ALPHA ATHLETES - The Sphinx Magazine

102ND ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION
NBC’s The Apprentice; Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA);
Honorary Convention Chair Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-
MO); congressional candidate Kevin Powell; and CNN anchor
and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien.
The Convention featured several major community service initiatives,
focusing on national and local issues and addressing some
of today’s most relevant issues for African Americans, as well as
some of the most controversial topics of the day. Issues addressed
included politics and voting, fair housing policies, banned use of
the N-word, efforts to raise money and awareness for the Martin
Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C., and health
issues pertinent to the African American community. Numerous
workshops and business sessions also were held.
Housing Development Mini-Conference
Linking Alpha Phi Alpha to its housing legacy, the
Convention kicked off on Thursday, July 17 with a Housing
Development Mini-Conference to celebrate the 40th Anniversary
of the Fair Housing Act. Kim Kendrick, Assistant Secretary for
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development delivered the keynote address
for the Mini-Conference, which focused on community and
housing development.
Alpha Phi Alpha has long been a voice for fair housing in the
U.S. and in 1968, Fraternity Brother Senator Edward W. Brooke coauthored
the Fair Housing Act, which President Johnson signed
into law a week after the assassination of Brother Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Dissatisfied with the weakened enforcement provisions
that emerged from the legislative process, Brother Brooke pushed
for stronger provisions during his Senate career. In 1969, Congress
Alpha Award of Honor recipient Soledad O’Brien (2nd left) appears
with Alpha’s First Family (from left) Darryl, Jr.; Allison; Darryl, Sr.; and
Blake Matthews.
enacted the “Brooke Amendment” to the federal publicly-assisted
housing program which limited the tenants’ out-of-pocket rent
expenditure to 25 percent of their income.
Health Fair and C2C
The Convention Health Fair and College Life to Corporate Life
(C2C) Career Fair opened the following morning, Friday, July 18, at
the Kansas City Convention Center.
Through the Health and Wellness Committee, the Fraternity
presented health awareness, education, advocacy, networking and
mentoring seminars and opportunities to Alpha Brothers and the
community. The Health Fair helped expound on the Fraternity’s
health initiatives, which are being realized through partnerships
with national organizations such as the American Cancer Society,
the National Kidney Disease Education Program Family Reunion
Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on HIV/AIDS
Policy.
Meanwhile, college Brothers, along with young and seasoned
professionals armed with resumes began meeting with corporations,
organizations and agencies seeking bright candidates for
their businesses.
Town Hall Forums
Various Town Hall Forums were held during the Convention
to address the topics of Intake and voting. The Fraternity hosted
its A Voteless People is a Hopeless People Town Hall Forum at 10
a.m. Friday, July 18 in the Kansas City Convention Center where
a variety of political issues, such as voter education, voter registration
and basic civic participation were discussed. Baltimore
Brothers listen to State of Fraternity Address.
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