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AROUND THE REGIONS
JR Reeves
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
EASTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE TOOK PLACE MARCH 31 THROUGH APRIL 3, 2022 IN PHILADELPHIA, PA
REGIONAL DIRECTOR AWARD WINNERS
ELECTED BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR Brother Nigel Coelho, Chi Sigma Chapter
APPOINTED BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR Brother Edmund Hardy, Theta Omicron Sigma Chapter
STATE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR Brother Rodney Wright, Virginia State Director Beta Sigma Chapter
SIGMA MAN OF THE YEAR Brother Dr. Arthur Hill, Zeta Sigma Chapter
BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESS AWARD
ALUMNI - Beta Psi Sigma Chapter COLLEGIATE - Kappa Mu Chapter
EDUCATION AWARD ALUMNI - Kappa Beta Sigma Chapter COLLEGIATE - Mu Delta Chapter
TEACHER OF THE YEAR Brother Ross Hamilton, Nu Sigma Chapter
CONTINUING EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP Brother Thomas Phillips, Jr, Epsilon Sigma Chapter Brother Tonto Corbin, Omicron Xi Sigma Chapter
SOCIAL ACTION AWARD
ALUMNI - Chi Sigma Chapter COLLEGIATE - Gamma Chapter
COLLEGIATE AFFAIRS AWARDS COLLEGIATE CHAPTER OF THE YEAR
Alpha Alpha Alpha Chapter
COLLEGIATE ADVISOR OF THE YEAR Brother Elford Jackson, Zeta Sigma Chapter CHAPTER REPORT AWARDS
ALUMNI - Kappa Beta Sigma Chapter COLLEGIATE - Delta Delta Chapter
OTHER AWARDS
C. MELVIN PATRICK AWARD Brother Dominick M. Thomas, Zeta Delta Sigma Chapter
A. PHILIP RANDOLPH AWARD Brother Stanley Price, Chi Sigma Chapter
WALTER M. CLARK AWARD Brother Teon Frazier, Rho Tau Chapter
HON. DANIEL J. TANN RISK MANAGEMENT AWARD Brother Rodney Wright, Beta Sigma Chapter
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP AWARD MARCH OF DIMES
Beta Psi Sigma Chapter
SIGMA BETA CLUB AWARDS
SIGMA BETA CLUB OF THE YEAR
Kappa Upsilon Sigma Chapter
SIGMA BETA CLUB ADVISOR OF THE YEAR Brother Darryl Curtis, Kappa Sigma Chapter
SERVICE AWARD WINNERS Hon. Brother Sydney Moshette, Jr. Golden 70 Years Brother Frederick Holcomb Golden 65 Years Brother Roscoe Redross, Jr. Golden 50 Years
PROMINENT BROTHER SERVICE AWARDEES Brother Ben Alston, Kappa Beta Sigma Chapter Brother Rogers L. Barnes, Zeta Alpha Sigma Chapter Brother Marcus A. Daly, Omicron Chi Sigma Chapter Brother Todd D. LeBon, Delta Pi Sigma Chapter Brother Jenabu C. Williams, Chi Sigma Chapter
Congratulations to Brother Charles L. Jones for being elected the 32nd Great Lakes Regional Director.
Charles Jones
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
THE GREAT LAKES REGIONAL CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN CHICAGO, IL AT THE HILTON ROSEMONT/CHICAGO O’HARE APRIL 28-30, 2022.
The conference was very well attended by such Sigma dignitaries as Hon. Brother Chris V. Rey, International President, Brother Maxwell McDaniel, International Second Vice President and Hon. Brother Micheal E. Cristal, 35th International President. But it was Brother Avery L. Wells of the Epsilon Theta Chapter of Western Kentucky University, who was one of the meeting’s biggest winners!
Not only was he elected and sworn in as the 2nd Vice Director of the Great Lakes Region, he received the inaugural Sapphire Award for his commitment to service and his accomplishments on campus through Phi Beta Sigma. In addition, the Black Student Alliance named him Man of the Year and the Student Government Association awarded Brother Wells a $250 scholarship. He said, “it was an honor to visit Chicago to convene with my fraternity brothers and learn valuable skills to continue to advance the work of Phi Beta Sigma. To be surrounded by trailblazing men who carry out the work of Phi Beta Sigma is truly a blessing. I’m thankful for their leadership and guidance on my journey of becoming.” CHAPTER AWARDS
COLLEGIATE CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Bronze - Nu Nu Chapter
ALUMNI CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR Sapphire - Omicron Alpha Sigma Chapter Gold - Beta Xi Sigma Chapter Bronze - Rho Chi Sigma Chapter
SAPPHIRE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Brother Dr. Julius W. Dudley,
Sigma Omicron Sigma Chapter
Brother Dr. Lamar R. Hylton,
Delta Rho Sigma Chapter
Brother Earnest R. Jackson,
Rho Eta Sigma Chapter
Brother Timothy A. Johnson,
Eta Alpha Sigma Chapter
Brother Kobee Marion,
Gamma Pi Gamma Chapter
Brother Sterling Massey,
Alpha Rho Sigma Chapter
Brother Donald McGee,
Zeta Nu Sigma Chapter
Brother Tyrese L. Montgomery,
Pi Psi Sigma Chapter
Brother Karl S. Nichols,
Nu Upsilon Sigma Chapter
Brother Jeffrey B. Norman,
Delta Xi Sigma Chapter
Brother Shemarr Rice,
Alpha Beta Mu Chapter
Brother Joseph Tate,
Theta Beta Chapter
Brother Travell D. Weatherby,
Lambda Gamma Chapter
Brother Avery Wells,
Upsilon Theta Chapter
Earl Gamble
REGIONAL DIRECTOR Congratulations to Brother Earl Gamble, elected Gulf Coast Regional Director!
THE GULF COAST REGIONAL AWARDS WERE PRESENTED DURING ITS REGIONAL CONFERENCE WHICH TOOK PLACE APRIL 7-10 AT THE MARRIOTT WESTCHASE HOTEL IN HOUSTON, TX.
