T H E WA L L ST. A L P H A R E P O R T T he official Wall Street Alphas newsletter, K appa X i L ambda C hapter, N Y C
Vol. 4, No. 5
*******THE ELECTION ISSUE*******
BRO. GENERAL PRESIDENT +(50$1 ³6.,3´ 0$621 & THE CANDIDATES FOR OUR 34TH GENERAL PRESIDENT
T H E WA L L ST. A L P H A R E P O R T T he official Wall Street Alphas newsletter, K appa X i L ambda C hapter, N Y C
A Conversation with Two-Time PulitzerPrize Winning Historian and Author Dr. David Levering Lewis by Bro. Kelso Anderson ,Q DQWLFLSDWLRQ RI WKLV VXPPHUœV GHGLFDWLRQ RI WKH Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Dedication in Washington, D.C., I sat down with Dr. David Levering Lewis, the author of biographies on Brother Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and Brother Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Our Founding Jewels, in their prescience, WKRXJKW ³VFKRODUVKLS´ VR FULWLFDO WR WKH UDLVRQ GœrWUH of an Alpha man that they incorporated it as one of the aims of our beloved fraternity. Our history book LV UHSOHWH ZLWK UHIHUHQFHV WR ³VFKRODUVKLS´ DQG LW LV D plausible conjecture that our Founding Jewels wanted any reference to Alpha to be metonymous with scholarship. My conversation with Dr. Lewis, then, was twofold: I wanted to get a preeminent VFKRODUœV SHUVSHFWLYH RQ RXU GHDU DQG ODWH %URWKHU Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and, in the Alpha spirit of scholarship, I also wanted to converse with and appreciate the experiences of this 75 year old scholar. Dr. David Levering Lewis, though not initiated into Alpha, is the son of the late Brother John Henry Lewis, Sr., one of the founders of Zeta Chapter (Yale University) in 1913. He readily agreed to our meeting at his office at New York University, where he is a Professor of History and the Julius Silver University Professor, the highest appointment for an Continued on page 12
Inside this E dition 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
3UHVLGHQWœV /HWWHU (GLWRUœV 5HSRUW 7  Questions  with  Bro.  General  President  Mason Candidates  for  the  34th General  President March  for  Babies  and  AIDS  Walk  recap SIP  recap A  Conversation  with  Dr.  David  Levering  Lewis Bro.  Blackwood  making  moves  in  the  sciences
Vol. 4, No. 5
35(6,'(17Âś6 /(77(5 Dear Brothers and Guests,
It is with great honor I welcome you to the final edition of the Wall Street Alphas Newsletter for the 2010 ¹ 2011 fraternal year. As I reflect over the activities of the past year, I cannot express the gratitude I have for the support both the brotherhood and community have shown throughout this administration. From the very start, the Executive Board worked diligently to lead the brotherhood ³%DFN to the B.A.S.I.C.S.´ of our existence. We established our vision and committed to building and expanding our brotherhood while maintaining focus on taking care of the business of our beloved fraternity. We set high standards for ourselves for the year and committed to identifying meaningful programming, hosting quality social events with a purpose, and expanding our community service efforts. Throughout the year, we hosted and collaborated on powerful forums such as the ³0LOOLRQ Man March )RUXP´ and the forum with City Limits on the Black Economic Recovery, both forums received tremendous support from the community. Our social functions continued to maintain the highest of standards as our Welcome Back Mixer and our annual ³672&.-ing Exchange Toy Drive Holiday 6RFLDO´ were both successfully executed. We also just completed hosting our last social event of the year with the return of our SIP event in support of the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation, with proceeds going directly to our mentorship program. Our seventh year with our Alpha G.E.N.T.S. (Gaining Essential Networking Tools for Success) mentorship program proved to be one of our strongest to date. We reestablished our focused community service efforts and sought service projects that were meaningful to our brothers and also directly supported improving our community. Throughout the year, we were Continued on page 2
35(6,'(17¶6 /(77(5
Congratulations to our 2011-2012 Kappa Xi Lambda Officers!
Continued from Page 1 able to continue to develop our relationships with various programs such as Project Homeless, Project Momentum, and Meals on Wheels. This effort, along with our efforts with March for Babies, the Wall Street Walk / Run, and AIDS Walk NY proved to all be successful as we were not only able to come out in strong numbers, but meaningfully raised funds in support of these causes. I am equally as proud of the time and energy we invested in each other as we increased our membership by over 50% this fraternal year. We have not only grown in numbers but also supported each other in our individual efforts to give back within the community. We have several brothers who have started businesses, nonprofits, and are key participants in various initiatives within the community, representing our fraternity and our chapter proudly in these efforts. I am extremely proud of our accomplishments and even more humbled by the opportunity to come back and serve another term as president of Kappa Xi Lambda. As we prepare for an eventful summer with our national convention in Chicago, the MLK Memorial in DC, and our own transition and planning meetings, I want to encourage each and every brother to make sure you take the opportunity to enjoy the history we are building in the present in Alpha Phi Alpha. We are already setting ourselves up for an impactful 2011 ± 2012 fraternal year as our president emeritus, and current chapter vice president have both agreed to step up in the district and serve as area directors. We also have other brothers who have agreed to assist in local area committees, and others who are taking on more tasks on the national board, strengthening Kappa Xi /DPEGD¶V imprint on the organization. The potential for the future for Kappa Xi Lambda is tremendous and I look forward to working with every brother as we establish and exceed our goals for the 2011 ± 2012 year. Thank you brothers for all of your hard work and support as we continue to build the ³:DOO 6WUHHW´ brand and share our message throughout the community. Onwards and upwards brothers! Lael Chappell President, KXL Chapter ³Wall Street Alphas´
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President - Lael Chappell Vice President - Tony Thompson Corresponding Secretary - Jesse Owens Recording Secretary - Keith Harvey Treasurer - Sean Henry Financial Secretary - Geshawn "Lou" Williams Chaplain - Eric Turner Historian - Brian Pruitt Coordinator of Intake -Michael Abraham Sergeant-at-Arms - Matt Montgomery Parliamentarian - Russell "Ox" Robinson Director of Education Activities - Ted Ingram Associate Editor of the Sphinx - Chris Hunt
Mount Vernon, NY - Bro. General President Mason provided memorable remarks during his May 17 sermon kicking off Bro. Darren 0RUWRQ¶V 3DVWRUDO ,QVWDOODWLRQ ZHHN DW Macedonia Baptist Church. KXL Bro. Wiky Toussaint grabbed a moment afterwards. See page 4 for more on Bro. Mason.
