CRESCENT WINTER 2017

Farewell

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. salutes the historic presidential legacy of Barack Hussein Obama

WINTER 2017

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The Crescent Magazine is published twice annually by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Jonathan A. Mason, Sr. International President POSTMASTER Please send address changes to: The Crescent Magazine Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 145 Kennedy Street, NW Washington, DC 20011-5294 FOUNDERS Honorable A. Langston Taylor Honorable Leonard F. Morse Honorable Charles I. Brown FOUNDING DATE January 9, 1914 Howard University Washington, DC EDITORIAL STAFF Todd D. LeBon, Editor-In-Chief Albert Elam, Senior Managing Editor STAFF WRITERS Kenneth ‘Rico’ Abrantes Craig Arthur Brandon Brown Kevin Christian Reuben D’Silva Williard Hutt Byron Keys Martin Ricard David McGinnis Chris Rice Torian A. Richardson J. Artel Smith Anthony Springer Carlos Williams Tyrone Williams LAYOUT & DESIGN Bro. Ron Lewis Lewis Design Group www.ldgcreative.com

Beta Chapter, Wiley College, Marshall, TX 1925

Contents 8 Serious Sigma Summit

STEM… A Brief History

49

Looking Back

70

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Historic meeting exceeds expectations

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PHOTO CREDITS Bro. Adedayo Kosoko Bro. Lance Curry

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Congressional Black Caucus Brothers participate in the 2016 Annual Leadership Conference

The Hon. Charles I. Brown

Celebrating the Discovery of Our Missing Founder

Sigmas Return To Ghana To Build A Lasting Legacy

Delegration travels to Ghana to launch the Ghana School Project

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STEM education helps teachers and students understand how the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics impact the world

Phi Beta Sigma and the Obama Administration

The long awaited Smithsonian addition is now open

I Am My Brother’s Keeper Making a difference with Generation Redirect™

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Greetings Brothers in Sigma!

It’s hard to believe that this administration is coming to a close! As I take a quick glimpse in retrospect, I recognize that it has been an amazing period in the history of our great organization. There are a multitude of accomplishments over the last four years for which I’m proud. One achievement in particular is the implementation of I Am My Brother’s Keeper. We launched this critical program in response to President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Thanks to each of you and every chapter we’ve been able to impact boys and young men of color in many areas, especially education.

The importance of a STEAM educational approach in today’s educational climate is critical to the success of our future leaders. In this issue of The Crescent, we discuss and feature several Sigma educators utilizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue and critical thinking. We invite you to discover these awesome educators.

This issue also provides a plethora of interesting features and topics that is sure to keep you connected to programs of community service performed by chapters and regions around the globe.

As you receive this communiqué, you will be preparing for your respective regional conference, and then the ultimate: Conclave 2017 in Detroit, Michigan from July 18th – 22nd. I look forward to celebrating with you, in what appears to be, another record-breaking gathering. Don’t miss out! Get registered today!

Stay tuned to your mailboxes, as you will receive another great issue of The Crescent -- a special edition highlighting the Fraternity’s accomplishments since 2013. Expect to receive your magazine just before the conference.

In the meantime, sit back and enjoy this issue! Thank you for your continued support of our official publication and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, THEE best Fraternity in the world!

Thank you for all that you do!

Jonathan A. Mason, Sr. 34th International President

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Greetings Brothers of Sigma, I count it a distinct pleasure to be a part of this unique band of brothers! Every opportunity we have to advance the cause that our founders envisioned and set out so long ago, should be cherished, and more importantly, seized upon. I am confident that each of us in the space that we have been afforded is doing the work of Sigma - enjoying the priceless reciprocity of serving humanity.

There are many messages and trends in our world that can easily make it difficult for our youth to filter and successfully navigate. The widespread focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), offers great promise for students as they prepare for careers that will be impactful and fulfilling. This edition of the The Crescent highlights our educators who have embraced STEAM as they help our futures leaders develop academically and artistically.

Brothers we have so much to be thankful for and excited about in Phi Beta Sigma! This edition of The Crescent is one for sure. I am looking forward to reading every single page; and, I hope to see each of you at our Family Reunion in July!

Great Blessings upon you, Bro. Samuel L. Walthour International Executive Director

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Brothers, it is an honor to once again have the opportunity to extend greetings on behalf of the Crescent Team. As you prepare to attend your respective regional conferences we hope that you have your eye on the 2017 Detroit Conclave.

The Conference Planning Committee has been working hard to plan a Sigma Family Reunion. Please see a tentative schedule of events in these pages. We hope to see you there as we prepare to elect a new administration and continue to ensure Sigma is on the front line in the fight to uplift our communities.

In this issue we take a peak at STEAM education. As the country works towards moving our students back to the top of the pack in the areas of science and math, we take a look at how STEAM is impacting lives on the grade school level, on campus and in the real world. In these pages we introduce you to Bros. Jimmie Norles and Kenneth Abrantes as they work with our youth on STEAM related projects. We share a profile on Bro. Dr. Gerald Weatherspoon, as he mentors and teaches future leaders in the STEAM related fields on campus, while making history along the way. We meet the brothers of Gamma Gamma Gamma Chapter (Missouri University of Science & Technology) as they enhance their studies by gaining valuable experience through leadership roles and internships. Then we sit back as Bro. Elford Jackson shares with our readers how he used his STEAM related knowledge and skills to assist in the building of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

This issue also features some of the great work being done by chapters across the globe in the area of service and the mentoring of our youth. Sigma continues to raise the bar in communities across the globe. As you review the issue, please take a moment to share the submissions on navigating the social media world and keeping brothers engaged in chapter activities. We also have a few thoughts on how to stay engaged, post 2016 election, by Bro. A.J. Springer.

As we move on to a new administration in the White House, if the first month is any indication, we must keep an even greater focus on the needs of the communities we serve. Sigma must remain in the forefront of speaking up for the voiceless. The Crescent Team looks forward to bringing your stories of engagement and service to these pages and recording those stories for history. Your continued submissions and support play a vital role in our success.

Our next issue will reflect on the progress made by the Fraternity since 2013. It will be a chance for you to look back on the results of all of your hard work. We hope it will also serve as motivation to continue to build on the vision of our beloved founders.

In closing, please join the Crescent Team as we welcome Bro. Sammie L. Walthour, International Executive Director. We look forward to continuing our successful working relationship with the Headquarters Staff under is direction Bro. Todd D. Le Bon Editor-In-Chief

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PROGRAM SPONSORSHIPS THUNDER Cultural/Social $2000 Youth will gain an appreciation of cultural events, social interaction, teamwork and gaining a balance within their lives.

• Performing Arts Theater • Mentorship Sessions • National Youth Leadership Conference, Detroit, MI LIGHTNING Educational/Career $1000 To provide opportunities for youth to excel academically and gain an understanding of career development • Career Panel • College Experience/Tours • Ultimate Interview Experience

National Sigma Beta Club Foundation, Inc. National Sigma Beta Club Foundation, Inc. is a 501(C) 3 nonprofit organization established by Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., is th operating arm for the Sigma Beta Club program.

The primary objective is the mentoring of African-American and other minority males between 8-18 years old across the United States and internationally, with good, wholesome values. leadership skills, social and cultural awareness and character development.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES I Am My Brother’s Keeper Sponsor $7500 Sponsors ten student’s participation in the National Youth Leadership Conference and program activities for the fiscal year.

Scholarship Sponsor $5000 Sponsors annual scholarships for graduating seniors.

National Sigma Beta Club Foundation, Inc. 3313 Government Street Baton Rouge, LA 70806

COMMAND Athletic/Wellness $500 Youth will gain an appreciation of healthy mind, healthy body, and teamwork • Outdoor education and Recreation • Teen Obesity in America Symposium • Stepping RISE Community Service $500 Programs will help students understand the value of being of service and learning to care about others • Feed the homeless • Environmental Cleanup • Reading to young children • Walk for Babies SPONSOR A STUDENT $325 Sponsor one student participation if the National Sigma Beta Club Leadership Conference http://sigmabetaclub.org/donate WINTER 2017 | 7

Serious Sigma Summit Exceeds Expectations Sigma Men representing all seven regions of the Fraternity traveled to the State of Florida to take part in highly anticipated 2016 Serious Sigma Summit, July 8th and 9th.

Nestled in the exquisite landscape of the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, FL, nearly 800 brothers of Phi Beta Sigma registered to take part in the 2-day leadership conference, which focused on “Developing the Leader in You!” Bros. Micheal Cristal, International First Vice President, and Charles H. Talbert, Director of the Sigma Leadership Academy, served as co-chairmen of the Summit, which offered three training tracks based on the stated needs of attendees. President Jonathan A. Mason, Sr. and the planning team desired to provide a world-class leadership development experience for every participant.

The Serious Sigma Summit provided a well-balanced schedule of workshops, special events, optional events and free time. Just minutes away were our sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., holding their 2016 Grand Boulé - The Zeta Way. Additionally, the conference was less than 10 minutes from the gates of Disney World, the world’s most attended vacation theme parks.

The pre-summit kick off began on Thursday evening with the Brotherhood Networking Reception outside in the

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Emerald Plaza. Name badges were specially designed to feature companies and job titles for alumni members and majors of study for collegiate members. Brothers were able to network, make good connections and establish potential career mentors.

Following the opening reception, The Barbershop set the stage and space for lively discussions on a myriad of topical issues facing the organization and the communities we serve.

On Friday, Bros.

Cristal and Talbert opened the conference, setting the tone for those in attendance. Bro. Talbert presented a detailed understanding of purpose, function and future direction of The Sigma Leadership Academy.

Three training tracks were designed to address the overall development of Sigma Brothers on all levels. The Collegiate Advisors University presented 2 days of training for those members seeking to be certified as collegiate advisors.

Tracks II and III featured workshops focused on Leadership

Development and Chapter Development. Sigma members showed up with a thirst to learn.

The “Developing Quality Leaders Luncheon” on Friday featured the keynote speech by our International Executive Director Bro. Sammie L. Walthour. Bro. Walthour’s message stressed that “Quality Just Doesn’t Happen” and presented the forecast for enhanced customer services at the International Headquarters.

Saturday morning led with General Session III: “Protecting Our Brand: Membership Intake Process.” Bro. Cristal and his committee presented to an audience of focused listeners the soon to be proposed revisions to the Membership Intake Process.

The overwhelmingly attended and much anticipated “Charles I. Brown Reveal” was a highlight of the Serious Sigma Summit. Every eye was glued to every detail presented by Bro. Mark “Mallet” Pacich on the whereabouts of Phi Beta Sigma’s long-lost Founder.

While Sigma brothers were still in awe, the “Celebrating Collegiate Achievers Luncheon” recognized notable achievements by “The Lifeblood of the Fraternity.” Co-

ordinated by Bros. Jarrod Benjamin, International Second Vice President, and Jean B. Lamothe, International Director of Education, the collegiate leadership facilitated the entire luncheon. The program featured an excellent vocal performance by Bro. Tres McMichael and Bro. Donovan A. Livingston delivered the keynote speech.

On Saturday evening, many leaders and brothers dressed in their evening best and attended Zeta Phi Beta’s Enchantment Ball at the Orlando Hilton. Likewise on Sunday morning, several members attended the Zeta’s Inspirational Breakfast to hear President Mason deliver the message and gospel artist CeCe Winan deliver the morning song.

Top Right: Brothers attend the Ball Bottom Right: Brotherhood Breakfast Left: President Mason escorts his wife Dionis Mason to the Zeta Enchantment Ball

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Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Congressional Black Caucus ALC 2016

For the third consecutive year, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated joined the nation’s top corporations and community service organizations as a participating sponsor for the Congressional Black Caucus 46th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC ‘16) in Washington, DC. President Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., along with General Board members, Bros. Jarrod Benjamin (Second Vice President), Quentin Goodwin (Director of Bigger and Better Business), Jean B. Lamothe (Director of Education), Dr. Ivory Lyles (Director of Social Action), Hon. Daniel J. Tann, Esq. (Chief of Staff) and Ray Smith (Deputy Chief of Staff) traveled to the nation’s capital from September 14th - 17th, to assure Phi Beta Sigma’s engagement with lawmakers, corporate leaders and community heads from around the country.

Phi Beta Sigma sponsored CHANGE AGENTS, its CBC-ALC event, a reception honoring Sigma public and appointed public officials from across the nation. The special event recognized those leaders on the front line for social justice. The eight officials honored were Bros.

Shawn C. Belton (Deputy Chief, Fire Marshal, City of Baltimore), Julian A. Haffner (Member, Maryland State Democratic Committee, Legislative District 17), Hon. Jordan Harris (Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives), Hon. Kevin McMillan (Mayor, Neptune Township,

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New Jersey), Jesse E. Moore, Jr. (Member, District of Columbia Board of Veterans), Hon. Gary Richardson (Mayor, City of Midfield, AL), Hon. Chris Rey (Mayor, Spring Lake, NC) and Hon. W. Keith Williams (Judge, Delaware Magisterial District, PA). A special salute was presented to Phi Beta Sigma’s two current members of Congress, Bros. John R. Lewis, (D-GA) and Elijah E. Cummings, (D-MD).

The fraternity’s delegation attended several forums, programs and special events throughout the five days.

Joined by Sigma members from the International Headquarters staff, local DMV and those attending the conference, Phi Beta Sigma was well represented and highly visible. Our sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. sponsored the first forum on Tuesday entitled “Unleash Your Super Power: Vote. Advocate. Run”. The panel featured several Zeta sisters including Mary Breaux Wright (International President), Dr. Barbara West Carpenter (State Representative, D-LA), and Congresswoman Donna Edwards (D-MD).

On Wednesday, Bro. Jarrod Benjamin represented Phi Beta Sigma at the 7th Annual NPHC Presidents’ Forum presented by Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH).

The panel featured collegiate leaders under the theme “Millennial Leadership Speaking on Issues of Importance in 2016”.

After the Presidents’ Forum, members attended the CBC Spouses 20th Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts, where legendary actress Cicely Tyson and songstress Soror. Dionne Warwick were honored.

Amidst a full day of social action forums, President Mason attended the NPHC Council of Presidents Meeting, held at the International Headquarters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. President Mason was then joined by international and local leaders and supported the St. Jude Annual Call to Service Reception at the Longview Gallery. Phi Beta Sigma was presented with a special plaque in recognition of the two organizations renewed partnership.

Friday featured another full day of Sigma activity. Phi Beta Sigma’s leaders attended a special reception held at the White House, while activity was high at the International Headquarters with the hosting of the Billboard Jackson Entrepreneurial Development Competition’s final presentation, followed by our hosting of the Truth Initiative Meeting with the NPHC’s collegiate leadership.

Over at the convention center Bro. Rev. Al Sharpton headlined this year’s My Brother’s Keeper Town Hall Meeting. The 4-hour meeting presented 4 panels of notable participants discussing critical issues impacting the nation’s inner city youth.

Sigma leaders, along with the headquarters team journeyed to the Marriott Marquis to celebrate Honorary Member, Bro. R. Donahue Peebles at the CBC Foundation Reception. Phi Beta Sigma sponsored the 1,500-person reception, which recognized Bro. Peebles.

Making the rounds to support our Greek counterparts, Sigma leaders and members supported the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Reception and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Reception back-to-back. Bro. Elijah Cummings also hosted his roof top reception to recognize his loyal corporate and community supporters.

As the week was winding down, several local fraternity members who won tickets to attend the Prayer Breakfast on Saturday morning joined our leaders for the breakfast.

At the close of the breakfast, President Mason attended a special Memorial Service for the late Bro. Reverend Antoine Rutherford, former staff member, at the International Headquarters building.

The culmination of an awesome week was The Phoenix Awards, ALC’s most coveted annual event. Bro. Cordaryl Cook, the lucky winner of a ticket, attended the event with President Mason. The highlight of the evening was the keynote speech of President Barack Obama, his final speech addressing the audience of the annual legislative conference.

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The Honorable Charles I. Brown: Celebrating the Discovery of our Missing Founder

For most living members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, there has always existed a missing piece of our history—what happened to Honorable Founder Charles Ignatius Brown? Our official history notes that Founders Morse and Taylor apparently lost contact with him in 1924, with no one being able to determine his whereabouts or in what place and time did he depart from this life. On the weekend prior to the celebration of our 103rd Anniversary, some of those questions have been answered, thanks to the work of our International Historian Bro. Mark “Mallet” Pacich and his team of researchers and archivists. Joined by members of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the life and work of Honorable Charles I. Brown was celebrated in grand style! Those who attended this event were provided an opportunity to learn about how Founder Brown continued to do the work which he began with his brothers at Howard University, even though he was not actively connected with Phi Beta Sigma in his later years.

On Friday, January 6th, the celebration began with a reception hosted by local chapters of Phi Beta Sigma at the Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia. Brothers and friends gathered in large numbers from around the country to discover where and how our missing founder spent his later years. On that evening, it was revealed that Founder Brown lived to be 96 years old, and spent his final years serving at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Philadelphia. Members of the parish were unaware of his status as one of the found-

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ers of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, until Bro. Pacich and his team pursued leads suggesting that he had migrated to Philadelphia and lived there until his passing in 1981. These discoveries were made with the assistance of two genealogists, Barbara LaClair and Carole Ashbridge, and Anne Kirkwood, a professional archivist and historian, all of who attended this event. Hon. Bro. Daniel J. Tann, Esq. served as the local chair for the weekend event. President Jonathan A. Mason, Sr. best summed up the feelings of many when he stated that, “We can now put a period at the end of the sentence which began 93 years ago—our brother, Honorable Founder Charles Ignatius Brown, has been found!” The evening was exciting and emotional, as brothers became aware of the reality that going forward, new members of Phi Beta Sigma would learn a new history, one reflecting the biography of Founder Brown, to which none of us had been privy.

The events of Saturday provided an exclamation point for this celebration. Brothers gathered early to march to The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, to celebrate mass with members of the local Roman Catholic community. Brothers and guests received an inspiring message, reminding all that Charles I. Brown indeed carried on the tradition of service to the community, which was the hallmark of Phi Beta Sigma’s founding, and that this event was equally exciting for the Archdiocese. At the end of the mass, President Mason presented a plaque to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. From the Cathedral, Philadelphia law enforcement escorted an 18-bus caravan of brothers to Holy Cross Cemetery, the final resting place of Honorable Founder Brown. Amid a significant snowstorm, hundreds of brothers honored our beloved founder by the sharing of the Omega Ceremony. For many, the reality was sinking in. While many will still ask questions about what became of Charles Ignatius Brown after 1924, we can now be at peace with the knowledge that he lived in a community which loved and appreciated his commitment to service just as much as the brotherhood which he helped to create.

BRO. DR. KENT POINDEXTER

Sigma Returns To Ghana To Build A Lasting Legacy

The journey to Ghana highlighted the coming-to-fruition of the fraternity’s Ghana School Project, launched in 2012 under the administration of Bro. Jimmy Hammock, 33rd International President. President Jonathan A. Mason, Sr. and delegation of Sigma brothers spent a week in Ghana meeting with Suhum officials, administrators and instructors to assure the implementation of a strong computer science program. Also attending the historic launch were; Bros. Micheal Cristal (First Vice President), Jean B. Lamothe (Director of Education), Daryl McKines (Collegiate Member-at-Large), Sammie L. Walthour (International Executive Director), Edwin K. Miles (Gulf Coast Regional Director), Charles Ransom (Project Coordinator/Liaison), and Adedayo Kusoko (Photographer/Videographer).

