The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Partners with Indiana University's Kelley School of Business
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications
/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
George Vlahakis
Associate Director of Communications and Media Relations
Indiana University Kelley
November 16, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Partners with the Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business
Effort seeks to increase more African American and Latinx enrollment in business and management graduate programs
BALTIMORE, MD – The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has partnered with the Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business ensuring more of its members pursue graduate degrees in business and management.
As part of the partnership, Alpha Brothers receive application fee waivers and an opportunity for no less than three full tuition fellowships for those admitted to Kelley’s full-time, in-residence MBA program each year. Fellowship recipients may also receive support to attend the Fraternity’s Regional and General conventions.
“Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is renowned for its development of global leaders across every field, including business,” said General President Willis L. Lonzer, III, Ph.D. “As the world’s first and leading intercollegiate Fraternity founded by African American men, the Fraternity is uniquely equipped to successfully partner with the Kelley School of Business and fully realize its goal of increasing African American and Latinx pursuit of business and management graduate degrees.”
Kelley’s MBA program, which is typically completed in 21 months, offers a strong focus on academics, professional development, career development, and experiential learning, including global learning and leadership development opportunities.
The Fraternity ensures at least 10 Alpha Brothers apply and three enroll each Fall semester in the Kelley MBA program. Program applicants, which are notified within 60 days, are reviewed based on prior academic performance, work experience, standardized test scores, English proficiency scores, essays, interviews, and leadership experience.
“We are proud of a heritage at Kelley that highlights the importance of developing leaders who reflect our increasingly diverse society, through a learning environment that is supportive for all,” said Ash Soni, interim dean of the Kelley School and The Sungkyunkwan Professor. “Alumni of Alpha Phi Alpha have included a Supreme Court justice, a UN ambassador, civil rights leaders and, of course, many successful businessmen. We hope this new partnership similarly will contribute to promoting greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
The program will also offer webinars and opportunities targeting the Fraternity’s College Brothers about business careers and graduate business education at Kelley as well as special sessions with Alumni Brothers to assist in the business school application process, the agreement stated.
The partnership ends June 30, 2026.
For more information, visit: https://blogs.iu.edu/kelleyschool/2022/11/16/new-partnership-with-alpha-phi-alpha-encourages-members-to-pursue-a-kelley-mba/
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and is headquartered in Baltimore, MD. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Visit us at www.apa1906.net and follow us on all platforms @apa1906network.
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Launches New Job Board in Partnership with Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications
/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
Mina Olivas
Partnership Engagment Liaison
PDN
(630) 215-7797
November XX, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Launches New Job Board in Partnership with Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
BALTIMORE, MD – The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the world’s first and largest intercollegiate Fraternity founded by African American men, collaborated with Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (PDN), one of the largest diverse networks in the nation, to launch an easy-to-access job board for its more than 85,000 current alumni members.
The new fully integrated job board https://apajobs.com/ is located at the Fraternity’s website.
“The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. is excited to announce the launch of its fully integrated job board in collaboration with Professional Diversity Network, Inc.,” said General President Willis L. Lonzer, III, Ph.D. “This pivotal resource is long overdue and helps fulfill and enhance our mission of developing leaders and promoting academic excellence through establishing a direct path to career planning and success for our members.”
The Fraternity, which has initiated more than 200,000 members with over 8,000 active College Brothers and more than 85,000 Alumni Brothers.
“Alpha Phi Alpha is one of the great historically Black Fraternities," said Mike Hall, Executive Vice President of PDN. “Their global membership is composed of college educated men who are highly engaged in their local communities. PDN welcomes APA as a highly valued partner.”
PDN’s focuses is to provide access to networking, training, educational, and employment opportunities.
Through an online platform and our relationship recruitment affinity groups, PDN provides their employer clients a means to identify and acquire diverse talent and assist them with their efforts to recruit diverse employees. Their mission is to utilize the collective strength of our affiliate companies, members, partners, and unique proprietary platform to be the standard in business diversity recruiting, networking and professional development for women, minorities, veterans, LGBT, and disabled persons globally.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and is headquartered in Baltimore, MD. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. Visit us at www.apa1906.net and follow us on all platforms @apa1906network.
