March 31, 2020

My Brothers of Alpha:

My continued prayers and thoughts are with you, your families and the communities, you serve as we all deal with the COVID-19 pandemic that is spreading through the global community. The well-being of our Brotherhood is my constant companion. These past weeks have tested our strength, faith, and endurance. While we have endured difficult situations, as General President, I’m extremely pleased to see that the Brotherhood of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., has confronted each situation with the faith, resolve and courageous leadership defined by men of Alpha.

Our Brothers are taking care of their respective families while simultaneously providing leadership in their communities. The Brotherhood wellness calls, district and regional prayer services, scripture emails, virtual Brotherhood sessions, virtual chapter meetings, countless emails and telephone calls are sustaining our Brotherhood in a masterful way. These are unprecedented times and we need each other more than ever before, as we are our Brother’s Keeper.

I recently participated in both the Alpha Ohio Day of Prayer Service and the ANCA Prayer Service and I gained enormous spiritual strength from the calls. The prayers and scriptures shared by our brothers lifted my heart and spoke to my soul. In all times, but especially, now, it’s important that we never forget that prayer changes things. It is in that spirit that I encourage each of us to reserve time to pray for each other.

We also recently have lost three Brothers to Omega Chapter. Each Brother, in his own way, epitomized the precepts of our great fraternity. Two of our Brothers, Te-Andre Brown (Beta Nu) and Bassey Offiong (Epsilon Xi), were campus leaders and 2020 graduating seniors from their respective universities. Brother Brown sacrificed his life saving a fellow student. Brother Bassey, a celebrated campus leader, lost his life to the Coronavirus. Brother Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery, 98 years young, dedicated his life fighting against injustice and discrimination for current and future generations. Our hearts are heavy with sadness over their passing and the passing of so many others. We must cherish their legacies by waking up every morning thanking God for His grace and mercy.

We must also pray for our brothers and loved ones who are confronting the daily health challenges associated with the coronavirus. Collectively, we must help them fight this illness by fervently praying, by doing all that we can to stop the spread of the virus, and by knowing that a better day is coming. I encourage all of us to take this time of isolation to reflect on our personal priorities and to celebrate our blessings each, and every day.

As men of Alpha, we must also take time for preparation. Following the coronavirus pandemic our leadership will be needed more than ever. Reconnecting our communities, providing leadership for our school systems, advocating for marginalized citizens, promoting the 2020 Census and remaining focused on the pending election cycle are all critical areas that require Alpha leadership. Please know that the management of our fraternal affairs continues to move forward as we care for our loved ones and communities that we serve.

In preparation for the days ahead, I’m asking Alpha Brothers to follow mandates issued by state and federal officials by staying home, regularly contacting Brothers — especially senior Brothers and widows — , and taking care of yourself. I want to commend Brothers Dr. Ronald Peters and Dr. Duane Dyson and members of the COVID-19 Fraternal Taskforce for keeping the Brotherhood informed on key issues. For your continued safety my Brothers, please carefully read each of these communications. I also want to thank Interim Executive Director Brother Gregory Phillips and the Corporate Headquarters staff for their service during this challenging period.

Brothers, please join our National Chaplain, Brother Jonathan C. “Jay” Augustine, JD, MDiv, for the inaugural Alpha’s Word on Wednesday – a mid-week moment of spiritual uplift. The prayer call is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, 2020 7:06 p.m., EST. Call-in information will be circulated from the corporate headquarters today.

Brothers, partnering together (Brother to Brother), we will weather this pandemic storm and witness together the bright sunshine of a new day with no coronavirus among us.

“There Goes a man whose life is spent in service and not in scorn. There goes a mon whose majesty shines like a May time morn.” – Peter Clarke

Onward and Upward Always,

Everett B. Ward, Ph.D.
General President