet attraction to the chief executive officer of Mei

being the highest-rated fraternity at the university

Fang Cei Cultural Park, an outdoor mall. As part of the

for the 2017-2018 academic year for scholarship,

experience, he was named class captain of 29 American

service, academic excellence, leadership, and campus

and Chinese students and helped lead the collaborative

involvement.

effort.

Brother Lewis, who studied Mandarin Chinese, recently

Upon graduation, the self-described serial entrepreneur,

travelled to Wenzhou, China for three weeks last June

who enjoys reading and playing piano in his spare time,

with Kean’s top global business students, where they

plans to pursue law school. S

Brother Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett ALPHA BROTHER FIRST BLACK MAN NAMED VP OF DIVERSITY INCLUSION FOR NBA TEAM

B

rother Dr. Maurice A. Stinnett is the first

“I have been given a unique responsibility to impact

Black man appointed as a vice president of

the culture and move the needle of diversity, inclusion,

diversity and inclusion for a National Basketball

and equity in a positive direction for underrepresented

Association team—the Brooklyn Nets. He is also the

groups in the sports and entertainment industry,” he

inaugural vice president of diversity and inclusion for

says. “It is a truly humbling and energizing experience,

BSE Global, which owns and operates state-of-the-art

and I take the opportunity seriously. Our communities

venues, such as the Barclays Center, and premier sports

are full of talent and heart, and I believe it is critically

franchises, including the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets.

important to ensure we are recruiting the most creative, driven, and talented people to work at BSE Global,

Brother Stinnett, an experienced leader and expert

while also building systems and a culture that support

in the areas of diversity, inclusion, and equity across

each person’s career growth once they get here.”

nonprofit, education, and corporate sectors, creates innovative programming tailored for inclusion and

Brother Stinnett’s prior experience includes roles

cultural competence and provides leadership and

in higher education and nonprofit leadership,

support across BSE’s brands.

where he most recently served as Vice President of

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BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

Engagement and Chief Diversity Officer at Cleveland State University. While there, he successfully led the institution’s response to a university crisis that received national attention and ignited debates regarding the distinction between free speech and hate speech.

Prior to joining CSU, his experience included serving as Dean of Students at Central State University, as the Sr. Director of Community Engagement and Education at CentroNia, a multicultural, bilingual education nonprofit located in Washington, DC; and as Chairman for the World Leadership Program, a White House initiative under the Obama administration that sought to spark learning and dialogue between graduate students and universities in the Middle East and the United States.

Brother Stinnett, who is an energetic presenter who is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Central State University, a Master of Divinity from Princeton

committed to this work by institutionalizing my role.

Theological Seminary, and a Master of Education and

Historically, women, LBGT+ people, people with

Doctor of Education and Organizational Leadership

disabilities, and people of color have occupied fewer

from Columbia University.

and less powerful roles in the sports and entertainment industry. Our vision is to ensure we are looking

“Building a culture of diversity, inclusion and equity

everywhere to hire the greatest candidates, especially

does not happen by chance,” Stinnett says. “It

those who are traditionally underrepresented, and

requires time, work, and investment from the whole

giving each person the support and community needed

organization. BSE Global has shown they are deeply

for them to shine.” S

Brother Skylar Mayberry-Mayes For almost a decade, Nationwide and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. have partnered to provide the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. with exclusive savings on products and services.

But the heartbeat of both organizations is a shared passion for strengthening the communities where their members and associates live and work. Brother Skylar Mayberry-Mays, who works as an Operations Business Support specialist for Nationwide in Des Moines, Iowa, lives these values every day and was rightfully honored as Nationwide’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year.

Brother Mayberry-Mays, a 2011 initiate of the Alpha Theta chapter at the University of Iowa, originally joined Big Brothers Big Sisters with the sole expectation of serving as a mentor. After one year of being paired with his mentee in a WINTER 2018

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BROTHERS ON THE MOVE

school-based program, he then shifted to a community-

day one, has interacted with several other mentees

based program with the same mentee to allow for

throughout his tenure, and currently serves on the

more flexibility in his mentoring strategy, allowing

Board of Directors for the organization.

for college visits, weekend activities and after-school programming.

For the past five consecutive years, Brother MayberryMays, who is currently a member of the Zeta Kappa

After his first year, he was asked to join the Finance

Lambda chapter, has contributed an approximate

Committee for the organization, in which he served

average of 400+ service hours to his passions, including

for approximately one term. Prior to finishing his term

board service and initiatives that aid in the development

on the Finance Committee, Skylar was approached by

of both underprivileged youth and other Nationwide

the CEO of BBBSCI to assist with the chartering of a

associates. In addition to his full-time, graduate school

new Young Professional Advisory Board, in which he

studies and board service, Skylar still manages to

assisted and served as the inaugural Co-Chair. Now, five

prioritize time for what matters to him most… helping

years later, he is still paired with the same mentee from

others.

Brother James Shaw, Jr.

ALPHA’S WAFFLE HOUSE HERO BROTHER JAMES SHAW, JR. ESTABLISHES FOUNDATION Waffle House shooting hero, Brother James Shaw, Jr. founded and launched his new charity, The James Shaw, Jr. Foundation, during an anti-violence rally at Tennessee State University in August.