HIGHEST COLLEGIATE CHAPTER GPA Theta Chapter, Huston-Tillotson University (3.4 GPA) MILITARY AFFAIRS SIGMA OF THE YEAR Brother Dorallo Fuller, Beta Beta Sigma Chapter
COLLEGIATE ADVISORS OF THE YEAR Brother Felton Greer, Jr., Zeta Xi Sigma Chapter
SIGMA BETA CLUB Brother Mark Adams, Iota Mu Sigma Chapter
OUTSTANDING SIGMA BETA CLUB PROGRAM AWARD Iota Mu Sigma Chapter, Arlington, Texas
OUTSTANDING EDUCATION PROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Theta Chapter, Huston-Tillotson University ALUMNI - Theta Mu Sigma Chapter, Dallas, Texas
OUTSTANDING SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Delta Theta Chapter, Prairie View A&M University ALUMNI - Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter, Baton Rouge, LA
OUTSTANDING BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESS PROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Delta Theta Chapter, Prairie View A&M University ALUMNI - Zeta Xi Sigma Chapter, Ft. Bend County, TX
OUTSTANDING CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARDS Bronze Level I COLLEGIATE - Zeta Zeta Chapter, University of Houston Silver Level II COLLEGIATE - Iota Tau Chapter, Louisiana State University ALUMNI - Theta Theta Sigma Chapter, El Paso, TX Gold Level III COLLEGIATE - Delta Theta Chapter, Prairie View A&M University ALUMNI - Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter, Baton Rouge, LA Diamond Level IV ALUMNI - Theta Delta Sigma Chapter, Killeen/Ft. Hood, TX Founders Level V ALUMNI - Zeta Xi Sigma Chapter, Fort Bend County, TX Sapphire Level VI ALUMNI - Iota Mu Sigma Chapter, Arlington, TX LEWIS “SLIM” ENGRAM SCHOLARSHIP Brother Chadrick Williams, Beta Delta Chapter Brother Christian Broussard, Theta Chapter Marcus Sylvas, Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter
C.Y. THOMAS ADOPT-A-SCHOOL GRANT Theta Mu Sigma Chapter, Dallas, TX Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter, Baton Rouge, LA
REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S AWARDS Brother Brandon Bilton, Sigma Kappa Sigma Chapter Brother Clifford D. McBean, Zeta Xi Sigma Chapter Brother Ramsey Cooper, Eta Rho Sigma Chapter Brother John E. Lewis, Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter Brother Rufus Davison, Theta Beta Sigma Chapter
MEMBERSHIP AWARDS Brother Charles Simpson, Theta Delta Sigma Chapter Brother Torey Page, Iota Mu Sigma Chapter Brother Blake Maness, Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter Brother Felton Greer, Jr., Zeta Xi Sigma Chapter Brother Rufus Davison, Theta Beta Sigma Chapter
Congratulations to Brother Richard L. Boone, elected the 21st Southeastern Regional Director, he hails from Delta Kappa Sigma Chapter in Sumter, South Carolina.
Richard L. Boone
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESS AWARD COLLEGIATE - Rho Beta Chapter ALUMNI - Delta Zeta Sigma Chapter
EDUCATION AWARD COLLEGIATE - Pi Iota Chapter ALUMNI - Phi Sigma Chapter
SOCIAL ACTION AWARD COLLEGIATE - Pi Chapter ALUMNI - Beta Rho Sigma Chapter, Charlotte, NC
CHAPTER OF THE YEAR AWARDS Bronze COLLEGIATE - Alpha Epsilon Chapter
ALUMNI - Phi Sigma Chapter Silver ALUMNI - Eta Theta Sigma Chapter Gold ALUMNI - Gamma Beta Sigma Chapter Diamond ALUMNI - Zeta Beta Sigma Chapter Founders ALUMNI - Beta Chi Sigma Chapter
COLLEGIATE BROTHER OF THE YEAR Brother Kyseem Powell, Alpha Epsilon Chapter ALUMNI BROTHER OF THE YEAR Brother Nakia Montia Harris, Zeta Beta Sigma Chapter COLLEGIATE ADVISOR OF THE YEAR Brother Courtney Royster, Alpha Lambda Sigma Chapter SIGMA LEGENDS AWARD Hon. Brother Dr. Dudley Flood, Eta Sigma Chapter J. NEIL ARMSTRONG AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Brother Dr. Arthur Holmes, Beta Mu Sigma Chapter REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S AWARD Hon. Brother John Milner, Eta Sigma Chapter
SERVICE AWARDS Brother Robert Wares, Golden 50 Years Brother Wendell Hoskins, Golden 50 Years Brother Jimmy L. Coples, Golden 50 Years Brother Isaac Everette, Silver 25 Years Brother Timothy J. Foster, Silver 25 Years
BROTHERHOOD OVER & BEYOND AWARD Brother Darius McLaurin, Eta Sigma Chapter Brother David Scott, Eta Sigma Chapter Brother Arthur Benton, Epsilon Xi Sigma Chapter Brother Kelley Woodley, Beta Rho Sigma Chapter
JAMES T. FLOYD HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES Notable Brother Mark Allmon, Phi Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Richard L. Boone, Delta Kappa Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Willie Conner, Delta Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Courtney Fauntleroy, Delta Zeta Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Tyrone Frasier, Pi Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Pedro Holley, Alpha Upsilon Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Demond Nichols, Zeta Theta Sigma Chapter Notable Brother Kelley S. Woodley, Beta Rho Sigma Chapter
Dr. Errick Farmer
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
The Southern Regional Conference was held April 7-10, 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama and hosted by the Tau Sigma Chapter, which provided all of the local logistics and entertainment for the well-attended conference. The conference ended with two of the chapter’s members being honored by the Southern Region. Brother Quentin Carter took home the Minority Businessman of the Year and Brother Leon Moody was elected the Southern Regional Director of Collegiate Affairs.
Under the leadership of Southern Regional Director, Brother Dr. Errick Farmer, Alabama State Director, Brother Abraham Evans, III, Tau Sigma Chapter President, Brother Keon Jr. and Conference Chair Brother Perren Banks, the Southern Region’s first in-person conference was a huge success!
CHAPTER REPORT AWARDS
COLLEGIATE CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR Bronze Level
Beta Rho Chapter
Silver Level
Alpha Beta Chapter
ALUMNI CHAPTERS OF THE YEAR Bronze Level
Delta Omicron Sigma Chapter
Silver Level
Gamma Pi Sigma Chapter
Gold Level
Tau Sigma Chapter
Diamond Level
Rho Sigma Chapter
Sapphire Level
Xi Chi Sigma Chapter
Platinum Level
Lambda Sigma Chapter
BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESS AWARDS
PIA AWARDS 1ST PLACE COLLEGIATE - Theta Iota Chapter, Mississippi State University ALUMNI - Alpha Alpha Theta Sigma Chapter 2ND PLACE COLLEGIATE - Alpha Beta Chapter, Jackson State University ALUMNI - Omicron Tau Sigma Chapter
REGIONAL DIRECTOR BBB AWARDS 1ST PLACE - Brother Devon Cangé, Georgia State Director 2ND PLACE - Brother Sean Parker, Florida BBB Director
EDUCATION PROGRAM AWARDS Alpha Beta Chapter, Jackson State University Theta Iota Chapter, Mississippi State University Gamma Delta Sigma Chapter, Orlando, Florida Alpha Psi Sigma Chapter, Columbus, Georgia
MARCH FOR BABIES CIRCLE OF CHAMPIONS
Brother Curry Atterberry,
Eta Eta Sigma Chapter
Brother Richard Bradley,
Rho Beta Sigma Chapter
Brother Ruben Grant,
Gamma Delta Sigma Chapter
Brother Antoine Jones,
Nu Psi Sigma Chapter
Brother Frank Nichols,
Delta Upsilon Sigma Chapter
Brother Sean Parker,
Alpha Alpha Theta Sigma Chapter
Brother Donald Prater,
Nu Psi Sigma Chapter
Brother Vernon A. Rayford,
Theta Iota Sigma Chapter
Brother Louis Sutton,
Gamma Epsilon Chapter
Brother Charles Thomas,
Omicron Phi Sigma Chapter
Brother Eddie Williams,
Beta Lambda Sigma Chapter
Brother Julius Wilson,
Nu Psi Sigma Chapter
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD WINNERS
Brother Jeffery Banks Brother Timothy Bridgeman Brother Steve Jean Charles Brother Wellington Ferguson Brother Omar El Hamdani Brother Justin Ikara Brother Donandre Orr Brother Jadon Pauling Brother Jamison Rimmer Brother Sanchez Rolle Brother Gabriel Smallwood Brother Tevin Tillman
OUTSTANDING SIGMA AWARDS
Brother Dr. Dale Burgess Brother Dr. Marcus Chanay Brother Mario Ellis Brother Gerard Sawyer
SOUTHWESTERN REGION
Congratulations to Brother Brandon Hill, elected the 23rd Southwestern Regional Director.