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Professional Diversity Network, Inc.
Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (PDN) is a developer and operator of online and in-person networks that provides access to networking, training, educational and employment opportunities for diverse professionals. Through an online platform and our relationship recruitment affinity groups, we provide our employer clients a means to identify and acquire diverse talent and assist them with their efforts to recruit diverse employees. Our mission is to utilize the collective strength of our affiliate companies, members, partners, and unique proprietary platform to be the standard in business diversity recruiting, networking and professional development for women, minorities, veterans, LGBT, and disabled persons globally. For more information about PDN, please visit: www.prodivnet.com
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Congratulates Brother Wes Moore on Historic Maryland Gubernatorial Election Win
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications
/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
November 9, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Congratulates Brother Wes Moore on Historic Maryland Gubernatorial Election Win
Brother Moore First African American Governor-Elect of Maryland
BALTIMORE, MD – The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. congratulates Brother Wes Moore on his historic Maryland Gubernatorial Election win yesterday to become the first African American Governor-Elect of the state.
Brother Moore, a 2000 Sigma Sigma Chapter initiate at John Hopkins University and a member of Delta Lambda Chapter in Baltimore, is an investment banker and television producer, who has also authored five books, including The Other Wes Moore and The Work.
“Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. congratulates Brother Wes Moore on his historic Maryland Gubernatorial Election win last night,” said General President Willis L. Lonzer, III, Ph.D. “As Maryland’s first African American governor, Brother Moore continues the Fraternity’s unparalleled legacy of leadership and firsts. He joins the list of Alpha’s other men of distinction in public service, who are US senators and congressmen, mayors, state representatives and senators, city councilmen, and others, who proudly serve the United States as a nation, states, cities, and communities. We look forward to the progressive and thoughtful leadership he will provide to the state of Maryland and the example he offers to the people of the United States of America.”
Brother Moore, who graduated from Hopkins, received a master’s degree from Wolfson College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. He also proudly served several years in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserve. In addition, Brother Moore, the former CEO of The Robin Hood Foundation – one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations, was the host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the executive producer and writer for Coming Back With Wes Moore on PBS.
In July, Winfrey, endorsed Brother Moore through a campaign advertisement, calling him a “transformational leader.”
“This moment that we’re in demands of different type of leader,” said Winfrey. “For governor in Maryland, you have one in my friend, Wes Moore.”
Brother Moore, who is married with two children, lives in the Guilford community in north Baltimore.
“With the Fraternity’s General Office headquartered in Baltimore, MD, we are especially excited and proud to have a fellow Alpha Brother leading the state, who lives in the city and has led a life of dedicated public and community service,” said Brother Sean L. McCaskill, the Fraternity’s executive director. “We are committed to providing our support to him in the state as well as fostering further opportunities to provide service to our communities.”
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and is headquartered in Baltimore, MD. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit us at www.apa1906.net and follow us on all platforms @apa1906network.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Stands with Brother, Condemns the Oakland Police Department's Conduct and Violent Arrest Captured in Viral Video
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications
/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
July 22, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. condemns the Oakland Police Department's conduct and violent arrest of Alpha Brother and motorist Brandon Calloway captured in a now viral video in Oakland, Tennessee last Saturday.
Within 24 hours of the incident, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. General President Dr. Willis L. Lonzer contacted Brother Calloway, a 2016 initiate of the Eta Phi Chapter and graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Chattanooga, TN. While we do not know all the facts, the incident is disturbing, and we stand with our Brother Calloway and his family.
Currently, the Fraternity demands a fair and transparent investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and other authorities. Incidents like these further highlight law enforcement's perceived disparity in its treatment of people of color and lack of professionalism seen in the viral video of the incident.
We also urge the Oakland Police Department and all law enforcement to revisit their engagement and usage of force practices and procedures.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. refuses to remain silent when people of color, particularly members of our fraternity, are treated unfairly and brutalized.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and communicate appropriate actions.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.