His “Come Together Day” event featured vendors, activities for kids, and a celebrity basketball game that included TSU alum and Philadelphia 76ers star Robert Covington.

L to R: Tau Lambda Chapter President, Charles Sueing, TN District Director, TSU Alum and Beta Omicron initiate, Robert Vick, James Shaw, TSU President Glenda Glover, and Executive Director Dr. Jamie Riley at TSU Ceremony in May.

Brother Shaw, a 2011 Beta Omicron initiate at TSU,

Immediately after the tragedy, he set up a GoFundMe

explains that his foundation’s mission is to work with

campaign and raised more than $240,000, which he

like-minded organizations and community advocates

donated to shooting victims and their families in May.

to eradicate violence and address mental health issues, as well as provide support, tools and resources for

Since the incident, Brother Shaw has been featured on

individuals and families who have experienced severe

several major outlets like Steve Harvey and Ellen, where

violence and trauma.

he was even surprised by his favorite basketball player, Dwayne Wade as well as was honored by both the

On April 22, Brother Shaw, a Waffle House patron at the

fraternity and his alma mater in May.

time, unarmed, wrestled an AR-15 assault rifle from the gunman who killed four people and injured four others

In June, Actor Chadwick Boseman of Black Panther

as he attempted to reload, and forced him outside

fame, also recognized him, dedicating and presenting

before lives could be lost.

Shaw with his MTV Movie & TV Best Hero Award. S

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BREAKING THE FAMILY CURSE: TESTIMONY STILL LOADING . . .

By Brother Deangelo Collier, Kappa Eta ’16 RiverHouse Publishing, LLC (May 20, 2016) 66 pages $14.99 Paperback / $9.99 Kindle ISBN-10: 0996272577 ISBN 13: 978-0996272575 Christian Living / Men’s Issues Amazon.com

“Breaking The Family Curse is about how I am fighting desperately to break all of my family’s negative generational cycles,” he explains.

“I already have broken some of them with the help of God. I had to overcome a lot of trials and tribulations that began in my early teenage years. I became

In his book, “Breaking the Family Curse,” Brother

influenced by the environment

Deangelo Collier, Kappa Eta ’16, offers his in-progress

that I was in, but God is slowly

coming of age story. Collier, like others, was raised in a

but surely bringing me out of

single-parent household about 30 minutes outside of

that mindset. I’m not where I

Memphis and ended up, involved in bad behavior and

want to be but thank God I’m

gang life until he found God and became a Christian.

not where I used to be!”

Throughout the book, Brother Collier tracks his own

Collier, who is currently a member of Alpha Delta

family’s generational curses, connected to finances,

Lambda Chapter and works as a truancy officer,

incarceration, drug addiction, education, gambling and

received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from

relationships as well as the influence and impact they

the University of Memphis and his pursuing his master’s

have posed on his life.

degree from the University of Mississippi. S

PROFIT 4 PROPHET: 9 KEYS FOR MILLENNIALS TO GAIN SUCCESS THROUGH PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

By Brother Abdoul Mohammed, Beta Alpha ’14 Abdoul Mohammed (August 5, 2018) 93 Pages $15.00 Paperback / $7.50 Kindle ISBN-10: 0692158464 ISBN 13: 978-0692158463 Self Help / Motivational Amazon.com

and build confidence, how knowledge attainment relates to wealth accumulation, the importance of self-discipline, the power of visualization and the importance of being grateful and remaining consistent.

Mastering self-development, Brother Abdoul Mohammed, Beta Alpha ’14, believes is the key to

Brother Mohammad,

success and greatness.

the son of West African immigrants,

In his new book, Profit 4 Prophet: 9 Keys For

is an Adelphi, MD

Millennials To Gain Success Through Personal

native and is is a 2018 Business

Development, Brother Mohammed offers a how-to

and Entrepreneurship graduate of Morgan State

bring out the latent potential that lies within us

University’s Earl Graves School of Business. S

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LITERARY

THE LAND PREDATORS: CHAOS SEEDS: BOOK VII

By Brother Aleron Kong, Theta Zeta ’02 Tamori Publications, LLC (February 16, 2018) $55.50 Hardcover / $8.99 Kindle 1150 pages / 2202 pages Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC ISBN-10: 1643165674 ISBN-13: 978-1643165677 ASIN: B079WCFZB8 Science Fiction & Fantasy LitRPG.com Brother Aleron Kong, Theta Zeta ’02 offers his seventh installment of his Chaos Seed series, “The Land Predators: Chaos Seeds: Book VII,” where a Black main character forges his own kingdom in a Game of thrones-style world.

The novel continues the story of a man who opposes dictators, slavers and those that would prey on the weak. The main character, Richter, must also confront his own demons and the evils he has done in the pursuit of good.

In The Land: Predators, the Mist Village has harnessed its power. Core buildings, Professional fighters and now, their own Dungeon, the settlement is primed to grow into a kingdom of true power and magic. The path to power has not been without risk, however. The Mist Village has been noticed.

Evil nobles from the Kingdom of Law, bloodthirsty goblins from the Serrated Mountains, an undead lord with a penchant for human sacrifice and fanatical kobolds from the Depths, all plot the village’s destruction. The predators are circling. Richter’s people are horribly outnumbered by foes whose own power has been entrenched for thousands of years.