Brandon Hill
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
THE SOUTHWESTERN REGIONAL AWARDS WERE PRESENTED DURING THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE HELD IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
ARGEL OATIS SIGMA MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brother Joseph Wilson
CHARLES I. BROWN SIGMA MAN OF THE AWARD
Brother Joseph Wilson
DANIEL MCDANIELS EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brother Ian Boyd
HON. BROTHER JOHN R. LEWIS GOOD TROUBLE AWARDS
Brother Cecil McDonald
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER EDUCATION AWARD
Brother Daryl Anderson, Jr.
THE JOHN T. THORNTON BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESS MEMORIAL AWARD
Brother Thaddeus Turner
COLLEGIATE WITH THE HIGHEST GPA
Brother Teshaun Anderson, Jr.
COLLEGIATE CHAPTER WITH HIGHEST GPA
Phi Chapter 3.26
(Philander Smith College) OUTSTANDING CHAPTERS Bronze Level COLLEGIATE - Kappa Omicron, Tennessee ALUMNI - Nu Theta Sigma, Missouri Gold Level COLLEGIATE - Theta Alpha, Arkansas ALUMNI - Delta Beta Sigma, Oklahoma Silver Level COLLEGIATE - Alpha Gamma Alpha, Tennessee ALUMNI - Lambda Gamma Sigma, Arkansas Diamond Level COLLEGIATE - Alpha Beta Delta, Tennessee ALUMNI - Theta Chi Sigma, Oklahoma Sapphire Level COLLEGIATE - Delta Nu, Tennessee ALUMNI - Alpha Delta Sigma, Missouri Platinum Level ALUMNI - Eta Beta Sigma, Tennessee Founders Level ALUMNI - Tau Iota Sigma, Tennessee
Sidney Jackson
REGIONAL DIRECTOR Congratulations to Brother Sidney Jackson on his election as the 35th Western Regional Director.
THE WESTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE TOOK PLACE MAY 26-29, 2022 AT THE BEST WESTERN PLUS HACIENDA OLD TOWN IN SAN DIEGO, CA
SIGMAS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
HON. BROTHER JEFFERY WHITMORE ALUMNI BROTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD Brother Dr. Stephen Rice, Phi Beta Sigma Chapter HON. BROTHER JEFFREY SNEED COLLEGIATE BROTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD Brother Victor Mikulin, Alpha Alpha Epsilon Chapter AREA & STATE DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD Brother Kijan Edwards, Alpha Epsilon Sigma Chapter HON. BROTHER ANTHONY SAMAD ELECTED BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR Brother Sidney Jackson, Jr., Phi Beta Sigma Chapter HON. BROTHER RONALD CARTER APPOINTED BOARD MEMBER OF THE YEAR Brother Agha Ali Khan, Kappa Delta Sigma Chapter ALUMNI - Theta Mu Sigma Chapter, Dallas, Texas
CHAPTER AWARDS
Level I Alumni Chapter of the Year
Phi Beta Sigma Chapter
Level II Alumni Chapter of the Year
Sigma Zeta Sigma Chapter
Level III Alumni Chapter of the Year
Eta Nu Sigma Chapter
Level II Most Improved Alumni Chapter
Theta Alpha Sigma Chapter
Level III Most Improved Alumni Chapter
Theta Lambda Sigma Chapter
CHAPTER AWARDS
BROTHER LINDSAY HUGHES BIGGER & BETTER BUSINESSPROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Lambda Iota Chapter ALUMNI - Sigma Zeta Sigma Chapter BROTHER DR. WILLIAM RILEY EDUCATION PROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Omicron Eta Chapter ALUMNI - Sigma Zeta Sigma Chapter BROTHER HUEY P. NEWTON SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAM AWARD COLLEGIATE - Kappa Lambda Chapter ALUMNI - Sigma Zeta Sigma Chapter
OTHER AWARDS
COLLEGIATE BROTHER WITH THE HIGHEST GPA Brother Nathan Seyoum, Omicron Eta Chapter (4.0) SIGMA BETA CLUB OF THE YEAR
Kappa Delta Sigma Chapter
COLLEGIATE ADVISORY TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
Alpha Alpha Epsilon Sigma Chapter
CONFERENCE PLANNING AWARD Brother Amari Jackson, Lambda Iota Chapter Brother Chris Manigault, Theta Alpha Sigma Chapter Brother Raul Randle, Omicron Iota Sigma Chapter Brother Cecil Shelton, Lambda Iota Sigma Chapter Brother Greg Watkins, Lambda Iota Sigma Chapter HONORABLE BROTHER WILLIAM PERRY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE SOCIETY Brother Dr. Michael Baslee, Phi Beta Sigma Chapter Brother Dr. Stephen Rice, Phi Beta Sigma Chapter Brother Timothy Harris, Alpha Alpha Epsilon Sigma Chapter Brother Colin Taylor, Phi Beta Sigma Chapter
Hon. Bill Stanley served as the 28th International President. Bill had a commitment to corporate relationships working with Clorox. We continued that piece and expanded on what we already started when I was with Ryder and getting more corporations to want to give to us. But I knew that we had to have something to sell. We just couldn’t go to corporate America and say, hey, give me some money. I had to be able to tell them about our growth, about our programs, about what was going on with the benefits they were going to receive from working with Phi Beta Sigma.
TC: AS WE’RE CELEBRATING PHI BETA SIGMA’S RICH LEGACY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR LEGACY IN THE ORGANIZATION?