Brother Dr. Zollie J.A. Stevenson, Jr., 24th Executive Director, Enters Omega Chapter
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
July 8, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brother Dr. Zollie J.A. Stevenson, Jr., 24th Executive Director, Enters Omega Chapter
It is with deep sadness that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. shares the news of the transition of Brother Dr. Zollie J.A. Stevenson, Jr., the 24th Executive Director of the Fraternity, to Omega Chapter on Friday, July 8.
Brother Stevenson, who was a 1983 Kappa Lambda Chapter initiate and member of both Pi Upsilon Lambda and Omicron Eta Lambda Chapters, served as Executive Director of the Fraternity from 2000 to 2001 during both the Wallace and Johnson administrations.
Since January 2020, he served as an Adjunct Professor at Howard University School of Education. Prior to teaching at Howard University, he served in several positions at Philander Smith College, including Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor (Tenured), and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. He also previously taught at Howard as Associate Professor of Education Leadership and Policy Studies and at Bowie State University as Associate Professor of Educational Leadership.
In addition, he served in numerous positions with the U.S. Department of Education for over 10 years, including: Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs, Deputy Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs, and Education Programs Specialist. He also worked with the Baltimore City Schools as Director of Assessment and Evaluation and District of Columbia Public Schools as Director of Research and Evaluation/Chief of Staff/Executive Director of Education Support Services. He also served previously served as Regional Research and Testing Coordinator for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Brother Dr. Stevenson received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy from the University of North Carolina Asheville, a master’s degree in education and school counseling and guidance services with additional graduate studies in education psychology from Howard.
In 1984, he received his doctorate degree in educational psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
While funeral arrangements have yet to be announced, our thoughts and prayers are with his family, as well as all those who knew and loved him.
Farewell dear Brother, Transcendent art thou.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Joins with Four Other NPHC Fraternities for Two-Day Joint Advocacy Effort on Capitol Hill
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
June 16, 2022
For Immediate Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. joined with the four other National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities for the historic, first-ever, NPHC Fraternity Days on Capitol Hill, which included panel discussions and meetings with Congressional members and other officials, June 13-14.
Among them, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. participated with the Fraternity in panel discussions on voting rights, public safety, economic development, education, and housing on the first day.
“A gathering of this magnitude represents a game-changing opportunity for us to dramatically increase our impact when it comes to mentorship and addressing community needs that have been long tackled, but stubbornly persists due to limits from our individual approaches,” said Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. General President Willis L. Lonzer, III, Ph.D. “We’re going to present a more unified front and increase collaboration, especially towards improving outcomes for young African American males to make greater impact. I believe at the end of the day, our organizations will grow closer together, but most importantly - our community will be stronger.”
Several members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other officials also addressed and met with the fraternities, including: Omega Frater, Majority Whip, and U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-SC), Delta Soror and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), also CBC Chairwoman; Delta Soror and U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL); Kappa Frater and U.S. Rep. Hakim Jeffries (D-NY); AKA Soror and U.S. Rep. Terrie Sewell (D-AL); Kappa Frater and U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA); AKA Soror and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX); AKA Soror and U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL); Omega Frater and U.S. Rep. Kwesi Mfume, (D-MD); Kappa Frater and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA); Alpha Brother and U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-TX); AKA Soror and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL); Alpha Brother and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, (D-Va.); CBC Exec. Director Vince Evans; Alpha Brother and U.S. House of Representatives Sergeant of Arms William J. Walker; as well as Omega Frater and NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
The fraternities are focused on several key legislation, including H.R. 5746 – Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act; H.R. 3863 Fair Representation Act; H.R. 132 – Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2021; S. 79 – EQUAL Act; S. 1109 – Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act of 2021; H.R. 3294 – IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act; H.R. 40 – Commission to Study and Development Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act; H.R. 251 – Reaffirming bilateral and multilateral relations between the United States and African countries and recognizing the importance of diplomatic, security, and trade relations; and S. 1368 – American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2021, according to Brother Carl A. Pickney, the event’s co-organizer, and both the Fraternity’s social action chair, and chairman of the political and civic engagement committee.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Small Business Administration established a Strategic Alliance Memorandum (SAM) with the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Council of Presidents, comprised of the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities.