Richter and Sion need to be stronger than ever before. Luckily, they are. New skills have been learned, stronger enchantments have been wrought and the hundreds of villagers have answered the call to adventure. The Companions do not stand alone. While many eyes have turned towards the mists, wanting to take the treasures within, the Mist Village stares back with a simple message.

Come and get it! S

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LITERARY

THOSE WHO GIVE A DAMN: A MANUAL FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE

By Brother Duvalier J. Malone, Theta Sigma Lambda ’09 CreateSpace (April 4, 2018) 192 Pages $21.16 Paperback ISBN-10: 1986148300 ISBN 13: 978-1986148306 Politics & Social Sciences / Biographies & Memoirs Amazon.com

He hopes to share those tools with others, by showing through example how to rise above one’s circumstances and achieve in spite of the hardships and obstacles that lay in one’s way.

While agonizing over his own place

Those Who Give A Damn: A Manual for Making a Difference

in the world,

by Brother Duvalier J. Malone, Theta Sigma Lambda ’09, is a

Brother Duvalier

story of struggle, adversity and the will to succeed.

discovered that his measure was

Brother Malone he details how he overcame tragedy in

hidden in his own

the best way possible: in the service of his fellow man

courage, strength

and woman. The book, Duvalier, sees as a manual on

and hope. This

how to serve humanity, follows his tale as a small-town

moment of achievement

boy who chased his dreams and found the path to

is chronicled in the memoir of this community servant

manhood was forged by the footsteps of others who

who wishes to inspire others the way he was inspired

paved the way.

by those who went before him. S

THE BLACK TAX: THE COST OF BEING BLACK IN AMERICA

By Brother Shawn D. Rochester, Mu Sigma ’95

Good Steward Publishing (January 15, 2018) ISBN 10: 0999007203 ISBN 13: 978-0999007204 Business & Money / Economics / African American Interest While Black Americans have long felt the devastating effects of antiblack discrimination, they have often had great difficulty articulating and substantiating both the existence and impact of that discrimination to an American public who is convinced that it no longer exists. Professionals in academia, the media, and the business community, along with people in the general public have struggled to explain the significant and persistent gaps (in wealth, employment, achievement and poverty) between Black and White communities in what they perceive to be a post racial America.

In his new book The Black Tax: The Cost Of Being Black In America, Brother Shawn Rochester Mu Sigma ’95 shows how The Black Tax (which is the financial cost of conscious and unconscious anti-Black discrimination), WINTER 2018

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LITERARY

creates a massive financial burden on Black American

forms of spending and investment in terms of the

households that dramatically reduces their ability to

number of jobs created or businesses developed within

leave a substantial legacy for future generations.

the Black community. It is immensely informative, thoroughly engaging and makes one of the most

Rochester, an entrepreneur and a former corporate

compelling and effective cases to commercialize Black

development and global strategy executive, lays out an

businesses since the founding of the Negro Business

extraordinarily compelling case which documents the

League in 1910.

enormous financial cost of current and past anti-Black discrimination on African American households.

The Black Tax and its quantification of the economic cost of anti-Black discrimination in America, is a

The Black Tax provides the fact pattern, data and

powerful contribution to The International Decade for

evidence to substantiate what African Americans have

the People of African Descent as proclaimed by the

long experienced and tried to convey to an unbelieving

UN General Assembly and helps set the stage for more

American public.

commerce between African Americans, members of the global African Diaspora and all companies and

Backed by an exceptional amount of research, Mr.

organizations that promote Pan African economic

Rochester not only highlights the extraordinary cost

development.

of the discrimination that African Americans currently face, but also explores the massive cost of past

Rochester, who has bachelor’s degree in Chemical

discrimination to explain why after 400 years Black

Engineering from the University of Rochester and a

Americans own only about 2% of American wealth. He

master’s degree in Business Administration from The

then establishes a framework that Black Americans

University of Chicago Booth School of Business with a

and other concerned parties can use to eliminate this

focus in Accounting, Finance and Entrepreneurship, has

tax and help create the 6 million jobs and 1.4 million

spent the last 20 years developing The Good Steward

businesses that are missing from the Black community.

Financial Empowerment Series which includes The Black Tax, CPR for the SOUL: How to Give Yourself

The Black Tax takes the reader through a complete

a 20% Raise, Eliminate Your Debt and Leave an

paradigm shift that causes the reader to evaluate all

Inheritance for Your Children’s Children. S

TEXT TO GIVE

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CHAPTER NEWS

BY BROTHER DUANE C. JUBERT, ETA GAMMA '88, ALPHA ETA LAMBDA

ALPHA ETA LAMBDA CHAPTER OF HOUSTON CELEBRATES 90 YEARS OF SERVICE AND BROTHERHOOD Sunday, Nov 27, 1927 was a consequential day in Alpha,

A&M University (PVAMU) who were Alpha Men. Alpha

as it was the day in which the remarkable Alpha Eta

Eta Lambda (AEL) served the college trained men of

Lambda Chapter was chartered. Recently, the chapter

Prairie View and Houston who matriculated to colleges

celebrated its 90th Anniversary with a commemorative

around the country, became Alpha men, and eventually

luncheon, featuring General President Everett Ward as

returned to Texas.

keynote speaker.