CW: I hope that brothers, who looked at Carter Devon Womack -- I will give the readers and listeners my middle name -- and I tell people my father named me; and my sister wanted to name me Lorenzo Womack. My dad said, no, this is the last one. He named me Carter Devon Womack. I tell people when they refer to me, I’m not Carter Womack, I’m Carter D. Womack. But for my legacy, I want to be is a brother that was committed to each and every brother in the organization. That I was not afraid to address tough issues such as AIDS and HIV in the community and among our brothers. We were the first organization, the only national organization to put on the cover of the magazine, a story about AIDS and HIV. We did a story about a brother who was a collegiate member, my National Second Vice President, who was struggling with AIDS, and he was courageous and agreed to allow us to tell his story so that other brothers were aware of AIDS and to do everything to protect themselves and others. And what I want brothers to take from my legacy is that I went through this struggle of being in the closet, trying to figure out me, how to address the real me to my family, friends -- afraid that my GOD would reject me. I had seen how people treated openly gay men and heard how Sigma whispers about Brothers who were, or who they thought were gay. I had to stop, look myself in my mirror, prayed to my GOD and said let my GOOD WORKS, in Church, Sigma, Corporate America, City Hall as a City Councilman, in dealing with all types of people SPEAK for ME and who Carter D. Womack truly is. I had to move pass being chastised by brothers who tried to keep me from evolving to leadership in the organization. I am who I am, but I do and will always be respectful of the legacy and dignity of our Most Honorable Founders and all those men who came after them. I charge each brother to always, always do the same! It is OK to be in this organization and be who you are and celebrate and develop the future of this fraternity. I want Brothers to remember that we are one organization charged with making a change. I want them to remember the work that we did with the Sigma Beta Club, the theme “The Next Generation of Leaders Accepting Responsibility and Loving the Challenge” was created by Carter D. Womack and expanded in this organization. Our brothers remember that G.O.M.A.B. was Carter D. Womack’s message that we were a generation. bop-bop-bopbop-bop. I want us to always remember those things as legacies.
And that my commitment to the brothers has nothing to do with me. I want them to always know that they are phenomenal, that they are great, and they should never settle for less than the best in this organization. They got this from a brother who’s from Greenville, Alabama…never thought that he would be international president. I didn’t know anything about fraternities when I went to Alabama A&M University, but because of Honorable Brother Douglas Fales, who came to me from my hometown and said, you ought to be Phi Beta Sigma, I did. I want us to remember the names of the brothers that helped me: Honorable Brothers; Past President Charles B. Wright, Cliff Felton, Thomas Wright, Ron Carter, Past President Alvin J. McNeil, Jesse T. Williams and other brothers who helped along this journey; Ken White, Stephen McDaniel, Dr. Lawrence E. Miller, Gerald Diggs, Joe Copeland, Steve Ballard, Charles Talbert, Marco W. McMillian… oh, the list goes on and on…who gave me encouragement and my inner strength to continue when some brothers tried their best to cut me down, put me away! Yet, I rise because some of the older brothers who said to me that you would never, ever be president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. So, when I got my first pin, I went to them and said, I’m in, and they embraced me. I will always remember Honorable President Roswell O. Sutton who said that to me, who campaigned against me vehemently, that I should never be president. But when I got elected president, past president Sutton was the first brother who came and shook my hand and stood before the brotherhood at the Conclave in Washington, DC and said, this is our international president, and I will be with him until the end. I called on Brother Sutton, and he chaired my Capital Campaign, The Giving Club and spoke on behalf of me. So that’s what I want brothers to remember: this victory. We might disagree, but at the end of the day, we are obligated to be Phi Beta Sigma men committed to our oath of membership for which we all took. My legacy is you and all these brothers that will read interview and hear this video; that will come up to me and say, Brother Womack, you got two numbers, why? I say it was God’s decision, not mine. I had the opportunity to serve as the 27th and 29th International President of our global Brotherhood and I will forever be THANKFUL!
To have recorded and searchable history is very important in paying homage to our forebears and their contributions, and in documenting and preserving the reputation of our Fraternity. In our administration, we made progress in this area. We had not before had an established collection, a museum or a concerted effort to document the history other than in periodic updates to the Fraternity history books. Our Headquarters was the prime depositary of records. We did not have a curator of the artifacts. Several brothers, very much on their own initiative and inspiration took on that work. Foremost among them was Brother Mark Pacich, better known as Mallet. He had just come into the fraternity in ‘91, but by ‘95 he was really hard at work trying to find these artifacts and to document them. Worthy of mention as well, is former Executive Director, Brother Gerald Smith and Brother Dr. Kevin Christian. Brother Todd LeBon joined in also, and these and others made a pilgrimage to Kansas State University, the institution where Founder Charles I. Brown located after graduation Howard University. That university, to our pleasant surprise was most welcoming. They hosted quite a symposium with respect to the contributions of the men of Sigma who matriculated there and their professional pursuits. Sigma Brothers and their activities were documented in the University’s yearbooks. The University again rolled out the “blue” carpet during the pre-Centennial events in Kansas, when we journeyed back, tracing our Founder’s steps. We were hosted warmly by the University officials and provided copies of the earlier symposium on Sigma. As to Sigma’s museum, and the collection amassed by Bro. Pacich, the display of that museum was also held at the Headquarters during the Centennial, and a travel exhibition was provided at prior Conclaves. Talking history, naturally brings us to the Centennial, the one main event which caused us to look inward and look backward with pride; and that event my Brothers is history! I must say my experience and the opportunity to contribute to the fraternity as President is matched only by my service as Co-Chair of the Centennial. That gave me the responsibility to really study and establish some historical artifacts. As an example, with the assistance of Brother Harold Collins, City Councilman in Memphis, we gained approval from the Shelby County Historic Commission and the City of Memphis to erect and formally unveil a two-sided historical marker on Beale Street, where Founder A. Langston Taylor conceived of Phi Beta Sigma. We also put in place on the campus of Howard University that remarkable Centennial Memorial Monument, which was the highlight of the Centennial. This was a labor of love and challenge that I personally worked with the university, the fabricator and construction company to make happen. I had the privilege of marshaling selection of the location, providing the elements for the design and personally composing the inscriptions on the monument at Howard and the historical marker in Memphis. And we were fortunate to have a good Brother Ranier Keith, Sr. create original sketched images of the Founders. Those are unique images you’ll find only on that monument. More importantly, the names of Brothers inscribed thereon provides a searchable history of the body of men who built our beloved Fraternity and a tribute to our dear Zeta sisters. Those are some historical pieces that were put in place, and that was started with the effort to document our history back under my administration.
TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSORS, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE STANLEY OR WOMACK ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE ADAMS ADMINISTRATION? PA: Well, quite frankly, I might be the only President who had the experience and opportunity to serve as First Vice President alongside two eventual Presidents, Stanley and Womack. Since I served as Vice President, I was involved in many key activities of their administrations. The Million Man March happened with President Stanley who with the General Board approved the use of our national office as Headquarters for the March. The introduction of the New Membership Intake process was approved by the Conclave as I assumed the office of Vice President and I chaired the committee that constructed the Manual and timelines and I created the Hold Harmless documents to be utilized. We put in place what the Conclave mandated. When you talk about legacy, I do not think about lone actors, I remember my experience as a track athlete. The Legacy of Leaders is more akin to a relay race. Each president runs but one leg. I see it as really taking the baton from the previous president and continuing the race set by the Founders. So, the legacy really doesn’t start with the immediate past president. It starts with the Founders and what they placed before us as the mission of Phi Beta Sigma. Interestingly, I have now been a Sigma for half of the Fraternity’s 108 years. I was initiated in 1968, 54 years after the Founding, and 54 years later in 2022, here is where we are. From my view, I don’t know whether you can say that tomorrow is more important than yesterday, or that yesterday is more important than tomorrow. I believe they’re equally important. What’s also important is what we will do today to carry on the legacy of the Founders. I think that knowing the Men of Sigma as I do, Sigma is in good hands. It’s not what my administration did—what other administrations did. It’s what we collectively have done. I was president of the Distinguished Service Chapter. I would say to the brothers assembled at those inductions that while we gather to celebrate these men who were singled out to be recognized, it’s not as though there aren’t countless unsung brothers who have given so much to this fraternity and they are all celebrated and appreciated. We’ve had the privilege as presidents to lead, but it’s really the work invested by the brothers that has produced the results. What I remember and value most is, coming into Sigma, I brought to bear my professional experiences as an attorney, a litigator. I wanted to make sure that the
risks associated with operating a fraternity were well protected. As Regional Director, I believe I introduced the first Regional Legal Counsel position in the country, now utilized in all regions. I brought on board good insurance and contained the rates. I developed a Joint Statement Against Hazing for the Council of Presidents signed by the Divine Nine leaders.
