Archive for January, 2009

A Trip to the Democratic National Convention

In the beginning of the summer 2008, the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network organization held an essay contest for his listeners on his radio show. The title of the essay was “Why Should You Go to the Democratic National Convention?” The winner of the contest will receive an all expense paid trip to Denver, Colorado to watch (then) Senator Barack Obama give his acceptance speech for the nomination of the Presidency of the United States and to partake in the Unity Prayer Breakfast Commemorating the 45th Anniversary of the March on Washington which Dr. King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. Only four people could win this historic prize.

On Thursday, August 21st, a phone call was made to Bro. Trae Johnson to let him know that he was one of the winners of the essay contest.

“I couldn’t believe that I won. I actually won! When I entered the contest, I was hoping to win, just wondering would I get that opportunity. An when I was there, seeing people like Rev. Al Sharpton and being on his show, shaking Cicely Tyson’s hand, seeing Bro. Armstrong Williams, Lou Gossett, Jr., Joseph Lowery, Bro. Blair Underwood, and pictures with Bun B, Michael Baisden, and Bro. Warren Ballentine. An actually standing in the presence of (then) Senator Obama, it was breathtaking. It was amazing in Colorado.” stated Bro. Trae D. Johnson

Sigma Men on Currency

Last year I wrote about postal stamps with Sigma men on them. Now, let me post pictures of Sigma men on real currency.

Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria

William Tubman, Liberia

William Tolbert, Liberia

Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana

President Barack Obama Connection 1

While we celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American  President of the United States of America, I will discuss on this blog over the next several months the connection between President Obama and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. President Obama is not a member of a black greek-letter organization, but Sigma’s influence in his life is greater than anyone can imagine.

In the Spring/Summer 2007 issue of the Crescent Magazine there is an article about “Sigmas in the U.S. Secret Service.” Our Sigma brothers have been protecting our U.S. Presidents for years. Without going into too much detail about the article, there is a very good chance that a number of Sigma men are protecting our 44th President of the United States. This is an excellent article, which I have attached for your review. Please read pages 12 – 17. Enjoy!

Happy Founders’ Day Zeta Phi Beta

Congratulations to our Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. on 89 years of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood.

Founder’s Day essay

As I reflect on this Founder’s Day…I…just like any other Brother, think of the “BIG 3″.  Our Founders…A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I. Brown.  There is so much that surrounds their lives…and I could spend all day, or spend this entire letter, talking about them.  But I won’t.

I instead will talk about what has happened and what we have found because of them.

You have already seen what an impact their vision had in the State of Kansas, and how that vision carried on to Tuskegee University in the Deep South in the early 1920′s.  We have been blessed to find Brother Sheridan Settler before he joined the Omega Chapter.  This Brother came from KSAC and worked at Tuskegee with George Washington Carver (a Brother of Sigma who was initiated and was a charter member of Gamma Sigma chapter in Alabama).

We have been blessed to communicate with Brother Clarence Q. Pair, who was initiated into Sigma at Alpha Chapter in 1918.  Appointed by Brother A. Langston Taylor, he was on the first committee to start a sister organization at Howard University.  The 1st attempt failed in 1919..but Brother Taylor was so determined he sent out a 2nd committee that was successful in 1920.  You know the rest.  Brother Pair joined the Omega Chapter in 2001.

Our Ancestors led me to “find” Brother Georg G. Iggers, a white, German, Jew who fled Nazi occupied Germany in the late 1930′s.  Brother Iggers was initiated in the mid 1950′s into our Brotherhood after being heavily recruited by Brother William H. Pipes.  When I say “find”, I say that because during my initial phone call to Brother Iggers, he told me he had not talked to another member of Sigma since Brother Pipes died…which I believe was in the mid 1960′s.  Brother Iggers was instrumental in the “Little Rock Nine” court case….and is known as one of the world’s most renowned Historians.

Since I mentioned the “Big 3″ at the beginning…I figured that I would just mention “3″ other Brothers that we have been blessed to know.  I could go on and on…but my appreciation in the Founders is that in their own special way from Above…they have guided us, challenged us, and sometimes teased us…on our way to our Fraternal discoveries.

“When we have turned over a rock…it is because our Founder’s led us down the path to trip over it.”