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Greetings Brothers, It was the summer of 2007 when I approached then KXL President Tony Johnson about providing a newsletter to the chapter that would include information on chapter news and events and national Alpha news, but also cover issues relative to our local community and nation. This edition will complete our 4th year of the Wall Street Alpha Report and ,œP happy that ZHœYH been able to remain true to the original goals while refining our approach along the way. This newsletter certainly has a healthy balance of both local and national news covering community service endeavors, political news, and social events. A big hearty THANK YOU and 06! to General President Herman ³6NLS´ Mason for once again carving out a few moments in his busy schedule to share his thoughts on our dear fraternity as we approach the beginning of a new regime. Similarly, our four candidates for General President stepped up in a big way to provide insight on their respective plans to keep Alpha moving Onwards and Upwards. Thank you brothers for your time and best of luck in Chicago!
very timely and worthwhile undertaking. Dr. Lewis provides interesting insight into both men, thoughts on what Alpha meant to him during his lifetime, and what a dearth of the black male perspective in academia may mean to the chronicling of our history. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We Marched for Babies on May 1, came together as Alphas Against AIDS on May 15, participated in the Wall Street Walk/Run and came out to support Bro. Darren 0RUWRQœV pastoral installation activities on May 17, supported Suit Dreams on May 19, and raised our glasses on June 6 at our annual wine tasting event ³6,3´ at NYU. Be sure to view some of the pictures in this newsletter, but catch the rest on either Facebook or our websites www.wallstreetalphas.com and www.wsacf.org As we prepare for our strategic planning meetings in a few weeks, and look forward to the beginning of our next fraternal year, OHWœV consider where we are today and where we would like to take our chapter a year from now. I have little doubt that in his second term, Bro. President Lael Chappell will set the bar HIGH and prepare the chapter for another full and prosperous year.
Just a few months ago, Bro Kelso Anderson reached out to me and expressed interest in interviewing Pulitzer-Prize winning author David Levering Lewis. Dr. Lewis has authored biographies on Bros. W.E.B. Du Bois and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In light of the bit of history that will take place this August in D.C. it seemed like a
See you in Chicago and then D.C.! Âľ Brian Pruitt Newsletter Editor in Chief Wall St. Alphas
$Q HDUO\ )DWKHUœV 'D\ ZLVK WR DOO the  dads.    Hope  you  get  the  day  that  you  deserve!
1RWH 7KH (GLWRUÂśV UHSRUW UHIOHFWV WKRXJKWV RU RSLQLRQV RI WKH (GLWRU DQG DUH QRW QHFHVVDULO\ shared by the chapter or the Fraternity as a whole. 3
An Interview with Bro. General President +HUPDQ ³6NLS´ 0DVRQ by Bro. Brian Pruitt In Fall 2008 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to interview incoming 33rd General President Skip Mason for our newsletter. As we are but a few weeks from narrowing down the candidates for our 34th General President I wanted to follow up with Bro. Mason to get his thoughts as he prepares to pass the torch to one of the four tremendous candidates for his office. Brother General President, I remember attending our Centennial Convention and enjoying your extraordinary exhibit of fraternity history. Shortly thereafter your campaign was launched and "Remember The 7" was born. How successful do you feel you have been in trying to refocus the fraternity on its roots over the past couple years?
Photo:  ŠGediyon Kifle www.photogk.com
%UR 0DVRQœV WHQXUH KDV EURXJKW KLP WR QXPHURXV geographies  worldwide  including  5  visits  to  the  White  House.   In  late  August,  he  will  lead  the  brotherhood  in  celebrating  the  dedication  of  Bro  'U 0DUWLQ /XWKHU .LQJ -U œV PHPRULDO LQ ' &
GP: I believe that a majority of our brothers get it. They understand that unless we are firmly grounded in our Founder's ideas and beliefs that much of what we will do, will not succeed. Our founders presented very sound and practical thoughts on what an Alpha man should be and what he should be doing to uplift humanity. They gave us room to adapt to the changing time and culture, but the founding principles are timeless and non-debatable. My creating a pocket book of quotes from the Jewels mouths was to reassure that when guidance was needed, there were solid words to fall back on. Studying the words and philosophies of our founders is no different than Christians studying and practicing the words of the scripture for encouragement, guidance, comfort and growth. There are many brothers who are still believers of the 7 and for that I am pleased. One of the things that quickly impressed me when you took office were your efforts to utilize technology to reach out to brothers through email, video, social media, etc. I thought it was a great effort to keep in step with the technology trend and make corporate office business seem more "real time." Was that a conscious effort to try to be more accessible than past Presidents, or is that just more of your personal style? And do you feel that this accessibility has given the leadership more feedback from the brotherhood? GP: My love for Social media and technology parallels my love for the brothers, people, human connection and the need to reach out and touch. I marveled at Facebook and how it allowed me to connect to so many Continued on page 5
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ÂŤ %UR *HQHUDO 3UHVLGHQW 0DVRQ Continued from page 4
brothers so quickly. To learn about them as they learned about me and why I wanted to serve as their General President and yes, to literally make friends with my brothers young and old alike. I currently have exceeded my friend capacity of 5,000 and have about 1,800 waiting to be friended. That is a great thing. And now, we have Twitter. I did not quite get Twitter when it was introduced. It just did not make sense, but when I got it, I had an "a ha" moment. This gives me even more contact and allows the brothers to have access to me. There is no one in this fraternity who can say that they cannot reach their General President. I tweet, I follow, I respond, I joke, I scold and I engage in the social aspect of connecting which is one of the functions of humans and brothers. Of course, brothers receive a lot of emails from me because I want them to know what I am doing, what the fraternity is doing. It helps our visibility and provides a strong base that we are doing things. The revised intake process, which I understand is still a work in progress, may be something lasting that will be linked to your term. As a historian of the rich traditions of making Brothers, and the Brother currently in charge of managing risk to the fraternity's viability, is this revised approach to intake more or less the best that we can expect at this point? GP: Well, I will admit, I really did not want to tackle making changes to the membership intake process. It was the big elephant in the room, however, upon taking office, I was constantly besieged with reports of continuous hazing, threatened legal actions, and it was apparent that yes, we had a problem. My predecessor began a process of collecting data. I expanded that, and reinvented the task force with some focused and direct action items.(And) that was to develop a process that would address all of the information, data, thoughts, ideas and traditions that we wanted to see in developing men to be Alphas and subsequently developing them to be leaders. It was a daunting process and I am so grateful to the task force for their commitment. Now that we have passed the first phase of the pilot, at the Chicago convention, we will hear from the task force and determine whether this is going to work. Do I expect it to address all of the issues? No. Brothers who still plan or desire to violate our process will be dealt with severely! However, we have seen a decrease in reported hazing and an adherence to our standards. Still there is much work to do but I am pleased with the progress made thus far.