I sought to strengthen benefits and resources by introducing the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union. I did so by establishing the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation to serve us for the last 20 years, which enabled our efforts to attract funds for Conclaves, the Centennial, natural disaster relief, etc and be generally available to the fraternity. I was privileged to serve as Centennial Co-Chair with Presidents Bill Stanley and Carter Womack, named by then President Griffin. This was a unique opportunity for Nos. 27, 28, 29 and 30 Presidents to celebrate the accomplishments of all Sigma men, in planning the activities of the five-year Countdown and grand Centennial! Both Presidents Womack and Stanley were very involved with the National Pan-Hellenic Council and Zeta Phi Beta and it was important for us to continually foster those relationships. As Presidents, each of us served admirably with and was supportive of our Zeta counterpart. I pay special recog nition and offer a note of gratitude for the cooperation of the very gracious Grand Basileus Dr. Barbara Carpenter during my terms. So, in celebrating the Legacy of Leaders, it’s not what I was able to continue from the immediate past presidents who I do appreciate, it’s how I, hopefully, successfully engaged and supported other Brothers in delivering service to the community. I’m pleased I had the opportunity to serve the fraternity. As Past President Demetrius Newton would say, I have “toiled in the Vineyard of Sigma”; and I will continue as long as the good Lord gives me breath. Amen!
A LEGACY OF LEADERS: HONORABLE ARTHUR R. THOMAS, ESQ. CONTINUED
TC: AS WE WERE FOCUSING, OF COURSE, ON OUR LEGACY FOR THE ORGANIZATION, YOU’VE HAD SOME CRITICAL IMPACT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SIGMA BETA CLUB FOUNDATION AND MISS PHI BETA SIGMA PAGEANT. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PRESIDENT THOMAS IS YOUR LEGACY?
AT: I would say my greatest legacy is The Sigma Beta Club Foundation and in our commitment to mentorship followed by the establishment of Miss Phi Beta Sigma Pageant. It began with my offering of a Constitutional Amendment to create and establish Sigma Beta Clubs involving mentorship of young boys, primarily of African American descent, but not exclusively, to be managed at the Alumni levels, under the umbrella of a National Sigma Beta Club Foundation. That is indicative of who I am and the experience of mentorship that I had growing up in this little town called Ville Platte. So, the Sigma Beta Club was only one conduit we considered during my administration, coupled with ideas, goals and objectives in sustaining and increasing membership growth in our organization. When we begin to take young boys/men at an age of eight years old and we mentor them throughout the period of their youth, there is no doubt in my mind that those kids are going to become Sigma Men and very productive citizens. But more importantly, I strongly believed then, as I do today, that our Sigma Beta Club members, through mentorship Sigma Beta Club Coordinators Advisors provide, are going to be prepared for life in terms of their educational development, community service, and leadership skills. So, The Sigma Beta Club Foundation provided that opportunity for us to do just that by preparing our young boys/men through Sigma Beta Clubs to be ready for that challenge they were going to face in the future. Despite this achievement, I believe there were two other areas that I really wanted to focus on during my administration: 1) to ensure growth and sustainability within our membership, particularly at the collegiate level, and 2) the Miss Phi Beta Sigma Pageant coupled with a National Step Show Competition at the Collegiate levels during our State, Region and National Meetings and Conclave. The significance of these two activities reminded me of the experiences I engaged in as a college student, inclusive of academic standards, which I believe influenced me to join the brotherhood of Phi Beta Sigma. But to build up your organization, you also needed the support of those individuals on those campuses and a Miss Phi Beta Sigma Pageantry was something that actually brought people together, especially our young folks. And when you have that type of support on a college campus, you end up having the individuals that you want to be a part of the organization to support you in the future. So, I know that the pageantry was something that brought it about. I know Brother Floyd instituted pageantry during his administration. And when I looked at the past and saw that we did not follow through with such an activity, I really believed that pageants on our college campus would be that spark for our collegiate members and chapters. And it did, and the results were the increase in membership at the collegiate levels, in addition to other chapter related activities Our collegiate members were also able to network more often with females and other individuals on those campuses, which I believe provided incentives in building morale within the brotherhood and securing the support of Phi Beta Sigma members at the Chapter, State, Region and National levels.
TC: SIGMA WELLNESS PROJECT CHANGED THE BRAND AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE FRATERNITY’S SOCIAL ACTION PROGRAMS. HOW HAS THE FRATERNITY AND COMMUNITY BENEFITTED FROM THE OVERHAUL?
PG: Our three national programs are outstanding. Bigger and Better Business, Education and Social Action covers, just about any community service that we want to engage. For our Social Action initiatives, I am confident that the Sigma Wellness brand will continue to have positive impact on the fraternity and in among those we serve and partner. It’s been my experience that when something works well, you keep doing it. As the time passes, everything must be adjusted because things change. We adjust things every once and while and keep them updated as we continue to learn and grow. I would say the fraternity and the community benefits because it allows us to brand our service and we know brands are marketable. Cities, corporations, and foundations looking to find partners or to fund specific initiatives will see us as a viable entity. Sigma Wellness is a brand that can be promoted with ease of understanding.
TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE THOMAS ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE GRIFFIN ADMINISTRATION?
PG: The Sigma Beta Club was started by our 20th International President, the Honorable Brother Parlette L. Moore in 1950, but it was our 31st International President, Brother Arthur Thomas who added a dimension to the Sigma Beta Club that really expanded its reach in the fraternity and in the community. He established and incorporated The Sigma Beta Club Foundation. During my administration, we continued to place emphasis on the momentum during his administration. We wanted to strengthen our service to black youth, so we strongly focused on Sigma Beta Club support. During each regional conference cycle, we continued to urge chapters to continue to add more Sigma Beta Club members and to start Sigma Beta Club if a chapter didn’t have one. We urged Regional Directors to meet with chapters about the work of Sigma Beta Clubs. Working with our Black youth always remained a high priority for my administration and Phi Beta Sigma has been leading that charge for 72 years and counting. You can ask any Sigma Brother who has 20 years or more of being financially active; and I believe many, if not all, would agree with me that President Thomas and the Sigma Beta Club Foundation are like hand and glove.
