Thank you for joining us for today’s conversation my name is Rodney Dawson and I’m the curator of education at the Greensboro History Museum located in Greensboro North Carolina I will also serve as the co moderator for our Devon 9 webinar today’s conversation in part has been made possible by the Greensboro History
Museum the libraries department and the city of Greensboro while our intent for this program will be to discuss educate and elaborate on how our black Greek letter organizations along with June 10th components as it relates to unity honoring our foundations and moving beyond self ideology plus mapping a better future any views findings
Conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the Greensboro History Museum the libraries Department and the city of Greensboro today I am joined by dr. Michelle Vance Dr Vance an assistant professor at North Carolina A&T State University in addition to working in education as an instructor
Dr. Vance is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated and she’s also a co-chair of the social action committee so without further ado I will ask dr. van Dr Vance to introduce our panelists composed of various chapter leaders from our local divine nine organizations Dr Vance Thank You Ronnie
I’d also like to add that Rodney is a proud member of Kappa Alpha fraternity incorporated I want to welcome our panelists to our discussion this evening the panelists that we have tonight are miss Simone Langley former president of Beta iota Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated miss Cynthia
Stubbs president of Baden Isaiah chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated miss Tammy Pinchbeck president of Delta Sigma Sigma Greensboro alumni chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority incorporated Jason dr. Jason Carr well director of educational activities capital lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated mr. Jonathan Shannon president of the Greensboro alumni
Chapter of Kappa Alpha fraternity incorporated mr. Eric Ely vice president of Towell mega chap of Omega sci-fi fraternity incorporated and mr. Richard Bryson president of gamma Beta Sigma chapter a Phi Beta Sigma fraternity incorporated I do want to welcome you all this evening to our divine 9 panel so we’re going to go
Ahead and get started and I would like to pose the first question to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated and amplify Alpha fraternity incorporated I’d like to start with miss ups from Zeta how do you feel that your organization represents going beyond the concepts of self-centered ideology within the african-american community good evening
Everyone I would like to first say thank you for the invitation for tonight’s program and welcome to my fellow divine nine members and greet them my brothers and sisters this is a great honor to be a part of this program to answer that question I think on the outside looking
In a lot of times Society places the divine not organisations and Greek letter organizations into that stereotype of being a self-absorbed group of individuals that’s actually a perception I’ve heard a lot as being a member of my organization for almost 15 years and that that can kind of be
Upsetting to hear as a member but I’m just speaking for my organization and actually all of our organizations are based upon various principles for Zeta in particular our principles are scholarship service sisterhood and final womanhood so service is a big part of what we do as an organization so one of
The big leading programs and program trends that we have in our organization is called yo which is called Zeta is helping other people excel that focuses on the mind body and spirit of the aspects of different people in population so we focus on men women in
Youth and seniors will we do a lot of programs in the community and also as a chapter we do focus on mentoring young ladies through our scholarship program most importantly our debutante program that we do within the years that we’ve been a chapter we’ve done 66 years worth of debutante programming which really
Focuses on mentoring and giving those young ladies those opportunities to experience different things in society that they may not experience in their local community so to me I really the self-absorbed perception is kind of something that I know as organizations we try to debunk and try to promote our
Organizations to be more than what people may perceive as self-absorbed but we really do reach out to the community as best and as most as we can thank you thank you for that dr. Carr well TD me to read the question no I think I’m good
And again I just want to echo the welcome to all of the fellow members that are present today and to those that are watching it is certainly an honor to be here and we thank you all for the invitation I think you know as we look at this question particularly from an
Ideological standpoint for for alpha in particular for our mission statement I think speaks volumes to the question you know our mission statement says with we develop leaders we promote brothers and academic excellence and we do this while providing service and advocacy for our communities I think that speaks to the
Holistic nature of removing ourselves from this this self-centered ideology to understanding that our premise as for all of our organizations has been how can we help the greater community beyond ourselves and I think for us our founders had a ultimate desire for all the members of our fraternity to really
Be products of their community and to engage in their community a special now we find ourselves a very crucial and I think important time in our history well there’s a very dominant ideology that is surfacing we are finding you know what we thought was sort of a
Passive approach to how we deal with people has now resurfaced to become you know this very dominant black versus white sort of mentality this ideology of supremacy versus being submissive and I think for us you know we we we are built on an alpha being servants of all and
How do we help our greater community being more involved in making sure that the that the the the the communal nature of who we are as individuals is less about being self-centered and more about how can we help continue to appeal the black community and so you know again I
