LANSING, MI – The men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. celebrated their fraternity’s 100th anniversary with a week of events including a mentoring session with young males at El-Shabazz Academy.
LANSING, MI – The men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. celebrated their fraternity’s 100th anniversary with a week of events including a mentoring session with young males at El-Shabazz Academy.
The oldest African American intercollegiate fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha was founded at Cornell University in New York by seven Black men on December 4, 1906. It was founded because they recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood.
On December 4, 2006, eight men from the fraternity visited with 16 young men at El-Shabazz Academy. The mentoring program was created to stretch the minds and imaginations of the young men between the ages of nine and twelve.
Dr. Eugene Cain, who has been the Chief School Administrator of El-Shabazz Academy for seven years, is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. As a father of four sons who now possess eight college degrees, he is often asked how he accomplished this feat. (which question are people wondering is being asked)
Dr. Cain believes that {josquote}being involved in a child’s life is important{/josquote} and that education is a priority, so when Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. requested to speak to the members of the mentoring program Dr. Cain gladly accepted.
Dr. Cain said, "This is the most African American males that we have had at our school speaking since I have been here."
The visit was spearheaded by fraternity member Michael Blake. When asked why he decided to join Alpha Phi Alpha, Blake said, "On a historical level, it is more than a coincidence that most of the prominent Black men leaders were and are Alpha men. I wanted to be a part of this remarkable legacy of leaders".
Some of the more prominent members of Alpha Phi Alpha include the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Robeson, Dick Gregory, John Hope Franklin, Thurgood Marshall, Mayor David Dinkins, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., United States Vice President Hubert Humphrey, John H. Johnson, Duke Ellington, Mayor Dennis Archer, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Jesse Owens.
The group of men talked to the young men about getting an education and also provided them with information regarding the jobs that they held ranging from a City of Lansing Fire Chief to a teacher. The young men engaged in discussion, and for some, it was the first time being exposed to the idea that they can aspire to be something other than an athlete.
The most compelling moment of the session was when a young man asked, "When do I get my male mentor?" Another replied, "Yeah, me too". It clearly showed the need for an immediate and continued relationship.
The fraternity has dedicated itself to training a new generation of leaders with mentoring opportunities and partnerships designed to ensure the success of our community.
As a result of their meeting with the young men, the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha requested that the students who attended send them letters with requests for Christmas. They attended the school on December 21, 2006 and disbursed Christmas gifts.
Blake said, "We wanted to do something special in the Lansing community this year. It was essential for us that community service to be a part of our celebration. But, it’s more important to continue the work of service. We determined that the greatest need is to mentor young Black males and started a relationship with younger men who do not have male mentors in their lives right now."