Alpha Sigma, the first undergraduate chapter in Texas, The theme of the luncheon, held Jul 7, 2018, was

was established at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas.

“Celebrating Brotherhood, Leadership and Community

Many of the early members of AEL were graduates

Service.�

of Wiley College. Alpha Eta Lambda was established to serve brothers who desired to maintain a fraternal

To give some context on the period when the chapter

bond and to fellowship with like-minded individuals.

was founded, consider that in 1927, Calvin Coolidge

The chapter met in alternate months between Houston

was the US President, Ford Motor Company had

and Prairie View. Early chapter presidents were John

just introduced the Model A automobile (Model A

E. Codwell, Sr. and Dr. Edward Evans, president of

succeeded the Model T) at an average cost of $850,

PVAMU.

Charles Lindbergh completed the first non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, and

In 1952, Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapter was chartered in

Raymond W. Cannon was the 12th General President of

Hempstead, Texas. The new chapter near Prairie View

Alpha Phi Alpha.

allowed AEL to permanently locate in Houston. At the time, the Texas A&M University system did not allow

Alpha Eta Lambda was established in Prairie View,

Greek letter organizations on their campuses. Therefore,

Texas, for the many college instructors at Prairie View

PVAMU had to relinquish ties to AEL.

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Subsequently, AEL has flourished in Houston and

High School/Go-to-College, Boy Scouts of America

has become one of the premier chapters in all of

and Project Alpha have been implemented.

Alphadom. Its fraternal presence is felt throughout the Southwestern Region of Alpha and is known

Brother Michael Williams, 90th Anniversary Luncheon

throughout the country as a welcoming presence to

Committee Chair and Past Alpha Eta Lambda President

all brothers. Many have experienced the fellowship

reflected, “The membership of Alpha Eta Lambda

at the House of Alpha Eta Lambda on 1519 Ruth

contains the current leaders of our community who

Street in Houston. As articulated by current Chapter

daily make critical decisions that enhance the vitality

President Byron Gautier, “While we strive to do the

of life for not only the African American community,

business of Alpha, it’s equally important to create an

but also for the Greater Metropolitan Houston area as a

inviting atmosphere, where bonds are strengthened

whole.”

and memories created. While you cannot touch it or see it, you can feel the true spirit of Alpha on Ruth

In 1999, the genesis for the A. Charles Haston Brothers

Street.” Service to our community is the cornerstone

Keeper National Program was sparked when Brother

...in the early 1970s the Alpha Merit Group Educational Foundation was established, through which thousands of scholarship dollars have flowed to our community, as well as National Programs like Go-to-High School/Goto-College, Boy Scouts of America and Project Alpha have been implemented.

Haston, a senior brother (now deceased), proclaimed during an AEL chapter meeting, that the chapter did not care about senior and disabled brothers and their wives. This expression deeply moved Brother Ron Peters, who determined that our senior brothers deserved better attention from the brotherhood.

Brother Peters organized a Houston area program to conduct needs assessments of senior brothers and widows, then followed up with services like yardwork, painting, minor home repairs, visits and fellowships.

The Brothers Keeper program progressed from a local Houston area program, to a Texas District program, then to a Southwestern Regional program. In 2010, the Brothers Keeper program became a National Program and continues to be implemented by chapters throughout the fraternity.

Alpha Eta Lambda has hosted two national

of this great chapter. In the early 1950’s, Brother

conventions, which were landmark events held

Vivian Chagois started a tradition of giving Christmas

in Houston’s most prominent hotels. In 1969, the

toys to underprivileged children in Houston, and to

convention met at the Shamrock Hotel and in 2005, at

date, the chapter has hosted sixty-six Toy Dance

the Hilton Americas Hotel, both grand venues in their

Benefits. In the early 1980s Brother David Alexander

respective times.

II, a member of the Bronze Eagle Flying Club, started the Alpha Fly-In as a means of introducing aviation

AEL has produced many leaders for Alpha, including

to African-American children of Houston. In addition,

the 31st General President Brother Harry E. Johnson,

in the early 1970s the Alpha Merit Group Educational

Sr., and Southwestern Regional Vice President Brother

Foundation was established, through which

Tophas Anderson III. Numerous state presidents

thousands of scholarship dollars have flowed to our

include, Brother Dr. Forde McWilliams, Horace A.

community, as well as National Programs like Go-to-

Williams, Gerald W. Joseph, and a number of officers

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CHAPTER NEWS

on both the state and national level. One of our

our communities. The Alpha Eta Lambda chapter,

notable members, Brother C. Anderson Davis was

since 1927, has been a steadfast purveyor of the

editor of the Sphinx Magazine, Brother Frank A. Dee

fraternity’s mission and values, and stands ready to

served as a National Sergeant of Arms, Brother Ron

continue this course as the chapter approaches 100

Peters served as Chairman of National Programs,

years and beyond. Turner is also an Alpha brother.

Brother Rickey Brown served as a Nationally

He recently led the city through the devastating and

Credentialed Photographer and Brother Byron

historic flooding brought by Tropical Storm Harvey.