Think our mission statement speaks volumes to how do we how do we remove ourselves and that perception that I think as was shared from miss Stubbs about you know this perception of Greek letter organizations being very self-centered I think you know we can all attest to the fact that our
Organizations were founded with helping other people and so you know we we stand on that premise of providing average advocacy and service to our communities thank you dr. Conwell yeah very well said you know today you touched on it we’re living in a time where there’s a
Lot of schism and you have segments of the population not just african-american but i’ma focus on african-american that can feel marginalized undervalued underrepresented and this can take hold inside and so although we’re in these large organizations that are about something bigger than ourselves you can hold this mindset and just think you’re
Just just not able to do and as I was researching the different organizations all of them have one thing in common that was being service minded in some ways some type of community relations which you know both of you just Illustrated you know with your words so my question knowing that that’s a
Grand purpose and knowing how an individual can feel lift that schism with that division that’s going on and I want to pose this to mr. Bryson a Phi Beta Sigma and also I’m gonna go first to mr. Pinchbeck with a Sigma Gamma Rho but the question I’m asking is knowing
That we’re service minded with the challenges that our community is facing right now are you having challenges having your members go out and be a community aware to be service minded and to serve the public are you saying a downside with that and mr. Pinchbeck can you go first with
That just being able to participate in this platform because I think it is very important and with with my chapter I I don’t think that we have a downsized I think that we have developed other means to keep ourselves engaged obviously doesn’t had – it has helped us actually
– to be more specific with the needs of the community and especially even within our sisterhood because we are they’re founded by seven school teachers during a time where they were actually facing some of the same things that we’re facing right now as relates to being across the street from the KKK
Headquarters so you know with our legacy we hear this all the time and with our motto of Greater service greater progress it is imperative that we stay engaged with our communities so we’re finding different ways to to get information out there whether it be platforms like this social media just
Doing different things virtually so that we can keep the even with educating our young ladies where our affiliates are rollers high school girls where we’re constantly giving them things that they can do we are reaching out to essential workers so we are just finding other ways being more innovative and just finding those
Community partners that we can link with to say so as far as much after no we we are we are recognizing that you know we can’t sleep in this time we still gotta be out in the paid and we still gotta use the means of social media we’re
Sending letters to each other we’re doing everything to keep you know that mental health and so yeah we know I don’t our chapters though or some partnerships in that regard so now we’re you’re still out there that’s one of our remember you said that mr. Bryson over in Phi Beta Sigma you
Know tell me how you overcoming the challenges if you have well thank you for the opportunity mr. Dawson and to all my divine nine fellow leadership thank you for allowing me to share the platform with you we are having to be more creative at gamma Beta Sigma with
The Koba 19 pandemic going on it is very difficult to meet together and go out and serve but my brothers are very creative so therefore we come together on his own call like this and come together and come on ideas such thing as Sigma cares Sigma cares is a process we
Use for once a quarter where we go out and bless somebody without even telling them we want to bless them so we’re gonna find people will find organizations to bless them our last organization we be blessed was seeing such a workers for GTA the bus drivers we provided food for them for a
Lot she said thank you for what you did now we had to do social distancing but they were very appreciative of us going out there but also on this time mr. Donnelly I think it was a opportunity for us to have a call and just talk to each other because even
Though we’re Greek we’re not superhuman we’re all going through something and we find that out through our brothers who are maybe they get laid off or have to get furloughed or something that nature where family members may gust gotten sick or a best friend got sick we this
Epic this opportunity right now had us get closer together and live upon the model of culture for services service for humanity and when we say that we’re not saying that for Sigma humanity means everybody so therefore we are reaching out to everybody who was a need and the
Community’s looking for it looking to us to do that so we’re reaching out to our SEMA betas to our sisters to other organizations to fill the gap because we our community is hurting and one thing we have found out when my brother’s told me is that when somebody is starving or
Who needs at home they don’t care if you’re a Sigma Alpha Omega or Kappa they need help and so therefore we don’t breed help and that’s what we’re here to do great thank you for for that um it’s bringing up some great questions I’m even thinking about and you know when we
Come in closing some things that we can come together I think that several of you brought up a great point that you know we’re all here together supporting each other for the greater for greater cause and letting the community know you know what we do we have we do things
Maybe differently but we have so much in common and so it’s really important that we let the community know who we are and what we do so my third question I’d like to start off with asking miss Langley from applica Alpha Kappa Alpha I’d also like to direct this question to mr.
