And let me just start out with a very general question discussed Al starting with you the historical context of your organization and how it’s evolved over time if you think about the time that our fraternity was founded which is 1906 Cornell University uh you know you got
To look at the fact that what the racial climate was at the time and you had you know seven gentlemen who were trying to complete their class work and graduate and if you know if you if anyone’s ever been involved in a in a class that was
Tough where you have to work together to try to finish that’s kind of what the where we started where we found how we came about if you look at it from that standpoint they were all said look we need some to support each other and so we’re going to continue to meet and
Um and that’s how this whole thing got started with Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated well Dr Sigma Theta let’s just start with Delta Delta means change and with my organization we’re all about change we were founded on Howard University’s campus in 1913 and the first Public Service Act we did was the
Women’s selfish March where black women were not even allowed to March we had this we had to be in the back of the line but we were diligent we were not we were not going to be denied and we did our first public service act so Delta
Means change and we will continue to be that light for those that are voiceless and those that do not have the opportunity to stand up for themselves so we will we are all about public service and social justice and Michael let’s talk about the great fraternity of
Kappa Alpha Psi Capital Society it’s a college fraternity uh comprised of undergraduates and alumni chapters on major campuses and major cities throughout the throughout the country it was a vision and a dream of our revered founder Elder Watson Diggs and nine others that came together on an
Idol of January 5th 1911 on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington Indiana to form you know this fraternity in which look we now members of the fraternity I should say Enjoy you know the fruit of the tree you know that the planet you know for us so uh we’re truly
Truly blessed yeah and let’s look at the challenges going back over 100 years 100 years ago there were certain challenges it’s about voting and other challenges I’ll have those challenges evolve to where we are today so in other words look at the challenges today and how the organizations really adapted to
Those changes and challenges that we’re currently confronting well for one thing I’m not sure there’s been that much change we were uh we were we were certainly working to get people to the polls then and we’re certainly doing it now uh and so now for different reasons we have the
Ability to vote these days but we’re just not voting and so we have worked hard in in this fraternity at least and I know I let’s just say for in general all the Divine organizations have worked on similar things to register our people to vote give them the information they
Need and get them to the polls it’s quite simple we’re standing on the shoulders of people who actually died so that we can do that and so we are doing our best to continue on that Legacy that was set back then but the challenges are in some ways not all that different
Especially when you look at the climate right now Jump Right In Katrina from your perspective I concur with Alvin when you think about it’s like history is repeating itself so you think about what happened what uh robust versus Wade we’re back to that fight again a woman’s right to choose so
Now that was way back when but to this day we’re still fighting that same fight along with voter suppression they’re changing the they’re changing the rules for us to vote what are the requirements registration and the biggest thing that I think all of us do with the divine
Nine is voters education and that should always be in the Forefront it might you know from your perspective from the capital perspective again challenges 100 years ago to where we are today how has it evolved yeah yeah we’ve made great strides over the years nevertheless what happened then
It’s happening again today as you know trying to set you know poverty you know education uh I would say Health Care educational needs those things you know still exist so we definitely need to step up our game you know to address those and I must say that earlier this year you know
The capital is working with the divine nine we uh partnered up and collaborated and went up to Lansing Michigan you know to to meet with the legislators you know to talk about the issues that are common to us in which we really when we met with the legislator we focus on you know
Voting rights but then we know we agree that we would get back together so that we could make sure we get folks out to the polls to vote this November one of the founding principles is focused on the community but we’ve heard and we know there’s so many challenges
Confronting the black community today so from your perspective Marquis let’s start with you what are the top issues that your organization is focusing on right now I think uh within within Omega sci-fi we like many other organizations want to make the strongest impact with our youth growing up so in order to do
That we focus on Reclamation and retention retaining our members reclaiming members that aren’t currently active in order to make a stronger impact on the programming that we have we have an effort where we call it fatherhood and mentoring and that is one of our focused areas where we want to
Bring along the young young men and women in the community in order to ensure that they have the tools that they need to continue to enhance their lives so overall just galvanizing our own Brotherhood is where we really want to focus on and we have programs to do
That each of our chapters throughout the the country internationally yearly we focus on bringing members back in showing them what programs that they can get involved with and making that greater impact together Dr Robinson has the same question for akas I mean your top issues top issues the akas all right
We’re looking for Women from breast cancer and to do that we’ve had the mobile unit mammography unit that we’ve taken over 150 000 women have benefited from that no cost to them we also focus on education and we look at the young children the middle schoolers and the high schoolers and of course the college
Graduates we have many programs together to help them make that transition to other levels but in the black community economic economic management is a big problem with a lot of our families so we have programs to help them become more literate as far as budgeting financing
Accessing funds that they can get and we help them to make that transition applying for loans things like that yeah we wanted to give you an opportunity to respond to the question um well I think we have around we do have uh like five programs that we
Really focus on throughout the year we just did a March a walk with St Jude we have a partnership with them but one of our biggest things that we’ve been focusing on for about the last 10 years or so is Project swim 1922 which is a partnership with USA swimming where we
Teach young African-American kids how to swim but providing them free swimming lessons so that we can lower the numbers of the accidental death rate by Drowning when you talk to young people today about fraternities and sororities what’s important to them I remember when I was being recruited way back in the
Day I knew what was communicated to me and you know 43 years later we still keep in touch the guys I crossed we still we do a zoom every Sunday night but my point is what what are young people what are their expectations I’m gonna start with you
Paul what are their expectations today what are they looking for today that makes them connect with the organization great question so what as a leader what I’ve seen is a lot of them are looking for a safe space a lot of them are coming from families
That may not be what I grew up in a two-family household or have brothers and sisters you have some people looking for Outlets you have some people who are looking for like Minds so you have those things that is where the kind of conversation kind of starts
And then from there again it’s just being relevant in the community showing them that there are people who are black who are educated who have two colors and three letters and are still doing things in their Community to remain relevant and visible and at least we come back
Over to you again same question about the what do young people look if I know all the organizations reaching out to young people you’re trying to certainly touch them and feel them so to speak what are they looking for from my perspective I think those young people
Are looking for inclusion they want to be included in the organization and feel as if they are welcome in addition to that they are also looking for someone that will help them grow and develop and get to the next level of their career as to what they are trying to pursue so
It’s all about connecting them to resources as you grow and develop them in addition to that with those young people that are coming from homes that have divine nine structure or exposure in it they want to be a part of that Legacy that lives on and for those who are not
Part of a Legacy Family where they are exposed to the Divine nines and they only know about it when they hit a college campus then they are looking for how can I make this work for me how can I now gain those letters gain the respect be a part of the
Organization go out and do community service where I feel valued because that’s what it’s all about and how am I going to make a difference so often we tell young peoples don’t ask me questions sit down uh stay here you haven’t learned enough I promise you generation Millennials and
Generations years they don’t want to hear that they want to be given an opportunity where they are challenged and an opportunity where they could show their skills and they can say I did this yes I align myself with my brothers and sisters of the D9 but they gave me an
Opportunity they gave me a voice a positive voice
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