While in the nation of Ghana, Phi Beta Sigma leaders advanced the “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” initiative with a series of special activities: • The delegation visited the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum. A special plaque was placed in the Museum recognizing Bro. Nkrumah’s connection to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity.

• Meetings were also held with community residents and business owners of Suhum to discover the needs of the community and local businesses.

• One of the most memorable activities was visiting the Cape Coast Castle, where slaves were kept while awaiting deportation to the new world.

While visiting on their mission of global service, Phi Beta Sigma’s very own Bro. Charles Ranson was bestowed the title Development Chief by the Okroase Leaders and Chiefs of Suhum. During the ceremony, Bro. Ranson was given the new name of Nana Gyampoh II. Reflections from the Sigma Delegation: PRESIDENT JONATHAN A. MASON, SR.: The Vocational and Computer Training School that we established will

provide opportunities for brothers to participate in exchange programs and allow them to gain valuable experience while providing a much needed service. When completed and fully operational, the school will be a great example of Sigma’s service commitment. For generations to come, young people will receive tools that they can use to improve the lives of their family and friends. It was an honor to place a plaque in the museum of our dear brother, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana. The world will now know that this trailblazer was a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Certainly, the most emotional part of our trip was the visit to the Cape Coast Castle Museum. From this location, our ancestors were shipped to America to serve as cheap labor on southern plantations. We stood in the cramped prison cells and we walked through the door of no return. All of us were moved by this experience. We could not leave the cape before we formed a circle and prayed. We thanked God for all he has done for our people down through the generations.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT MICHEAL CRISTAL: So often you hear people say “this or that had a huge impact on their life”, well I can say with profound honesty, the experience I had in Ghana has truly been a life changing experience.

Through the leadership of the Honorable Jonathan Mason we have not only planted a school that will provide learning opportunities for students for years to come but we’ve had the awesome opportunity to advance our principle of scholarship on a global stage within the MOTHERLAND! COLLEGIATE MEMBER-AT-LARGE DARYL A. MCKINES, JR.: Imagine a place free of judgement or shame.

Imagine a code of ethics matched by no other culture. Imagine a beautiful landscape ravaged and pillaged by centuries of scoundrels, literally interrupting generations of African people’s advancement. Imagine leaving the only life you’ve known and never being able to return. God Bless Ghana God Bless America God Bless Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION JEAN B. LAMOTHE: Being birthed in Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo) the journey to Ghana was a homecoming of sorts.

I was excited about setting foot on African soil again and looking forward to meeting our brothers and sisters in Ghana. Walking through Memorial Park in Accra where Bro. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah delivered his infamous independence speech, going through the museum and reading some of his quotes and literature made me proud to know that this man of vision, this man of character, this man of purpose, was a member of our beloved organization.

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Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter Provides Relief for Louisiana Flood Victims HOUSTON, TX– On Thursday August 25, 2016 Bro. Dr. Eddie Patton (Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter) organized a clothing, school supplies and flood relief drive for the flood victims of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Numerous brothers of Phi Beta Sigma and our sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority were impacted by this horrible event. Bro. Patton was able to partner with the Houston Herman Park Rotary Club to provide funds and the drop off location.

On Saturday morning the men of Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter began to arrive with donations. They were also eager to volunteer to assist in collecting donations. The day’s effort resulted in 7,500 donated items or 1,800 pounds of donations from the community.

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Volunteers gathered once again early Sunday morning to prepare the donations for transport to Louisiana. Once the donations were loaded onto the truck, Bros. Patton and Morris Overstreet headed towards Baton Rouge Louisiana.

They arrived at the Charles R. Kelly Community Center and were greeted by Hon. Bro. Arthur Thomas (31st International President), Bro. Gilbert (Omicron Delta Sigma Chapter) and Erica Green (City Councilwoman). Bro. Thomas lost everything in the floods.

We would like to take a moment to thank all who volunteered their time and contributed donations. A special thanks to the members of the Houston Herman Park Rotary Club and especially to Bro. Eddie Patton and Morris Overstreet for making the trip to Baton Rouge Louisiana a success.

For additional information on the Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter and our programs, please visit us on Facebook . . .

PHI BETA SIGMA, HOUSTON BRO. LEO ROSEBURE

Beta Beta Lambda Chapter Named Youth Organization of the Year

BBL Treasurer Clifford Adderley, BTC CEO Leon Williams, BBL President Travis Munroe, and Founding President of Bahamas National Youth Council Tyson McKenzie. (Credit: Kenton Hepburn)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Ministry of Youth, Sports,

and Culture named the Beta Beta Lambda Chapter (The College of the Bahamas/COB) as youth organization of the year during the October Youth Month activities.

The award is given to the youth organization that embodies best practices along with significant achievement in the community. The committee while judging the nominees looked at the organization’s body of work over the past three years.

“This chapter has been making a serious push to impacting the community and not just the college community but the community at large,” current Beta Beta Lambda Chapter President Travis Munroe said.

The Chapter focuses on the three programmatic thrusts of the Fraternity: Social Action, Bigger and Better Business and Education. The Chapter also embraces the motto “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity”, and to that end annually provides more than 1200 hours of community service to the

BBL Celebrates International Day of Peace NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On the United

Nations International Day of Peace (September 21, 2016), The Beta Beta Lambda Chapter (College of the Bahamas) spread joy on the campus by providing free breakfast to the college community.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. The United Nations Gen-

Bros. Trevor Johnson, Lynden Brown, Travis Munroe, Hon. Dr. Johnson, Clifford Adderley and Jon Montpetitt.

college community and the community at large.

BBL has become the benchmark of model community organization having won the Southern Region Chapter of the Year Award in 2015, runner-up in 2014, and Organization of the Year at COB two years in a row (2014-2015, 2015-2016).

“This award is huge for a Chapter that has systematically made strides in bringing about change in the community,” said Bro. Javon Rolle (2015 BBL President).

Bro. Mick Massaar (2014 BBL President) pointed out that since his term the Chapter has welcomed 20 new members and has become an organization of “scholarship and service with a balance of fun.” “In the grand scheme of things, I wouldn’t want to think we do things simply to receive rewards,” he said, “but we see ourselves as a group of young men trying to make ourselves and the community around us a better place.”

eral Assembly declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

“We wanted to give back to the college community and the fact that it fell on the International Day of Peace was even better” said Beta Beta Lambda’s Director of Social Action and breakfast organizer, Bro. Carlton Knowles.

The International Day of Peace is more than just about ending wars but also

BRO. CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS

about building a global society that is free of poverty and where everyone shares in prosperity and the global family growing together and supporting each other.

“We see this as going hand in hand with the Fraternity’s motto of “Culture for Service and Service for Humanity,” Bro. Knowles added. “We seek to bring that spirit of community to everyone, not only in our own community but hopefully worldwide.”

BRO. CHRISTOPHER SAUNDERS

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CHI SIGMA CHAPTER

Closed Out 2016 With Signature Events E³ = Embracing, Educating & Empowering Young Men Through Mentoring On Saturday, December 10, 2016 the Sigma Community Enrichment Initiative (SCEI) gathered at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School for the annual Young Men’s Empowerment Conference. This is the third year of collaboration for this event, but the work goes far beyond this annual conference.

This event rests on and supports longterm mentoring relationships between young men and successful men of color from the community.

The Young Men’s Empowerment Conference has become the preeminent gathering of middle school and high school young men across the state of New Jersey. The goal of the conference is to improve the outcome of Young Men of Color in the areas of education, understanding the criminal justice system, and capacity building so they can manifest their destiny and become successful contributing members of society.

BLACK MEN AND BOYS ARE ASSETS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND OUR COUNTRY.

As a nation we cannot truly prosper when any group of people is left behind and forced to exist on the fringes of society.

We know that the well-being of Black men and boys has a direct influence on the strength of their families, communities and our nation as a whole.

Our communities will only prosper if all of us, including Black men and boys, can succeed and reach our full potential . …Excerpts from the CBMA Rumble Report

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The conference also combats the countless negative stereotypes associated with Young Men of Color by providing concrete resources related to real barriers that interfere with building successful futures. Today we have over 100 men from the community who have volunteered to support our young men and serve as Mentors for the day. In an effort to bring this initiative to scale SCEI has partnered with the following organizations to broaden our collective impact on the community: The Newark Mentoring Movement (NMM), Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Office for Diversity and Community Engagement and the Chi Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. The 3rd Annual Male Empowerment Conference was an overwhelming success!! Watching adult mentors positively interact with 200 plus young men was truly a sight to see!!

We would like to thank the following professionals for volunteering their time for this event: The Brothers of Chi Sigma Chapter, Bros. Will Worley, Nigel Coelho, Bernard Hamilton, John Brewington and Ron Rivera, as well as, Chike “Entrepreneur Coach” Uzoka, Dr. Tyree Winters, Nicholas Ramjattan, Jayked Acosta and Saul Bautista from the Rutgers, New Jersey Medical School.

TWO DAYS OF GIVING

On Saturday, December 24, 2016, Sigma Community Enrichment

Initiative (SCEI) served a Thanksgiving style meal to over 75 families and gave away over 300 toys, books, games, coats and clothing to the local community. It was with these acts of kindness and selflessness, that the children and families in the Plainfield, NJ community were able to truly relish what the Holiday season is all about. This annual event does not happen without the assistance and support of community volunteers and many others, including: the Chi Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Plainfield 21st Century Community Learning Center, Principal Mark A. Williams his faculty and staff at Stillman Elementary School (Plainfield, NJ). SCEI would like to thank all that have contributed over the years for their continued support.

Less than 24hrs later SCEI and the Chi Sigma Chapter came back out on Christmas Day to replicate the efforts in the city of East Orange. In East Orange, SCEI teamed up with the East Orange Board of Education, East Orange

Department of Recreation & Cultural Affairs and Principal Abdulsaleem Hasan, along with his faculty and staff at Cicely L. Tyson Elementary School to shower the same love and kindness to the children and families in the community.

Together we served over 80 families a Thanksgiving style meal and provided them with new and gently used school uniforms and other winter clothing. In addition, over 400 toys were given away to children. A special level of appreciation to Bros. Nebraska Clarke, Eric Myers and Kobina Thomas (Chi Sigma Chapter President) for their outstanding leadership at both events, and everyone who donated their time, toys and clothing items to help make both events a tremendous success.

To learn more about this event and other SCEI programing visit: www.SCEIFoundation.org.

BRO. JENABU WILLIAMS, MPA

Iota Rho Chapter Continues to Pay It Forward About two years ago the Iota Rho Chapter (University of Central Florida) was featured in The Crescent Magazine for assisting a young man by the name of D’Angelo.

D’Angelo lost his mother right before his junior year in high school, and had little money to help jump start his school year. The Chapter raised money for his situation by coordinating a football tournament.

Fast forward two years later, D’angelo has successfully graduated high school and was accepted into Savannah State University (SSU). Over the years the brothers of the Iota Rho and Gamma Delta Sigma (Orlando, FL) Chapters remained active in his life. We published a follow up story with a local reporter to help raise awareness of his great accomplishments. The article appeared in the Orlando

Times and was picked up by other media outlets around the country. Mr. Brian Dawsey, Director of Admissions at Savannah State University, came across D’Angelo’s story and contacted the Chapter eager to assist in our efforts. It also turned out that Mr. Dawsey is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and President of Tau Beta Sigma Chapter (Savannah, GA). He commited to help make sure D’Angelo, and his best friend Linton (who also will be attending SSU), stay on the right track. D’Angelo and Linton left Orlando on August 4th and are currently attending SSU. “My goal has always been to go to college. I knew my mother always wanted me to go to college, and I never wanted to let her down. When I met the Sigma’s, I was in middle school in the seventh grade.

They always tried to say something good, nothing negative, and set high expectations,” says D’Angelo.”

The organization had a big effect on my self-esteem.”

We are still soliciting donations to assist him for this school year. If you would like to help, donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.com/dreamdollars.

BRO. TIMOTHY NIGHTINGALE, JR.

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Beta Omicron Sigma Chapter Sigma Bazaar and Health Fair The men of the Beta Omicron Sigma Chapter (Columbus, Ohio) held their annual Sigma Bazaar & Health Fair on Saturday April 30, 2016. Each spring, the Chapter collects thousands of new and gently used clothing items to distribute to families in need. In addition to receiving free clothing items, families have access to free health screenings and participate in informative presentations provided by community partners.

The Health Fair was sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Chi Eta Phi Sorority Inc., The Ohio Commission on Minority Health, The National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute, The Ohio Foot and Medical Association, and the Columbus Police Department. Over 250 guests were provided free health screenings and attended

Living Well Brother to Brother Workshops facilitated by local health professionals. Themes of the modules included: living health diet and nutrition, living fit obesity weight control, reducing your cancer risk, and living balanced spiritual mental health.

A vital community partner to Beta Omicron Sigma Chapter is the Barnett Recreation Center, the actual location of the event for the last two years. The Chapter has forged an incredible relationship by showing an unwavering willingness to support the Center through providing services and resources to its guests. Beta Omicron Sigma has provided

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philanthropic donations towards Barnett’s annual Easter Egg Hunt as well as hosting the annual Breakfast with Sigma Santa. Chapter members and other neighborhood organizations collected toys to be donated to families in the community, while providing a free breakfast for the entire family.

At Barnett’s 50th Anniversary Celebration this year, the Chapter was recognized for their level of commitment to the Center and its programming. Theresa Featherstone, Director of the Recreation Center commented, “Barnett Center and the surrounding area are very appreciative recipients of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc.’s annual Sigma Bazaar. I watched each year as people start forming lines early in order to be a part of this event. I have witnesses so many people leaving all smiles and truly grateful for this event. We (Barnett) are blessed to be able to provide this for them.”

Since its inception in 2005, over 1700 families have been served between Cincinnati and Columbus, including over 500 in two years in Columbus. Low income families are in need of quality healthcare, which pushes this issue to the forefront of our Fraternity’s Social Action agenda. This urgent need has led the Beta Omicron Sigma to answer the call and implement our annual health fair. Working with our dedicated partners allows us to implement our Sigma Wellness modules.

Due to the success of the Sigma Bazaar and Health Fair, the 2016 National Pan-Hellenic Council Biennial Gala, which celebrates the service and achievements of the Black Greek Letter Organizations, recognized Beta Omicron Sigma Chapter with the award for outstanding service for health.

The Sigma Bazaar and Health Fair has developed into a signature program for Beta Omicron Sigma. As a result of the continued growth in donations and participation over the years, the Barnett Recreation Center has offered to hold the event in their largest space available. Bro. Derek Lee, First Vice President of Beta Omicron Sigma stated, "The clothing drive is a way in which we can give back to our community.

To me, Sigma men have always been men that are not afraid to roll up our sleeves and do substantial work, directly impacting the community in which we are connected. It's one thing to say you're about uplifting your community. However, it's a completely different thing to actually demonstrate through action that you're about uplifting your community."

BRO. ANDRE HARPER Photos: Top Image -Brothers during the Sigma Bazaar (Beta Omicron Sigma) Bottom left: Children look through clothing donations (BOS Bazaar) Bottom right:Free health screenings

Epsilon Sigma Chapter School Supplies Drive

The brothers of Epsilon Sigma Chapter (Manhattan, NY) started the school season off with a huge bang! They hosted a Fish Fry / BBQ School Supply Drive at the Epsilon Sigma House in Harlem. Through generous donations they were able to collect items such as; backpacks, binders, calculators, pencils, pencil cases, crayons, dry erase boards, erasers, assorted folders, glue sticks, markers, keyboards, monitors, notebooks, reams of paper, pens, pencil sharpeners, rulers, scissors and plastic binder sleeves.

All donations were given to the Chapter’s adopted school, A. Philip Randolph School - PS 76. Along with the donations, brothers greeted the students and faculty back to school on the first day of classes. Epsilon Sigma Chapter plans to make a second donation of school supplies in the spring.

BRO. KEVIN BRACEY

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Kappa Alpha Sigma Chapter Annual Scholarship Banquet The Kappa Alpha Sigma Chapter (KAS) held their 7th Annual Black Tie Scholarship Banquet. The event was held under the Chapter’s 501c3 affiliate, The Sigma Youth Leadership Foundation (SYLF), for the first time. Our theme for the evening was: “Dreaming of a Better Tomorrow, Investing in the Youth for Promising Futures”. This year’s event was upscale and classy, typical KAS. The cocktail hour featured music by DJ Demaurio “Blue Fyre” Starks, and

Ms. Whitley Tucker, Soror Janelle Alexander-Sumpter, Bro. Ken Love and Ms. Rashidatu Olorunsola

during dinner we were entertained by comedian “C-Dawg”.

Our main objective for the evening was to honor the award recipients. Bro. Trae D. Johnson served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event. We started of the program with the presentation of the George Washington Carver Educator of the Year Award. That honor was bestowed upon Soror Janelle Alexander-Sumpter. Soror Sumpter teaches children with disabilities at Stone Mountain High School, where she has been a fixture for over fifteen years. Her work and commitment to her students has been recognized by her

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peers; she was voted Teacher of the Year in 1996 and has also been spotlighted in The Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Oprah Winfrey summer tour “Standing O”.

Next up was the presentation of the James Weldon Johnson Scholarship. This year’s recipient was Ms. Rashidatu Olorunsola. At the time of the presentation she was a high school senior at Mundy Mills High School. She is the youngest of five siblings of Nigerian immigrants. Rashidatu was the definition of a scholar-athlete. She maintained a 4.3 GPA on a 5 point scale while participating in tennis, volleyball and track at Mundy. Academically she has won the following awards: Salutatorian, Georgia Scholar, County Scholar Athlete, Miss Tennis 2015, Dean's List, ANOG Researching Cultures Writing Contest, Mike Gilliam Award, President's Award and the Mundy Science Award. She has also been blessed to receive the UGA Presidential Leadership Scholarship, Marynette B. Lovejoy Book Scholarship, and the 2016 Beverly Janae Bold As Love Scholarship.

When not excelling in the classroom or on the field, Rashidatu was very involved in her community. She has volunteered her time to; The Red Cross Blood Drive, feed the homeless through Grace Girls, Aids Walk Atlanta, Nigerian Women Association of Georgia (NWAG) Walkathon, NWAG Community Fundraiser Banquet, Alliance of Nigerian Organizations in Georgia (ANOG) Community Fundraiser Banquet, a science teacher’s aid and Fulton County Clerk Assistant. She was accepted into The University of Georgia, Georgia State and the Georgia Institute of Technology, among other institutions. We wish her well as she pursues her academic interests on the next level of her academic career.

The final scholarship, the A. Langston Taylor Scholarship, was presented to Ms. Whitley Tucker. Whitley was a junior at Georgia State University at the time of the event.

The El Paso, TX native holds a 4.08 GPA and hopes to become a speech-language pathologist. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Speech with a concentration in communication, and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduating from Georgia State University in May 2017, she plans on attending Georgia State University’s Communication Sciences and Disorders Graduate Program.

Her passion for community service began during her participation in local programs like the Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club. Whitley takes great pride in being bi-racial and enjoys expressing aspects of her culture as a student assistant with the Georgia State University Multicultural Center. Ms. Tucker actively volunteers for the A to Z Pediatric Therapy Clinic and the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas.