Shannon from Kappa Alpha side as well as mr. Ely from Omega Syfy so the question that I want to focus on now is how can organization like ours speaking of like North Carolina A&T State University also the Greensboro History Museum helped make the public at
Large more aware of who you are and what you are about so thank you for that question and thank you for inviting me to be a part of this session one thing is tonight we need to get the story out we need to dispel all the myths and all
Of the things that people think about when they think about sororities if you look at the African American the divine nine organizations we continue from the time we are at the collegiate level till the time we get to our rest in place and we continue to serve because service is
What we do we say that’s the rent we pay to actually breathe the air that we breathe so I think continuing to have programs like this to continue have roundtable discussions because not only do some of the younger people not really understand who we are they know more
Colors than they know what our core being is and our core being is reach back teach back pull one up if you made it there’s a lot of people behind you waiting for that stair step to go up behind you and that is our purpose and that’s the
Things that we need to think about it’s not about you it’s not about me it’s not about Alpha Kappa Alpha it’s not about Omega sapphire it’s about helping our communities get to a equal footing where everybody has a chance to succeed and we have a program that we working on now
And Alpha Kappa Alpha called caps which is the college admission process and our goal is to go help young people get into college and get the funding they need because a lot of our students still are first-generation college students and their parents don’t know but we’ve been
There and we could be that Avenue to help another person succeed and be able to be on a panel like this because they join our organization and service others behind them so I think if we continue to have panels like this not just on Juneteenth but throughout all 12 months
Of the year and come to the museum and help people understand why sororities and fraternities and the african-american community are very important and the strength that we have in numbers thank you Miss Langley before before you move on Dr Vance I think it’s important to note that something that
Please my eyes when I read it Alpha Kappa Alpha just initiated a scholarship fund for the children of George Floyd and so they made monies available for for his young ones when they are college age correct thank you for noting that and I’m sorry y’all go ahead next one either I’ll make
Fire or kalfa saw you want to take your brother share yes thank you very much again thank you all for having me it’s a pleasure to be here and to be a part of this panel with such great minds to answer your question cap off the side
Are one of our main objectives is to promote service in the public interests and with that being said what you all have already said I’m basically iterating these are the type of things that we need to get out to the public we’re very involved on campus on the
Count of North County State University with our undergraduate chapter there afternoon and we’re very involved in the city and the communities right now but a lot of things we’re doing we’re spreading to your social media our social media platforms but part namely you all on things like this is where I
Think we get the most benefit coming together as one because well as many of you already said one before the same toward the same cost the same cost so our our fraternity and our brothers are very passionate about service so whatever is presented to us if it has a
Leg to stand on we will pursue it with the passion with that same passion and that’s why our chapters got mid-eastern promise awards for the past three or four years for all the service we’ve done in the communities and the services and some partnership for instance someone mentioned mental health that is
Something that is a national service initiative from our international headquarters we’re looking at everybody talking about physical health and running and all these other things but Kovac and being in has reminded me how much and how important that’s what health is so that’s a very big addition
That we have as well it’s a we’re very open right now to looking at ways to partner on mental health initiatives you know doing more programs education mentioned dr. bascomb campus or any campus in a triad when we open it to the public we have a lift I learn to live
We’ve been doing this for about seven years now which is a fraternity incorporated and they learn to live is open to the public and we talk about specifically if you’re pulled over on a dark night call nine one you can call nine one one if you’re scared don’t just sit there alone
You know it’s things like that that young people don’t know they may not have heard so what I’m saying they share the knowledge open up these platforms she want to keep more and we’re open to doing these things so it just has to be communicated and planned and it’s definitely something that
We’d be very interested thank you for that mr. Ely would you like to expand a mute sir thanks a lot for inviting the only opportunity to this this forum today I think that as we look at the question that you asked and miss Langley put it
Very eloquently you know this is a great start and so this is a this is a great opportunity for us to share our long history in the US as a Greek letter organizations but I think one of the things that we have to look at is a holistic approach about communicating
And educating so we have to figure out how to engage that allows us to educate and then everyone has the experience all of us have great mantras and great models and and missions and our mission our one of our core is our four cardinal principles manhood scholarship