Gautier served as National Project Alpha Chairman.

These are but a few who have proudly answered

Current Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is also

the call of service. During the luncheon keynote

an Alpha brother. He recently led the city through

address, General President Ward noted, “Alpha Eta

the devastating and historic flooding brought by

Lambda chapter has provided the city of Houston,

Tropical Storm Harvey. These are but a few who have

the state of Texas and this nation uncompromising

proudly answered the call of service. During the

and unwavering leadership.”

luncheon keynote address, General President Ward noted, “Alpha Eta Lambda chapter has provided the

The chapter has a distinguished legacy of service and

city of Houston, the state of Texas and this nation

brotherhood, but is not resting on its laurels. There

uncompromising and unwavering leadership.”

is much work to do uplift the social and economic conditions in the area and the chapter continues

The chapter has a distinguished legacy of service and

to attract men of high character with a passion to

brotherhood, but is not resting on its laurels. There

serve the community. The chapter now includes

is much work to do uplift the social and economic

approximately 266 members, including brothers

conditions in the area and the chapter continues

both young and old. Brother Jerry Autry, a 2018

to attract men of high character with a passion to

initiate, indicated he was drawn to Alpha Eta Lambda

serve the community. The chapter now includes

because “the brothers of this chapter are impressive,

approximately 266 members, including brothers

intellectual and inimitable leaders in every facet of our

both young and old. Brother Jerry Autry, a 2018

community - inspiring me to strive for excellence and

initiate, indicated he was drawn to Alpha Eta Lambda

be the best version of myself for the brotherhood and

because “the brothers of this chapter are impressive,

the greater good.”

intellectual and inimitable leaders in every facet of our community - inspiring me to strive for excellence and

As the chapter celebrates 90 years in Alpha, it is

be the best version of myself for the brotherhood and

important to reflect and give thanks to the early

the greater good.”

members and the foundational work they did to propel the chapter to its current standing. It is equally

As the chapter celebrates 90 years in Alpha, it is

important to continuously strengthen the chapter

important to reflect and give thanks to the early

operations and brotherhood to carry out the mission

members and the foundational work they did

of our dear fraternity: to develop leaders, promote

to propel the chapter to its current standing. It

brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing

is equally important to continuously strengthen

service and advocacy for our communities. The Alpha

the chapter operations and brotherhood to carry

Eta Lambda chapter, since 1927, has been a steadfast

out the mission of our dear fraternity: to develop

purveyor of the fraternity’s mission and values, and

leaders, promote brotherhood and academic

stands ready to continue this course as the chapter

excellence, while providing service and advocacy for

approaches 100 years and beyond. S

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CHAPTER NEWS

GAMMA RHO CHAPTER OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. CELEBRATES 70 YEARS OF BROTHERHOOD, SERVICE & LEADERSHIP” Over 127 undergraduate and alumni Brothers of the

CJ Parker (Spring 2017) and Samuel G. Wilson, PE,

Gamma Rho Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,

(Spring 1977).

Inc. celebrated the chapter’s 70th Anniversary on April 20-22, 2018. The event commemorated the visionary

Gamma Rho Chapter has maintained the fraternity’s

charter members: James C. Butler, Chester L. French,

tradition of excellence in manly deeds, scholarship,

Raymond L. Hall, Milton B. Kendrick, John E. Littman,

and love for all mankind. During the weekend, the

William N. Lovelace, Jimmie Mosley John E. Rudder,

alumni contributed over $ 25,000 to the fund the

Richard Wallace, Walter H. White and George A.

Gamma Rho Chapter Scholarship Endowment with

Younger for founding the chapter. Since it’s founding

the Purdue Research Foundation. Proceeds from the

on April 24, 1948 on the campus of Purdue University in

endowment will fund an annual scholarship to benefit

West Lafayette, Indiana, Gamma Rho Chapter boasts a

an undergraduate brother who is enrolled at Purdue

rich legacy of producing successful men.

University. Gamma Rho Chapter also funded an archival project, which will prominently display the Chapter’s

The 70th Anniversary Celebration Committee

original charter and other historical documents at the

worked diligently to plan and host a weekend

Purdue University Black Cultural Center.

that commemorated our chapter founding while establishing a scholarship endowment and a historical

The weekend kicked off with a reception that gathered

archival project. Committee members consisted of

Gamma Rho alumni and provided networking and

undergraduate and alumni Brothers including: George

fellowship with the undergraduates. After completing

Anderson (Fall 1985), Darryl Farrow (Spring 1983), Ali

campus tours the following day, the Brothers gathered

Abdul-Ghani (Fall 2015), Justin Hornbuckle (Fall 2017),

for the celebratory 70th Anniversary Black & Gold

Eugene Johnson (Fall 1999), Frankie Long (Fall 2010),

Banquet. Official welcome was given by evening hosts,

Kirt Matthews (Spring 2017), Ted McElroy (Fall 2000),

George Anderson (Fall 1985), COO of The Fountain of

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CHAPTER NEWS

Praise and Justin Hornbuckle (Fall 2017), student at

CEO of the McDonald’s Corporation and Purdue

Purdue University. Reverend Anthony Caudle (Fall 1985)