I wanted to see the advancement of the Sigma Beta Club after my time as President and proposed ideas to raise funds. I created a constitutional amendment that was approved by the foundation and the General Board. The amendment was to designate a specific dollar amount from each brother annually to support the foundation. It was submitted to for the 2013 Conclave in Philadelphia to enhance their funding.
Additionally, I approached our 33rd International President, Hon. Jimmy Hammock with an idea of having a foundation fundraiser during Conclave— during the mealtime slot that previously was designated as “On Your Own.” President Hammock was so gracious and gave the Sigma Beta Club Foundation approval to use that time slot to enhance the coiffures of the foundation. I was excited to see this idea implemented. It still is a great idea to raise funds and I’m hopeful future presidents of the fraternity will allow the Sigma Beta Club to be one of its own sources of success – to utilize a slot during the Conclave to raise funds for the foundation.
TC: YOUR ADMINISTRATION WAS PIVOTAL IN ESTABLISHING HIGH-LEVEL AND FUNCTIONING PARTNERSHIPS WITH CORPORATIONS, NATIONAL NON-PROFITS, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS. WHICH PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES CHANGED THE COURSE OF OPERATIONS FOR THE FRATERNITY?
JM: We had to operate that we were not an island unto ourselves. The goal was to involve as many partners in our ongoing efforts as possible – partners that could contribute financially, as thought-leaders, with manpower and influence. Our goal was to involve partners at every level to help us bring our mission to fruition. One I’m most proud of, is strengthening our partnership with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. At that time, Soror Mary Breaux Wright was International Grand Basileus of Zeta Phi Beta. She and I formed an amazing partnership. The funny part, I’ll never forget, they were looking for housing, while renovating their international headquarters. In a meeting with her, I shared that whatever our brothers can do, whether it be financial, space in our office complex, I want you to know that we’re there for you. Soror Wright began to cry and I asked her why was she crying? She said, Brother Mason, you’re the total opposite of what people said you would be. My point is that we’re constitutionally bound as brother and sister. If we’re not going to be there for each other, who’s going to be there for us? That meeting led to so many wonderful events and initiatives that Sigma and Zeta did together. When I was invited to the White House for a reception, I invited Soror Wright to go with me. That was her first trip at the White House and her first time meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. When we celebrated our Centennial, one of the keynote speakers for our January event; the one who I asked to give us our charge was Mary Breaux Wright. Boy, did she give us a charge that we’ll never forget. Soror Wright was at every major event for Phi Beta Sigma and Phi Beta Sigma was at every major event for Zeta Phi Beta during our administrations. We were linked during our Centennial Celebration. They had their Boulé less than a mile from us. And I will never forget, as long as I live, the Rededication Ceremony that we had at their host hotel. It still brings tears to my eyes. Soror Wright and many Zetas were present at our Centennial Monument Unveiling. Financially, when they were renovating their international headquarters, we were one of the first to give a major donation. When they needed housing, they came and stayed with us for nearly a year. That partnership still gives me pride to this day. It was my great joy to continue and expand our partnership with the American Cancer Society. That was program that I founded when I was the International Director of Social Action in memory of Attorney R. Tyrone Key, one of my Sigma mentors who died as a result of cancer in 1996. We were proud to expand our partnership with the March of Dimes and see a higher level of engagement from our chapters. But I was supporting organizations like the National Action Network, organizations that focused on Civil Rights. That really was a priority to me. I truly believe in my heart of hearts, to this very day, that that’s what our organization should be about. We’re an organization of college-educated men, a majority of whom are African American, founded after Reconstruction. The purpose of our organizations was to uplift our communities. When we see a wrong, we need to get involved and try to correct it. So engagement and activities of that nature with organizations that were focused on Civil Rights were very important to me. One of the other great accomplishments of our administration was forming a partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. That was a partnership that allowed us to deliver to our membership jobs, internships and highlight the environment, outdoors as an important part of what is we do as an organization. I was also very proud to expand our partnership with the Sigma Beta Club. I never looked at the SBC as another organization over there, outside of us—it’s ours. I truly enjoyed working with President Arthur Thomas to grow the club and grow our commitment to the club during my administration. During my administration we approved an annual donation to the Sigma Beta Club and covered the cost of the club to have leadership conferences at our Conclave. It was important to me to show our commitment to this youth mentorship organization. Not only are they future members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, they’re future contributors to society. And we needed to be sold out for our Sigma Beta Club.
Outside of non-profits and government agencies, because of my extensive sales background, it was my goal to partner Phi Beta Sigma with major corporations in an effort to bring dollars to the organization. I just believed that we needed to diversify our revenue streams. We were not just looking to start new partnership outside of the fraternity, but we were looking to monetize vendor relationships that were already established. So, if we were spending money with your company, at some point you were going to spend money with us. We started to approach our vendors for sponsorship of our major activities. The Centennial would not have been profitable, had it not been for the several hundred thousands of dollars that were generated. During my administration as president, we generated over a $1 million in cash money. As an organization that is focused on uplifting our communities, we have to, at all times, be presenting our initiatives to those that can support us financially. I was very proud to be able to deliver significant dollars to our organization to move our initiatives forward. TC: PHI BETA SIGMA WITNESSED ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY DURING YOUR ADMINISTRATION. IT IS REVERED AS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS AMONGST THE DIVINE NINE, WITH LINGERING BENEFITS UNSEEN BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. WHAT WAS THE COMBINATION THAT YIELDED SUCH SUCCESS ON A MASSIVE LEVEL?