Perseverance and uplift and you know the first one manhood is who we are but the other three or what we do and one of those are the things that you know we have to make sure that not only the african-american population particularly the youth know that what we
Do because we also have to know that at the body at large know that we are about scholarship we are about helping others and and we are about perseverance and seeing it through so we’re just not you know sitting back and waiting for things to happen or just partying and the other
Big thing is all of us whether you pledged undergrad or pledge graduate we have an understanding that you know we are here to work to we are in the grave and so and to serve the community and that’s a huge part of of the of the piece that misses that misses with
Particularly that the white population because once there they just paid an undergrad they’re done so if you if but but I passed lots of conversations with those individuals that share that oh you still involved they have a great bond as they move on in life but we continue our bond
And build our relationships as till we do we depart this earth I think that those are the things and then lastly we all have the historic background you know alpha brothers here have you know have Martin Luther King and we have Carnegie Woodson who started the Black
History Week and then it ultimately came became Black History Month but you know all of us have a wealth of history and we need to share that also but you know we have some current individuals as well right now – but but more importantly you know look back and recognize it where we
Came from so the great thing is you know we have a wealth of history with wealth of knowledge on this cause and panelled a nice evening so I think you know those are the things that we really have to get out to the general public and the african-american
Population – a share of what we do Thank You mr. to the panel dr. Carr well we know in America that symbolism matters for both good and ill what impact do you feel making Juneteenth a national holiday would have on America now good question that is that is an excellent
Question I think so you know one of the things that we have to to consider what we talk about symbols is symbols are a derivative of a cultural expression and so for for us this symbol of freedom is I think becoming a very strong cultural cultural device for a lot of African
Americans now more so than ever just because of everything that is going on the simple fact that we can walk around and we can drive our own cars we can go to vote oh please those those were byproducts of movement who fought for freedom and so we we have lived in this
Season of of availability as it comes to freedom but I think the cultural awareness of it I think Juneteenth presents that it is you know it is that that the moment where we can say there was a deliberative moment of freeing slaves you know it took some time after
The Emancipation Proclamation but it finally happened and there was this this this day of recognition to say this is the day when people who look like us were legally free and so it becomes this cultural appropriation of making sure that we are now reminded of our true
Freedom not just and being able to drive our cars and to walk around and not have to worry about whether or not we can walk on the same side as white people because Jim Crow is not prohibiting us from doing that it is now this sort of
Recognition is saying we have fought the fight and the fight must go on but we have we have this new sense of freedom that I think nail our general our younger generations can see this is what you know we fought for hundreds of years ago this is what our founders of our
Different organizations lived through years ago to get to the point where we can walk in this freedom and this day is a reminder just like July fourth years of liberation this is now the black people’s moment of liberation that we can come together and celebrate our rich
History the one thing America ought has done has tried to suppress the black cultural experience well June team is is an opportunity for us to highlight the black cultural experience and so that people all across the United States and across the world recognize this is this is the freedom that they
Fought for people fought for across this country and now we can recognize that you know their work was not in vain and so that’s you know when I best I think when we look at this gym team that’s how I have started to frame it in my mind is
The work that we have done that people have done for generations before us it was not in vain and we can now finally recognize that we really are free now we have to fight to make sure that this freedom is protected at all costs you know I want to piggyback on that
Question you know as a former school teacher I appreciate education I like being a part of learning but mr. Pinchbeck at Sigma Gamma Rho your organization was founded by schoolteachers what are your thoughts on Juneteenth being incorporated into the curriculum that we teach in our schools thank you I am
I can’t only cosign the words that dr. Cardwell said I think that it is it needs to be a mandate that it is part of our curriculums in our schools because it it will continue to transcend and especially now when you’re looking at the culture that we’re in and the time
That we’re in and the things that are happening it is such a reminder that we are free and we do not have to tolerate we do not have to accept certain behaviors and it’s it’s something that you know as we think about young people they want something catchy they want
Something that and that is that it’s like okay you’re reminded during this time of year that we are free and we have the liberties that everyone else has and so it needs to be taught on a regular basis especially in schools obviously in our homes in our organizations on our work in our