I'm sure when you came into office you had a few things in mind that you wanted to focus on. As you near the end of your term, what do you think will be a top issue for the next General President to focus on that you was not able to complete? GP: I have recently established two task forces to study the Office of the General President and the Board of Directors. This was based on the premise that when we transitioned from a National Office to a Corporate Headquarters and adopted a corporate run model, we did not analyze and access the chief leader and its governing board. The Office of the General President is a "beast." I have never worked so hard and even that does not seem to be enough. It is not enough time in the day to do that which is required to be effective. The OGP is still operating under a 1950 model. Because Alpha is not just an ordinary fraternity or organization our demands, our image, and our mission is broader and the GP should reflect that in terms of support and resources. Brothers complain about my travel, but I am not sure why. As I said, this is not vacation travel. I am on a mission to increase the visibility of the fraternity and to raise funds, resources and develop long lasting partners. I do not want my legacy to be that I changed membership intake. I want my legacy to be that he increased Alpha's standing to a viable, relevant, respected, civic minded organization with a history of developing leaders, and providing service and advocacy for our young black boys and the community.
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« %UR *HQHUDO 3UHVLGHQW 0DVRQ Continued from page 5
You described your February trip to South Africa as a "life changing journey". Can you elaborate on how this impacted you personally and if the trip will at all impact Alpha Phi Alpha in the future?
GP: Our Jewels steeped this fraternity in Africa in 1906, when they chose the mighty and mystic Sphinx as our emblem. Jewel Tandy called for us to make the leader of Liberia (an Alpha) as early as the 1930's. We have always been Africa conscious and the establishment of a chapter in South Africa and in Monrovia, returns us back to the motherland in a different with different needs. It also legitimizes our continued quest to be a global and international organization, crossing the Atlantic and identifying Alpha brothers and men everywhere. The trip to South Africa was special in so many ways. I made a commitment that during my administration that we would visit Africa each year. In 2010, we traveled to Alpha's spiritual birthplace Ethiopia and then on to Egypt. What a trip to see the Ethiopians and wonder how our founders could connect Ethiopia with a greek letter organization. But they did in a manner known only to Alpha brothers. Every Alpha brother should stand in front of the Sphinx once in his lifetime and Bro. Mason with myself at Bro. Darren view this magnificent emblem of antiquity 0RUWRQ¶V SDVWRUDO LQVWDOODWLRQ HYHQW DW and our beloved symbol. In 2011, we went Macedonia Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon, NY. to Capetown, Johannesburg, and Soweto, South Africa and explored its culture, history, tradition and to plant the seeds of fraternity. The 15 chartered brothers are some of the most talented and resourceful brothers in this fraternity. They are excited and are going to do great things. While in South Africa, the board voted to recharter the chapter in Liberia. What a great time this is with Liberia having the first African American female president who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. We have a great opportunity to gather brothers in that area and assist them in the many worthwhile initiatives to address the issues/plight of young Africa boys and economic development. We will go to Monrovia in January of 2012 (which will be my last Africa Photo: Bryan J. A. Kelly trip as GP). I hope that as many brothers as Bro. Mason with his wife Harmel, and children possible will go and celebrate Alpha's return Jewel and Jodari visited the White House to Liberia. recently for the Easter Egg roll.
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You've been to the White House more than once to participate in various initiatives of our President. Do you think that the Presidency of Barack Obama will have a lasting, positive impact on our young black males?
GP: I have been to the White House five times and yes, I am counting. First, I would have never imagined that I would be at the White House once. What a great thing to have a President and First Lady who has opened the White House and made it the people's house. I have attended a Fatherhood Town Hall initiative, the Medal of Freedom Ceremony, and most recently was invited to attend an intimate Easter Prayer Breakfast where the President stopped by each table, talked, shook hands and took photos. It was in our conversation that I told him that Alpha was waiting for him which created a big smile and chuckle. What a priceless moment for me. To answer your question, there is a task force of which I am on, on behalf of the fraternity to develop the White House Council on Men and Boys to create a national agenda to address issues dealing with this group, and for us especially, our young black boys. I believe that in his second term he will deal more with these issues impacting our young black males and I am excited about the possibilities that could stem from this. The fraternity is known to attract some of the brightest on college campuses and also on the Alumni level. However, retention of brothers continues to be a challenge as we all know. I realize that there has been an effort to further develop the C2C program in recent years. How can Alpha do a better job in reinforcing the link between college and alumni and better utilizing the natural fraternal network that could be a tremendous asset as Brothers transition from college into the professional world?
GP: This is an area that requires continuous work and attention and more resources to help guide and manage this crucial transition. Wouldn't it be great if we had a National Director of Career Placement for the fraternity and his job would be to effect and create these opportunities through our Alpha database? We have a great team working on C2C and we have made some great inroads particularly with our new partnerships with Wells Fargo and GE, but like most of our leadership positions, these are volunteers with full time jobs and careers. We have a great network. In fact, when we needed brothers to apply for the GE Interns because the applicant pool was low, I hit Twitter like lightning and it was amazing to see what followed. We have great potential to develop much more. The recent issue of the Sphinx focuses on Alpha's corporate all stars. The previous issues focused on our "Distinguished Collegians." This is the future of Alpha and the world. We get to see who we are sending out but we need to help them land. These are brothers that I have developed a relationship with and have been very supportive of my administration and the fraternity. Now we need to tap them for job opportunities and interns which is my next step so that at the convention, any brother looking for employment or interns should leave with such. Now that will demonstrate the real power of brotherhood and the true spirit of fraternity!