University Trustee; Eugene Johnson (Fall 1999),

provided an inspirational invocation and led a very

Assistant Commissioner for the Indiana Commission

poignant Omega Tribute for deceased Gamma Rho

for Higher Education; Frankie Long (Fall 2010), Lead

Brothers. Sam Wilson (Spring 1977), former Eastern

Compensation Consultant for Nike and Kirt Matthews

Regional Vice President gave a very spirited Occasion

(Spring 2017), Accounting Student at Purdue University.

with great reflections of college days at Purdue. The

The panel presented a myriad of life experiences all

Chapter President, Ali Abdul-Ghani (Fall 2015) then

with a consistent theme of how Gamma Rho Chapter

stirred the crowd as he provided the current status of

was influential in their early leadership development.

the chapter that included being named 2017 District Chapter of the Year. The momentum continued as

Despite an often hostile racial environment at Purdue

David Rankine “Jersey” (Fall 2010) delivered a powerful

University, the chapter has sustained a rich tradition

and moving oration in honor of Belford V. Lawson.

of brotherhood, academic excellence and leadership

Jersey moved the crowd to tears as he recalled

development, while providing service and advocacy

the alumni’s moral and financial support during his

for the Purdue community. Brothers from the chapter

rehabilitation from a life threatening auto accident

led the formation of Black Greek Council (precursor

while an undergraduate student. CJ Parker (Spring

of the National Pan-Hellenic Council) and Black

2017) concluded the first half of the program with a

Student Union at Purdue. In response to a cross

recital of The House of Alpha.

burning on the lawn of the Alpha House in the late 70s, the Brothers of Gamma Rho started a program

The distinguished alumni of Gamma Rho Chapter are

known as “Ebony & Ivory Weekend” to address

represented as executives and leaders in corporate,

the blatant racism that minority students faced at

education, government and non-profit sectors. After

Purdue. This program still exists and culminated

the dinner, Darryl Farrow (Spring 1983), the Director

the events for the 70th Anniversary Celebration

of Global Diversity and Inclusion at The Boeing

Weekend as the undergrads produced a successful

Company assembled a star studded panel of influential

Diversity Step Challenge.

Gamma Rho Alumni to share the chapter’s influence on their lives and careers. The panel included: Pierce

Gamma Rho Chapter remains committed to

Michael Gibbs (Fall 1976), Software Assurance Lead

continue the rich tradition of community uplift and

for The Boeing Company; Don Thompson, (Spring

empowerment, as we live true to the Alpha motto: First

1983), Owner of Don Thompson & Associates, former

of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All. S

BETA TAU LAMBDA SALUTES ‘LIVING LEGENDS’ On Friday, June 22nd, 2018, the Beta Tau Lambda

The brothers of Beta Tau Lambda in partnership with

Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. hosted

the TCCD staff worked diligently to ensure that all

the 25th Annual Dr. Marion J. Brooks Living Legend

logistics were in order, each guest was greeted with

Awards at Tarrant County Community District

a smile, and that everyone had a great time. Entering

(TCCD) in Fort Worth, Texas. This event honored four

the venue, guests were met with the “gold carpet”

distinguished individuals who have made strides to

treatment as easels displayed the night’s honorees.

positively impact the Fort Worth community in their

Prior to the start of the program, there was a cocktail

respective fields of law, civic service, medicine, and

hour in which h’orderves were served while the Ahyonz

spiritual enrichment.

band played inspiring music in the background.

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CHAPTER NEWS

L to R: Brother Glen Harmon, Brother Jay Corzine, Dr. Dwight Ruddock, Mrs Deralyn Davis, Mrs. Mattie Compton, Esq, Pastor Ralph Emerson, Brother Sean Madison, Ph.D, Brother Darron Turner, Ed.D

The program began with a brief invocation from

Deralyn Davis was presented her award by Pamela

Brother Rev. Russell Livingston and was followed

Harmon for her work in civic service and willingness to

by a musical selection from Colton Blake, who sang

serve the Greater Fort Worth community. Dr. Dwight

‘Lift Every Voice and Sing.’ Brother Jay Corzine,

Ruddock of Ruddock Dwight, DDS was presented

Chapter Vice President, provided a warm welcome,

his award by his wife, Nada Ruddock, for his work

while Chapter President Glen Harmon addressed the

in the field of medicine as a Dentist. Pastor Ralph

audience on behalf of the Beta Tau Lambda chapter.

W. Emerson, Senior Pastor of Rising Star Baptist

The emcee for the evening, Brother Frank Wilson, Jr.,

Church was presented his award by his daughter,

recognized elected officials and dignitaries, as well as

Deidra Emerson, for his spiritual enrichment, as he

past honorees. As part of this year’s Living Legends

has touched and inspired many individuals in the

program, the Beta Tau Lambda chapter presented the

community.

inaugural Dr. Marion J. Brooks “Legends in the Making Awards.” This award recognizes emerging leaders in

To conclude the evening, Tarrant County National

the Fort Worth community who are making an impact

Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) President, Dr. Tara

within the city. This year’s award recipients were Ms.