Following the presentation of awards we received a brief

address from Bro. Ken Love, SYLF President, who offered words of encouragement to the award recipients and thanked the more than 200 guest who made the evening possible. Chapter President Bro. Randy Samuels followed with a presentation to DeVry University Dekalb County Campus, which has been the host location for the chapter meetings for almost 25 years, free of charge.

The evening concluded with fellowship and music from Eva Kennedy and her band. Overall the evening was a great success toward the Chapter’s commitment to education and investing in the dreams of our youth. If you would like to assist us in our efforts, donations can be made year round on the foundations website at http:// sigmayouthleadership. org/donations/.

BRO. KEN LOVE

WINTER 2017 | 21

Kappa Epsilon Chapter Returns to Montclair State University

Upper Montclair, NJ – The Kappa Epsilon Chapter (KE) was chartered on the campus of Montclair State College, now Montclair State University, in the summer of 1978. Over the years KE has proudly maintained a productive and visible presence on the campus and in the local community.

In the spring of 2014 the brothers on campus informed us that the Chapter was facing a possible suspension by the University. This suspension was not related to a hazing incident, MIP violation or any negative activity by the brothers on the campus. At the time we had two brothers on campus, both were seniors and their focus was graduating. As they focused on their studies, work and other responsibilities it left little time to focus on chapter programming.

Upon finding out about the possibility of a suspension the brothers immediately inquired as to what we could do to assist.

Our first step was to contact the University to obtain a clear understanding of the new campus organizational structure and policy. As a result of our initial communication with the University we found out how much things had changed for campus organizations over the years. While the lack of programming might not have been an issue with our chapters when we were on campus, on today’s campus it is crucial to understand the new process. For those chapters founded prior to 2000, today’s campus is not your Charter Line’s campus. Fraternities and sororities no longer have the flexibility to make the rules as they go along. Greek organizations are now held to a higher standard and have policies, procedures and financial obligations they must follow in order to exist on campus. It is important for our chapters on campus, undergraduate chapter advisors and graduate chapters to have a thorough understanding of the requirements of each university where we have a presence. It

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2015 KE Chapter Reunion

is no longer acceptable to just exist, it is important that you are making a positive contribution to the campus and the campus culture. This mainly raises concern for chapters that are located on campuses that are non HBCUs. As we worked with the brothers on campus and the University to try and prevent a suspension we also realized there are possibly other chapters across the country facing similar challenges. How can we use our experience to assist other chapters?

What can we do to provide other chapters with the necessary tools to stay informed and prepared to ensure the continued success and growth of our chapters on campus? Out of this experience came the idea to use the pages of our publications to share information concerning today’s campus culture. We have been fortunate to share some information and tips in the FALL 2015 and WINTER 2016 issues of the OUR CAUSE Magazine, the official publication of the Eastern Region. We encourage all chapters to both review and share this information with their chapters in an effort to assist our undergraduate chapters as they make every effort to maintain an active status on campus. With this in mind, we must always take into account our

status on these campuses; we are guests of the University and must operate accordingly.

Our initial effort to step in an assist the Chapter was not successful. The University decided it was best to place KE on a two year suspension. At the conclusion of that two year period we would have the option of petitioning to return to the campus. While it was a hard pill to swallow we decided to use the time to obtain a better understanding of university policy. We were determined to be prepared to return at the completion of this suspension period. Although the Chapter did not have a physical presence on the campus there was a small group of brothers, led by Bros. Tremayne L. Reid (FA ‘03) and Jonathan Scott (FA ’03), working with the University to prepare for KE’s return. As these brothers maintained communication with the University they shared regular updates with the brothers on the KE chapter e-mail list. This gave the brothers an opportunity to give feedback, ask any questions or voice concerns.

The endeavor to return the Chapter to the campus has been a two year journey. During this time it was not only important to focus on the return to campus, but also to place KE on a sound foundation. Funds were collected by KE brothers to set up a bank account for the Chapter. These funds were used to pay the chapter fees at the Headquarters. The account will also be used for chapter operations, as well as to ensure KE is registered and represented at future conferences.

This experience has given us an opportunity to gain a better understanding of what is expected of all organizations on today’s campus. We have also come to value the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the graduate and undergraduate chapters, as well as the Fraternity and the University.

In mid-October we were invited to the campus to attend a meeting with the Greek Life Staff. This was a meeting we had patiently prepared for and would have an impact on their decision about KE’s future on the campus. You can’t begin to imagine the overwhelming feeling of satisfaction we experienced when the University informed us that KE was cleared to return to the campus. To celebrate the brothers decided to gather on campus during Homecoming Weekend to celebrate KE’s return. On Saturday, October 22, 2016 the brothers of KE gathered on campus for a Blue & White Family Cookout with our sisters of Xi Iota Chapter. After a day of reminiscing and sharing stories of the most memorable moments on campus it was clear the bond between Sigma and Zeta on the Montclair State campus is stronger than ever.

On Tuesday, November 29, 2016 the brothers of Kappa Epsilon Chapter were summoned to the Montclair State University campus. We were there to officially introduce the newly initiated brothers of KE to the campus. Joining us that evening were brothers from across the state of New Jersey and our sisters of the Xi Iota Chapter. The introduction of the FALL 2016

KE Chapter Brothers with Xi Iota Chapter Sorors at the 2016 MSU Homecoming

MIP Class, “THE RESURGENCE”, marked not only a new beginning for KE, but a continuation of a long and proud legacy on the MSU campus. Being at a non HBCU new member presentations are rarely accepted and understood by non NPHC organizations and campus administrators. The campus mandated for the campus police to govern the crowds during this event. In doing so the Chapter incurred another financial obligation that is also part of the new process on the campus.

The Blue & White Family first came to Montclair State College (now University) on July 15, 1978. Kappa Epsilon Chapter (ΚΕ) was chartered as a result of the hard work and commitment of the Chi Sigma Chapter (Northern NJ) and undergraduate brothers in New Jersey and surrounding states. The Charter Line included fifteen visionary young men from Montclair State and several other schools in the Essex County area. Over the next several years Sigma would expand throughout the area as chapters were chartered on other campuses. As new chapters began branching out to other campuses KE started to be known as the “Mother Chapter of North Jersey”.

The brothers of KE would like to take a moment to extend thanks to Chi Sigma Chapter (Northern, NJ) and the following brothers for their assistance: Bros. Kobina Thomas (Chi Sigma Chapter President), George Darby (NJ State Director), Nigel Coelho (Eastern Regional Director of BBB), and Devon Henry (26th Eastern Regional Director).

We would like to take a moment to congratulate and welcome our new Brothers to the KE Family. We look forward to assisting them as they take the Chapter to greater heights and build on the strong foundation of the past.

THE RESURGENCE (FA2016KE): Bro. Kevin Ademu-John Bro. Dalvin Sejour Bro. Anthony Wright, Jr. Bro. Dominic Bowman Bro. Jerrell Daye BROS. TREMAYNE L. REID & TODD D. LE BON

WINTER 2017 | 23

2016 Brings Positive Growth To New Jersey The chapters of Phi Beta Sigma have always shared a close bond in the Garden State. Due to the small size of our state the chapters have always interacted with each other. We are always there to support each other on all levels, from social events to service programs. All new members understand the importance of the Sigma extended family in New Jersey. While each chapter has their respective traditions, through our constant interaction we all share a common experience, a common history. It was not only important to know the history and brothers of your chapter, but you have a responsibility to familiarize yourself with those brothers in the state that paved the way for Sigma in New Jersey. No matter what campus you step onto in the state, you are home. This is an environment which has always been important to the chapters in the state.

Not unlike many areas in the country we have brothers all over the state of New Jersey that are inactive for a variety of reasons. As brothers graduate, start families and progress in their careers that often requires them to relocate.

Often times the area where they relocate does not have a local chapter, requiring them to travel some distance to maintain an active membership in Sigma. The distance, coupled with the responsibilities of family and work can sometimes result in some taking a step back from Sigma. Their inactivity is sometimes only a matter of the lack of a local chapter they can maintain an active membership in.

While we are always working to maintain and further develop those chapters within the state, we always keep an eye out for expansion opportunities. Expansion gives Sigma an opportunity to increase our reach and serve more communities.

The spark necessary to charter in an underserved area often comes from a brother eager to expand Sigma’s reach into the community in which he resides. The first step is to familiarize himself with brothers residing in the general area. Upon establishing a list of potential brothers the hard work begins. It is now time to contact those on the list to gauge their level of interest in chartering in the area. Once he has a commitment form enough brothers it is time to start the process of chartering a chapter.

In 2016 this spark was started in two areas of the state.

One group was seeking to revive a chapter which once existed in the area, while the other group was looking to establish a Sigma presence in the area for the first time.

These chapters are the latest additions to the extended Blue

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& White Family in the Garden State. We welcome them and wish them all the success as they strive to serve their local communities.

THE RETURN OF THE IOTA CHI SIGMA CHAPTER

Iota Chi Sigma Chapter

While attending the chartering ceremony for the newest Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. graduate chapter, in the Monmouth/Ocean County New Jersey area, Bro. Nigel Coelho (NJ State Director) advised me that he was thinking of expanding into the area and he wanted Bro. Kevin McMillan and I to explore the possibilities.

Over the next several months, through the use of THE BLU PRINT and word of mouth, I reached out to at least forty brothers in an attempt to gain an insight as to how many brothers we had residing in the area. Some were sent a personalized letter and others were contacted via Facebook. During those communications I let them know that

we were bringing Sigma back to Monmouth County, and we needed their support. Unfortunately, many of the addresses in THE BLU PRINT were outdated and many of the letters were returned. Several brothers I did get in touch with were not as excited as we were about the possibility. However, we did not let these setbacks throw us off task. We were determined to have Sigma once again serve the Monmouth County communities.

After several conference calls and “Meet and Greets”, the excitement was starting to build. Our persistence was starting to pay off. We were now gaining momentum and had spoken to brothers willing to not only support our effort, but share some of the Chapter’s history with us. The re-chartering of the Iota Chi Sigma Chapter now seemed within our each.

Eight brothers met with Bro. Coelho to discuss the necessary requirements to re-activate the chapter. Iota Chi Sigma Chapter Charter Members Bros. John Blanton and Alan Daniels were in attendance and very excited. The banter between the “veteran” brothers was very entertaining. Some of the brothers in attendance had not been active since college. The time and location for monthly meetings was established, the necessary fees were discussed and paid, and the Executive Board was established: Bros.

James D. Jackson, Jr. (President), Alan Daniels (Vice President), Kevin McMillan (Recording Secretary) and Fabian Howe (Treasurer). We were now OFFICIAL. On January 30, 2016 the Iota Chi Sigma Chapter returned to the Monmouth County area, and we are excited to establish lasting relationships with the communities in our area. We wish to thank all those who were instrumental in helping to make this happen and we appreciate all of the support from the other chapters in New Jersey.

BRO. JAMES D. JACKSON, JR.

Rho Delta Sigma Chapter

NEW JERSEY WELCOMES RHO DELTA SIGMA On February 20, 2016, the State of New Jersey welcomed its seventh graduate chapter during a chartering ceremony for the Rho Delta Sigma Chapter. The new graduate chapter will be servicing the Gloucester County area.

Bro. Eric Myers (Chi Sigma Chapter) served as the Master of Ceremonies and the Hon. Bro. Daniel J. Tann, Esq (DSC #163/Nu Sigma Chapter) provided the keynote address and charge. Bro. Nigel Coehlo (NJ State Director/ Chi Sigma Chapter) presented Bro. Brad K. Leak, Chapter President, with the official Chapter Charter.

The Charter Members of the Rho Delta Sigma Chapter are: Bros. Danyiel Barnes, Michael S. Beck, Robert “Shawn” Chester, Tracy Clark, Dan Copes, Dr. Robert Griffith, Eric Harper, Khary Hunt, Brad K. Leak, Frank Kevin Lockett, Timothy Mason, Jr., Eric Myers, Osco Williams, and Michael S. Winslow.

A reception followed where Brothers and Sorors throughout the Garden State and beyond welcomed the new chapter into the Blue & White Family.

The inaugural board will be comprised of: Bros. Brad K. Leak (President), Robert “Shawn” Chester (1st Vice President), Tracy Clark (2nd Vice President), Don Copes (Recording Secretary), Eric Harper (Corresponding Secretary) and Timothy Mason Jr. (Treasurer).

The brothers and chapters of NJ are eager to support and assist the Rho Delta Sigma Chapter as they continue to expand Sigma in the Garden State and serve more communities.

BRO. BRAD K. LEAK

Rho Delta Sigma Chapter

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Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter Annual Blue and White Ball

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 the brothers of the Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter (Lake County, IL) and the young men of their Sigma Beta Club held their annual Blue and White Ball. This year’s theme was "I Am My Brother's Keeper". 300 Brothers, Sorors, Sigma Betas, family and friends gathered at the Double Tree Hotel in Mundelein, IL to honor community leaders and award academic scholarships.

Keynote speakers for the event were Bros. Micheal Cristal (1st Vice-President) and Eddie Johnson (Chicago Chief of Police). The evening’s program included the presentation of academic scholarships to two L: Bros. Charles L. Jones, Chapter President, R: deserving students, as well as Bro. Micheal Cristal , 1st Vice Sapphire Awards to community leaders in the areas of education, business, social action and military service. Bro. Charles L. Jones, Chapter President, also presented Bro. Cristal with a Sapphire Award for his commitment to Phi BRO. CHARLES L. JONES Beta Sigma Fraternity.

(L to R): Bros. Charles L. Jones, Eddie Johnson (Sapphire Award Honoree) and Ed Dawson

Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter Serving Lake County, IL

The men of Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter are committed to serving the community. During the Thanksgiving Holiday the Chapter donated over 100 turkeys to families in Lake County, IL, and nearly 50 turkeys to the YWCA of Lake County. Bros. Charles L. Jones, Roy Peeples, Marvin Williams, and Mark Jones, were joined by Mrs. Treopia Cannon (President, YWCA), staff members and several local families as they presented the holiday donations.

In an effort to support our “I Am My Brother’s Keeper” (IAMBK) initiative Bros. Louie Chism (Buckner Elementary School Faculty Member), Ed Dawson, Jose Restituyo and Kevin Chedda supported and mentored 15 students during their recent after school program.

The Chapter is also involved in a continued effort to fight hunger on a global scale. Several times during the year, they volunteer at Feed My Starving Children, a global non-profit Christian organization in Libertyville, IL. Chapter members assisted in packing over 60,000 meals for malnourished children in 70 countries.

Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter I Am My Brother’s Keeper Weekend

Nu Lambda Sigma Chapter joined with their Sigma Beta Club the weekend of August 26-28 to convene their annual “I Am My Brother’s Keeper (IAMBK) Weekend”, dedicated to community service.

Friday began with the brothers and Sigma Betas attending the season opener of the Warren Township High School football team. Several members of the Sigma Beta Club are on the team.

The weekend of activities continued on Saturday with an Old School “Blue & White” Backyard CookOut. The day was an opportunity for the brothers to bond with these young men, share experiences and discuss their goals going into a new school year. The weekend came to a close on Sunday with the grand finale, supporting the annual Back-to-School Rally in North Chicago, IL. The Chapter and the Sigma Beta Club used this opportunity to sponsor several events such as a Voter’s Registration Drive, Childhood Obesity and Health & Wellness Fair, Free Haircuts for kids, Fire Truck Rides and a Sigma Dunk Tank.

BRO. CHARLES L. JONES

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WINTER 2017 | 27

Baton Rouge Louisiana Blue And White Family Conduct Workshops For Community Youth

In 2014 the sisters of the Omicron Sigma Zeta Chapter (Baton Rouge, LA) of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. conducted an Etiquette Workshop for the youth of the community. The workshop was entitled Sweetness and Swag and included all aspects of social behavior required of a young lady or gentleman. It focused not only on table manners, but also included how to dress and how to carry yourself with class and dignity in the public setting. Recently the Sorors reached out to the Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter (Baton Rouge, LA)) and asked us to consider doing a presentation for the young men in the group. The brothers were delighted to do so and included the Sigma Beta Club in the program.

On a Saturday morning at the main branch of the Baton Rouge Library eight chapter brothers conducted a workshop for almost twenty young men on how to conduct themselves as gentlemen. For the next few hours they participated in workshops on a number of topics, including: how to address a lady, the proper way to open and hold doors for others, pull out chairs and what to do to create a professional look. The presentation culminated with a workshop on how to tie a neck tie and bow tie. As a bonus each young man was presented with a tie as a gift.

The Sorors focused on aspects of being a finer woman and taught a group lesson on proper table etiquette. A lunch was served at the end for all attendees, giving them an opportunity to practice what they learned in the etiquette workshop.

Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter Director of Social Action, Bro. Alphonso Smith, was so impressed with the program that he approached the Sorors of Omicron Sigma Zeta and suggested the Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter’s participation become an annual commitment. He also suggested that it be expanded to include the sisters of the Mu Zeta Chapter (Baton Rouge, LA) of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. This year

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the program grew to three sessions, each taking place over successive weekends.

The third weekly session was held on April 2, 2016 and included presentations on etiquette and social media. Ms. Kim Knight, owner of Between the Lines Bookstore in Baton Rouge, also led a presentation on intelligent Sweetness and Swag through reading. Lastly, a full course meal was prepared for the young ladies and gentlemen who participated in this year’s events. The members of Omicron Beta Sigma, Omicron Sigma Zeta and Mu Zeta Chapters served as hosts and servers during the meal. Sorors E. Renee Smith and Cecilia Alexander directed the serving of the meal and guided the young ladies and gentlemen through social graces at the dinner table. The “graduates” of the etiquette program were able to put everything they learned on full display; from dress and conversation to the correct fork to use to eat their salad.

The Dining Hall at Greater Mt. Carmel Baptist Church served as the venue for the meal. Many of the church members were present and were impressed with what the members of the Sigma Beta Club and Zeta Youth Network had learned.

After the completion of the program church members inquired into the possibility of conducting a similar program for their church youth groups. All of the chapters agreed to conduct the workshops as one of many services they offer to the Baton Rouge community annually.

The Brothers of Omicron Beta Sigma and the Sisters of Mu Zeta and Omicron Sigma Zeta have a history of conducting service projects together and this is an example of what can be accomplished when the family comes together. They look to expand the workshops in 2017 to include more youth of the Greater Baton Rouge community.

BRO. KIRBY GORDON

WINTER 2017 | 29

Omicron Zeta Sigma Chapter Making a Difference with Generation RedirectTM As we turn on our televisions, tune into our favorite radio stations, or browse our favorite news or social media websites, we are constantly bombarded with the injustices that have shaken our moral fiber to its very core. Families are being devastated through crime and violence, our minority youth continue to be under attack by the very “systems” that were designed to protect and serve, and the disparaging gap in professional advancement between our minority groups and the majority continue to widen with no perceived end it in sight.

In 2014, President Barack Obama, realizing that our black communities, and especially our black youth, are under attack, launched his “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. The

intent of the initiative is to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color and ensure that all young people can reach their full potential.