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Candidates for the 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. "What will be a key focus or initiative that you plan to guide your first year should you be elected General President?"
Bro. Mark Tillman www.thealphainvestment.org
Bro. Roderick Smothers www.rodericklsmothers.com
Bro. Keith A. Bishop www.electkeithbishop.com
Bro. Cecil Howard www.spiritofalpha.com
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The Candidates for 34th General President Bro. Mark Tillman
Bro. Roderick Smothers
For more than two decades, I have remained passionate for Alpha Phi Alpha and dedicated to service, improving our communities, and the bonds that connect us as a brotherhood. As the current Midwestern Regional Vice President, having served two terms (four years), I have been concerned for some time that 80% of our brothers become inactive after five years of their initiation. And, for those who continue to devote themselves to Alpha Phi Alpha, they are doing 80% of the work to keep the house standing.
I believe that Alpha has the ability replicate a nonprofit equivalent of a Fortune 500 operation. :H VLPSO\ GRQÂśW KDYH WKH ILQDQFLDO ZKHUHZLWKDO WR do the things we want, need, and should be doing. We cannot complete our mission of helping downtrodden humanity if we are constantly wondering--and worrying--DERXW KRZ ZHÂśUH JRLQJ to fund our projects.
In my first year as General President, I will embark on initiatives that will focus on the different transitions of our brothers (i.e., graduation and/or relocation). I will ensure that every member graduating from college or any member not associated with a chapter will have DFFHVV WR D ³ZHOFRPH SDFNHW´ WKDW LQYLWHV WKHP WR join an alumni chapter seated anywhere on the globe. For brothers not in good standing, I will commence a major marketing effort to encourage them to financially reinvest in the fraternity. Did you know that if we receive the grand tax of nonfinancial members at $150.00 each it will add up to over 7 million dollars of yearly operating revenue? I will also focus on the strategic objectives of the 2011 ~ 2016 Strategic Plan. It is imperative that we maintain our competitive edge as an organization and not change plans in midstream. I have been inspired to lead on several occasions and I have won the support of fellow brothers who now trust in my leadership and my unwavering focus. I want to inspire our brothers to trust in our mission and our motto and to trust that their financial and fraternal investment will yield a return. My belief and vision is that Alpha Phi Alpha must retool itself to continue its journey as a 21st century change agent. And I ask members of Kappa Xi Lambda, and all members who are reading this article, for your trust and support in my leadership and allow me to lead our fraternity forward. To learn more about my vision and contributions to Alpha Phi Alpha, please visit www.thealphainvestment.org.
To that end, a major part of my ALPHA ACTION Plan centers on fiscal transparency and accountability. I believe that if we do not get our ILQDQFLDO KRXVH LQ RUGHU ZH ZRQœW KDYH D ³+RXVH´ of Alpha in the future. That will be the key focus that will guide my first year in office. We must hit the ground running on fiscal affairs. With the brain trust that exist in Alpha, there is no reason we should not, cannot and²will not upon my taking office²begin building a treasury that will not only pay the bills in the short term, but provide deep reserves and sound financial footing for years to come. The past decade, in my professional life, I have been the chief fundraiser and development officer for two universities, as vice president for institutional advancement. I have been responsible for raising more than $25 million dollars for /DQJVWRQ 8QLYHUVLW\ 1RZ ,œP EXLOGLQJ D WUHDVXU\ DW Huston-TIllotson University in Austin, Texas.
As your general president, I will use my skill set for Alpha. We will have real capital campaigns²for Alpha. I envision the day when the fraternity can actually SERVE, and provide financial assistance to chapters, instead of the current mode of the general organization living off of chapters. If we focus on fiscal accountability (not spending money ZH GRQœW KDYH WR VSHQG DQG UHDO IXQGUDLVLQJ ZH will be able to do amazing things for brothers and for others. While fiscal affairs will be the key focus of year one, by no means does it minimize other areas: reclamation, brotherhood development, scholarship and excellence, expansion of our brand, and a greater role in influencing world and QDWLRQDO DIIDLUV +RZHYHU LI ZH GRQœW WDNH FDUH RI the financial house of Alpha, then I suspect we may not have much of a House of Alpha as we have known it. 9
The Candidates for 34th General President Bro. Keith Bishop
Bro. Cecil Howard
,I HOHFWHG DV *HQHUDO 3UHVLGHQW P\ ILUVW \HDUÂśV focus will be to acquire a new General Office building and one regional office building. I will charge each Region to evaluate its capacity to sustain a regional office building within our 501(c)(7) guidelines.
It is vitally important for every financial member to always know the most up to date financial status of the fraternity. As such, many existing policies and regulations will be enforced, and where there are no existing policies and/or regulations, new ones will be established.
Without real wealth-building assets, we are an organization that survives on membership fees. This is not sustainable. It makes us vulnerable. We question our spending practices endlessly. We endlessly evaluate the tensions between leadership conduct and our limited assets. These tensions exist because we have few assets to manage. Conduct management has become our main objective. But I say to you: when millions of our young black boys are dropping out of college without degrees, roaming the streets unemployed, and are being imprisoned at record numbers, our preoccupation with conduct management is irresponsible and pretentious. Alpha men must rise up to face this calamity! To be First of All, we must be FIRST OF ALL A STRONG HOUSE!
First, I would seek to reduce general budget expenses by 10% each year until the overall budget has been trimmed to represent only the most essential expenditures over the next four years.
In my first year I will review our commitment to biannual conventions. I will give priority to guiding an orderly membership intake process to ensure this Fraternity is able to cultivate wealth in a riskfree environment. Membership intake is vital to our operation and we must manage it effectively. We must no longer pretend that reactionary, ad hoc management of this vital function is appropriate or satisfactory. Finally, I will continue to give careful attention to RXU )UDWHUQLW\ÂśV RSHUDWLRQDO QHHGV , ZLOO FRQWLQXH to streamline our insurance agreements. I will not have the disadvantage of learning the operational details that will pre-occupy the other General President Candidate. As a business owner, and the current General Counsel, I know and understand the dynamics of our Fraternity. I am uniquely positioned to seamlessly transition to the Office of General President. I will set this Fraternity on a course that will capture the imagination of our members and the Nation. I will build, FIRST OF ALL, A STRONG HOUSE!