JM: Wow, the Centennial. Sometimes I say to myself, I wish I could go back and relive it. Because I really did not get a chance to enjoy it – we were working so hard to make sure that our brothers, guests, partners and the community-at-large enjoyed our Centennial. Centennial is a crowning achievement, not for my administration, but for the fraternity. One hundred years of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service. One hundred years of “Culture for Service and Service to Humanity”. One hundred years of celebrating the legacy of our revered Founders. That deserves a celebration of the highest magnitude, like none other than we’ve ever seen – that was my mentality, mindset and goal. When the brothers thought enough of me to elect me as their Centennial President, a month after taking office, we hit the ground running. We had a meeting in DC with all of the local chapters. I knew that the Centennial could not be successful, unless every local chapter in Washington, DC was engaged. We then put together an international steering committee that also worked with the three past presidents who were serving as chairs. Then it was time to systemically to break down every piece of the Centennial—every day. We had a hotel and dates that were already selected and promises of a national simulcast of January events. Now it was our job in August of 2013 to prepare for January and July of 2014. It was our job to fill up all of the days, raise the money to pay for everything and maintain the commitment that was made to our brothers. My thought was very simple: let’s make January successful and July will take care of itself. My goal of the team was to look back over the 100 years and celebrate many of the Civil Rights icons who had paved the way for the African American community, whether they be Sigma, a member of another Divine Nine organization or no affiliation whatsoever. Our goal was to acknowledge those whose shoulders we stood upon with the concept of “Stony the Road, We Trod” as our theme. As I think back over it now, January, for me personally, was probably more fulfilling than anything else we did. Because we brought together many who fought in the movement who had seen each other in years, they included Hank Thomas, family of Hosea Williams, Harry Belafonte, Reverend Al Sharpton, Congressman John Lewis. I’ll never forget, as we started to promote this, one of the members reached out to me and said, what are we having a Civil Rights Banquet? This will never work. Not only did it work, it sold out, not only our DC location, but six other locations around the country. I also wanted to figure out how we could be in more than one place at the same time. We chartered a private jet paid for with the corporate support for Centennial. We flew to the Southern Region and Southeastern Regional Conferences and spent time there, then we were back in DC, in time for our events that evening. Again, doing things in a big way to make brothers proud of being members of Phi Beta Sigma. To put a smile on their faces. January was turned out to be an amazing success for us. July was a larger project to tackle. My goal was to celebrate our Centennial by bringing as many luminaries to acknowledge our 100 years of work and success. When I look back at the list, they include Eddie George, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Slick Rick, Syleena Johnson, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bobby Seals, President Obama sent a video message, and many others. The Unveiling of The Centennial Memorial Monument. When I came into office, the plan was to tax chapter to bring the monument to fruition. I thought there was another way we could it. I thought what would be an incentive from the country to make a pilgrimage to that monument? I thought they’d come to see it, if their name was on it. We put together a plan where brothers could put their name on our 100-year monument that would stand on Howard University’s campus. Though there were doubters, but I just believed. I believed that there would be enough brothers to pay for the monument and enough to yield a profit help us cover the expenses of other parts of our Centennial. Brothers responded. Now, just go and look at the back of all those names of brothers that helped to bring that project to fruition. Not only will those brothers be able to come see the monument, but their children and children’s children. We were told that there were over 12,000 Sigma, Zetas and community members that converged on Howard’s campus for the unveiling. When Brothers go back and look at the totality of their Centennial experience: the unveiling of the monument, the endowment that was given to Howard University, a commemorative 100-Year documentary entitled “What of the Day”, inducted the Civil Rights and Entertainment Icon Harry Belafonte as an Honorary Member, all of the day parties and concerts, involvement of the sitting President of the United States of America and our sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, other elected politicians, corporate leaders and celebrities. They can look at it as a source of pride. If you were a financial member, you received a Centennial Certificate of Membership at your house and a commemorative brick. It was a fantastic experience for me to be president and proud to have assembled a team of volunteers in the local chapter, the board to bring this oncein-a-lifetime event to fruition. This event cost us $2 million dollars and we made a profit. The residual effects: our membership numbers increased and we have not seen a dip in our membership since. I’m proud of our Centennial. What made this Centennial successful? A unified goal and purpose in teamwork.
TC: THE LIST OF HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENTS DURING THE MASON ADMINISTRATION ARE QUITE LENGTHY. WHAT ARE YOUR MOST CHERISHED ACHIEVEMENTS?
JM: I’m thankful that I had an opportunity to serve Phi Beta Sigma as Vice President and President. I have to start with some of the achievements as vice president, because ultimately it served as well during the presidency. We had in the basement of our headquarters hundreds of thousands of archives that were sitting in boxes and lost some of the archives because of flooding. When I became vice president, I asked President Hammock for permission to find a company that would digitize our archives and them make them searchable. So that brothers would be able to pull up charters and historical documents that were relevant to their chapter’s history.
To President Hammock’s credit, he gave me permission to proceed. We found a company led by a Sigma brother. Over a period of a year, we digitized all of our archives. So now when I see brothers posting pictures in groups of Charters from the 50s, 40s and 30s with pride – membership applications of Huey P. Newton, Emmit Smith and famous Sigmas, I always smile; because I know that that came as a result of a lot of work. As vice president, we rewrote our membership and certification process. The foundation of the processes is still being used today. During our time as president, Sigma’s participation in the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, our January Centennial Celebration “Stony the Road, We Trod”, Centennial Celebration of July 2014, these are a great source of pride. The one that really sticks with me was at the end of our administration. Prior to coming into office there were a dedicated group of brothers who had been researching our history and trying to put a period at the end of the question, whatever happened to our Honorable Founder Charles I. Brown? We gave them the funding the support necessary to finish their work. When they finally determined that Founder Brown ended up in Philadelphia, working for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and was buried, we pulled the fraternity together and announced it at the Serious Sigma Summit in Orlando, Florida. We brought the fraternity to Philadelphia to give our Founder a weekend and an Omega Ceremony that he deserved. We placed a marker at his last place of employment and a headstone at his grave, which stands there today. That is a great source of pride for me as President of this organization. Our membership. Get yourself a bar chart and take a 20-year look at our membership numbers. Look at the growth from 2009 to 2017, we’ve never achieved that level and percentage of growth before in the history of our organization. I always said, as president, that those that came after me would be able to take advantage of not just the revenue that comes from membership numbers, but the energy, momentum, level of engagement and partnership that comes when folks know that you’re real and you’re there. All of that has come to fruition. I’m proud of the partnership we formed and endowment we gave to Howard University. We had never given money on that level and scale in our history. I’m of being one of the Founding Partners of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History. Our name is on the wall! We’d never participated in philanthropy at that level. I’m proud of Sigma Cares, created during my administration – the essence of what Phi Beta Sigma is all about – showing our brothers that they are valued members of our organization. BluPrint was vision prior to my term, but created during our term and is being used by the members this very day. The SigmaPAC was white boarded, created, and approved during our administration and is operational and working today. The theme of my administration was “TRANSFORM” and I do believe WE transformed Phi Beta Sigma. Brothers were excited to be a part of this organization. Brothers can back to this organization because the efforts we executed together. They also came back because of our communication. We consistently produced Crescent Magazines to share our message, we also instituted a weekly newsletter to share news of work that chapters were doing all across the country. We started to have international conference calls, where shared information of our efforts and heard from our brothers with questions. We transformed our major events. Our conclaves doubled in size during our administration because we made them more than meetings. We made them events, not just for brothers, but the entire family and communities.
TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE HAMMOCK. ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE MASON ADMINISTRATION?
JM: I served as the vice president for Hon. Brother Jimmy Hammock, 33rd International President. I actually had the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with him as a part of his administration. There were two initiatives that we carried forward into our administration.
President Hammock inherited an organization that was overrun by incidences of hazing. There was truly a culture of hazing in the D9. He charged me to deal with this issue. I pulled a team together and we came up with a solution: we need to embark upon an anti-hazing marketing campaign that would include famous members being a part of this initiative. It would be a multi-platform campaign that would change minds and mentality. We presented it the NPHC Council of Presidents and it was not approved. I went back to President Hammock and said, we needed to do this on our own as an organization. To Hammock’s credit, he said you’re absolutely right—let’s do it. We spent our own money, partnered with Uniworld Group, put the plan, materials and strategy together; and hosted a press conference at the National Press Club, where media from the across the country show up. We announced that Phi Beta Sigma was taking a stand against hazing and that we would not tolerate it any longer. This was a multi-year campaign to end deaths and lawsuits by hazing. We carried that forward into my administration.
President Hammock had a dream to build a technical school in Ghana—to help Ghanians to learn trades that would help them improve their lives. When I came into office, I embraced this initiative and asked Hammock to stay on as a committee member. I’m proud to say that what they broke ground on during Hammock’s administration was completed and became operational during my administration. We funded it and put together a Memorandum of Understanding with the government of Suhum. We went there for the opening of the school. Subsequent to my administration, unfortunately the project was defunded.