“That’s what ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ is all about. Helping more of our young people stay on track. Providing the support they need to think more broadly about their future. Building on what works – when it works, in those life changing moments.” – President Barack Obama, February 27, 2014 Recognizing the need to provide a vehicle of change almost a year prior to President Obama launching the “My Brother’s Keeper Initiative”, the brothers of the Omicron Zeta Sigma Chapter (Prince William County, VA) were hard at work executing a vision

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that would soon put “My Brother’s Keeper” into full execution mode. This initiative has evolved to what is known as GENERATION REDIRECTTM. GENERATION REDIRECTTM is geared at changing the trends that have negatively impacted minorities in our communities and put them on a path that instills pride in oneself, reiterates the importance and value of diversity, encourages the pursuit of education, and facilitates the advancement of one’s thinking to rise above the situations that are intended to attack our character and destroy our moral fiber.

It is crafted to facilitate the collective efforts and will define comprehensive strategy executed by a consortium of Greek letter organizations, community outreach organizations, area churches,

and community and political leadership under a common vision and mission.

The vision of GENERATION REDIRECTTM is to “Revitalize the fabric of the family and community with knowledge to produce opportunities to sustain life and impact society.”

GENERATION REDIRECTTM pivots around 5 core principles, which are: Family, Education, Corrections, Workforce Skills Development, and Civic Engagement & Outreach; with each principle positioned to derive executable activities that are geared towards driving positive change within ourselves, our communities, and society in general.

The concept of GENERATION REDIRECTTM is nested in the directive provided by President Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative to empower young men and boys of color to realize their potential and address the disproportionate challenges and obstacles they face in the path to achieving success.

GENERATION REDIRECTTM has successfully executed on several efforts since its inception, including: • Hosting a Men’s Empowerment Conference, with the theme of “Building Strong Fathers”, geared towards empowering men of all ages to take their rightful place in the home and in their community.

• Hosting a Financial Investment Seminar with emphasis on managing household finances, financial positioning for college, uncovering the “secret” of saving, and general financial planning techniques.

• Hosting a college tour to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University, exposing our minority youth to higher learning institutions that have strong emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related curriculums and careers.

GENERATION REDIRECTTM is constantly seeking like-minded community service-based organizations, corporate entities, and civic/political outreach groups to join its consortium and be a part of a positive vehicle of change within the communities we serve. No one person or organization is above another in our minds, and GENERATION REDIRECTTM seeks to leverage the strengths of the collective whole to execute on its vision and mission.

BRO. LAMONT HARRINGTON

Opposite page photo: Former President Barack Obama with AfricanAmerican Youth (image courtesy of WhiteHouse.gov)

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Theta Upsilon Sigma Chapter: Inspiring Success In Young Men On June 18, 2016 the Theta Upsilon Sigma Chapter (Rochester, NY) was honored to participate in the “Distinguished Gentlemen: The Mayor’s Appointment, Inspiring Success in Young Men” event, sponsored by Mayor Lovely Warren and the City of Rochester. This event connected more than 200 young men between the ages of 14-22 with accomplished and established role models. Local community organizations provided established vendor-styled booths and a professional environment for the young men to interact and gain information. Feedback from attendees and organizers, after the event, made it clear that Phi Beta Sigma’s presence and execution was the most impactful of all volunteers at the event! Nineteen brothers participated, including City Councilman Bro. Adam McFadden, who offered a welcoming message alongside Mayor Lovely Warren.

The Chapter was tasked with showing the participants the virtue of presenting themselves as professionals through the theme “Dress to Impress”. With this goal in mind, brothers engaged the young men in the following areas: DIRECT ENGAGEMENT: • Conversations about proper attire for interviews, and other clothing tips.

• Teaching and demonstrating how to tie a tie.

• Taking their suit measurements and providing the measurements via a custom postcard.

MEN’S WEARHOUSE PARTNERSHIP: • We utilized the Fraternity’s partnership with Men's Wearhouse to assist us with this project • Secured over 200 donated ties from Men’s Wearhouse to be included in a swag bag given to each young man.

Bro. Terrance Collins-Howard demonstrates how to tie a tie to one of the young invited guests.

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Mayor Lovely Warren addresses the audience to kickoff the networking and booth visits.

Brothers created and attached a custom label to each tie with a special message from the Chapter.

• Train the Trainers: While several Brothers were familiar with tying ties, the brothers leveraged Men’s Wearhouse’s expertise to train brothers to take suit measurements for the young men at the event. This enabled the attendees to leave with a postcard that captured their current measurements.

• A 40% Off Coupon for the Men’s Wearhouse was provide to participants who engaged the brothers at our booth.

EVENT PRESENCE: • The Chapter created a booth environment that was inviting to the young participants.

• Trade show style hardware, along with custom graphics created a very appealing environment for the attendees visiting our booth.

• A large screen video monitor continuously played a video on how to tie a tie.

• Brothers were attired in formal Sigma attire. There was a sea of Royal Blue Jackets!

• Two suited mannequins from Men’s Wearhouse and an additional one from the Chapter, with Sigma Dress Blue attire, were part of the booth’s design.

• Bro. Leysath volunteered his company’s photography services, CreativEye Photo, to capture and print keepsake pictures of each young man with Mayor Warren.

Official Group picture of all role models and volunteers with Mayor Warren at the Distinguished Gentlemen’s Event in Rochester, New York

Execboard2: Theta Upsilon Sigma Chapter executive board poses with Mayor Warren during Distinguished Gentlemen Event. L to R: Bro. Kevin Leysath, President; Bro. Gerald Tillery, VP, Mayor Lovely Warren; Bro. Daniel Rabess, Secretary

The event was a tremendous success. The date for the 2nd Annual event has already been confirmed. Theta Upsilon Sigma Chapter will return with even greater excitement and resolve to help impact the lives of additional young men via this event.

BRO. KEVIN LEYSATH

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Phi Beta Sigma Houston Honors Sigma Legends HOUSTON, TX - On Sunday, August 21, 2016 the Westberry Engram Sigma Educational Foundation Inc., the financial arm of Alpha Beta Sigma Chapter (Houston, TX), hosted a fabulous event to honor several great Phi Beta Sigma Legends throughout the Greater Houston Area.

These brothers have all made outstanding contributions to their communities, families, this country, and a lifelong commitment to Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Bro. Gary

Lang of Langstead Catering provided an excellent meal for those in attendance.

We were truly blessed to have among us our beloved Bro. James S. Walker, Chaplain Emeritus and 100 years young,

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present each Honoree with their Sigma Legend Medallion.

Honorees included: Bros. Hon. Frank Hawkins Jr. (DSC#86), Sammy Ford III (Past National Director of Collegiate Affairs), Judge Morris Overstreet, Major Gen. (USA) James Cheatham, Rev. Manson Johnson, Benny Joseph (Historic Houston Photographer), Omar Reid (Director of HR City of Houston), and Dr. Virgil Wood, (Educator & Civil Rights Icon).

It was a time to remember filled with brotherly and sisterly love and appreciation.

Congratulations to the four Jack Yates High School Graduates, each received a $1,000.00 scholarship. God Bless and Congratulations to all!

For additional information on the Chapter, please visit us on Facebook, at: Phi Beta Sigma, Houston BRO. LEO ROSEBURE

Zeta Lambda Chapter Provides Clean Water for Village in Ghana GHANA, WEST AFRICA - In many places, drinking a sip of water can be extremely hazardous, even deadly. Sadly,

many people in developing countries have no choice but to get their water from contaminated sources that cause countless children to die needlessly from diarrhea and typhoid. To help combat this crisis Operation Blessing has a multifold approach that includes deep water wells, community water systems, chlorination projects, water filters and catchment systems to provide solutions for communities with unsafe, polluted or limited access to a safe water source.

The brothers of the Zeta Lambda Chapter (University of Connecticut) teamed up with Good Year Quality (GYQ) and Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) to provide clean water to a village in the eastern region of Ghana. Through the Chapter’s generous donation, in honor of Jesse Kwabena Richeeds (Co-Founder & Director of Community Outreach for GYQ), they have ensured the village has clean, safe water for years to come.

Operation Blessing International Relief and Development Corporation (OBI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, humanitarian organization headquartered in the United States. OBI was founded in 1978 by businessman and philanthropist, M.G. Robertson. Since 1978, Operation Blessing has touched the lives of more than 261 million people in 105 countries and all 50 states, providing goods and services valued at more than $3.6 billion. Through core programs of disaster relief, medical aid, hunger relief, vulnerable children and orphan care, clean water and community development, OBI is dedicated to alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world.

How can you help? You can visit OBI online to find out about the many programs they have to assist those in need, both in the United States and abroad.

OBI can be reached online at www.operationblessing.org. You can also contact them via e-mail at operation. blessing@ob.org or call . . . 1-800-730-2537. For more information on Good Year Quality, visit their website: www.goodyearquality.org.

BRO. I. MOHAMMED

Community gathers around the well donated by Zeta Lambda Chapter and Good Year Quality

Brothers of Zeta Lambda Chapter

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STEM . . . A Brief History STEM EDUCATION HELPS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW THE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS IMPACT THE WORLD AND PREPARE THEM FOR THE WORKFORCE OF TOMORROW.

S

TEM Education is a method of teaching and learning that encourages students to take charge of their learning, rather than learning isolated content. In the STEM classroom, students focus on activities allowing them to engage in real world problems and experiences leading to higher level thinking. They learn by forming arguments, solving problems and gathering supporting evidence. STEM environment encourages teachers to develop a learning environment where students are inspired to experience, talk, debate, discover, design, create, and build.

The United States has historically been an innovator in the STEM fields. However, in the early 1990’s fewer students were choosing STEM fields as a focus of their studies.

The U.S. was struggling to remain a leader in the STEM fields. In 2001 the National Science Foundation married science, technology, engineering, and math with the acronym “STEM”.

In recent years there has been a movement led by the Rhode Island School of Design to add Art Design to STEM, making it STEAM (STEM + Art = STEAM) education. The objectives of the STEAM movement are to: transform research policy to place Art + Design at the center of STEM, encourage integration of Art + Design in K–20 education and influence employers to hire artists and designers to drive innovation.

The Obama Administration introduced the "Educate to Innovate" campaign in 2009. The program is designed to motivate and inspire students to excel in STEM subjects. This campaign also addresses the inadequate number of teachers skilled to educate in these subjects. The goal is to get American students from the middle of the pack in science and math to the top of the pack in the international arena. In his 2009

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State of the Union Address President Obama renewed the charge forward stating, “We will not just meet, but we will exceed the level achieved at the height of the Space Race, through policies that invest in basic and applied research, create new incentives for private innovation, promote breakthroughs in energy and medicine, and improve education in math and science. Through this commitment, American students will move… from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math over the next decade – for we know that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow.”

The Obama administration's 2014 budget invested $3.1 billion in federal programs on STEM education, with an increase of 6.7 percent over 2012. The investments will be made to recruit and support STEM teachers, as well as support STEM-focused high schools with STEM Innovation Networks. The budget also invests into advanced research projects for education, to better understand next-generation learning technologies.

The Department of Education now offers a number of STEM-based programs, including research programs, grant selection programs and general programs that support STEM education.

In this section we share articles on STEAM related topics and profiles on brothers with extended experience working in and/or pursuing STEAM related careers. These chapters and brothers are all working towards a goal of placing the United States back on top in the area of innovation.

Profiles of The Blue and White Working In STEM Fields BRO. WILLIE SMITH (Certified Tester Advanced Level - Test Manager (CTAL-TM), Project Management Professional (PMP)) has over 20 years of I/T experience across several different areas including software development, web testing, risk based testing, automated testing and project management. Bro. Smith has experience in developing and implementing effective quality assurance processes and structures in an information technology and corporate environment. Currently, Bro. Smith leads a team that consists of several programmers, manually and automation quality assurance (QA) specialists testing a company critical web service application that is used over 50 million times a day on UPS.com. Bro. Smith became a member through the Zeta Upsilon Chapter (University of Maryland Baltimore County) in Spring 1989. He is currently a member of the Zeta Sigma Chapter (Baltimore, MD).

BRO. KEVIN D. WOODS has been a Financial Analyst at American Airlines since June 2015. Prior to joining American Airlines, he gained experience in the industry as a Brand Finance Intern with Fisher Price. He also spent three years with Manhattan Associates in Atlanta, GA as a Consultant. Bro Woods earned a B.S. in Industrial and Information Engineering from University of Tennessee – Knoxville in the spring of 2010, and an MBA from Vanderbilt University in the spring of 2015. Bro. Woods became a member through the Omicron Sigma Chapter (Dallas, TX) in the Fall 2015. He currently serves as the Director of Social Action for the Omicron Sigma Chapter.

BRO. JASON WHITE became a member through the Lambda Eta Chapter (Arkansas State University) in the Spring 2013. Bro. White earned a B.S. in International Business from Arkansas State University in 2016. He is currently a Client Solutions Executive with AT&T, which consists of consulting with small businesses to leverage various forms of wired and wireless communications technologies as a quintessential part of their business plans for growth and development.

BRO. SHERON A. THOMAS became a member through the Gamma Gamma Gamma Chapter (Missouri University of Science of Technology) in the Fall 2012. Bro. Thomas is a senior majoring in Civil Engineering. He has interned twice with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) as a Designer and Materials Inspector, and plans to work with the MODOT upon graduation in May 2017. Bro. Thomas served as the Pre-College Initiative (PCI) Chair with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) from 2012-2014. The PCI program is for high school students interested in pursuing STEAM field higher education.

BRO. TERRELL CARTER, SR. is a Systems Engineer with Venyu, a division of EATEL CORP. Venyu is a provider of cloud, datacenter, and data protection services. Venyu’s products and services include cloud hosting, online data backup, virtualized disaster recovery, managed hosting, managed services and co-location. Bro. Cater is responsible for monitoring and maintaining server capacity and integrity for a myriad of clients. He became a member through the Iota Tau Chapter (Louisiana State University), and is currently a member of the Omicron Beta Sigma Chapter (Baton Rouge, LA). He currently serves as the Louisiana State Director for Collegiate Affairs.

SOROR RENEE’ L. BOURGEOIS was initiated into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. through the Rho Epsilon Chapter (Louisiana State University) in the Fall of 1982. She has been active and financial for the past 34 years. She has held offices on the national, regional, and state levels. She became a Life Member in 1996 and is currently a member of the Omicron Sigma Zeta Chapter (Baton Rouge, LA). Renee’ has been a dedicated professional at the LSU Museum of Art since May 2005. She has held several positions, including; Special Events & Public Relations Coordinator, Marketing Director and Coordinator of Special Events & Marketing of Facility Rentals. She is a member of several professional organizations, including; Women in Media, the Baton Rouge Events Association and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. of which she is on the executive board for all three.

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Music, Medicine Takes One Brother From Concert Halls to the Far Corners of the World

When STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) became the latest educational buzz acronym, many —including this writer— wondered where the arts fit in with education in the new millennium. Would students have to choose between the hard sciences or creative passions?

For Brother Jason Maher, the answer was, and has always been, no.

Maher, a 2012 initiate of the Alpha Alpha Chi Chapter (Duke University) refused to choose. From a young age, Maher cultivated his musical talents while building his interests in the sciences. “I was always really into the sciences,” Maher said. “But while I was doing science, I was also playing music.”

Maher carried his dual interests all through his undergraduate career, despite the insistence from a professor that he needed to pick a path and devote his time to music or medicine. It was far from a path of least resistance. Five years and nine semesters later, he walked across the graduation stage

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— without giving up anything and still on track for medical school. He credits the lessons outside the lab for giving him the people skills needed to succeed once Brother Maher becomes Dr. Maher.

“The most valuable things I learned were outside of class,” he said. “You need to be solid in the science, but I’ve met so many people that understood science but didn’t grasp the things that involved the human element. Being a conductor, I’ve had to communicate with 100 people without saying a word. I’ve taught English in India and did another project in Southern China. Those are the type of things you don’t get in class. My English and writing courses got me engaged with the community.”

After graduation, Maher returned to Florida to prepare for medical school. And then something strange happened: life got in the way. “I had to stay in Florida for a year to establish residency to apply to medical school,” he added.

“I was looking at jobs in hospitals and it felt like I dropped off. At Duke, they encourage you to do something meaningful. I was bored.” That boredom led to some chance meetings with alumni of the Peace Corps.

Having already spent time overseas during his undergraduate studies, Maher was intrigued. “It just seemed right.”

Like refusing to choose between music and medicine, Maher refused to let naysayers talk him out of joining. “People were trying to caution me. They asked if I ever slept in the jungle or bathed in a river. Everything they were trying to warn me about didn't cause me hesitation.” With medical school on hold, Maher is Peace Corps bound and will spend 27 months in Cameroon. With a degree from a well-known school and a lengthy track record of service, Maher had his pick of organizations prior to pursuing further education.

He says the Peace Corps stood out from the pack because it wasn’t a “resume builder.”

“I’ve seen a lot of people look at other service organizations as resume builders but that’s not cool. You go in for a short time and you’re supposed to be helping other people, but you’re getting more out of it.” Hopefully, Cameroon is ready for a big dose of Service to Humanity.

“Phi Beta Sigma has had the biggest influence and has been the biggest enabler for me to dedicate my life to serving others and being more selfless,” he said of time in Our Wondrous Band. “The Fraternity makes me want to put my skills to more productive use.”

BRO. AJ SPRINGER

STEAM and the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Today, a STEM education refers to the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Once you incorporate the arts program, the acronym STEAM begins to recognize the creative applications that are based on the principles expressed in the initial STEM program. With these principles as the foundation, one can begin to dream of magnificent architectural and engineering related concepts that can be developed into physical accomplishment. The National Museum for African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is one of those dreams where I was privileged to be able to utilize my STEAM background to participate in the design of this amazing new Smithsonian museum.

The engineering firm where I am currently employed was issued a noticed to proceed (NTP) to perform civil engineering and site design services for the project on December 22, 2009. My civil engineering education, and previous work experiences, was well suited for the task ahead.

Mathematics was essential to understanding the numbers, shapes, and patterns involved with the project. The numbers were required to convey the design elements to the construction team with a sense of certainty and accuracy. Knowledge of distances, areas, volume and weight dimensions were key units of measure during design. Without such elements, interpretations of graphic only illustrations could have led to costly overruns and delays in construction.

Science included the basics of biology, chemistry, and physics. These became the fundamentals used to understand

the physical properties of the materials used for construction.

The proposed water supply and sewage system required an intricate understanding of the sciences to ensure that the proper materials were specified for carrier pipes, filtration devices and concrete structures.

Engineering involved a wide range of disciplines that all relied on the math and science principles. These aspects include geotechnical for deep excavation and soil characteristics, environmental for sediment and erosion control practice, hydrology to compute the stormwater quality and quantity volumes, and structural to determine foundation and steel reinforcement. Other related engineering disciplines included pavement design, electrical lighting, site grading and utility installation.

Technology is the element that pulls everything together using computer software programs to perform calculations, 3D renderings, and work as a platform to coordinate the design between the architects and engineers. The computer is used to advance a building integrated model (BIM) to develop the design. The BIM model was essential in executing clash detection to ensure that the various design disciplines did not conflict with one another.

Art is typically representative of the attractiveness of the project that is experienced by the general public. While art can tend to be the overwhelming aspect of the project that may appear as an isolated element, it is the engineering behind the art that provides the engineered structures and supports for which the art is attached and suspended. Thus, the two elements have to work in concert as visually seen on the ornamental lattice (Corona) that is wrapped around the building.

