IBDA TORCH December199BWashington,D.C.MULAMBDAChapter,AlphaPhiAlphaTratemlty,Incorporated ONE ON
BROTHER’S FOUNDERS’
REFLECTIONS D AY
by Bro. M. Malik Gaines Dear Brothers, it is with great pleasure that Isit at this computer to write for this edition of the Torch, as this is our
Founders’ Day edition. At rst Idid not know what Iwould write: maybe asynopsis of the lives of our Most Noble Jewel
FOUNDERS' DAY
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Brothers, or arehashing of the events that lead up to the creation of our beloved fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. Then Irealized that these historical gures and events are ingrained in our psyches from the time of our initiation and revisited in depth each and every year at this time. Thus, Idecided on a slightly different approach. Iasked myself, “what does Founders’ Day mean to me?” I think this is aquestion that all Brothers of Alpha should be asking them.selves as December 4, 1996 rapidly approaches us. When Ithink of Founders’ Day I remember the day that Icrossed the Burning
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Sands of Alpha through the Iota Beta Chapter on the morning of April 1, 1989 at 12:06:20 AM. After being shown The Light. 1. as well as my line-brothers, still could not fathom that our months of necessary initiation rituals and activities were over. Once convinced,
moreover, by my former Big Brothers, I realized that Ihad just become apart of something so much larger and grander than myself. The dates that were emblazoned on my mind as aSphinxman now had adifferent impression on me. The date, December 4'^’, meant nothing to me before 1989, yet
not even expected to attend liberal arts colleges and universities, and especially not major White institutions. Our Most Noble Jewel Brothers rose above the prejudices and ostracism of their environment at Cornell
University, and came together in strength to form Alpha Phi Alpha. It has been this type of effort and perseverance on the part of the Jewels that has continued to inspire me in my personal, academic, and professional life over the past seven and ahalf years of my membership in the Brotherhood. Although “College days swiftly pass, imbued with mem’ries fond,” Founders’ Day remains an important part of my life as a n A l u m n i B r o t h e r. T h e a n n u a l c e l e b r a t i o n
of Founders’ Day is aritualistic renewal of our fraternal values of “manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind” which are universal and timeless. Founders’ Day is acelebration of our fraternal spirit which binds all Brothers together regardless of when, where, and how they were made. Founders’ Day is also cur day to pay tribute to those men who were not afraid “in the fell clutch of circumstance.
On December 4,
1996 let us commemorate Alpha Phi Alpha’s 90‘f’ birthday in our hearts, and express our fraternal love and admiration for our Most Noble Jewel Brothers.
THE MOST NOBLE JEWELS OF ALPHA PHI ALPHA
FRATERNITY, INC,
afterwards its mere mention touched a
EDWARD
multitude of emotions inside of me most of
which was pride; Iwas proud that Iwas a member of the rst national, intercollegiate, Greek-lettered fraternity for Black men.
Henry Arthur
Charles Henry
Eugene Kinckle
Callis
Chapman
Jones
The next transformation that I
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experienced as aneophyte Brother was a connection to our Most Noble Jewels. As
Sphinxmen, the Jewels were apart of the massive history that we were required to recite on command. As aduly initiated Brother, however, these great men took on epic proportions to me. Once again pride was, and still is, the only word that could describe the feeling of realizing that our Most Noble Jewels were my Brothers. Iwas apan of the legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha which they
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established in atime when Black men were
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George Biddle
Nathaniel Allison
Robert Harold
Ve r t n e r W o o d s o n
Ogle
Tandy