Second, prior to adoption of the biennial budget, members will get an opportunity to participate in at least one (possibly more) budget hearing(s). Budget hearings will be held at each of the regional conventions, or via international webinars. During the hearings, fiscal officers will receive input and comments from the brotherhood, and then take appropriate information into consideration as they prepare the budget for the convention. Third, I will support and endorse the proposal of a balanced budget amendment to the constitution, meaning the fraternity will adopt a real budget every two years with the strictest measure for modifications. In fact, I would like to take the budget modification authority away from the board of directors except in the most extreme situations. Otherwise, I believe this process should be placed squarely in the hands of the general brotherhood. Finally, every financial brother will be given unfettered access to the financial records of the fraternity. Under my leadership, access will be allowed through AlphaNet. Brothers will see the purpose of each expenditure and how each expenditure impacts each budget line item, on a monthly basis. I will begin implementing these changes as soon as I am sworn in as 34th General President.
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2010-2011 Chapter Officers and Board Members Kappa Xi Lambda Executive Board President:
Brother Lael Chappell
Vice President:
Brother Nicolas Rosello, Jr.
Recording Secretary:
Brother Thomas Mabry, Jr.
Corresponding Secretary:
Brother Jesse Owens
Treasurer:
Brother Sean Henry
Financial Secretary:
Brother Lino Solis
Chaplain:
Brother Dr. Eric Turner
Historian:
Brother Sean Gayle
Coordinator of Intake:
Brother Keith Harvey
Sergeant-at-Arms:
Brother Mel Myrie
Parliamentarian:
Brother Christopher Hunt
Dir. of Educational Activity:
Brother Dr. Ted Ingram
Assoc. Editor to the Sphinx:
Brother Tony Thompson
Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation Board of Directors President & Chairman:
Brother Shawn A. Curwen
Secretary: Brother Tony Johnson Treasurer:
Brother Roy A. Williams
Board Member:
Brother Jioha Amatokwu
Board Member:
Brother Damon Culcleasure
Newsletter Committee Editor in Chief:
Brother Brian Pruitt
Assistant Editor:
Brother Tony Thompson
Contributors: Brother Chris Hunt Brother NaQuinton Gainous Brother Lino Solis
Brother Geshawn Williams
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ÂŤ 'U 'DYLG /HYHULQJ /HZLV Continued from page 1
NYU professor. Dr. Lewis is the only American historian to win consecutive Pulitzer Prizes for his two volumes of biography on W.E.B. Du Bois, and one of only two American historians to win two or more Pulitzers Prizes for biography ¹ the other historian, David McCullough, won Pulitzer Prizes for ELRJUDSKLHV RQ 3UHVLGHQWV -RKQ $GDPV DQG +DUU\ 7UXPDQ ,W LV ILWWLQJ WKDW 'U /HZLVœV ILUVW and last ELRJUDSKLHV WR GDWH ZHUH DERXW $OSKD PHQ +LV ILUVW ELRJUDSK\ HQWLWOHG ³.LQJ $ %LRJUDSK\ ´ ZDV ILUVW published in 1970. His Pulitzer-Prize winning volumes on W.E.B. Du Bois were published in 1994 and 2001, respectively. DR. LEWIS: I have to begin with a disclaimer ¹ I am not an Alpha man, my father was. He was a very GHYRWHG $OSKD PDQ ZKHQ , ZDV WDSSHG LI WKDW LV WKH WHUP , ZDV DW )LVN DQG LW ZDV MXVW DVVXPHG WKDW , would pledge Alpha . . . all my friends pledged. I missed my opportunity to honor my family as it were . . . . . There were so few forums where like-minded people could be among themselves and Alpha was LGHDOO\ WKDW DQG ZKHWKHU ULJKWO\ RU ZURQJO\ WKHUH ZDV WKLV SHFNLQJ RUGHU 6LJPD DQG RWKHUV DQG LI you are going to go that way [pledge], you go Alpha or AKA, the sorority! I have echoes in my head of my parents talking about people and saying [he or she] was Alpha Phi Alpha or Alpha Kappa Alpha. . . Those were markers of the appropriate paths to follow ¹ the success it both encouraged and was a reflection of. . . . For DuBois, that Talented Tenth idea of course, he never meant it to be elitist in the narrow sense, it was an obligation. If you could be so described as a member RI WKDW FRKRUW LW ZDV EHFDXVH WR WKRVH ZKRP PXFK LV JLYHQ PXFK LV H[SHFWHG DQG UHTXLUHG DQG WKDWœV why he eventually, as I think most Alpha men will know, those who know about Sigma Pi Phi1 will know, that he drew back from Sigma Pi Phi believing it had become too much a social phenomenon than one committed to change, uplift, and responsibility. 2Q WKH VXEMHFW RI PDUULDJH RQH RI 'U /HZLVœV ILUVW SXEOLVKHG ZULWLQJV ZDV D SLHFH KH FR-authored with WKH DFDGHPLF $XJXVW 0HLHU HQWLWOHG ³+LVWRU\ RI WKH 1HJUR 8SSHU &ODVV LQ $WODQWD ´ )URP WKDW UHVHDUFK Dr. Lewis came away with a certain perspective on the marriage patterns of Alpha men: DR. LEWIS: Based on interviewing all the people in Atlanta who would allow themselves to be pestered. One of the things we paid special attention to were marriage patterns; and Alpha men married certain ways, or women allowed themselves (chuckle) to be approached by Alpha men much more readily. Some of it was color-coded indeed, some of it had to do with, [say], if you were a Congregationalist, for example, that was another hierarchy of desirables, a little better than Baptist . . . So Alpha, then, for the separate but equal world, pre- Brown v. Board, was just one of the cherished niches in which we could affirm ourselves and be affirmed and feel we were a bit of a force in the society. Dr. Lewis opined that Alpha, and perhaps other BGLOs, do not have the same cache as they once had LQ WKH SDVW EHFDXVH QRZDGD\V RSSRUWXQLWLHV DUH ³PXFK PRUH UHDGLO\ GLVWULEXWHG LQ ZD\V WKDW UHIOHFW PHULW DQG FDSDFLW\´ DQG SHRSOH REMHFWLYHO\ KDYH PRUH FKRLFH DERXW ZKLFK RUJDQL]DWLRQV WKH\ FRXOG MRLQ. 1Sigma