I considered myself fortunate to be able to have worked on this very special project. In addition, I’m appreciative of the STEAM related training that has prepared me in a manner that has afforded me the opportunity to make a contribution to the design and development of such a grandiose project. Beyond the engineering, this is a very special museum and I encourage members of the Fraternity to visit the site and tour the museum with your families when you have an opportunity.

The Museum is incredible and its collections are emotionally breath taking and worthy of your support.

Bro. Jackson is a registered professional engineer with a Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) from Temple University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSCE) from Morgan State University. He became a member through the Gamma Chapter (Morgan State University) in the Fall 1990. He is currently in Zeta Sigma Chapter (Baltimore, MD).

BRO. ELFORD JACKSON

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Epsilon Sigma Chapter Sigma Beta Club SeaPerch Competition

In 2008, the Epsilon Sigma Chapter (Harlem, NY) reactivated their Sigma Beta Club (SBC) under the leadership of chapter president, Bro. Kenneth (Rico) Abrantes. He immediately appointed Bro. Kevin Bracey as the Chapter’s Sigma Beta Coordinator. With the assistance of several other chapter members they began the process of designing a curriculum that would cultivate the young minds under their direction. The Chapter recognized the need to mentor the young men in their community and assist them to become productive members of the communities in which they live.

At the 2011 Conclave (Atlanta, GA) the Epsilon Sigma SBC was recognized as the model SBC in the Fraternity.

In 2012 the Chapter was presented with a unique opportunity to participate in a new and exciting program sponsored by the United States Navy. SeaPerch is a program created by the U. S. Navy to engage young students into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education program.

SeaPerch is an opportunity for students to collaborate with the U.S. Navy to build an ROV (Robotic Operating Vehicle). Once the ROV is completed students will engage other students at a regional competition. In September 2012, Bro. Abrantes attended an eight hour certification training

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session to become an instructor. In October of 2012, the Sigma Beta Club received two ROV kits, which consisted of everything they needed to build their ROV’s. The Sigma Beta Club attended their first Regional STEM competition in March 2013 on the campus of The City College of New York.

The SeaPerch regional competition is a seven hour day, taking place at an aquatic center in New York City. The competition is very competitive with many schools and organizations displaying their talents during three events. There are two underwater challenges and a poster presentation, which are all graded by judges.

The SBC participated in their second regional competition in April 2015. This time the competition was moved to The Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center, located in Queens New York.

Once again we came away empty handed, and did not place in any category. However, the brothers and SBC members participating in the competition had a great time and gained some valuable knowledge from the experience.

In April of 2016, five of our members headed to Boston to represent the SBC at the Eastern Regional Conference, while Bro. Abrantes accompanied two members to participate in our third SeaPerch regional competition. One young man represented our junior high school division, and the other represented our high school division. We knew we were in for a long day, but we were ready to give it our best effort. These young men had been preparing for this competition for months, and now it was their time to shine. Our preparation and commitment to the task at hand paid off and we earned 1ST Place in one category and 2ND Place in another. When it was all said and done, the hours sacrificed throughout the years finally produced the results we were seeking when we first began competing in 2013. Lesson learned, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.

BRO. KENNETH “RICO” ABRANTES

Gamma Gamma Gamma Chapter STEAM Involvement

Melton Parham (Secretary – Nuclear Engineering with a minor in Physics) I was the former MUS&T NSBE chapter president from 20152016 and current Academic Excellence Chair. I am also currently getting experience as a Technical Assistant in the Nuclear Materials Research department where we apply nuclear knowledge to understand material components.

Malick Ndiaye (Co-Treasurer – Computer Science) I have interned as a Software Engineer for Edward Jones two summers ago and interned for Enterprise Holdings Inc. this past summer where I designed a complete web application. I have also participated in Undergraduate Research under a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) here at Missouri S&T. Sidney Webster (Co-Treasurer – Computer Science) I have interned with SmartCare Consultants as a Software programmer, where I built a beta website. SmartCare is a healthcare sensor tech company that’s trying to remove nursery homes and make it easier to monitor loved ones from home.

Image Caption (L to R): Bros. Chidiebere Onukogu, Chidera Kokelu, Joel Cardin, Sheron Thomas, Melton Parham Jr., Akachukwu Nwosu, Curtis Okafor

As students of the Missouri University of Science & Technology (MUS&T), the brothers of Gamma Gamma Gamma Chapter are naturally involved in STEAM activities, whether in a professional setting or through extra-curricular activities.

Our alumni, Bros. Kevin Dillon, Walter Scott-Williams, Cornell Nichols III, Devyn Oatis, Chidiebere Onukogu, and Curtis Okafor, also have careers in the STEAM fields. In November we plan to bring the Sigma Beta Club of St. Louis to MUS&T to give them a glimpse into life on a college campus, and use the opportunity to introduce them to STEAM related degree programs.

Joel Cardin (President-Engineering Management, Emphasis in Civil Engineering) I aspire to be a Project Manager for a company that builds and/ or maintains bridges, and highways. I have interned with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) this past summer for the second time. I now have a lot of experience as a Bridge Inspector as well as a Construction Inspector. This past summer I oversaw a $2.2 million project by insuring proper traffic control, asphalt quality, as well as communicate with different Project Managers, Foremen, and Contractors. After this internship, I was offered a full time job position with MoDOT. Chidera Kokelu (Vice President – Petroleum Engineering) I currently serve as the R5 co-chair for the Missouri region of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). I am also the Precollege Initiative Co-Chair (PCI) for the MUS&T chapter of NSBE since 2015.

Sheron Thomas (Member at Large, Charter Member – Civil Engineering) I have interned twice with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) as a Designer and Materials Inspector and I was offered a full time positon with MoDOT when I graduate in May of 2017. I’m also a former Precollege Initiative Chair (PCI) with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).

The PCI program is for high school students interested in STEAM field higher education.

Samuel Ogunmolawa (Historian – Electrical Engineering) This summer I had an internship with ArcelorMittal where I experienced what it is like to work in a steel mill. I created a computer program for a welder and collected thermographic data on electrical equipment. I am also currently the Treasurer of the MUS&T NSBE chapter.

Akachukwu Nwosu (Member at Large, Charter Member – Engineering Management and Petroleum Engineering) I am currently working with Harley-Davidson as a Manufacturing Engineering Coop where I am the technical support for the Assembly Engineering team. My responsibilities include tactical line support for the assembly areas, address downtime issues, address quality issues, complete process improvement projects, support assembly documentation management, support assembly pilots documenting results, and data mining quality and downtime data.

BRO. SHERON THOMAS

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Bro. Dr. Gerald Weatherspoon Chair for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry George Mason University

Bro. Dr. Gerald L. R. Weatherspoon is the newly elected Chair for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at George Mason University (GMU). He has served as Associate Chair for the past seven years. In 2002, he became the first African-American tenured in science and engineering at the university, as well as in a chemistry department at a flagship university in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

As of 2016, there are only two African-Americans tenured professors in chemistry departments at flagship universities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Weatherspoon is the only African-American tenured in the College of Science at GMU. He will go down in history as being the first African-American to serve as Chair for any department in science and engineering at the university.

Dr. Weatherspoon, a native of Mississippi, earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Jackson State University and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis. He was the first African-American to earn a doctorate from the Solid State Inorganic Chemistry group, where he focused on the “Electrochemical Synthesis of Oxide Superconductors”. Afterwards, he completed postdoctoral studies at AT&T Bell Laboratories (now Lucent Technologies in Murray Hill, NJ), where he focused on superconductors, dielectrics and mixed transition-metal oxides as potential bi-functional electrodes in battery systems.

Since arriving at GMU in 1996, he has served as advisor for several organizations, including the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS). He has also served on the Medical School Advisory Committee (MSAC) for the university; coordinator for the graduate program, General Chemistry, and graduate teaching assistants; chaired academic program review assessment teams for Chemistry,

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Software Engineering, Physics & Astronomy, and the Philosophy & Anthropology programs. In 1999, Dr. Weatherspoon became the first faculty member in his department to receive a university-wide outstanding teaching award. In 2015, he received the Teaching Excellence Award at GMU, making him the first African-American male to receive this distinction. He is a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, the Golden Key National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society; the American Chemical Society (ACS), the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists & Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE); a past board member of the Angie Kennedy Educational Foundation and a current board member of the Glenn Dale Woods Homeowners Association, as well as a former member of the Chorus Choir at Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Dr. Weatherspoon has a reputation of being one of the hardest professors in the department and some students enroll in his courses (undergraduate and graduate) for bragging rights—-to brag to their friends and family that they actually passed one of his classes. He spends his spare time mentoring GMU students and students from other universities.

Dr. Weatherspoon is the Immediate Past Eastern Regional Director of Education for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated. Bro. Weatherspoon became a member through the Alpha Beta Chapter (Jackson State University) in the Spring 1982. He is currently a member of the Theta Tau Sigma Chapter (Northern VA).

BRO. ROGER GRAHAM

Theta Delta Sigma Chapter Partners with New Horizons to Award Scholarships

New Horizons Computer Learning Center joined in partnership with the Theta Delta Sigma Chapter (Killeen, Texas) of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Together, the two organizations awarded eight Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) scholarships to Bro. Jon Hawkins graduating seniors in the Central Texas area, valued over $60,000. The students receive one fully funded Security Information Technology (IT) Program with digital books, practice exams, and course material. The program takes approximately three months to complete 187 course hours.

In conjunction with training and entry-level information technology certificates, students have the opportunity to participate in a professional development program for job placement. Local counselors assist with resume writing and job interview skills. “We are incredibly honored to partner with the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity on this initiative,” stated Jamie Fiely, President of New Horizons of

Killeen. “Understanding that each year more students are looking at vocational and tech schools in order to engage in the workforce faster, we’re happy to be a resource that provides education, certification, and professional development offerings that are sure to set these students on a path to success.”

Our partnership with New Horizons is a win-win situation for all parties involved and Phi Beta Sigma is delighted to be a part of this program. The partnership is an awesome experience and a life changing opportunity for some well-deserved students. Through our partnership with New Horizon, we will make a difference in the lives of high school students in the Central Texas area. This program will provide students with key skill sets that are in high demand in the industry.

This partnership is the result of the hard work of Bro. Jon Hawkins, Theta Delta Sigma Chapter Education Director. Bro. Hawkins holds degrees from Grambling State University and Florida Institute of Technology. New Horizons Computer Learning Center has presented us with an opportunity to make an even greater impact on the lives of our youth. Along with providing nine financial scholarships annually by Theta Delta Sigma Chapter to deserving high school seniors, we will provide a grand total of sixteen scholarships. We are investing back into our community and following the three Sigma principles: Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service.

The first STEM Scholarship was presented to Tyreke Leak on June 17, 2016. We look forward to awarding additional scholarships to deserving students and building on our partnership with New Horizons.

BRO. JON HAWKINS Photo L to R: Bro. Willie Coleman, Bro. Jon Hawkins, awardee Tyreke Leak, Jessica Bell (New Horizon), Bro. Warren Jones, and Bro. Charles Simpson.

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Solutions Through Creatively Thinking “Outside the Box”

Bro. Jimmie Norles became a member through Alpha Sigma Alpha Chapter (University of Alabama in Huntsville) in 2009, and is currently a member of the Beta Epsilon Sigma Chapter (Huntsville, AL). He earned a Bachelor’s in Information Systems from UAH in 2012 and a Masters in Project Management – Information Systems from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2015. Bro. Norles is currently an Information Assurance Analyst supporting the Missile Defense Agency with NASA. Previously he was a Software Engineer for NASA.

When I was in the fourth grade, I was introduced to Odyssey of the Mind. The organization is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and world level. What made this experience unique is that our team would solely be responsible for creating props and finding a solution without any intervention or recommendations from

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teachers or parents. This creative, out-of-the-box thinking would provide me a new perspective on creative problem solving that I would be able to carry throughout my academic career. In 2013 Soror Katy Kolasinski, introduced me to Destination Imagination. Like Odyssey of the Mind, Destination Imagination provides challenges in the fields of science, technology, engineering, fine arts, and improvisation to students ranging in age from first grade to college.

Since being introduced to Destination Imagination, I have volunteered at the local and state levels in Alabama as an appraiser for team solutions and a check-in manager prior to performance.

Watching students of all ages perform entertaining yet technical solutions gets me excited for their future in STEAM careers. To see standards challenged and solutions that deviate from the norm is the type of creativity that will ignite innovation as careers become more complex. As I strive to establish a foundation in my own career in STEAM, watching these problem solvers or serving as a technical advisor to answer questions reminds me that it is our job to facilitate the growth and creativity of the next generation.

Through these innovative programs students are not bound to a confined standard, but provided tools to use creativity to derive their own success in the field. Even by just volunteering, seeing the way young people approach their challenges, from the ridiculous to the sublime, I have been able to take some of their techniques and apply it to my own field.

For more information on how your school can register a team, visit their website at: https://www.destinationimagination.org/ BRO. JIMMIE NORLES

Brothers Profiles Phi Beta Sigma Welcomes New Executive Director Bro. Samuel L. Walthour Bro. Samuel Walthour has over 24 years of leadership experience in governmental agencies including The Florida Sterling Council, American Society for Quality and National Association of Counties. In his most recent position, he was founding and managing director of the Gadson Group Consultants, LLC, a senior management executive and consultancy - a transformer of underperforming agencies into high performing, sustainable organizations.

Bro. Walthour oversees the day-to-day operations of the Fraternity. He is responsible for providing executive level leadership and management to ensure that the mission and core values of the Fraternity are consistently implemented. He will also collaborate with the executive management team to develop and implement plans for the operational infrastructure of systems, processes and personnel designed to accommodate the growth objectives of the fraternity.

“The prospect of assisting, facilitating, and supporting the advancement of the principles of Phi Beta Sigma in the role of International Executive Director, is humbling, and I consider it a high honor,” shared Walthour. “I look forward to advancing the rich legacy of the position,” he affirmed.

Please join the Crescent Team in welcoming Bro. Walthour. We also extend our continued support to him and the Headquarters Team as they work hard for the membership.

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Brothers Profiles Like Father, Like Sons When I reflect on the experience of having my two sons become members of our great Fraternity, I am reminded of the scripture “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.”

I was initiated in the Fall 1978 at Mu Chapter (Lincoln University, PA).

Ironically, my sons Gyasi and Jahir were initiated the same month (April), but different years; Gyasi, Spring 2013 (Mu Chapter) and Jahir, Spring 2016 (Gamma Alpha Tau Chapter / University of New Haven). Gyasi and I are now members of Chi Sigma Chapter (Northern New Jersey) and Jahir is in his junior year at the University of New Haven.

My sons were introduced to Phi Beta Sigma at an early age and I continued to expose them every time I had the opportunity. My wife Jackie recently reminded my sons that she can remember me having them in malls, in a theme park or hallway of a hotel following behind me answering “You Know” to the “Blue Phi” call, and asking to repeat it over and over again. I have been blessed to attend the Initiation Ceremonies of both of my sons. Words can’t express the emotions that I felt as I looked each of my sons in their eyes to pin them with their Fraternity Pin. They now join an ever extending line of Blanton men who are also men of Sigma. My older brother Jack was also initiated into the Mu Chapter, Lincoln University, Pa. God has given me so much favor and I am so thankful that my two young men are no longer just my sons, but have also joined me in becoming my Fraternity Brothers as well. What an awesome gift!! GOMAB!

Bro. Beal Bourne Honored in Knoxville On August 17, 2016 the community gathered in Knoxville, TN to honor one of its own. It was a warm and sunny day and there were many dignitaries present to witness this tribute to a local legend. On this day they were gathered to rename a street in honor of Bro. Beal Bourne. Mayor Madeline Rogero spoke of Bro. Bourne’s contributions to the community and the impact he has made and continues to make on the people he meets. As he accepted this honor Bro. Bourne humbly shared stories of his family and his long time commitment to serve the community.

Bro. Bourne was initiated into the Phi Sigma Chapter (Knoxville, TN) in 1989. A Life Member of the Fraternity, he has truly held the ideals of our fraternity high. He is a local inspiration to everyone. Bro. Bourne is also a businessman, he runs the oldest Black owned business in the city, Jarnigans and Sons Mortuary. He truly embodies the motto, “Culture for BRO. JERED CROOM Service and Service for Humanity”.

Bro. Christopher Pinto Wins Shot Put Competition Bro. Christopher Pinto (Alpha Alpha Phi Chapter) is a senior psychology major at Medgar Evers College. He is also a member of the track & field team and the current City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Outdoor Track & Field Shot Put Champion. I am a firm believer in harnessing my strength and aspirations through my athletic ability, mind, body and soul. My athletic aspirations are to compete in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. I will continue to train and focus on reaching my goal of representing the United States in Japan. Professionally, my aspirations are to take the level of protective services to a new level, either through the F.B.I. or event services. The tools gained through membership in Phi Beta Sigma and in the classroom will assist me as I work towards reaching all of my life goals.

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Brothers Profiles Diversity Is Key In A Global Society Bro. Robert Clay The Missouri University School of Medicine’s mission statement reads; to improve the health of all people, especially Missourians, through exemplary education, research and patient-centered care. To Andrea Simmons, Mizzou Med Prep Coordinator, and Bro. Robin Clay, Diversity and Inclusion Recruitment Coordinator, that mission statement has an even deeper meaning. “To me, those words mean that patients come first, all people matter and everyone should always be treated with respect,” Simmons said. They both believe diversity is a Andrea Simmons and Bro. Robert Clay (MU School of Medicine) crucial factor for the medical school students due to the interactions they will have with patients from different backgrounds and cultures.

“Diversity helps produce better physicians for a global society. When you have a diverse group of peers, you can learn from each other. You also learn how to have potentially difficult conversations in a safe and productive environment,” stated Bro. Clay. Together they are part of a team working to increase diversity and inclusion at MU School of Medicine.

As part of the curriculum, students work in small groups to discuss the best way to serve patients. The groups are presented with scenarios about cultural differences and discuss how those differences factor into the treatment of patients. These discussions will go a long way as these students become doctors and must gain the trust of their patients.

Mizzou MedPrep is designed to help individuals explore health care careers and assist those interested in applying to medical school with the application process. The ultimate goal of the program is to help prepare students to become competitive medical school applicants.

Rachel Brown, MD, Associate Dean for Student Programs and Professional Development at the School of Medicine shared this about Simmons and Clay, “Their work helps our education programs reach people we would not otherwise reach. They are great colleagues, and I am proud to have them as part of our team and as part of the face of the school.”

Aside from working with undergraduates to prepare them for success in medical school, Bro. Clay also works with high school students through the MU Excellence in Learning Program. Through the program St. Louis high school students get an introduction to life as a medical student. They have opportunities to shadow medical students, along with access to undergraduates and other health care professionals. “My hope for the medical school is simple,” Clay said. “I hope for more representation of all marginalized and underrepresented groups, and more resources to ensure that every medical student feels included and proud to be a Tiger.”

Bro. Robin Clay, M.Ed., is a member of the Nu Theta Sigma Chapter (Columbia, MO), and has been active in the Chapter since 2008. He was initiated into Phi Beta Sigma in the Fall 2007 through the Beta Chi Chapter (Lincoln University, MO). He holds a Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Lincoln University (MO). Also featured in the article is Mrs. Andrea Simmons, Coordinator of Mizzou MedPrep Programs and a member of the Kappa Chi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (Columbia, MO).

*This article contains excerpts from an article originally published in the Fall 2016 issue of Archives Magazine at the University of Missouri Hospital; Driving diversity: Simmons, Clay strive for inclusivity at School of Medicine by Diamond Dixon.

