The National Chaplain of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Reverend Dr. Johnathan C. Augustine, recently published an open letter regarding the reopening and preoccupancy of houses of worship amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter, which was sent to Watch The Yard by the Editor of The Sphinx to be shared can be read in full here.
MAY 27, 2020 – The leaders of the five National Pan-Hellenic Council fraternities, namely: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., with approximately 1 million college educated men, have all individually and collectively spoken out against what
we believe are the unlawful killings of unarmed Black people by law enforcement and civilians alike over the years.
The newly released graphic video of a police officer kneeling on the neck of unarmed George Floyd that resulted in his death after he and other civilians repeatedly told the officer he could not breath should stir outrage among all Americans.
Today, we call for the filing of criminal charges and the immediate arrest of all the officers involved in this killing, including Derek Chauvin whose knee was seen on the neck of Mr. Floyd, the three other responding MPD officers involved in the murder of Mr. Floyd, and a formal investigation by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and/or The Federal Bureau of Investigation. This must end now.
Our prayers and hearts are with the family and friends of George Floyd, and anyone else, of conscience, who is struggling to come to grips with this shocking and unnecessary loss. While we too mourn this loss, we refuse to remain silent and will continue to fight and advocate for equal justice for the communities we represent.
The five NPHC Fraternity leaders include: Everett B. Ward, Ph.D., General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Reuben A. Shelton, III, Esq., Grand Polemarch, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.; David Marion, Ph.D., Grand Basileus, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.; Micheal E. Cristal, International President, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.; and Andre Manson,
Grand Polaris, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
Brother Pittman appointed me as Chairman of the College Life to Corporate Life Initiative for the 24th Administration of ANCA. I look forward to meeting and working brothers as they transition from college into their professions. Click here to learn more about this special initiative.
We created a private Linked group for C2C. The purpose is to connect brothers and encourage career preparation and development. Alumni brothers are invited to share job opportunities and advice. College brothers are encouraged to indicate the support that they need. Connect with me in LinkedIn and let me know that you are interested in receiving an invitation to this group.
We are pleased to celebrate 90 ANCA brothers that graduated this Spring and earned their undergraduate degrees. They worked hard and finally reached their goals. We thank them for serving as leaders among their cam
pus communities. W invite you to review this list of graduates from each Area as well as their fields of study.
Larry Womble, an educator and advocate for minorities who held elected positions in Winston-Salem and Raleigh, has died at the age of 78. He had been in declining health for a number of years, longtime family friend Jennifer Long said, and died Thursday at his home.
Naviyea Adams, a 20-year-old man, has been compared to mothers and grandmothers across North Carolina and beyond.
That’s because Adams, a Fayetteville native who started his college career at Winston-Salem State University before deciding to transfer to Fayetteville State this fall, has built quite the reputation as a cakes-and-pastries specialist.
(BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, April 22, 2020) – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. General President Everett B. Ward, Ph.D. argued that African Americans will suffer disproportionately under President Donald J. Trump’s “Opening Up America Again” guidelines if states and municipalities repeal the almost nationwide Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic stay-at-home orders.
From mid-March through early April, at least 42 states enacted stay-at-home orders, accounting for nearly 316 million people – roughly 95% of this country due to the COVID-19 outbreak with more than 840,000 confirmed cases and 25,000 deaths to date.
“Mr. President, if our state and regional economies opened prematurely, it is clear that COVID-19 exposure will escalate among African Americans and lead to unimaginable levels of death and despair in many of the densely populated communities in which we reside,” wrote President Ward in an open letter to President Trump this week. (See Accompanying Letter)
Since the onslaught of the pandemic, he explained, African Americans have been shown to be at a higher risk for death due to health disparities, exacerbated by historic and systemic factors, their increased exposure as essential employees, and that fewer than one in five are able to work from home.
President Ward offered five additional recommendations before state and regional governments should open their economies, including: Improve the Extremely High False Negative Results of Americans Tested For COVID-19; Improve Governmental Collaborationwith African American Churches, Historically Black College and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions in Providing COVID-19 Health Promotion and Prevention Education; Improve Air Filtration Quality in all Federal and State and Municipal Facilities; Improve Air Filtration Standards in Transportation, and lastly, Improved Access to Health Care in Communities with Densely Populated Areas.
“Because of historic social, environmental, and financial inequalities, African Americans bear the burden of having the highest rates of all the diseases among all Americans in our country and based on the data alone should be considered that African Americans should be considered a vulnerable group throughout the three phases of reopening,” he wrote.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (ΑΦΑ) is the first African American Greek-lettered fraternity in the world.
From Senator Paul Lowe, Alpha Pi Lambda:
Please join us in sharing this Public Service Announcement about staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an important statement to the African American community about the importance of doing our part to minimize the threat to our health. Please watch and share this important video.
After years of anticipation and delays by the general assembly the NC State Board of Elections is now implemented Online Voter Registration just in time for this critical 2020 election year. Prompted by the recent sanctions due to COVID-19, this new method of registering voters will be a critical tool for ANCA in our effort to ensure that first of all we vote.
You are able to utilize online voter registration if you have a valid NC Drivers License or DMV issued ID. Currently this tool is only available in english and is one accessed through the DMV.