Reed presented the 2018 Educational Awards, which

Devan Allen, Mr. Jeremiah Anderson, Dr. Kelley Mills,

included the Ashanti Monique Memorial Scholarship;

and Mr. Dante Williams. A leadership discussion was

the Alpha Pi Sigma Alumnae Scholarship; the Dennis

facilitated among the awardees by Mr. Alpha Beautillion

C. Kahn Book Scholarship; and the Tarrant County

- 2018, Michael Matthew.

NPHC Scholarship. The final award of the night was the Texas Association Black Professions in Higher

Following the leadership discussion, the 2018 Dr.

Education (TABPHE) Award, presented by Brother Dr.

Marion J. Brooks Living Legends Awards were

Wafeeq Sabir. Beta Tau Lambda Chapter President,

presented. Mattie Compton, Esq., Assistant U.S.

Glen Harmon, provided closing remarks and thanked all

Attorney, was presented her award by Valerie Baston

parties involved in making the 25th Annual Dr. Marion J.

for her continuous hard work in the field of law.

Brooks Living Legends Awards a success. S

76

THE SPHINX

OMEGA CHAPTER

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Mourns the death of Atlanta City Councilman Brother Ivory Lee Young, Jr. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. mourns the death of our brother, Atlanta City Councilman Ivory Lee Young, Jr. who transitioned to Omega Chapter, Friday, Nov. 16. Brother Young had been on leave undergoing a stem-cell transplant since early September.

The 56-year-old Brother Young, who served on Atlanta City Council since January 2002, represented Atlanta’s District Three, which includes several neighborhoods on the westside such as English Avenue, Washington Park and Vine City.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms offered her condolences in a statement: “Derek and I offer heartfelt condolences to the entire Young family. His love of God, family, and community was evident in his word and deeds. I was privileged to call ivory a colleague and friend and am eternally grateful for his love and devotion to our city.”

Said Council President Felicia A. Moore: “Councilman Young fought as hard for his constituents as he did for his own life, during a long battle against cancer. May he be remembered for the measurable accomplishments he made on behalf of citizens in Southwest Atlanta and most of all, for his indomitable human spirit.”

Within his district and elsewhere, Brother Young was credited for several economic and revitalization projects, including helping to oversee the completion of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the successful “Westside Revive” program, the redevelopment of the Martin Luther king, Jr. corridor, completion of the Historic Westside Village project as well as was working to fully fund the city’s police and fire operations.

knock warrant, Brother Young was instrumental in healing the city, according to published reports. He also supported the creation of the Atlanta Citizens Review Board and helped abolish the Disorderly Conduct 6 statute.

Brother Young, who previously chaired the Atlanta City Council’s Zoning committee, served on the Utilities and Community Development/Human Services committees as well as the Committee on Council.

He received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Hampton University, where he also played trumpet on ‘The Marching Force’ and was a 1982 initiate of the Gamma Iota chapter of the fraternity. Years later, he was amember of the Eta Lambda chapter. Aside from his Fraternity membership, he was a member of the national Organization of minority Architects (NOMA), and former vice-president of its Atlanta chapter.

Throughout his service, Brother Young remained committed to his community.

Funeral services have yet to be announced.

After Atlanta police shot and killed 92-year-old Kathryn Johnston during the execution of a no-

(Compiled from published reports.)

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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.

John H. Adams Alumni Alpha Omicron General Organization Omega: 1/10/18

William J. Day, Jr. Life Delta Eta Nu Mu Lambda Omega: 7/6/18

Robert C. Gordon Life Gamma Pi Delta Zeta Lambda Omega: 3/8/18

Mr. Kenneth W. Johnson, III Alumni Beta Gamma General Organization Omega: 2/27/18

LeRoy C. Boyd, Jr. Life Theta Rho Lambda Alpha Phi Lambda Omega: 9/22/18

Ronald V. Dellums Alumni Delta Omicron Gamma Phi Lambda Omega: 7/29/18

Michael D. Grant Alumni Gamma Pi General Organization Omega: 9/30/18

John B. Johnson Alumni Delta Alpha Lambda Delta Alpha Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Joe E. Brown Life Alpha Psi Lambda General Organization Omega: 1/7/18

Mr. John R. Diamond, Jr. Life Alpha Upsilon Iota Rho Lambda Omega: 3/16/18

Mr. Horace E. Green Alumni Delta Theta Lambda Delta Theta Lambda Omega: 8/21/18

Scott T. Johnson Alumni Beta Sigma Alpha Upsilon Lambda Omega: 6/18/18

Mark A. Bussey Alumni Xi Chi General Organization Omega: 8/6/18

Dr. Gregory A. Diggs Alumni Beta Omicron Delta Psi Lambda Omega: 2/25/18

Mr. Larry V. Green Life Eta Mu Alpha Eta Lambda Omega: 3/6/18

Mr. Ivory W. Jones Alumni Alpha Eta Lambda Beta Lambda Omega: 9/13/18

Alfonza Butts Life Beta Omicron Delta Alpha Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Dr. Joseph T. Durham Alumni Beta Iota Lambda Delta Lambda Omega: 6/26/18