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Brothers Profiles Studying Abroad: Gaining Knowledge to Compete in a Global Society When I chose to commit my college career to Electrical Engineering, I mentally prepared myself for greatness. As a first generation college student, in a profession where African-Americans are significantly underrepresented, I embarked upon my academic pursuits undeterred by the challenges facing me. To this day; I stand steadfast in my resolve despite the odds.

In a continuous pursuit of self-improvement I set out to explore all options available to me to help further my educational development during the summer of 2016. I came to the conclusion, that I needed a better holistic grasp of what the field of engineering could afford me. While attending a career readiness workshop, a point was made that a diverse education is essential in today’s global society. Although I aspire to seek out all educational avenues to gain an advantage in the area of engineering, I also wish to acquire an internal understanding for personal growth. Therefore, when the opportunity to study abroad was presented, I immediately took action. This opportunity would help to build character, increase networking opportunities, build relationships, and remain morally grounded. As one of many that applied for this opportunity, I found myself in a conference room with Bro. Kendall Harris, Dean of Engineering at Prairie View A&M University, as he was sharing the requirements and guidelines for a trip to China.

Maintaining an open mind and the will to embrace a different culture helped guide me through my seven week endeavor in China. Meeting and communicating with people in a foreign language was one of the best experiences on the trip. Every day, I made it a goal to improve in many areas, such as; language skill, calligraphy, tai chi or engineering. Excellent study habits were a must to maintain a 4.0 GPA, and anything less was not an option. Seeking to uphold the principles of Phi Beta Sigma, I continued to build the relationships around me daily. My classmates, teachers and neighbors felt the positive energy I contributed to each journey. Communication, patience and dedication were at the forefront of my travels. The life experiences I gained on this trip will remain with me as I continue my educational pursuits.

The opportunity to study abroad helped me to grow professionally, academically and emotionally. I’ve climbed some of the tallest mountains, seen the great temples and heard the Chinese secrets. I have been fortunate to enjoy the experience of studying abroad, and my goal is to share with my brothers all that I have experienced, because I Am My Brother’s Keeper. All in all, I will add to the many virtues at my chapter by bringing a worldly perspective, leadership and an embolden vigor to serve. I am Bro. David Alexander, and we the brothers of the Delta Theta Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. at Prairie View A&M University, wish good vibes, peace and prosperity to all.

BRO. DAVID ALEXANDER

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Looking Back Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and the Obama Administration

A

s we reflect on the Obama years in the White House we can be proud of the relationship Sigma has shared with the Obama Administration. While Sigma has enjoyed relationships with past administrations, that relationship increased during the Obama years.

The last several years have provided common ground for the Fraternity and the White House on several critical issues. One of the major issues Sigma continues to have a strong voice on is the mentoring and support of our young Black males. So, when The Obama Administration rolled out their My Brother’s Keeper initiative, Sigma was on board immediately. Answering the call to save our youth was only the beginning as we increased our partnership with the Administration.

We truly hope we have an opportunity to work with the current administration and administrations well into the future. Below are a few examples of those areas where we established partnerships with the Obama Administration.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed an historic memorandum of understanding in 2014, establishing a partnership that will provide new opportunities for urban youth to experience the natural world and promote interest in conservation and the biological sciences.

The multi-faceted partnership engages Sigma members and its Sigma Beta Clubs to become environmental stewards. Goals include 1) teaching and engaging youth in outdoor recreation on public lands to promote health through physical activity; 2) promoting the pursuit of biological sciences careers through stewardship and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math); 3) building national, regional and local conservation partnerships; and 4) engaging Sigma as a voice on conservation issues.

I Am My Brother’s Keeper (IAMBK):

its own and, via partnerships with other national organizations, to fund a slew of programs designed to save and support the lives of young Black men and boys.

The Fraternity developed an answer to the President’s challenge called “I Am My Brother’s Keeper”. The initiative focuses on training 10,000 mentors for our children, 5,000 men to be strong fathers in our communities, adopting 100 schools and giving out more than $1 million in scholarships. Co-signed by President Obama, the Fraternity hosted a panel featuring Bro. Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson and Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and others discussing the plan at the Congressional Black Caucus.

Congressional Black Caucus: Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity has enjoyed a relationship with the CBC over the years, but that relationship has grown over the last four years. The Fraternity participated in the annual conference by lending its voice and thoughts on critical issues affecting people of color during the conference’s line-up of seminars, panel discussions and brain trusts.

One of the highlights of this growing relationship was the REAL TALK panel discussion. As a part of Phi Beta Sigma’s I Am My Brother’s Keeper initiative, REAL TALK convened a serious conversation about the future of America’s young men of color. The focus-driven dialogue featured speakers and panelists representing the most thought-provoking intellectuals and social-conscious commentators. Moderated by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, the panel featured Bro. Rev. Al Sharpton, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Dr. John H. Jackson, Marc H. Morial, Benjamin Crump, Esq. and Steven W. Hawkins. Roy Austin, White House Domestic Policy Council’s Deputy Assistant to the President for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity, also joined the conversation to speak on behalf of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.

BRO. TODD LE BON

Phi Beta Sigma had no desire to be a silent partner in the White House initiative My Brother’s Keeper. Instead it planned to be a very vocal, raising millions of dollars on

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Alpha Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter Receives Award from Neptune Township On Friday September 23, 2016, Bro. Kevin B. McMillan, Mayor of Neptune Township, NJ; presented the Sorors of the Alpha Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter (Monmouth/Ocean Counties) of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. with the Neptune Township‘s Community Service Award. The award was presented at the 23rd Annual Mayor’s Ball held at the Jumping Brook Country Club in Neptune, NJ. The Mayor’s Ball helps to raise funds to benefit the Neptune Public Library.

The brothers of the Iota Chi Sigma Chapter (Jersey Shore Sigmas) were on hand to support the ladies of Alpha Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter and their fellow chapter brother, Mayor McMillan.

On October 24th the Sorors of Alpha Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter were invited to the Neptune Township Committee Meeting. At the meeting, Mayor McMillan presented the Chapter with a check for their scholarship fund. The Chapter continues to remain active in the Neptune Township community and set the example for all other area organizations to follow. The Chapter recently awarded five scholarships, including two to be presented to Neptune youth.

BRO. JAMES D. JACKSON, JR

Above image: Bro. McMillan presents a check to Sorors Pamela Felder & Tiffany Nicole Cox at the October 24th Township Committee meeting. The Sorority is active in the Neptune Township and recently awarded five scholarships, including two to Neptune youth.

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A JOURNEY BACK TO AFRICA

Phi Beta Sigma Men Visit Bro. Kwame Nkrumah’s Mausoleum In Ghana I first visited Ghana in 2008 to serve in their fight against malaria. It was part of The Mosquito Net Project of Teachers Against the Malaria Epidemic (TAME), staffed by teachers of L&A Memorial Academy (a Privately Funded Educational Institution in Accra, Ghana that provides Nursery, Pre-School, and Junior High School (JHS) education) and volunteers from all over the world looking to give back.

During my time there I had an opportunity to visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, which features a statue of Ghana’s first president and a museum outlining his legacy as one of the greatest Pan Africanists of all time. However, I noted a glaring omission in the Museum, his affiliation with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. was not represented. Despite the important part the Fraternity arguably played in creating the man who later became an influence the likes of Martin Luther King, W. E. B. Dubois, and other world leaders, his membership in Sigma was nowhere to be found.

In 2013, Bros. Terry Oppong, a native Ghanaian, and Yvan Christophe visited Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum while traveling to Ghana. They too had a similar experience in observing the significant absence of a Sigma marker in the Museum. We later joined forces, with the assistance of Bro. Anthony Biney, to ensure the Fraternity was aware of this and see what could be done. Turns out, the very week I was planning to leave for a two-week educational tour of West Africa, the Sigma delegation was on its way to dedicate the new Vocational and Technology Center built by our Fraternity in Ghana. President Mason arranged for the delegation to visit the Kwame Nkru-

mah Mausoleum and hand deliver a plaque to be displayed in the Museum. Sigma would now be displayed prominently as part of Bro. Nkrumah’s legacy.

I met up with Bro. Mason, his son, Bro. Charles Ranson, Project Coordinator, and the Sigma delegation at the Mausoleum. We had an opportunity to pay our respects at the tomb of Bro. Nkrumah and visit the Museum, where our plaque was later presented during a private VIP reception. Bro. Kenny Agyapong (Omicron Alpha Chapter), who works there for a local TV/Radio station in Ghana, arranged for a local media presence during our visit. We were assured that the plaque will be prominently displayed for future generations of visitors to Ghana to learn about this part of Bro. Nkrumah’s life journey.

During the Labor Day weekend Bro. Anthony Biney added to the Sigma presence in the Museum, by following up our visit with the delivery of a beautiful hand carved wooden Fraternity Shield encased in a gold frame.

Looking back on this past summer, I had the honor to stand alongside my Sigma brothers at the tomb of Bro. Nkrumah in the very spot where I had a vision eight years ago. Moving forward visitors from around the world will know of the greatness that Sigma produces, as we formally honored one of the several African Presidents we’re fortunate to have in our fold. This was a perfect set of circumstances, spanning eight years, and ultimately came together in a serendipitous way that couldn’t have been planned any better if we wanted to.

The journey started out with a group of brothers and a goal to honor one of our own. The Fraternity recognized the importance of this effort and brought together brothers from the States and the Motherland to recognize and pay tribute to “one of our greats”. March on . . . March On! BRO. WAYNE A. FRANCIS

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BROTHERMAN COMICS: Bro. Guys Sims Returns to BIG CITY Today you can share information to every corner of the world in a matter of seconds. A small business owner can design a website and sell products to people around the world, without the need or expense of a “brick and mortar� store. However, for those of us born before the age of the internet, smartphones and social media this was not always the case. If you wanted to place a new product in front of a large audience one of the best places to do so was an ex-

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position show. Exposition shows gave small business owners an opportunity to place their products and services in front of large groups of people in an effort to introduce their products and grow their business and or services to an even larger audience.

During the early 1990s in the Black community the place to exhibit your product or service was one of the Black Expo shows that traveled to major cities across the country. I can remember attending the first Black Expo at the Javits Convention Center in New York City in 1989. The Black Expo was a truly unique and exciting experience. The convention center was filled with rows and rows of Black owned busi-

nesses selling products and services you could not find in the local mall or downtown shopping district in most cities.

This was an excellent opportunity for the business owners and the consumers alike. After the initial experience, the New York Black Expo was a must do event on my yearly calendar. One of the highlights of the 1990 New York Black Expo was the Brotherman Comics booth. BROTHERMAN: Dictator of Discipline was unique, something I had never read before.

I was only an occasional comic book reader growing up, and had recently started reading comics again in my early 20s. I had always been an avid reader with preference towards non-fiction. I mainly read biographies, Black History and culture and similar subjects. Reading comics was a way of relaxing between books, a break from the heavy subjects I normally read. BROTHRMAN was a welcomed edition to my regular reading list. This book had elements I could relate to and could not find in most other comics.

Brotherman Comics was founded by brothers Dawud Anyabwile, Jason Sims, and Guy A. Sims. The 1990 New York Black Expo was an opportunity to introduce the book in an effort to advertise their air brushing business in New Jersey. The Black Expo movement was a great opportunity for the brothers to distribute their books to fans directly. That initial opportunity would result in book signings and other outlets to distribute their books and gain new fans. From 1990 – 1994 BROTHERMAN could be seen on the comic book store shelf, in Black bookstores, barber shops and in schools. During that time span their circulation reached over one million copies. Things were going well and the future was looking bright.

However, in 1994 the death of their Mother would result in the ceasing of publishing. They would also lose their Father in 1996. At the time of their Mother’s death they had just completed issue number eleven. After losing their parents they took time to focus on family and also used the time to pursue individual professional and personal interests. BROTHERMAN was on bit of a hiatus. The time away from publishing the comic book afforded them an opportunity to gain valuable experience in all aspects of the business.

Even though the brothers were off raising families and doing other things the thought of reviving BROTHERMAN was always in the back of their minds. When would be the

right time to continue the story and make a triumphant return to BIG CITY? Fast forward to 2013, Dawud and Guy started discussing the possibility of bringing BROTHERMAN out of hiatus.

The original books managed to capture the imagination of its fan base in black and white, but they wanted to do this new project in color. To take the new graphic novel series to the next level they enlisted the talents of master colorist Brian McGee. The triumphant return of Brotherman Comics took place on Martin Luther King weekend 2016. The premier of BROTHERMAN: REVELATION took place on both coasts.

Guy represented at the Black Comic Book Fair, held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Harlem, NY. Dawud and Brian represented at the Black Comic Books Art Festival, San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA. After a twenty plus year hiatus BROTHERMAN was back on the scene.

As a fan of the original series I am excited that BROTHERMAN is back. I enjoyed the original series and look forward to finding out where the creative team will take us going forward. Recently I had an opportunity to sit down and talk with one of the founders of BROTHERMAN, Bro. Guy Sims. We spoke about the origin of Brotherman Comics, the return to Big City and what is in store for the future.

CM: Bro. Sims, for those readers not familiar with BROTHERMAN, please share a basic background story of the main character, Antonio Valor with our readers.

Brotherman is a comic hero created in 1989 by Bro. Guy A. Sims and his brothers, Dawud Anyabwile and Jason Sims. The comic series follows the adventures of attorney by day/hero by night, Antonio Valor, who, when the need for justice calls, answers with courage, brains, and a couple of fists to make things right. Set in the fictional world of Big City, public attorney Antonio Valor, along with his co-worker Melody Rich, and their supervisor, District Attorney Duke Denim, work to level the playing field for the citizens but when evil gets out of hand, Brotherman brings them to the table of justice…and nobody walks away hungry.

CM: Take us back to 1989. You attend the first NY Black Expo, at the Javitz Convention Center, and the experience gives you an idea on how you can take your brother’s airbrushing business to

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the next level. Why did you guys decide a comic book would be a good way to expand the business?

Before the idea of Brotherman was conceived, the initial plan was to create a multi-panel advertisement, designed to tell a quick story, eventually leading people back to our booth. Experience showed us that many people at conventions throw away flyers almost as soon as they get them.

We wanted to create a piece of advertisement that was different from what was expected. I left the meeting with that as the understanding. By the time I got home, my brothers had come up with the idea to make a comic book based on an unnamed character he had in his book.

Now armed with the new plan, I developed a series of characters and drafted the first story and script. At that time, I had never written a comic book before so I fell back on my theater and playwriting experience.

My brothers, also leaned on their life experiences to draw and package the book. A true testament to drive, ingenuity, and a belief in making things possible.

CM: Your comic books and graphic novels have a Hip-Hop influence and a cultural vibe, why were those elements important to include in your stories?

How could we not be influenced by Hip-Hop? We were right on the beginning of the ‘90s, I was a fan of disco, funk, and soon rap, as well as my brothers.

The images were just bursting on the scene with the likes of Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, the Arsenio Hall Show, music videos, and other presentations of Hip-Hop. In each of our own ways, we interpreted our environments and brought that to our specific skills. We also used our hometown, Philadelphia, as the framework for much of the look and action in the comic book.

CM: Many of our readers might be familiar with some of the Black characters from the major comic book distributors; Black Panther, Storm, Luke Cage, Spawn and Cyborg, but BROTHERMAN was different. Antonio is not a “super hero”, has no special powers or a huge trust fund; why was it important for Antonio to be “just a man”?

At the outset, Brotherman was more of a parody of the comics we were familiar with but by the third issue, we realized we had an opportunity to tell the world our perspectives on what makes a hero a hero. From that revelation, we crafted the philosophy of the hero Brotherman/Antonio

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after many of the lessons of our father and other unsung heroes of the community. One of the strongest messages of Brotherman is that change comes from within and everyone has a role in making that change. In fact, in the Brotherman graphic novel, Revelation, a young Antonio receives a poem from his father called The Brotherman. This poem solidifies in him the need to make a difference in his community. I have found this philosophy resonates with our readers, especially older ones who understand the need for people to take a stand when the call goes out.

CM: Were you surprised by how well the initial issue was received?

I had never seen a “black” comic book growing up. There were black themed comic strips (Luther by Brumsic Brandon, Jr., Morrie Turner’s Wee Pals, the cartoons in the back of Ebony Magazine) but not a magazine written or drawn by an African American. There may have been some in the past but I wasn’t familiar with them. There were the educational ones, Golden Key, which highlighted black figures in history but not action-based comics.

So I didn’t have a gauge on how our book, which was drawn, written, produced, and distributed by African Americans would be received. When I arrived at the 1990 NY Black Expo (I was the last to arrive because I traveled the furthest) I was more than pleased to see the long line of patrons leafing through and purchasing the books. People were so excited. It blew my mind to hear people talking excitedly about the book, young and old alike. We sold several thousand on that first day. I definitely knew we had something going on at that moment.

CM: BROTHERMAN had a major impact on the origins of the Black comic book wave back in the early 1990s. How does it feel to be a major catalyst to the wave that helped introduce more Black characters and comic books to the public?

I don’t think we ever talked about our impact on the comic book industry when we first got started. We were focused on developing and drawing and most of all financing this venture. Although, as we attended more and more Black Expos, we started to see more and more Black comic books popping up on the scene. It was exciting because all of the books were unique in their own right. Some were extremely

Afrocentric, some had typical hero themes, and others based themselves on life in the city. People did share with us that we influenced/encouraged them to take the step and create their own books. I didn’t put a lot of stock into that back then because we were just getting started ourselves but when I hear people mention that today, I feel good, to know we were a part of somebody doing something they dreamed of.

CM: In 1993 we were introduced to Milestone Media, a Black comic book company which included multi-ethnic characters in their stories. They were distributed by DC Comics and even had a crossover story with DC, Worlds Collide, in 1994. Were there ever any talks or thoughts about partnering with one of the major comic book companies for distribution or maybe a story line?

There was never any plan to partner with Milestone.

They had a very distinctive style and storylines. Our story had one setting and their stories fit better in crossovers with DC stories. All of that was cool and indicated there was room to be both independent or be affiliated/partnered with a major company.

CM: When you decided to return to Big City why did you go back in time rather than continuing where you left off in Book 11?

Over the years, people have always wanted to know the origin story of Brotherman. When we considered bringing the book back, we decided we should start with the origin story…and not just his origin but the influence of his parents had on his development. I thought that was very important and would be well received by our audience. People have commented that Antonio Valor’s life mirrors their own, again, the kind of connection I try to make when writing the story of Brotherman.

CM: BROTHERMAN REVELATION, the recently released trade paperback, is a three-part series. Can you talk about it briefly, and give us a glimpse of where you plan to go with the story after REVELATION is completed?

While that is a trade secret, I can tell you the story will continue. Over the years we have constructed other story streams, broadening the Brotherman universe. You’ll have to sit tight on this one.

CM: Movies based on comic books have become big business in Hollywood. Shows based on comic books also have a presence on the major networks, cable and even streaming services. Have you ever thought about taking BROTHERMAN to the big screen or making it into a network, cable or video streaming series?

Over the years we have had conversations and offers by major film companies to create a Brotherman movie. The reason why those projects didn’t take place had to do with

maintaining rights and integrity of the character. Some people have questioned why we passed up on “a lotta dough” and not go ahead and make the film, but ensuring the way the character and the supporting characters are presented is extremely important. And, not only to us but to our parent’s legacy and the legion of fans who appreciate the work for what it is. Opportunities still come our way and we consider each and every one. When the right one presents itself, we’ll know…and then you’ll know.