By the time we came out of office, I didn’t have to say a Brotherhood of Conscious Men. Brothers could finish the sentence as we had scaled it with sustainable penetration among the members. We put measures in place to champion a value proposition. We formed the Sigma Executive Leadership Council, college-educated professional men serving in senior level positions with the intent of providing internships for brothers as they graduate. Think about our fraternity app we put in place. Brothers had been screaming for that -- this is in 2017 and the fraternity didn’t have an app. Think about our collegians. Yes, we had The Crescent magazine, but we introduced a new magazine that was dedicated to our collegians. We called it The Crescent On the Yard, 100% dedicated to our members and digitally produced; again, connecting with our members was AWESOME The last one I am most proud of as I connect it with the Brotherhood Experience: think back to COVID. In 2021, the fraternity was faced with having to put on a conclave. We had to put on a conclave that was going to be supportive of the climate that we were operating in. As we went through it, we ultimately decided that we were going to put on a hybrid conclave—”One Conclave, Two Experiences” -- meeting brothers where they were. What did that look like, we had a small quantity of brothers that were invited to Myrtle Beach, SC and we offered a virtual experience as well. We got a tremendous amount of pushback from some brothers--very aggressively recruiting for us not to do an in-person Conclave. But leadership is about rising to the occasion and leadership is about responding to the situation. Leadership is about putting measures in place that provides the best outcome you can deliver. We used the science to guide our direction. Ultimately, we had the virtual conclave. We called it “One Conclave, Two Experiences” and it came off not pitch perfect, but pretty darn close. No serious or any kind of health issues. The brothers walked out of Conclave Myrtle Beach, I would say, proudly giving the best endorsement of the experience. And what was that? They said very loudly, the state of Phi Beta Sigma was strong. They also said very loudly, it was a great time to be a Sigma. When you think about elevating the brotherhood and connecting with our members, we thought we did a pretty good job there. But I’ll share, there’s always more work to be done in that space. As an organization, you must always attempt to answer how do we add a value proposition for our members. We built off of some of the things previous presidents had done. We think we put some good new initiatives in place and I think we’re very well positioned to continue that as well.
TC: AS WE CELEBRATE OUR LEGACY OF LEADERS BY BUILDING UPON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR PREDECESSOR, WHAT PROGRAM, INITIATIVE OR FOCUS AREA IMPLEMENTED BY THE MASON ADMINISTRATION DID YOU ADVANCE DURING THE CRISTAL ADMINISTRATION? MC: I was an intimate player in the Mason administration. I was blessed to serve as vice president. When I think about President Mason and his tenure, we did some amazing things. Probably the biggest one I would think just on my connection, we grew membership very aggressively. During the Centennial and post-Centennial, we brought that same level of energy into this administration. But when I think about two key initiatives that President Mason put in place, that we saw a lot of value in. One of them was we had made an investment through President Mason’s leadership to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, where we had committed a half a million dollars to it. We stayed true to it. Not only did we stay true in honoring a Past President’s vision, but we were also able to pay that off three years early, which was something we were very proud of. President Mason also did something else. When we celebrated our Centennial in 2014, it was through President Mason’s leadership, and he got the General Board to support it, we created a half a milliondollar endowment at Howard University in honor of our Founders…the endowment was called, the Centennial Endowment. We paid that investment off early as well. When you think about the legacy, President Mason was infinite in his wisdom in scaling the brand of Phi Beta Sigma in perpetuity. If you go to the Smithsonian Museum now, you can see Phi Beta Sigma’s name on the wall. That was President Mason’s work. 30 years from now, there will be a student who’s going to walk on Howard’s campus and Phi Beta Sigma is going to provide that student with a scholarship. President Mason had the wisdom and vision to put that in place. We were able to help by getting it into the end zone and paying it off early. I’m proud of the work President Mason did, proud of the opportunity to serve in that administration and very proud to support his vision becoming a reality.
TC: WE’RE FOCUSING ON OR CELEBRATING OUR LEGACY. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR LEGACY OR WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR LEGACY TO BE? MC: You know, I’ve been blessed. Before I became president, I served on the General Board, maybe 18 or 20 years. I served in President Griffin’s administration. I served in President Hammock’s administration, and I was a part of President Mason’s administration. I was regional director when President Adams was president. So, I knew a lot about the fraternity. I don’t want to say the wrong thing, and I don’t want the wrong message to come across. But I always felt I was very well prepared because I came with a lot of fraternity experience and corporate experience. I knew when I got into the role what I wanted to accomplish, and the biggest thing I wanted to work on was address the infrastructure deficiencies we had and put measures in place to close the gap. I’m hopeful that my legacy will be not only did we secure placing the fraternity on a solid foundation, but we started to look at our organization on a larger scale and we were beginning to position ourselves for the future. How do we evidence that? When you look at the three big initiatives that we
put in place, I know will be with us through perpetuity. During our February 2018 General Board Meeting, I advised the Board that the international headquarters didn’t represent the brand we wanted, and it certainly wouldn’t represent our brand of the future. So, I took the General Board on a two-year journey of determining the future of our IHQ and we ultimately decided to tear down our current international headquarters and build a brand new $30 milliondollar corporate headquarters, inclusive of affordable housing. Based upon the methodical work we did, we’ll have an opportunity to, yes, reshape the brand of the organization, but we can also create a new revenue stream for the organization. The PBS Impact Foundation, Inc. and YES, under this President’s leadership and guidance, we walked away from the PBS National Foundation for all the reasons the organization knows…it wasn’t meeting the needs of the Fraternity. With the PBS Impact Foundation, we now have an entity that supports us creating long term financial solvency for the organization…most, if not all, of our programmatic focus areas will come through our foundation. Having only been around for 15 months, the PBS Impact Foundation has already secured over $800,000 in donations and grants. The last one is SigmaPAC1914. You asked about social unrest and the presidential election; our members wanted their voice to be heard but because of our tax structure, Phi Beta Sigma cannot endorse candidates. But the voice of our members can be heard through our SUPERPAC, SigmaPAC1914. We can endorse candidates whose values are in alignment with ours. We also can recruit brothers who have desires to run for local office, city council, representative on the state level, federal officers, congressmen. One day a Phi Beta Sigma Man will sit at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and SigmaPAC1914 can play a major role in supporting that. When I think about the Cristal Years, my legacy was about investing in our members through a better Brotherhood experience as we closed out our term championing “It’s a GREAT TIME to be a Sigma”, scaled the brand of Sigma on critical national issues, Sigma was recognized as a national organization focusing on mentoring boys and young men of color through our mentorship of over 4,200 boys via our Sigma Beta Club, addressed many of our infrastructure deficiencies that supported the fraternity operating more efficiency, shored up our finances and positioned our fraternity for long term financial solvency and got approval from the General Board to redevelop our International Headquarters that will provide affordable housing to the community we reside in and provide a new revenue stream for the Fraternity….more than anything, I think my legacy will be that we positioned our beloved fraternity for long term success, that’s something I’m most proud of.
