REVIEW AND UPDATE
11.18.15

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FOR THOSE WHO SERVED, THANK YOU.
11.11.15

Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans who served their country honorably. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is wishing all of the men and women who have served, especially our brothers, a Happy Veterans Day.

Systematic racism plagues many of our American institutions, and our system of higher learning is no different. As such, we as a fraternity have to remain proactive in the fight for racial, economic, and social justice. That’s why the events we have currently watched unfold on the University of Missouri campus, as unfortunate as they are, come as no surprise to those who continue to feel the all too real symptoms of racism in our culture. I have been in constant contact with our brothers of Zeta Alpha chapter seated at the University of Missouri. Zeta Alpha chapter president, Brother Phelan Simpkins, Missouri Students Association president, Brother Payton Head, and Brother Anthony Sherrils, a Mizzou football player, have been exhibiting outstanding leadership throughout the events of this week.

They weren’t alone as students and faculty took a stand to make the University of Missouri a better establishment, particularly the Mizzou football players, who unified not only to take an action for social justice but one with economic implications. These student-athletes supported their fellow UM student, Jonathan Butler, member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, who staged a hunger strike until UM president Tim Wolfe resigned. Everyone who came together did so not because it would be instantly beneficial individually but to create the long-term change needed as a community.

I’m inviting you to hear from the leadership of Zeta Alpha for an Alpha Town Hall Meeting on Friday, November 13, 2015, 6:00–6:30 PM EDT (3:00–3:30 PM PDT). Zeta Alpha Chapter President Simpkins will speak on the events at the university from a first-person perspective. If you are unable to join us, the meeting will be recorded and posted on our website. Space is limited, so if you plan to attend, please register as soon as possible.

It will take collective action on all of our parts to ensure an environment on our campuses that is free of hate, discrimination, and harassment. We believe the next step for Mizzou and for our nation as a whole is to be proactive in understanding the history of race in America and identifying the microaggressions that result from ignorance.

Again, I commend the brothers of Zeta Alpha and the students of the University of Missouri for creating safe spaces and having productive dialogues on race.

See you on Friday!

Fraternally,

Brother Tillman

• Remarks from the General President
• Update from University of Missouri
• Alpha’s Next Steps
• Closing Statements

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the world’s oldest intercollegiate fraternal organization founded by African-American men, has announced that the fraternity is donating $1 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, which opens next year after years of construction.

The fraternity approved a resolution for Alpha Phi Alpha to become a Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture founding donor at its biennial convention. This year the convention was held in Charlotte, N.C. and featured events such as a Back to School Back Pack Drive and a panel entitled School Choice in African-American Communities.

The Museum of African American and History and Culture will be the Smithsonian’s 19th museum. It will open next year with 11 inaugural exhibitions covering major periods of African American history, including the slave trade, segregation, the civil rights movement, and the Harlem Renaissance. It will also include exhibits on Black Greek Lettered Organizations such as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and its members.

President George W. Bush signed the legislation establishing the museum in 2003. Construction began in 2011. To learn more about the museum, please go to nmaahc.si.edu.

Fraternity Set to Receive $1 Million in Grant

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is receiving $1 million to continue their work with young men in target cities through their Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College® national program. The program concerns the 2015 Youth Mentoring Grant Opportunity that the fraternity has applied for through the United States Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

The Go-To-High-School, Go-To-College® program is one that will be a United States Department of Justice “Category 2,” one-on-one and group-mentoring program for participants ages 6-17 years old in twenty-five (25) geographical locations across twenty-two (22) states and five regions of the country. The Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College® program, established in 1922, concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement.

Global Image Consulting assisted the fraternity with submitting the grant that “will focus on 6 goals: Reduce Juvenile Delinquency, Increase Graduation Rates, Develop Mobile Application, Promote Public Safety, Reduce Juvenile Victimization, and Provide Readiness Training,” explained Elvin Dowling, founding partner withGlobal Image Consulting and Alpha Phi Alpha Member. “The program will target 5 regions,” Dowling continued, “Some of the states included are: Maryland, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, and California.”

Recognized as the world’s oldest intercollegiate fraternity founded by African-American men, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University. Since its inception, the organization has truly established itself on leadership and service.

“We aim to engage at least 5,000 student participants with caring mentors who serve as advocates and role models for achieving greater successes in life. Just as importantly, this comprehensive truancy and juvenile delinquency prevention effort offers high school and college readiness training and common sense direction for program participants, providing them with the resources, skills and relationships they need to make positive decisions that help them to become productive members of society,” said Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity executive director and COO, William Douglass Lyle.

For more information on the many efforts Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity is currently leading and supporting, please visit http://www.apa1906.net or contact the International Headquarters at 2313 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218.

Brothers, we have been marching and advocating for justice for more than 108 years now. Let’s continue to support those who will stand with us for justice and equality. As Alpha Men, we are asking you to represent on October 10, 2015, in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March.