CM: BROTHERMAN is not the only project you have worked on.

Share with our readers some of the other projects you have worked on personally and through your publishing company, BCEPressworks.

BCEPressworks is the publishing arm of Brotherman Comics. Our first major product was the novel, Living Just A Little. This tells the story of a young man whose life was impacted by the MOVE incident in Philadelphia in 1984, how he makes his way through life after witnessing the bombing. The second product is the mystery series based on the Brotherman comics, The Cold Hard Cases of Duke Denim. In this series, readers are taken back in time to when District Attorney Duke Denim was a private detective after mysteriously leaving the Big City Police Department. The setting is circa the 1940s, the action is fierce, the characters are colorful, and Duke is handling business two fists at a time. There are other works in the pipeline such as The Far Out Troopers, a space adventure, Tin Star, a western, and Back in the Day, a Hip-Hop styled cave man adventure. There are others awaiting their turn to come to life.

CM: What were a few of your favorite comic books as a kid, and what comics do you like to read today?

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I didn’t have a favorite comic book. My older brother, Michael, loved Mad Magazine and Dawud collected Marvel. I would read whatever was sitting around in the house.

I tended to read a lot of novels, poetry, and science fiction.

Today, I still read a lot of novels and books addressing the social ills of society.

ment systems (like PayPal and Square) are also at your disposal. The key is faith, commitment, patience, and the ability to shut out the world while you are doing your work.

CM: What books would we find on your nightstand?

In addition to the aforementioned projects, I have a couple of other projects and books in the pipeline. I am excited of the prospects of continuing to create, encourage others to do the same, and do my part in adding to our cultural archive of our people.

Bro. Sims, we appreciate your time and look forward to future work from you and the BROTHERMAN Team.

Where can our readers go to find your books and other items?

Readers can find me at: GuySims.com or follow me on my blog, I is the Future (iisfuture.wordpress.com).

Right now, I am reading Walter Mosely’s, “And Sometimes I Wonder About You”, Yvvette Edwards, “The Mother”, and recently finished, “When You Were My Girlfriend” by Nikki Harmon. I usually read two to three books at a time.

CM: What do you hope for your readers to get out of the BROTHERMAN story?

There are two messages. The first is that if you have an idea, you should go for it and make it real, even if you haven’t seen it in the way you imagine it. Second, being an entrepreneur is so important. We cannot depend on people outside of our culture to tell our stories, to advance our culture, and most importantly, to invest in our dreams. Third, to enjoy the words, images, and messages we have crafted.

CM: Any advice for those interested in starting their own publishing company?

For those wanting to get started today, it is so much easier than when we started out. The physical publishing has many more avenues, access to the tools necessary for creation are out there, many of them free, communicating with customers is at your fingertips, and the commerce manage-

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CM: What can our readers look forward to from Guy Sims in the near future?

BRO. TODD D. LE BON

WWW.BROTHERMANCOMICS.COM

Nu Sigma Chapter Sigma Beta Justin Bowser March of Dimes 2016 Temple Ambler Ambassador About 380,000 babies are born too soon in the United States each year. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face an increased risk of a lifetime of Justin with his parents, health challenges.

Dana and Mark Bowser The March of Dimes is committed to funding research to find the causes of premature birth and providing comfort and information to families. For more than 75 years, the March of Dimes has provided support for research, treatments, educational and prenatal care programs.

Justin Bowser is one of their success stories; a perfect example of what March of Dimes efforts have accomplished. Justin was selected to serve as the March for Babies 2016 Temple Ambler Ambassador Justin was born five weeks early to Dana and Mark Bowser. His premature birth resulted in a number of complications often associated with early births. Justin spent his first few weeks fighting for his life in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

As ambassador, Justin and his family will share their story and encourage people to participate in the March for Babies. Held on the Ambler campus of Temple University, more than 1,500 people walk each year to support the mission of the March of

Dimes. The Bowser Family’s story and their volunteer work for the March of Dimes stand as living proof of how the measures developed by the March of Dimes gives babies a healthy start in life.

“As a new mom, being told that your baby ‘may not make it’ is heart-wrenching. If it wasn't for the March of Dimes research, the neonatal intensive care unit at CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) and the support of amazing families and friends, I don't know what would have happened,” says Dana who became involved with the March of Dimes as a member of the Kappa Omega Zeta Chapter (Montgomery County, PA) of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Zeta Phi Beta has been a strong supporter of the March of Dimes and participates in walks every year across the country.

“The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. To participate in our annual signature fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.” The March of Dimes.

BRO. BRANDON BROWN

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DESPERATELY SEEKING SIGMA An op-ed of why Phi Beta Sigma needs to continue to expand its borders

Sigma is an ever growing, expansive fraternal organization. During international events (such as the Centennial Celebration, Conclave or the Serious Sigma Summit) the full vastness of its brotherhood is reflected. Sigma brothers occupy most areas of the continental United States. However, during the mid-20th Century, Sigma expanded its borders internationally and then waned in the later years. Now, within the current historical moment, many chapters outside of the US mainland and abroad have sprung up, but soon our fraternity may be forced to further expand the Sigma koinonia.

FIG.1

According to the BluPrint Membership data base, more than 90% of active chapters are located here in the United States (see figure 1). Additionally, over the past five years our highest membership took place in Centennial year (2014) with total membership at 12,155 financial members and 2015 as our second highest year with 11,105 financial members. With the focus on the new membership initiative, "19 by 19", which is a benchmark of acquiring 19,000 financial brothers by 2019, expanding boarders to achieve this goal will be required.

Another reason why Phi Beta Sigma may have to seek out chartering chapters abroad is because of the current tumultuous political tension here in America. Any media

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news outlet or social media app has been inundated with the 2016 Presidential Election. Amidst that, police terrorism has continued to surge amongst Black, Latino/Hispanic, Indigenous and working class/poor White communities being the targets of this repressive state violence.

According to the Guardian, an independent British news source, as of December 31, 2015; 1,134 citizens have been killed by US law enforcement officials with Black men making up fifteen percent of those killed. As a veteran, this is neither to diminish our brothers in uniform who valiantly protect and serve on a day-to-day basis nor paint in a single broad stroke that all police are bad. Rather, it is to highlight that a disproportionate rate of citizens of color are being murdered en masse. Few policy change proposals or emergency police reform plans have come to the forefront from either political party. With the majority of Phi Beta Sigma's membership being composed of the racial and ethnic groups being affected, our brotherhood should identify other countries or territories that could provide brothers refuge as this crisis continues to surge.

As a fraternity, we were built on the premise of marching on to spread our ideals. Our own founders and charter members spearheaded this idea by being the first Black fraternity below the Mason-Dixon line. Later, as the fraternity of African presidents, our brothers traveled abroad back to Africa to charter chapters internationally.

Ultimately, we must realize that if we, as a brotherhood, want to continue the 19 by 19 model post-Conclave 2017, then we will need to take a long look at expansion beyond our borders. If we, as a brotherhood, continue to be oppressed by police terror and a capitalist system, then we will have to cultivate new spaces. And if we, as a brotherhood, want to continue to spread our cause on its way, then we will have to seek out new places.

BY NOLAN L. FONTAINE Bro. Nolan L. Fontaine, MS (Nu Sigma / Fall 2008) is a member of the Nu Sigma Chapter (Philadelphia, PA). He is a graduate of Penn State University and Neumann University. After a brief stint at Howard University, Bro. Fontaine will continue his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto in Social Justice Education. Bro. Fontaine is the founder of Urban Otaku Alliance, LLC. He currently works at the Phi Beta Sigma International Headquarters in the Membership and Constituency Department.

Applying Strategic Planning to Combat the 80/20 Rule As with any organization, you are inevitably left with the age old question - How do we get members, in our case Brothers - to do more? Why is 80% of the work being done by 20% of the membership? In many cases we can contribute this phenomenon to complacency, a lax attitude and overall disconnect from one of the three tenets that we are built on - Brotherhood. Webster defines Brotherhood as: an association, society, or community of people linked by common interest, religion or trade. My brothers, we’ve lost crucial elements of our Brotherhood. We’ve all pledged ourselves to be a part of this wondrous band - because we believe in the principles of this fraternity and the positive effects we can collectively have on uplifting society as a whole.

This is not to say that every chapter is plagued with this problem, but it’s more systemic than one might want to believe. We have to find ways to get brothers invested again, from an emotional standpoint, into their chapters and the Fraternity. This can’t be mandated from a top down perspective, as that won’t work. We have to return to the “grassroots” mentality - putting in work in your local community.

Furthermore, we must look deep within ourselves to find

that spark which led us to this wondrous band. We are a brotherhood of men, and this mentality has to be built from the ground up. It has to start on the chapter level. Chapters have to give their members something REAL to sink their teeth into in order to get them engaged. It is my opinion that the larger chapters may have a bigger logistical hurdle with this, as with such a huge and diverse collection of personalities they have to find more varied things to get brothers to return to the fold. Our brothers bring many different experiences to the table, and we have to try to find something that works for all of them.

Once you’ve found something that interests them, it has to be meaningful enough to keep them active within the Chapter. It won’t work if it’s a come-together/roundup once a year. Consistency has to be there in order for brothers to emotionally reconnect to their chapter. With consistency and frequency, you can start to pivot and make the interaction more meaningful to your community and to your chapter!

We have to return to the “grassroots” mentality putting in work in your local community.

I’ll admit, this sounds easy on paper, but I am sure in actuality this may be incredibly challenging. But think about the benefits for a moment - if the dynamic switched and more brothers were engaged emotionally in their chapter - dues would be paid happily, not begrudgingly and program participation would swell to near epic proportions. By keeping Brotherhood first, as we interact with each other, the concepts of how you came in or where you came in will no longer apply. All will be labeled with the highest title – Brother. As brothers are more engaged, the ship would be led by the chapter president, but all hands would be rowing in the same direction. Then our states, regions, and I daresay our Fraternity, would be once again more fully galvanized under the banner of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service.

BRO. TYREE M. STOKELY

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Think Before You Press SEND… Dos and Don’ts of Social Media

What’s on your mind? This is almost the first thing you see when you log into your Facebook account. By answering this question, other than telling your friends what’s going on in your daily life, you also have the opportunity to either build your personal brand and the brand of others that are affiliated with you or harm it. You might think you shouldn’t care what others think but that’s a lie. How others perceive you based off your social media post really does matter. If you don’t believe it, post something negative that might impact your company’s brand.

When it comes to social media what you post is interpreted based off of who is looking at it. You can post something and mean it one way, but depending on who is looking at it, its meaning can go in a very different direction.

As brothers of this wondrous band we took an oath to safeguard this organization’s reputation with the best in conduct. When this oath was written I don’t think anyone would imagine that it would have to stretch over into some of the things we have today i.e. social media.

I’m sure you’re wondering how one safeguards the reputation of Phi Beta Sigma on their personal and chapter pages. You’re in luck, because I am here to share with brothers how they can safeguard our organization’s reputation, share some things that could bring reproach on our organization, and some tips on enhancing our organization through the use of social media.

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When it comes to social media, one of the things we must always consider is the potential impact posts will have on those that visit the page. As it pertains to a chapter page, one of the main areas is “Truth and Accuracy”. We as members should make it a habit of posting factual content. We should be weary of posting or reposting false information such as unverified history, news stories or achievements.

Another area we should focus on is “Respect”. While respect should apply to your chapter page, this area is also important for our personal pages. We should be mindful of posting insults or things that could be considered inappropriate. We have all come across examples of material on social media that could be considered inappropriate. Some examples of improper material include; inappropriate photos and comments, content about drinking and drugs, negative comments about a previous employer and lies about qualifications.

Another crucial area of concern is “Confidentiality”. As an organization one of the biggest problems we face is the failure of some members to maintain confidentiality on social media. It seems every time we look around someone is sharing information on social media intended for members only. The sharing of confidential information is not safeguarding the organization. The last two areas go hand in hand and tie into the last area, “Responsibility and Accountability”. Before posting on social media, whether it’s just a status or contributing to a post, consider the possible consequences of what you are about to post. If you do decide to post be prepared to be accountable for your actions. It’s not

brotherly to show your frustration for our organization on your personal page or in a public forum.

Tips to maintain a successful chapter page: 1. Double check captions: Social media posts are often done in a hurry, on the go, and on a phone or tablet. As a result, this can sometimes open up doors for mistakes.

Be sure to check your captions if you are posting on the move or in a hurry. I know predictive text, t9 and lags can sometimes mess you up but if it helps, remember to check it 3 times for the Founders. You might know the reason behind your grammatical error, but when it comes to making a spelling or grammatical error on social media everyone in your audience is all of a sudden an English professor.

2. Don’t argue: Try not to get into any arguments on your chapter page. If someone is being unruly on your chapter page try to delete those comments ASAP, because screenshots wait for no one. On any social media outlet period, try not to argue and respond off of emotions.

When something negative is posted in relation to you, your chapter, chapter members, etc., try to remain calm, classy and professional.

3. Don’t post inappropriate material: This concerns bringing reproach onto our organization and yourself. Things such as branding parties, drinking, confidential information, etc. should not be posted on any outlets. Images and videos like this will always end up in the wrong place and are never interpreted in a positive light.

4. Post a variety of pictures and videos: When posting pics of events on your chapter page there is nothing wrong with group pictures, but also consider including action shots. For example, taking a picture of brothers serving food and talking to the homeless says a little more than a group photo in front of the soup kitchen. Chapters should also try to incorporate more videos onto their chapter pages. Videos can give visitors a sense of actually being at your event.

One of my last Blue and White nuggets is for our undergraduate brothers. If you are not already doing it, please continue to update and post on your Facebook pages. I’m not too long removed from being an undergrad myself; so I know how it is, but everyone is not on Instagram or Snapchat. You have other Brothers and Sorors trying to stay updated on your chapter activities. Your chapter Facebook page can provide updated information and contact information for the Chapter. Facebook pages are becoming the new chapter websites and they should be updated regularly. The general public will be able to learn a great deal about your chapter from your Facebook page. The same is true for our graduate chapters. If your chapter doesn’t have a Facebook page I suggest you launch one ASAP. Make sure to keep your page updated and try to keep your respective cities and campuses engaged.

“Social” media is a whole new media platform that is ready to be explored. We can go all day on the dos and don’ts of social media because it’s so new and ever changing. Some of our city, state and national laws haven’t even caught up with it, but I hope that this brief discussion can be beneficial to brothers and their chapters moving forward.

BRO. BYRON KEYS

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Have you ever considered becoming a Life Member?

Here are some things you should know.

BRO. EARL V. GAMBLE

President, Life Members Life Membership in Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. is alive and well. Life Members have been a part of the Fraternity since the early days of our existence. Being a Life Member in the Fraternity is an honor and a commitment to support the Fraternity financially into perpetuity.

It’s been some time since our Life Membership program has been reviewed and updated. New levels were introduced, but our benefits and perks were never updated. Over the past year, your Life Members Board has been meeting and working on different initiatives that we hope will increase the value of life membership and also provide some much needed adjustments to the benefits offered at the different life membership levels. In the process, the officers hope to expand the group’s membership and increase the level of communication among the current members who have committed to supporting the Fraternity for “Life”.

In order to improve the application process and allow our members to be more specific regarding their life membership intentions, we have designed a new Life Members Application. This application will assist in streamlining the process for those brothers who wish to pursue life membership, as well as those who wish to increase their life membership level. This application has been approved for release and is now available for download via The Blu Print. Additionally, the Board is excited to be a part of Conclave Detroit 2017, where we will host a Life Member’s luncheon and business meeting. In addition to the benefits listed below the General Board is also considering: Additional discounts, for advanced levels, for national events during early registration period, guaranteed reservations at host hotel during early registration period, Life member pin for new Sapphire level members, and Life member ring for new Platinum level members.

Our goal is to improve the benefits afforded to our life members who have demonstrated their commitment to our organization. We will keep the brotherhood informed as these benefits are approved.

Life Member Benefits

Qualifications for Life Membership

Cost of Life Membership

As a Life Member you have the following common benefits available: • Members receive a welcome letter with membership information • Members receive a new member number with the “LM” designation • Members will receive a Life Member Certificate (Level Specific) • Members will be recognized at Sigma Events • Annual national membership dues are waived

• 10 consecutive years of financial membership • National, regional and local levels • Life Membership fees can be paid over a 5-year period • National and Regional dues must still be paid during this subscribing period.

• Missed payment during the 5-year period can result in member losing funds paid into life membership • Life Membership can be paid in full once 10 consecutive years of financial membership requirement is achieved

Life Membership can be secured at the current pricing levels:

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• Gold $1,500.00 • Sapphire $2,400.00 • Platinum $5,000.00 Each higher level can be achieved at a cumulative cost. Your previous level payment will count towards your next level payment.

OUR CULTURE Inclusive of any and everybody?

Humankind requires the high ideals of Phi Beta Sigma now more than ever. Cultural marginalization, socioeconomic division, and colorism continue to plague our community. There is no balance between public security and personal liberty. Fatherless homes are increasing; as young men are deficient of role models exemplifying real virility.

As Sons of Sigma, we understand that these social ills are further validation that our cause is superior—not in the royal manor of the aristocracy represented in the Heraldic knight’s helmet, but in the allegorical amity of the dove (I encourage you to compare the shields of our peers founded during the same period). For as others speak of discretion, Sons of Sigma practice discernment—always understanding that what is purposeful exceeds what is popular. As Sons of Sigma, we know that the choice of friendship is important, but the deeper bond of diversity in human kinship is the foundation of those we refer to as “us.” While achievement is significant, being a well-rounded, cultured man is what truly stimulates Sons of Sigma. We are more than enthusiastic; we are engaged with the world beyond our wondrous band.

Superior character. Superior conduct. Indeed, the ideals of the “inclusive we” are superior to those of the

“exclusive we.” Our principles and history prove this to be true, however: Is this like-mindedness principle practiced throughout Phi Beta Sigma’s brotherhood?

That said, we must care enough to confront each other, especially when Phi Beta Sigma has such a systemic problem: growth without consistent universal quality control. Imagine you are boarding a plane . . . how would

Beta Sigma as a collective organization is the true test of our relevance and influence, and the benchmark of world-class excellence. So, how are we doing? Well, let’s be honest: the only universal criteria we attempt to live by at the moment are 1) minimal GPA, and 2) number of credit hours/ bachelor’s degree. Other than those two constants, character standards are a crapshoot, which is why brothers pledge individual chapters and not Phi Beta Sigma the organization. I call on any brother to challenge me on this. I pose to you, your line, your chapter, and Sigmas in leadership positions these vital questions:

They [our Founders] wished for men who are more than leaders—they sought men who are stewards and know that being first is never more important than being the best. you feel if the pilot had not yet exemplified that he could fly that aircraft through prior experience, but merely had the potential to be a great pilot?

Or if you were going in for surgery, and the surgeon could conceivably be great, but to date had not yet proven his surgical proficiency? Any sane human would want to know that these two men had the character and skills to be great at what they practice before entrusting their faith in them.

Why, then, don't we expect men who seek our beloved fraternity to exemplify character traits of Sigma men before they can enter Phi Beta Sigma?