Pi Phi, sometimes referred to as the Boule RU ³FRXQFLO RI QREOHPHQ´ ZDV D SURIHVVLRQDO RUJDQL]DWLRQ established in 1904 to which many prominent men and women of color belonged, while also being members of intercollegiate Black Greek Letter Organizations. Brothers Drs. W.E.B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King, Jr., were both members of the Boule. Continued from page 13
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ÂŤ 'U 'DYLG /HYHULQJ /HZLV Continued from page 12
DR. LEWIS: I went to law school because my parents thought I should do so. One semester was quite alright, the grades were good. I did know I did not want to make it a career if it meant not being a historian. How could I be so sure? Books in the family library had something to do with it perhaps; lots RI WLPH VSHQW UHDGLQJ PD\EH DQ\ZD\ , KDYHQœW UHJUHWWHG LW :KDW , KDYH UHJUHWWHG XQWLO UHFHQWO\ WKRXJK LV KDYLQJ VWXGHQWV OLNH \RX ZKR GRQœW IROORZ WKH KLVWRU\ URXWH EXW JR WR ODZ VFKRRO RU WDNH DQ 0%$ DQG WKHQ VD\ ³, FDQœW DIIRUG WKDW >SXUVXLQJ D 3K ' IXOOWLPH@ , UHDOO\ ZDQW PRUH RI DQ LQFRPH WKDQ WKDW SURPLVHV´ 3URIHVVLRQDOO\ VHOILVKO\ ZLWK XV PHQ DQG ZRPHQ RI FRORU , KDYH PRUH RI D FRQFHUQ because I see that in the pipeline in the humanities we have just about disappeared. We are streaming through the business school tract . . . the Tisch school tract for anything to do with film and communications we are there, but what about scholarship in the humanities, no way, we are just not there. The price of that is, now you can say its generational, their kids will feel sufficiently secure they will go into history and philosophy [etc.], that may be true, we have to wait a while. But, history is not REMHFWLYH , ZLVK LW ZHUH $QG ZH FDQ WHOO VWXGHQWV WKDW EXW LW LVQœW REMHFWLYH DQG WKDW PHDQV WKH SHRSOH who write the history are writing history and if you are not there helping to write it, then it will be a different history, and so that concerns me. According to Dr. Lewis, some of his best PhD students have been professionals who returned to graduate school from professions such as law, in part because the economic downturn forced some professionals to reconsider career paths. Dr. Lewis touched upon politics, how he came to write biographies, and what it takes to be a great writer. DR. LEWIS: I am concerned now about the Obama phenomenon [because it] allows everyone to pretend that there are no problems. What is happening right now is going to require, it seems to me, some very perceptive write-ups. I would hope that we would have some Alpha men with Phi Beta Kappa keys, take PhDs (for example), and do history to write this. They would have to say something OLNH LW GRHVQœW PDWWHU LI WKH 3UHVLGHQW LV EODFN DIWHU DOO LW VWLOO PDWWHUV KRZ >KLV@ SROLF\ LPSDFWV HYHQO\ RU unevenly across the board, people who need more government than others. And we are pretending now WKDW ZH FDQœW HYHQ GLVFXVV WKDWDQ\WKLQJ WKDW PLJKW DSSHDU WR EH UDFLDOO\ SUHIHUHQWLDO ZKHQ LQ IDFW \RX ZLOO MXVW EH WDONLQJ DERXW WKH UHVSRQVLELOLW\ RI JRYHUQPHQW WR OLIW XS SHRSOH ZH FDQœW GR WKDW %RE +HUEHUW [of the New York Times], he is not a historian, but he has the right historical take on that and we want to keep Alpha men coming who will have that same take and that history credential. On the subject of writing biographies, Dr. Lewis explained how he was approached to write a Dr. King biography and initially was inclined to decline the opportunity as King was only 40 years old at the time, D ELW \RXQJ KH WKRXJKW IRU WKH VXEMHFW RI D ELRJUDSK\ 7KHQ ZKHQ %URWKHU 'U .LQJ ZDV PXUGHUHG ³WKHQ \RX KDG D EHJLQQLQJ PLGGOH DQG DQ HQG ´ KH RSLQHG DR. LEWIS: ,Q ³.LQJ $ %LRJUDSK\ ´ 'U .LQJ LV GHVFULEHG DV KDYLQJ IRXQG KLV ³PpWLHU´ DW 0RUHKRXVH XQGHU WKH LQIOXHQFH RI 'U %HQMDPLQ 0D\V :H DOVR OHDUQ LQ WKH ERRN WKDW .LQJ GLG QRW ³MRLQ D IUDWHUQLW\ ZKLOH KH ZDV DQ XQGHUJUDGXDWH´ DQG OLNHO\ MRLQHG $OSKD ZKHQ KH ZDV D JUDGXDWH VWXGHQW DW %RVWRQ 8QLYHUVLW\ 'U /HZLV GHVFULEHG 'U .LQJ DV ³RQH KHOO RI D VFKRODU´ ZKRVH 3K' GLVVHUWDWLRQ DW %RVWRQ 8QLYHUVLW\ ZDV ³FXWWLQJ HGJH ´ 'U .LQJœV ³, +DYH $ 'UHDP 6SHHFK´ ZDV ³.H\QHVLDQ´ ERUGHULQJ RQ ³0DU[LVW´ LQ LWV GLVFXVVLRQ RI PDUNHWV DQG MXVWLFH DFFRUGLQJ WR 'U /HZLV LW ZDV ³KLVWRU\´ DQG ³KLVWRULRJUDSK\ ´ Continued on page 14 13
ÂŤ 'U 'DYLG /HYHULQJ /HZLV Continued from page 13
He finished our interview with a story about the final days of Dr. King. DR. LEWIS: One Alpha man honors another [Alpha man] at Carnegie Hall . . .one month before King is killed in Memphis there is a birthday commemoration of W.E.B. DuBois . . . so King is killed on April 4th, on February 23rd . . full house, lots of [political] lefties there. . . Martin Luther King pays tribute to W.E.B. DuBois and VD\V >RI 'X%RLV@ ÂľKH ZDV GLVKRQRUHG EHFDXVH KH spoke truth to power; he was a revolutionary ZKR KRQRUHG XV DOO >SDXVH@Âś LWÂśV D ZRQGHUIXO WDON very, very analytical . . . and that is one of the memorable last things that King had to say [to his fellow Alpha man].