March with your brothers to our nation’s capital in solidarity with those asking for “Justice…or Else.” Stand with your brothers for justice in America’s legal, educational, political, and economic systems. Then, we will return to our homes and elevate our local communities through service and leadership, and making investments in the next generation of leaders. Logistics for a meeting time and location and will be forwarded to the brotherhood before the march.

We encourage you to:

• Wear Alpha Attire (dark suit, white shirt, gold tie)
• Let us know if you are hosting a local Justice or Else event via Twitter or Facebook using the hashtag #JusticeorElse #APhiA
• Bring your son(s) or mentee(s) as this is a teachable opportunity

SPEAK TO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE DIVINE NINE

Public Perception and the Portrayal of African Americans in the Media 
Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-Ohio) cordially invites all Alpha men to the 6th Annual NPHC – Council of Presidents (COP) Forum. Please join the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. Council of Presidents (COP) for a discussion on Public Perception and the Portrayal of African Americans in the Media.

The event will be held during the same week as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Legislative Conference on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, from 2:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m., doors open at 1:30 p.m. at United States Capitol Visitor Center Congressional Auditorium and Atrium, Washington D.C. This event is free to the public. Register today at https://mlf2015nphcforum.eventbrite.com.

CBCF ALC PHOTOGRAPHY

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) announced the honorees for the Phoenix Awards Dinner, the culminating event of the 45th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Among the shortlist of honorees, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will be presented with the Phoenix Award at the black-tie dinner, 6 p.m., Sept. 19, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Click here to see the CBCF ALC photos from 2014and 2013. Register for the ALC today..

WORK WHERE EXTRAORDINARY HAPPENS

Alpha employees are unique individuals whose varied talents and experiences bring value to the way members connect with their chapters, districts, regions, and national leadership. If you love working with men and women who make a difference every day, you’ll probably be a great fit at Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity because that’s what you’ll do as the director of membership services. With each member conversation you have, it becomes clear: You’re not just supporting the fraternity. You’re supporting our community.

IT’S WHAT WE DO TOGETHER THAT SETS US APART

We’re perfectionists. Idealists. Change agents. Forever talking and moving with a brotherhood-first mindset. Whatever programs, processes, or people it takes, we are always on the lookout for better. Whether you come in the office one day or have to fly to another city to give a presentation the next, a job at Alpha will be demanding. But it also rewards bright, original thinking and hard work. And none of us here would have it any other way.

BEING PART OF ALPHA ISN’T THE ONLY BENEFIT

All Alpha team members receive a robust benefits package. Also, we have all kinds of resources to promote your career development. And that’s helpful because the kind of work you’ll do in the future at Alpha continues to change from day to day, year to year.

CORPORATE OPPORTUNITIES

With so many ways to contribute here, chances are good you’ll find a way to do what you love. We need the best of the best to create presentations and seminars and connect with our members. We expect nothing less from our members because they are the ones who market, support, and manage our programs, partnerships, and mission on a local level.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

At Alpha, we know inspiring leaders come from every sort of background. What matters most is your ability to connect, provide innovative solutions, and create an environment where all can succeed.

WINNING AWARDS BY BEING MISSION FOCUSED

On Monday, August 24, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) announced the honorees for the Phoenix Awards Dinner, the culminating event of the 45th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). Among the shortlist of honorees, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will be presented with the Phoenix Award at the foundations’s black-tie dinner, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on September 19, 2015 at 6pm.

We are also proud to announce the 2015 Charlotte General Convention presidential citation recipient, Brother William Barber, II (Gamma Beta ’82), will be honored with the CBC Chair’s Award. As described by the CBCF, Brother Barber was instrumental in the release of the Wilmington Ten and has been a mainstay in the national grassroots movement for educational, economic and equal justice for more than 19 years. Brother Barber continues to lead the fight for voter rights in North Carolina and health care reform, labor and worker rights, protection of immigration rights, and reparation for women survivors of Eugenics.

The CBCF ALC is the leading policy conference on issues impacting African Americans and the global black community. The ALC features more than 70 public policy forums on health, education, economic empowerment, environmental concerns, civic engagement, and the Exhibit Showcase. Signature events include the National Town Hall, Celebration of Leadership in Fine Arts, Gospel Extravaganza, Black Party, Prayer Breakfast, and the culminating event, the Phoenix Awards Dinner.

“It is truly an honor to be recognized for a century of developing leaders, service and advocacy for our communities by such a prominent and august body such as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation,” said Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity General President Mark S. Tillman.

As stated by the CBCF, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity will receive the CBCF Chair’s Award for its diligence in cementing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy with a memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Alpha Phi Alpha, of which Dr. King was a member, is also being recognized for its national programs to mentor black children and mobilize minority voters.

“I encourage all brothers to join me,” General President Tillman continued, “in registering for this year’s 45th Annual Legislative Conference and purchasing tickets to the Phoenix Awards Dinner so that we can paint the event black and old gold.”