“This historic alliance between the SBA and the NPHC—the first of its kind for a government agency—will bring SBA’s valuable small business resources into reach for many small businesses and entrepreneurs, furthering the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to build equity and close historic wealth gaps that have held back America’s Black entrepreneurs, small business owners and their families and communities for generations,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman in an SBA press release. “Over the past 18 months, the SBA has made incredible progress reaching more of Ame4rica’s small businesses, delivering vital resources and support to entrepreneurs who have been historically underinvested in and overlooked—the same people and communities hit hardest by the COVID pandemic. Working alongside partners and allies within the Divine Nine will provide even greater reach for the SBA to better provide the entrepreneurial Black community access to networks, financial literacy, technical training, and capital readiness so they can successfully realize their American Dreams of business ownership, create jobs, and advance our economy.”
According to the SBA release, the partnership will focus on increasing financial literacy within traditionally underserved, disadvantaged communities, expanding the Agency’s outreach, and introducing Black entrepreneurs to the SBA’s suite of tools and resources to start and grow their businesses including access to capital, government contracting opportunities and counseling.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.
STATEMENT OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. ON BUFFALO, NY. MASS SHOOTING
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ewebb@apa1906.net
Cell: 443-635-5911
May 16, 2022
For Immediate Release
BALTIMORE, MD. – The Men of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. are outraged and condemn the acts of self-proclaimed white supremacist and alleged mass shooter, Payton Gendron, who targeted African Americans at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York over the weekend.
Today, we mourn those lives lost in this violent tragedy and offer our deepest condolences to the families of the 10 victims. Unarmed Black people continue to be murdered in peaceful spaces or while living their everyday lives without any justice or accountability.
This must stop.
According to police, had the shooter’s carnage not been stopped, he planned to “shoot more Black people.”
Therefore, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. urges law enforcement, particularly, the U.S. Attorney General and the Department of Justice, to classify this case as a federal hate crime. Crimes such as these should be fully prosecuted, whether on the state or federal level, and face the stiffest penalties.
We continue to stand with Alpha Brother and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, first responders, the Rho Lambda Chapter in Buffalo, and the community-at-large, as they work to heal their city. Since our founding, Alpha Phi Alpha has been at the forefront of civil rights and social justice issues, taking a stand against violence and white supremacy at every turn.
As a fraternity, we will do what we can to ensure that the Buffalo community receives the support it needs.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.
STATEMENT OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. GENERAL PRESIDENT WILLIS L. LONZER, III, PH.D. ON THE ONE-MILLIONTH DEATH FROM COVID-19 TODAY
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Cell: 443-635-5911
May 12, 2022
For Immediate Release
We were deeply saddened to learn of the one-millionth death from COVID-19 today. One million seats are now empty at dinner tables, in church pews, and at desks across the country. We cannot bring our family members and friends back, but we can honor their lives. Unfortunately, over 230,000 people lost their lives because they could not, or would not, be vaccinated.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has partnered with Good Health Wins and the National Council of Negro Women, to join a network of national and local partners to raise awareness of the impact of timely immunizations. Through this joint-partnership, along with the other respective Fraternity and Sororities of the National Panhellenic Council, will seek to identify and implement strategies to reduce racial and/or ethnic disparities in adult vaccination coverage.
Why is Good Health WINs important? Of the 1M deaths, approximately 135,000 (or 13.5%) of them were among African Americans.
The real disparity comes in the rates of disease, hospitalization, and death. If you are African American, you are 1.1 times more likely to contract COVID, 2.4 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die than white people. (source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/investigations-discovery/hospitalization-death-by-race-ethnicity.html)
Good Health WINs will continue to increase the availability of vaccines and messaging to Black and Hispanic communities; increase our range of trusted community voices and most importantly implement strategies to reduce racial and or ethnic disparities in adult and child vaccination coverage. We believe that working collaboratively will decrease Covid-19 numbers significantly, especially in our communities.