For those Brothers who have not already read 'U /HZLVœV ELRJUDSKLHV RQ RXU ODWH %URWKHUV 'UV Martin Luther King, Jr., and W.E.B. Du Bois, those biographies are a must read. My own personal non-biography book by Dr. Lewis is ³:KHQ +DUOHP :DV LQ 9RJXH ´ DQRWKHU IUHQHWLF journey into history during one of the most culturally energetic periods in African American History.
Dr.  King  (bottom  row,  far  right)   was  initiated  at  Sigma  Chapter  ,  Boston  Metro,  while  a  graduate  student  at  Boston  University.
The Wall Street Alphas honor our GENTS at SIP Kappa Xi Lambda's (KXL) signature event , SIP, took place on Monday, June 6, 2011 on the campus of New York University in Manhattan. This was a great platform to showcase the young men that we have been mentoring over the past fraternal year. In particular, the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation (WSACF) and KXL took time to honor the graduating seniors from the program. It is a bittersweet moment as our G.E.N.T.S. (Gaining Essential Networking Tools for Success) transition from high school students to becoming college men. /D6DOOH $FDGHP\ +LJK 6FKRROÂśV YDOHGLFWRULDQ Andy MuĂąoz has earned a tuition-free education ($160,000) from the Posse Foundation Scholarship and will be enrolled at Lafayette College (Pa). During his time in the program, Andy has seized the opportunity to become highly involved in co-curricular activities. He held membership in the Big Brothers/ Big Sisters Program, Champs Fitness Program, LaSalle Academy African-American Club, Asian Club, Student Culture Movement Club, Student Council and Light the Night Walk to Cure Cancer. Andy has earned his place in the NYC Ladder for Leaders internship program where he worked as an intern at the internationally known advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather. Before going off to college, he will intern at a notable law firm. A graduate of Bishop Ford High School, Johnny De la Cruz has also been awarded a tuition-free Posse Foundation scholarship which will be used for his academic pursuit at the University of Southern California. Equally as impressive, Johnny served as his schools lead Defense Attorney in the Law Society club which made it to the NYC semi-final round. Additionally, he was an active member of the VFKRROÂśV SHHU FRXQVHORU SURJUDP ZKHUH KH mentored middle school students. Johnny was also selected to the prestigious Ladders for Leaders Program, where he learned valuable skills that enabled him to intern with Tishman Continued on page 19
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KXL in the Community May continued a busy year with the March for Babies and Alphas Against AIDS walks. We walked as a chapter, as NYC Alphas, and as part of the BGLO community.
KXL President Lael Chappell (left) and two of the Alpha GENTS came out for the AIDS walk.
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:KDW¶V 1HZ" A Note from Brother Jerrell Horton I would like to thank the Brothers of Kappa Xi Lambda from the bottom of my heart for helping to PDNH ³6XLW 'UHDPV ´ D PDMRU VXFFHVV 1RW only was the event well attended, but I also received over 250 signatures of those interested in mentoring our youth during the next academic year.
Bro. Parks new book coming soon!
The young gentlemen who attended the event were thrilled with regards to the turn out and VXSSRUW IURP 1<&¶V OHDGLQJ \RXQJ SURIHVVLRQDOV We collected over 50 suits for the cause!!! I will keep the brotherhood in the loop with regards to upcoming Suit Dreams events and mentorship opportunities. Check out photos and updates on www.SuitDreams2011.com
In what seems to be the continuation of big news in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, look to preorder your copy of Bro. Gregory Parks latest book, scheduled for release this summer. The book goes beyond just the fraternity as it touches on personality dynamics and management challenges and issues that we all face as professionals. Our own KXL Bro. Kelso Anderson authors a chapter on the legal ramifications of hazing in colleges and universities. Get it here! 16
Ph.D. student lands three fellowships in three months to combat nerve disorders by Carly Hodes June 7, 2011 Reprinted with permission from the Cornell Chronicle In his effort to address the needs of underserved communities in health and education, Christopher Blackwood, a doctoral student at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in the area of pharmacology, has landed three major fellowship awards in three months to support his research into how the brain creates new neurons. Blackwood hopes his work will contribute to new therapies for such neurodegenerative disorders as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, that disproportionately affect minority communities. This year Blackwood was one of only 20 students across the nation to receive the prestigious Ford Dissertation Fellowship for 2011, which not only provides a stipend and travel expenses, but also opportunities to confer with former Ford fellows.
Robert Barker / Cornell University Photography
Bro. Chris Blackwood ± KXL, #2 Fall 2006
"Meeting the other current and former Ford fellows is an incredible opportunity to learn from my peers, exchange ideas and forge future partnerships," said Blackwood. Blackwood also has received the Cornell Provost's Diversity Fellowship for 2011 and a Kirschstein research award to promote diversity in health-related research from the National Institutes of Health. A first-generation minority college student, Blackwood was one of four children raised by a single mother in the Bronx, where economic and educational disparities regularly affected his life. After graduating from Clark Atlanta University, he came to Cornell's Department of Biomedical Sciences in 2007 to study neurogenesis. "Producing new neurons is critical to the function and development of the brain. I study how signaling pathways regulate this process," said Blackwood. "This has important implications for neurodegenerative diseases, in which neurons are progressively lost. For example, by the year 2050, an estimated 150 million people will suffer from Alzheimer's disease. If we could learn how to increase the production of neurons to compensate for dying brain cells, we may be able to provide new therapies. I hope my research can address health disparities such as QHXURGHJHQHUDWLYH GLVHDVHV WKDW GLVSURSRUWLRQDWHO\ DIIHFW PDUJLQDOL]HG FRPPXQLWLHV ³ Committed to serving underrepresented communities in education as well as science, Blackwood has worked with Cornell's Office of Minority Educational Affairs to hire undergraduate minority students in his lab. He has recruited several budding scientists, some of whom are already engaged in independent research. "The best science comes from diverse minds," said Blackwood. "In the future I hope to apply my expertise to develop mentorship, recruitment and retention programs for underrepresented minority students. I feel blessed to pursue a Ph.D. at Cornell, to have the credentials to achieve these goals, to speak up about the factors that are GHWULPHQWDO WR VXFFHVV DQG WR XVH P\ UHVHDUFK DQG WHDFKLQJ WR SRWHQWLDOO\ UHPHG\ GHVWUXFWLYH GLVHDVHV ³ Blackwood's latest award, from the University of California-San Francisco, will send him to their two-day "Postdoc Bootcamp" in June to learn how to navigate the next tier of a typical research career. The selective workshop for faculty-nominated Ph.D. students in the life sciences will cover strategies for finding postdoctoral positions and keeping a career on track. 17
Upcoming National Events!