Workplace but I feel like it def needs to be just like there’s you know the Pinta the mint then all of the the coming over and taking over that should be part of our curriculum as well so I totally agree and and because you know education is key we perish for lack of
Knowledge and if we don’t have the knowledge if we’re not educated then we will continue to do certain things that you know are not going to progress our people forward I’m not gonna progress our organizations are not gonna progress the world for it so it definitely needs
To be something that’s on a regular basis alright we’re coming up on my time we’ve got about a minute left but I do want to open it up for anyone else that wants to chime in on that last question if you don’t mind dr. Banton’s I think I
Did to see someone wanting to talk uh brother Dawson I’m not sure if it’s completely on the last question as much as it is we cannot end this session without stressing the people they need to fill out their senses and they need to vote in November because those are
Two very important things that’s going on right now and June team would not be Juneteenth if we did not follow some of the things that our forefathers did to give us the opportunity that we have today so I would stress if you have not filled out your census please do so
Because the numbers in Guilford County are not where they need to be and also in November do not forget to do your civic duty and both thank you thank you for saying that it reminds me you know like I said we had Juneteenth programming going on throughout the day
So at 12 o’clock we’re having a Lunch and Learn session hosted by my colleague Glen Perkins and this ties with Juneteenth and it’s stressing or emphasizing the need to vote mr. Dawson I want to reiterate there real quickly that we don’t get amnesia about what’s going on in June and July
We’re custon November well unfortunately not people a lot of people not only in America African Americans but Americans we tend to forget real quick hmm and we cannot allow the community to forget the trials and tribulations we’re going through right now we’ll be going through last
I’ll say three years and not only on the national level but we got a vote on the local level I understand who you’re voting for understand that you’re not only voting for your president but you’re also your County Commissioners your City Council members unfortunately we got a short boat for
The judges to some judges so keep the keep this thing everything in the forefront of your mind when we go out here and pass the community that don’t forget that what we come from what we’re going through right now thank you thank you for that and anybody else have any closing remarks you
For us everybody talked really touched on a lot of things and one thing that I would like to say is for people that don’t know our history I mean all of us started somewhere back around 1906 right and and and if we think about really the
Plight of the people of black people of women and night around the 1900s you know and and and where we are today and out and I think that everybody brought brought this up and I Drive this home being members of graduate-level chapters of these Greek organizations is a
Lifelong commitment that we have all said we were going to do and it’s really important that people understand where we come from why we do whose torches that we are carrying every single day for the principles that each one of you have highlighted during our forum today
It’s like you said it’s not for our colors it’s not to be seen it’s to really make a difference in the communities and it’s really important that we remind our communities and maybe even some of our members you know sometimes just come together a couple of
Times of year a couple of times a year and think about what was happening during 1906 1908 1914 1920 right all of that because I think that it’s not it’s been a long time but it’s not been a long time and I think we’re seeing that there’s so many things that are
Happening now that I could only imagine what our founders would do you know and how would they and how would they proceed so I just want to definitely formally thank each and every one of you for leading organizations that are doing great work in the community and we look
Forward to coming together more to talk about these issues and to see how we can move forward mr. Dawson I’d like to turn it over to you for closing I will close it out you forgot one year in 1911 nice to know that I just kind
Stop because at that point I’m sorry to jump in but uh you know we do need to see ya got that but you know this has been time well spent and some wonderful discussion we need to do it more and perhaps it should be a series on different topics and we can come
Together individually individual organizations in different time to time do exactly what we’re doing now but I’m glad we got the word out we further the word about the black Greek letter organization here in the Triad so let’s do this again soon it’s needed especially today but thank you to our
Wonderful panelists again I appreciate you sacrificing your time and giving us your expertise I look forward to working with you face to face once COBIT 19 is over Dr Vance your wonderful Co moderator thank you for that our producer and summer intern out of NC State Juniper knee who couldn’t be with
Us today but she helped put all this together when I thank her thank you to my colleague Glen Perkins and our director at the Museum Carol Hart and I should mention juniper nee as Craig had Davidson scholarship recipient and so she’s earning that scholarship thank you to our audience
Today for listening and spending time with us and for more information regarding this broadcast and the any other historical content you can please visit our website at greensboro history or that’s greensboro history dot org and you can email me Rodney Dawson SR OD any
Wife Dawson da WS o n at Greensboro – NC gov but time well-spent thank you very much I appreciate you all it’s June teen 2020
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