We, therefore, choose to remember our loved ones by ensuring everyone has access to, and accurate information about, COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Please join us in our efforts to build vaccine confidence to keep our families and communities safe through this continuing pandemic.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.
STATEMENT OF THE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. ON PRESIDENT JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR.’S PARDON OF FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT AND OUR BROTHER, ABRAHAM W. BOLDEN, SR.
Contact:
Eric Christopher Webb, DDiv., CPLC
Director of Communications/Editor of The Sphinx
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ewebb@apa1906.net
Cell: 443-635-5911
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. commends President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. for his pardon today of former Secret Service agent and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Brother, Abraham W. Bolden, Sr.
While a presidential pardon is not a vindication for the gross injustice Brother Bolden faced and endured, it is a long overdue acknowledgment and commendation of his character and his many contributions to the community following his release from prison.
Brother Bolden, who was appointed by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as the first Black Secret Service agent to serve on a Presidential detail, was convicted on federal bribery charges after he claimed he was framed for attempting to expose gross misconduct within the agency. Some witnesses also admitted prosecutors pressured them into lying.
Brother Bolden, who has long maintained his innocence, was sentenced to six years in federal prison, but served 39 months with a 2 ½-year probation.
Since then, Brother Bolden, a 1953 Alpha Psi Chapter initiate at Lincoln University, MO, and member of the Xi Lambda Chapter in Chicago, IL., has received numerous awards and honors for his continued efforts speaking out against racism he faced in the Secret Service and his courage for standing against injustice. In 2008, Brother Bolden also published his memoir, The Echo From Dealey Plaza, whose title is references site of JFK’s November 1963 assassination. In it, he writes about both the racism he
encountered from his fellow agents, including his supervisors, and their recklessness while protecting the President.
We, as men of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., have long stood against injustice, and some have suffered for it. We congratulate Brother Bolden on this presidential pardon, and his ongoing efforts to maintain his integrity and fight for what is right no matter the cost.
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About Alpha Phi Alpha
The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, MD, was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, Andrew Young, Edward Brooke and Cornel West. The fraternity, through its more than 720 college and alumni chapters and general-organization members, serves communities in the United States, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Visit and follow on Twitter @apa1906network.
STATEMENT OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. ON PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SIGNING HISTORIC LEGISLATION MAKING LYNCHING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME
STATEMENT OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. ON PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SIGNING HISTORIC LEGISLATION MAKING LYNCHING A FEDERAL HATE CRIME
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. congratulates President Joe Biden on signing historic legislation into law named for the late Emmett Till today making lynching a federal hate crime after a century of failed attempts.
Alpha Phi Alpha, which is the world’s first intercollegiate Fraternity founded by African American men in 1906, has stood at the forefront in the fight for social justice and civil rights for African Americans as well as has lobbied against lynching for more than a century.
The Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act, which was named for the 14-year-old Black boy whose brutal torture and murder after a white woman lied that he grabbed and verbally threatened her in Mississippi in 1955, was introduced by Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.) in the House and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in the Senate.
Since 1900, lawmakers have failed to pass anti-lynching bills nearly 200 times. This new law allows the country to take a giant step towards equal protection, and finally affords justice for lynching victims and their families.
Lynching is not a relic of the past. And as we have seen with the recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery, lynchings continue to be used to terrorize and murder members of the Black community. Under this new law, anyone who commits a hate crime that results in someone's death or serious bodily injury can be prosecuted including kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kidnap, abuse, or kill.
As an organization, which was “born in the shadows of slavery and on the lap of disenfranchisement” according to our Jewel Founder Dr. Henry Arthur Callis, we challenge this country to continue take even bolder steps towards ensuring equality and social justice.
Alpha Phi Alpha will always remain vigilant and committed advocates of such.
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