Lonnie B. Hall Alumni Eta Mu Lambda Eta Mu Lambda Omega: 1/8/18

Keith, Herman A. Life Gamma Gamma Lambda General Organization Omega: 9/26/18

Samuel J. Butts Life Theta Rho Lambda Theta Rho Lambda Omega: 1/5/18

Walter Elias, Jr. Alumni Nu Lambda Nu Lambda Omega: 8/14/18

Sam A. Hannibal Alumni Delta Phi Alpha Xi Lambda Omega: 2/22/18

Leonard Leath Life Gamma Chi Lambda Gamma Chi Lambda Omega: 6/8/18

Johnie Carlisle, Jr. Life Xi Iota Lambda Xi Iota Lambda Omega: 1/18/18

Cleadus W. Ferguson Alumni Delta Alpha Xi Gamma Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

William Harkless, Jr. Life Delta Phi Alpha Epsilon Lambda Omega: 5/26/18

Alexton O. Mallory Life Alpha Eta Lambda Alpha Eta Lambda Omega: 4/30/18

Mr. Larry Charles, Sr. Life Epsilon Upsilon Beta Sigma Lambda Omega: 1/27/18

Erman C. Fisher Life Alpha Upsilon Delta Tau Lambda Omega: 1/5/18

Ervin K. Hollman Life Beta Omicron Mu Lambda Omega: 9/17/18

Mr. Melvin Mason Alumni Eta Alpha Lambda Eta Alpha Lambda Omega: 9/27/18

Phillip Clemons, II Alumni Alpha Psi General Organization Omega: 5/5/18

Langston D. Gillum Life Alpha Eta Lambda Alpha Eta Lambda Omega: 4/23/18

Bradie O. Hopper Alumni Delta Tau Lambda Delta Tau Lambda Omega: 6/5/18

Dr. Samuel B. McKinney Life Alpha Rho General Organization Omega: 4/7/18

George E. Collier Alumni Delta Gamma Delta Theta Lambda Omega: 1/23/18

Morris T. Goddard Alumni Alpha Delta Lambda Omega: 3/13/18

Leon E. Hurd, Jr. Alumni Xi General Organization Omega: 3/23/18

Homer W. Minus Life Gamma Sigma Zeta Rho Lambda Omega: 9/28/18

78

THE SPHINX

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.

Edward E. Mitchell Life Beta Pi Beta Sigma Lambda Omega: 5/23/18

J. W. Poole Life Alpha Alpha Delta Gamma Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Mickey Thomas Life Epsilon Alpha Alpha Xi Lambda Omega: 3/16/18

Mr. Tracy E. Williams Alumni Delta Beta Alpha Chi Lambda Omega: 6/3/18

Wonzell Mobley Alumni Beta Nu Zeta Pi Lambda Omega: 5/27/18

Ronald M. Reynolds Alumni Alpha Psi Beta Zeta Lambda Omega: 5/24/18

Mr. Orlanda D. Thomas Life Iota Nu Omicron Lambda Omega: 8/23/18

Mr. Martin L. Williams, Sr. Life Delta Alpha Iota Eta Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

James E. Morris Life Xi Delta Gamma Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Patrick Robinson Alumni Eta Lambda General Organization Omega: 2/21/18

Herbert J. Thompson Life Beta Chi Beta Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Jesse Williamson Alumni Beta Omicron Zeta Rho Lambda Omega: 6/1/18

Brian L. Nixon Alumni Zeta Eta Lambda Zeta Rho Lambda Omega: 5/22/18

Dr. Ernest L. Russell Life Alpha Sigma Delta Tau Lambda Omega: 6/5/18

David Walker Alumni Beta Gamma Lambda Eta Kappa Lambda Omega: 5/4/18

Overtis L. Wilson Life Gamma Delta Alpha Delta Lambda Omega: 6/8/18

Emmett J. O'neal Jr. Alumni Nu Xi Lambda Xi Gamma Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Benjamin Scott, Jr. Alumni Xi Gamma Lambda Xi Gamma Lambda Omega: 1/1/18

Wyatt T. Walker Alumni Gamma Rho Iota Lambda Omega: 1/23/18

Richard L. Woodard Life Delta Lambda Delta Lambda Omega: 2/23/18

Elijah Petty Alumni Theta Tau Lambda Theta Tau Lambda Omega: 8/22/18

Derrick G. Sims Alumni Delta Rho Beta Lambda Omega: 2/11/18

Frederick Waller Life Epsilon Upsilon Lambda Epsilon Upsilon Lambda Omega: 2/11/18

James H. Young Alumni Gamma Alpha Lambda Gamma Alpha Lambda Omega: 1/19/18

Mr. Otto M. Pharr Alumni Nu Phi Lambda Omega: 4/27/18

Robert J. Smith, M.D. Alumni Beta Eta Alpha Delta Lambda Omega: 2/12/18

Mr. Richard L. Ward Life Eta Phi Delta Rho Lambda Omega: 1/7/18

Lawrence S. Young, Jr. Alumni Zeta Pi Omicron Phi Lambda Omega: 10/16/18

Nathaniel Pilate Alumni Iota Beta Lambda Iota Beta Lambda Omega: 9/15/18

Charlie J. Square Life Epsilon Nu Delta Phi Lambda Omega: 8/3/18

Mr. Lloyd R. Westfield Life Rho Sigma Zeta Lambda Omega: 2/20/18

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

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79

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY

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80

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THE SPHINX

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4

Brother,

Are You the missing piece?

THE SPHINX