Brothers, summer is upon us and that means LW¶V WLPH IRU YDFDWLRQ« DQG D OLWWOH $OSKD business! First, we start on June 21st-25th in Chicago IRU RXU 1DWLRQDO &RQYHQWLRQ /HW¶V FRPH RXW LQ IRUFH MXVW OLNH ZH GLG LQ %HUPXGD ,¶P VXUH that Bro. Jioha Amatokwu and his Theta brethren will provide a little guidance on the local attractions.
General President Candidates Websites - Bro. Keith Bishop: http://www.electkeithbishop.com - Bro. Cecil Howard: http://www.spiritofalpha.com - Bro. Roderick Smothers: http://www.rodericklsmothers.com - Bro. Mark Tillman: http://www.thealphainvestment.org
Bros. Keith Bishop, Cecil Howard, Roderick Smothers, and Mark Tillman have been very active in Alpha East making sure that their platforms are known. Make sure you see the rest of this newsletter to be informed about what the four candidates for our 34th General President have in mind for our dear fraternity and visit their websites for more information. 7KHQ LQ $XJXVW ZH¶OO FRQYHQH LQ RXU QDWLRQ¶V capital to be a part of history as we commemorate the dedication of the Bro. Dr. Martin Luther Kink, Jr. Memorial. Seeing this project come full circle from inception, through planning, fundraising, and execution has been H[FLWLQJ ,W¶V WUXO\ ILWWLQJ WKDW DQ $OSKD 0DQ ZLOO be the FIRST African-American to take his place on the National Mall. See you there!
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Continued from page 14
SIP 2011
Speyer Properties. Johnny is also a finalist for the Jackie Robinson Scholarship and received a $1,600 academic scholarship from the Ladders for Leaders program. 0DUWD 9DOOHœV VHQLRU .HOYLQ 0XxR] ZLOO EHFRPH D ³/DNHU´ RQ )LQJHU /DNHV &RPPXQLW\ &ROOHJHœV basketball team in Canandaigua, New York. High 6FKRRO RI *UDSKLF &RPPXQLFDWLRQ $UWVœ JUDGXDWHV Robert Spencer and Shayne Combs will be enrolled at S.U.N.Y. Cobleskill and Borough of Manhattan Community College, respectively in the fall. We are excited for all these young scholars and expect to hear great things from them in the near future. The final G.E.N.T.S. session for the 2010-2011 fraternal year is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 18, 2011. We plan to close out the year with recapping the year with personal reflections, distributing certificates of completions as well as soliciting feedback for a more outstanding 2011-2012.
GENTS receive awards for their incredible achievements (above) , and Bro. Wiky Toussaint and his girlfriend Shavonnie share a moment at SIP.
Thank you to all of our guests who came out to support the efforts of our young men and our vendors/sponsors for their participation and donation to this worthwhile cause ¹ Louis Vuitton 0RHW +HQQHVVH\ %XOOGRJ *LQ -7( 6SLULWV *LYHQœ Liqueur, Brooklyn Brewery, Triple Crown Sports Memorabilia, Distinguished Cravat, B. Marie Style, Clifton Charles, the Uptown Wine Pantry, and David Giles - Gold Standard Design. We would especially like to thank Elizabeth Thomas and Staff, NYU Law Special Events. A final thank you LV LQ RUGHU IRU ³7KH 6RXOIRON ([SHULHQFH´ IRU GRLQJ an extraordinary job of providing us smooth grooves throughout the evening. Please keep an eye out for this incredible Brooklyn band and continue to support their great work. The success of the Education committee and the young men of the G.E.N.T.S. Program would not have been successful without the support of a collective body. The brothers of Kappa Xi Lambda have been supportive with their active participation at our monthly sessions. I want to thank the brothers of the Education committee for their untiring efforts, frequent e-mail exchange, and constant input to make sure that every program is a success. They are Brothers Aaron Allen, Lael Chappell, Damon Culcleasure, Sean Henry, Broderick McClinton, Rick Thurmond, Tony Thompson, and Lou :LOOLDPV $ KHDUW\ VKRXW RXW WR 0DOLN 6LPPRQGV IRU DOO KLV ³EHKLQG-the-VFHQHV´ ZRUN $ VSHFLDO acknowledgment goes to Brothers Kevin Powell for his networking skills and Gio Gallaread for creating space for our program at his alma mater, Pace University. Additionally, our events would not be possible without the financial support of the Wall Street Alphas Charitable Foundation. 19
Continued from page 19
SIP 2011
Johnny De la Cruz (left) receives an award and poses with WSACF President Shawn Curwen, KXL Director of Educational Activities Dr. Ted Ingram, and KXL President Lael Chappell. GENTS mentor Malik Simmonds (middle) takes a moment with some of the GENTS in attendance. Bros came out strong (bottom) ensuring that our 6th year of SIP was a resounding success! A big THANK YOU goes out to our 300+ guests whose support of the event enables our continued success mentoring our GENTS. Visit www.wsacf.org for pictures of the event.
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ǹĭǹ - A Century of Leadership - ǹĭǹ
KXL bros got a little refreshment after a busy day at March for Babies.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Kappa Xi Lambda Chapter P.O. Box 5382 New York, NY 10185-5382
Contact us at WSANews@gmail.com
Visit us at www.wallstreetalphas.com and www.wsacf.org