I have stood (and will continue to stand) on the thesis that the character traits of the type of men that are attracted (not recruited) to Phi

1) What is our common criterion for pre-orientation selectivity?

2) How do we universally measure it?

The truth is, it doesn't exist—but it is critical to our brotherhood that it does in the future. We don't have any minimum character requirements and, since we don’t, in the long run, our current growth trend will accelerate the disconnected silos of Phi Beta Sigma. Lack of such standards equates to lack of accountability, which leads to lack of solidarity, which means there isn’t a common bond. Oh, that’s right . . . we’re all about inclusion and service. But again, let’s be real: service is something you do, not something you are. Nor does one need to be a brother of Phi Beta Sigma to Continued on Page 68

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Remembering The Honorable Brother Dr. Gilbert H. Frances DSC#74 Delivered at Omega Chapter Service, Melbourne FL, July 31, 2016 HON. BRO. PETER M. ADAMS, ESQ. DSC #135

warm and personable, and could even be boyishly giggly with friends.

Influenced by Dyed-in-the-Wool Sigmas

the oak closet), and Gil's clothes were neatly organized by color, etc.), even his garage - you might say he was OCD, his dress; and, within Sigma, his adherence to protocol, and a sense

He was inspired to join the Fraternity before being shipped out to the military and promptly made good on this goal in 1960, on returning from active service. Influenced by some national Sigma stalwarts: Bill Doar, Richie Alleyne, Syd Moshette and others, he immersed himself in Sigmadom quite early, and would become one of the youngest brothers to be inducted into the Distinguished Service Chapter (DSC) in 1973. Of our only 178 members inducted in the Fraternity's 102-year history, he holds DSC #74. He also served as President of the Distinguished Service Chapter.

At the time of his passing, he held the lowest DSC number of all living DSC members.

Fraternal Leadership

ΦΒΣ ΖΦΒ

A Sense of Order and Presentation

I remember Hon. Bro. Gil Francis as a very organized, friendly, upstanding individual, a passionate and proud man of Sigma, and a very proud husband to Edith. He credited the Fraternity with introducing him to his beloved wife Edith, at a Manhattan Orchid Ball. Did I say he was organized... he was meticulous - I think of his penmanship, his clothes closet (well Edith had it as bad as he did, she built

In addition to his highly regarded work and leadership in civil rights, his recognition by his alma mater with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, Gil's Sigma credentials include serving as the 9th Eastern Regional Director (1970-73), National Director of Social Action, and Editor In Chief of The Crescent magazine. Dr. Francis was also active in the larger PanHellenic world, serving as the 25th President of the National PanHellenic Council comprised of the now nine historically black fraternities and sororities.

Blue and White Family

of order and public decorum. He was the Grand Marshall for our National Convention and Regional Galas. He had a statesman-like bearing, but was

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Given the prominent position also achieved by his darling wife Edith, as International Grand Basileus of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Gil and Edith

were wonderful standard bearers for the Blue and White Family for very many years. Edith might be Gil's sweetheart, but certainly is the darling of his brothers. We are great fans of

Edith. They were avid travelers in their own right, but were an appreciated and respected couple - a Greek couple supreme!

They touted the praises of their children. He was so proud of Deborah, Dwayne and Denise, their achievements and their spouses. You can imagine his delight when son Dwayne became his brother in Sigma.

Sigma Brothers and Family at Bro. Gil Francis’s Homegoing Service

Times Together

I will always cherish the many luncheons that Gil and I shared during his years with the federal government at 26 Federal Plaza in lower Manhattan. We would meet up at his office, during recess from my trial work in the Courts nearby, often joined by chapter brothers working in the area - Jim Harper, Richie Alleyne, Wilbur LaBorde and Frank Bishop. He always maintained his Brooklyn roots, keeping his membership in Kappa Beta Sigma Chapter. The Brooklyn Sigmas made a special effort to let him know of the esteem and love for him in gatherings at Conclaves and otherwise.

Just before they moved from New Jersey to Florida, my wife Joan and I were so pleased to have Edith and Gil

spend a fun weekend with us at our home in Scarsdale, attending church together.

Legacy

In 2010, the Fraternity saw fit to recognize Gil during a special gala held in his honor. The Fraternity presented him with the Presidential Service Pin, and established the Dr. Gilbert H. Francis Scholarship Fund.

His record of service and advocacy, his accomplishments, his ardent love of Sigma and his brothers, his affable nature, provide a legacy and example to emulate and to cherish. We thank Edith, Dwayne, Deborah and Denise

for sharing this man of character and caring with us, and will carry his memory with pride.

As he would say - in fact when he was honored at the Presidents Ball in Philadelphia a few years ago, he lustily belted out in song: "I did it My Way", and he made an impact, during his sojourn this way!

We will miss Gil; but we know that he is received by that Blue and White host up yonder, with great adulation and high fives.

May his soul rest in peace with his Father!

To Soror Edith, who holds such a special place in our hearts - she knows it, and to the Family, we extend the love and embrace of our brothers, now and in the days ahead. God Bless!

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Continued from Page 65 serve; so, to me, that is the coward’s way out.

Even if this is the basis of your argument: How can we serve at our best unless we attract the best men?

One thing that has proved true is that great organizations know that they cannot be everything to everybody. Superior organizations are able to consistently and succinctly articulate who they are not. As an organization, if we are not acknowledging and focused on fixing this problem, then we are just continuing to degrade our global relevance and influence. Or maybe Phi Beta Sigma is a beacon of light that attracts men who feel it is okay to be mediocre, and Phi Beta Sigma is the refuge for ordinary? I am sure that this is not the “inclusive we” that our founders envisioned. They wished for men who are more than leaders—they sought men who are stewards and know that being first is never more important than being the best.

Again, our organizational differentiation is right on our shield. It was intentional. Brothers, we are not living up to our Founders’ vision and our rich history. Across chapters, we have the toxic mindset that it is good enough to accept “warm bodies” and “good workers.” Our bottom is too low and our ceiling of excellence isn’t high enough. “Inclusive” has never meant “any and everybody,” so we must challenge our chapters, leadership, and most importantly ourselves; to return to attracting, expecting, and measuring men of superior actions and superior character so that we may serve in a superior way.

SBC East Night at FedEx Field

The 3rd Annual SBCEast Night at FedEx Field took place on Friday, August 26th. The event was coordinated by Bro. James Spence, Eastern Regional SBC Coordinator. Hon. Brother Devon Henry, 26th Eastern Regional Director, donated his company's (Team Henry Enterprises) corporate suite to give Sigma Betas a unique and special experience to watch the Washington Redskins take on the Buffalo Bills.

Sigma Betas representing the following chapters were in attendance: Alpha Kappa Sigma (Petersburg, VA), Omicron Delta Sigma (Southern, MD), Omicron Zeta Sigma (Prince William County, VA) and Sigma Sigma Sigma (Montgomery County, MD. These young men were there to participate in the evening of fun and fellowship. They watched the game from a suite view, were provided food and beverages, and visited by a couple of the Redskin Ambassadors.

An opportunity to go down onto the field during warm ups and see the players up close and personal made the experience more memorable. For many, this was their first opportunity to experience an NFL game live.

As luck would have it, one the advisors and several of the Sigma Betas are Bills' fans. This provided an opportunity for light hearted banter during the evening. SBCEast would like to thank Bro. Henry and Team Henry Enterprises for their hospitality and continued support.

BRO BRANDON BROWN

BRO. TORIAN A. RICHARDSON Bro. Richardson was initiated through Pi Omicron Chapter and is a life member of Phi Beta Sigma. He has over 18 years of successful international business experience. He has served as collegiate chapter advisor, chapter president of Beta Lambda Sigma, and as the Great Lakes Regional Director of Publicity. He was selected to the board of Benedictine University’s Alumni Association, his alumnus, where he completed his Bachelors of Business Administration in Finance. He also holds a Masters in International Development from Tsinghua University in Beijing China and is a graduate of Harvard Business School.

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Photos by Brothers Randy Patterson and Brandon Brown

Southern NJ Sigmas Escort Sigma Beta Clubs to the White House The brothers of Kappa Upsilon Sigma Chapter (Willingboro NJ), Lambda Lambda Sigma Chapter (Trenton NJ), and Zeta Rho Sigma Chapter (Camden NJ) collaborated to take their Sigma Beta Clubs to Washington D.C. for a tour of the White House. While there the young men would also participate in an Educational Discussion hosted by a panel of young African-American Executive White House Staff.

The tour and discussion was arranged by Bro. Gregory Lorjuste, a NJ native. At the time of the tour Bro. Lorjuste was a Deputy Assistant and Scheduling Director to President Obama. It was a day the Sigma Beta’s will never forget. They had a personal tour by one of the President’s White House Interns, an opportunity to speak directly with members of the Secret Service and upon completion of the tour an opportunity to participate in a mini forum with three prominent members of the President’s Staff. The Panel included Mr. Jeron Smith (Deputy Director of Digital Initiatives), Mr. Michael Smith (Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of Cabinet Affairs for My Brother’s Keeper), and Mr. Maurice Owens (Special Assistant to the White House Chief of Staff).

The panel took the time to talk to the Sigma Beta’s about their background, which they emphasized was not very different than most of the young men in the room. They stressed education, perseverance, and putting in hard work as the key to success. They made it clear that with the right mentality each young man in the room could be where they are today. There were many questions asked and a great day had by all including the advisors. This day truly exemplified the high ideals of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service.

BRO. RONALD (ACE) BREWINGTON

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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

Lonnie G. Bunch III, Founding Director

BRO. CARLOS WILLIAMS II, MA

If you are a proud Sigma man you take pride in our prominent Sigma brothers, especially those who have made a lasting impact on history. I take pride in informing people that a historical figure is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Picture this, I am standing there with my chest out and my head held high as I say “He is a member of MY frat!” or “That is MY fraternity brother!” Not only is it a moment for me to brag and gloat, but it is a moment of awe for those who are often not aware of the effect members of Phi Beta Sigma have had on the world. Men of Sigma have literally changed the world as we know it for the better.

Furthermore, their contributions are still being felt today.

This is why the Sigma Museum, located in our International Headquarters building, is vital to the members of the Fraternity. The Sigma Museum is an opportunity for us to display the works of great Sigma men. It is important for brothers to know our history, so we can use it to guide us into the future. Every civilization has placed great importance on telling their story. A museum provides an opportunity to use artifacts and other forms of communication to share a story with all who visit.

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The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) had its official grand opening the weekend of September 23-25, 2016. To celebrate this monumental occasion there was a three-day festival on the Washington Monument grounds, directly across from the NMAAHC. The Freedom Sounds Festival included concerts on Saturday and Sunday evening, featuring artist such as Public Enemy, Living Colour, The Roots and Meshell Ndegeocello. The weekend featured music traditions such as Jazz, R&B, Gospel, Folk, Classical, New Orleans Brass Band, Afro-Latin Jazz and Hip-Hop. Along with the diverse music traditions festival attendees enjoyed dance performances, spoken word, oral history activities, a drum circle, storytelling, interactive workshops and other activities.

The opening of the NMAAHC marks the culmination of a historical journey in its own right.

Early efforts to create a museum to showcase the culture, struggles and contributions of African-Americans date back to 1915. African-American Union Army veterans formed a committee to build a memorial dedicated to African-American achievements. Their original idea did gain some momentum in 1929 when President Herbert Hoover appointed a commission, which included Mary Church Terrell and Mary McLeod Bethune. to build a "National Memorial Building" showcasing African-American achievements in the arts and sciences. However, without the backing of Congress and lack of sufficient funding the project never went forth.

New proposals to establish a stand-alone African-American history museum within the Smithsonian Institution began to circulate in Congress in the early 1970s. Then in 1986 legislation sponsored by Representative Mickey Leland (D-TX), H.R. 666, passed in the House of Representatives. Although the resolution did not go much farther it

Nat Turner’s Bible

In 1991, a Smithsonian Blue-Ribbon commission recommended the creation of a national museum devoted to African Americans to collect, analyze, research, and organize exhibitions on a scale and definition to those of the major museums devoted to other aspects of American life.

President George W. Bush signed H.R. 3491, an act estab-

NPHC Display

did generate conversation and motivated the Smithsonian to improve its presentation of African-American history.

Then in 1988 Representatives Leland and John Lewis (D-GA) introduced new legislation for a stand-alone African-American history museum. Legislation was also proposed in the Senate by Illinois Senators Paul Simon and Carol Moseley Braun. Both efforts faced significant opposition and would die due to cost considerations and other proposed compromises. Bro. John Lewis would continue to champion the legislation for the museum after Rep. Leland's untimely death in 1989.

Muhammad Ali’s Headgear

Phi Beta Sigma Sweater (donated by Bro. Kevin Christian)

lishing the National Museum of African American History and Culture within the Smithsonian Institution, and ex-

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Middle Passage Shackles

Bronze replica of the 1968 Olympics Track & Field Awards Ceremony Podium

pressed his opinion that the structure should be built on the National Mall. The NMAAHC is the culmination of decades of efforts to commemorate African American history. 1 To assist with the funding celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey contributed $13 million to the project and served on the advisory board for the Museum. Oprah did not contribute the largest amount however, the United States Congress paid half of the cost for the building and staff and of the private funds raised 43% came from corporate sponsors. To date, the Museum’s leadership has raised nearly $476 million in public and private funds. The architects that designed the museum are African American as well. The principal architects for the building are Philip Freelon and David Adjaye. 2 Rex M. Ellis, Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs, took pains to say that the culture galleries would not be mere halls of awards and paraphernalia. The Sports Gallery, he said, “is about how athletes used the gifts that they had to look at the social, political and economic realities that they lived under.” For example, The Military History Gallery concerns the black soldiers who fought for freedom, thinking that would make them free. 2

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The Museum has 120 full-time staffers and 37,000 pieces of artwork and historical objects. The jaw dropping collection includes; Harriet Tubman’s hymn book, the funkdafied flying object that George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic used in their concerts (The Mothership), a full sized segregated railcar from the Jim Crow Era and pieces of stained glass from the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, AL. There is also wreckage from a centuries old slave ship that sank off the coast of South Africa with slaves on board. “This is the first time ever that archeologist have been able to positively document a wrecked ship that was carrying slaves”, stated Museum Director, Lonnie Bunch.

Men of Sigma can be found represented in exhibits throughout the Museum. For example, there are exhibits featuring Bros. Huey P. Newton and the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, A. Phillip Randolph, Congressman John Lewis, Malik Yoba, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Willis Reed, The Temptations, Alaine Leroy Locke and George Washington Carver, just to name a few.

The Museum is divided into 10 major galleries, all falling under one of three areas: History Galleries Slavery and Freedom Defining Freedom: Era of Segregation (1876–1968) A Changing America: 1968 and Beyond Culture Galleries Musical Crossroads Cultural Expressions Visual Arts Gallery Community Galleries Power of Place Making a Way Out of No Way Sports Gallery Military History Gallery

n Phillis Wheatley, Elizabeth Catlett, 1973 Life-size bronze bust of poet Phillis Wheatley. The bust is based on the frontispiece engraving in Wheatley’s book, Poems on Various Subjects (1773).

n Bill of Sale, Dec. 23, 1835 Harriet Tubman’s Hymn Book

The Museum Collection includes (but is not limited to):

n Rosa Parks’ Dress, c. 1955 The dress Rosa Parks was making shortly before she was arrested for not giving up her seat on a segregated bus. The dress is part of the Black Fashion Museum Collection that was donated to NMAAHC. (Gift of Joyce A. Bailey)

n Tuskegee Airplane, Boeing-Stearman PT-13D Kaydet, c. 1944 . A vintage, open-cockpit biplane used at Alabama’s renowned Tuskegee Institute to train African American pilots for Army air corps service during World War II.

n Nat Turner’s Bible, 1830s (Gift of Maurice A. Per-

An official copy receipt for the sale of a Negro girl named Polly, 16 years of age, for $600. This bill of sale transferred ownership from Martin Bridgeman to Wm H. Mood (both from Jackson County, territory of Arkansas). (Gift of Candace Greene)

n Middle Passage Shackles (wrought iron), c. pre-1863.

Ankle shackles of the type used to restrain enslaved people aboard ships crossing the Atlantic from Africa to the Americas, during the Middle Passage.

n Slave Cabin, c. early 1800s A weatherboard-clad cabin that was used during slavery at Point of Pines Plantation on EdistoIsland, S.C. (Gift of The Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society)

To plan your trip please visit https://nmaahc.si.edu

son and Noah and Brooke Porter)

n Muhammad Ali Headgear, 5th Street Gym, c. 1960s.

It was in this gym and the surrounding neighborhood with its vibrant mix of racial, political and cultural identities, some have argued, that Cassius Clay took his first crucial steps to becoming Muhammad Ali.

Sources: 1 Historical Origins of the NMAAHC 2 Museum Facts and Info 3 https://nmaahc.si.edu

Closeup of Corona Panels covering outside of the museum

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5 Ways for Sigmas to Stay Engaged After Election Day After what seems like an eternity, Election Day 2016 is history. Whether you look forward to the big day like the last day of the work week or with the joy of getting a root canal, the nation has to live with President Trump for the next four years. Electoral politics is a lot like our respective journeys to Sigma land. As we are often told, “the real work starts after you become a Sigma.” And so it is with politics. While the campaigns and mudslinging end, the real work begins. As community leaders, the men of Sigma are in positions to be influencers in the political process at the local, state and national level. There is no better time for brothers, to paraphrase Bro. John Lewis, to get into some “good trouble.” Here are a few things we can do to advocate for our communities in a post-2016 election world:

1. Meet with your elected officials Whether brothers are Democrats, Republicans, third party or no party, elected officials, whether your candidate of choice won or not, represent all constituents. Invite your newly elected representatives to speak at a chapter meeting or schedule a chapter trip to the member’s local office. Introduce yourselves, let him/her know your concerns and offer to be a resource on community issues.

2. Keep in touch Contrary to popular opinion, your elected officials do welcome constituent feedback and brothers’ voices can help sway their decision making. Is there an issue of interest to brothers in the Chapter? A phone call, follow up visit or letter/email is in order. If you contact a legislator about an issue, be sure to identify yourself, be specific about the legislation causing you to initiate contact and state the position you’d like the legislator to take.

3. Show up (to events) Elected officials, especially those that spend the majority of their time in Washington, D.C., regularly hold events

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back in the district. Whether at a town hall meeting or a grocery store gathering, show your face. It’s another opportunity to continue the relationship building process.

4. Show up (to a meeting) All politics is local. School board and city council meetings are rarely well attended, but they are excellent opportunities to let an entire body of elected officials know what you think. While these meetings aren’t typically packed, local media is often in the building.

5. Don’t forget to vote Up and down the ticket, in every election. Voting once every four years, just won’t cut it. Local elections that affect us the most happen in off-years where voter turnout dramatically decreases. Keep yourselves and your community informed even when someone isn’t running to be the next Leader of the Free World.

BRO. AJ SPRINGER Bro. AJ Springer is a writer, communications pro, nerd and nomad. Stomping competition is his hobby and job. You can find him on the internet discussing current events, combat sports, pop culture and the finer points of pro wrestling. He has written for Ebony.com, BET, Yahoo!, Abernathy, The Well Versed, Hip Hop DX and other fine outlets that traffic in the written word.

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The Crescent Magazine Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 145 Kennedy Street NW Washington, DC 20011-5294

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