We Are Our Brothers’ Keeper

On August 29th, 2005, one of the worst natural disasters hit our great nation, taking lives, cherished belongings, and our peace of mind. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall. At least 1,836 people died in the actual hurricane and in the subsequent floods, making it the deadliest U.S. hurricane since 1928; total property damage was estimated at $81 billion. Our response as a fraternity was nothing short of miraculous. Many of our brothers along the gulf coast suffered great losses, and while no amount of money can replace human loss, our open arms and words of support made the grieving moments a bit more bearable.  We were our brothers’ keeper then.

In January 2010, one of the worst earthquakes to plague mankind hit the small, culturally rich island nation of Haiti. An estimated three million people were affected by the quake. The Haitian government reported that an estimated316,000 people died, 300,000 had been injured and more than 1,000,000 made homeless. Many brothers and their families suffered here in the states at the distress of friends and loved ones affected by the earthquake’s cataclysmic stronghold on the small country. Brothers organized response teams, sent donations, and showed an outpouring of support unseen by many other fraternal service organizations. We were our brothers’ keeper then.

This past weekend another storm, Hurricane Irene, took center stage and disrupted the activities, but not the spirits, of those attending the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication. While we were unsure of its potential damage and outcome, Alpha Phi Alpha was already moving to ensure brothers and their families have the resources when needed. Through our Brother’s Keeper program we are able to mobilize and organize the fraternity to respond to these types of the disasters, whether hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes or tornadoes.

Our A. Charles Haston Brother’s Keeper Program is a national program of the fraternity developed with the mission of advocating for and improving the quality of life for Alpha Phi Alpha brothers, their spouses, and widows, those who are retired, are elders, or have disabilities and are ailing. Upon identification of need, the Brother’s Keeper Program also provides assistance to mature and ailing members of its communities. The goal of the Brother’s Keeper Program is to promote dignity and independence among Alpha family and community members who need help in keeping their lives and homes functional. There are seven objectives to the program:

Objective 1: Assist in maintaining living environments that are compatible with participants’ levels of functioning;

Objective 2: Assist in maintaining the upkeep of participants’ properties;

Objective 3: Assist with health care decision making;

Objective 4: Provide companionship;

Objective 5: Provide legal services;

Objective 6: Provide transportation; and,

Objective 7: Ensure adequate supplies of food, water, and clothing, with special emphasis on disaster management and recovery.”  Detailed information regarding the program can be found at the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity website.

I can attest personally to having been affected by Hurricane Katrina six years ago with my own family.  My family lived less than two miles away from one of the levee breaks in the lower 9th ward area of the city and my childhood home, where my family still lived, was in shambles.  All but one of my family members survived but the outpouring
of support from friends, and brothers was overwhelming. Chapters like Epsilon Lambda (St. Louis, Missouri), Theta Zeta Lambda (Ann Arbor, Michigan), and my home chapter, Gamma Lambda (Detroit, Michigan) provided money, food, and clothing for the nine family members I supported in my home for a few months in Michigan.

I am forever grateful of the support that I received and my brothers were there for me.  There is no limit to our strength when we invest in each other. We control the reins of this fraternal design. We develop our fraternal destiny with our investments today. No matter the disaster, the need, or the request, as a group of men dedicated to each other, we can move mountains for stars to shine. We can collectively respond to nature’s fury with an “on the ground” fury of support. Similar to a movement organized by young activists, many of them brothers, called Katrina On The Ground – where a few thousand black students were organized and worked in the gulf coast during their Spring Breaks in 2006 – we can make a collective force propelled by people, and their genuine love and dedication for the welfare of others and overcome any obstacle that faces us.

Brothers, together we can lift as we climb. I will continue the investment in this program where we are still, and forever will be, our brothers’ keeper. Join me and let’s continue to bring the light of Alpha to many dark and dampened hearts.

Fraternally,

Brother Mark S. Tillman
Candidate for 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

A DREAM ERECTED, NEVER DEFERRED

A great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand spoke eloquently four words that to this very day ring magnanimously throughout the hearts and minds of men and women across the world. “I Have A Dream”- stood for more than poetic prose delivered to a crowd of anxious onlookers, but it engendered a cause, an idea, a movement so powerful that today we stand proudly as Americans, as Fraternity Brothers to usher in a profound historical moment, one that will forever engrave in our minds what was said that hot summer day in 1963. Normalcy never again, is what he called it then, today it is a full realization that business as usual is indeed a thing of the past.

The dedication and grand opening of the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC will be August 28, 2011 – the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s “Dream” speech. Civil rights pioneers, world leaders, citizens who remember the days of segregation, and those leading the next generation closer to Dr. King’s dream, will assemble together for the long-awaited celebration and remembrance. The Memorial will be a lasting tribute to Dr. King’s legacy and will forever serve as a monument to the freedom, opportunity, and justice for which he stood. Just down from the Lincoln Memorial, with views of the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial, our dear Brother’s stoned image will stand as a public sanctuary where future generations of Americans, regardless of race, religion, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation, can come to honor our Brother, Dr. King.

Even with the excitement bubbling in our nation’s capital, I must take a moment to acknowledge the contributions and unwavering support of Alpha Phi Alpha Brothers. As martyrs for change, as a fraternity, we have stood firmly in support of this initiative. From beginning to end this milestone of our generation was conceived and executed by men of our great Fraternity.  In January 1984, Brother George Sealey was the catalyst for convening Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers Brother Alfred Bailey, Brother Oscar Little, Brother Eddie Madison, and Brother John Harvey, to propose building a national memorial to honor Dr. King. Their proposal was presented at the Fraternity’s Board of Director’s meeting, under the administration of 26th General President Ozell Sutton. From there, successive general president administrations, brothers, and chapters rallied around the call for change never allowing this infamous dream to be deferred.

Our faith played a large role in the realization of this dream. As Dr. King once stated, “faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha, I salute you all. Your first step, even without knowing the outcome ignited a spark that years of segregation, discrimination, and nullification blotted. We showed that together we could be a force to be reckoned with. Our investment in this idea led us to collectively raise millions of dollars as a fraternity to donate to our Brother’s memorial.

I would like to commend our 31st General President Brother Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the National Memorial Project Foundation, for his outstanding commitment to leading this cause. Through his leadership, we are able to assemble while adorned in our old gold and black attire, and sing our hymn beneath the erected
memory of one of the greatest men to have pledged the name, Alpha Phi Alpha. Our voices will sing in unison, our presence powerful in progress.

In the words of Dr. King, “the means we use, must be as pure as the ends we seek”. Let us continue to invest in our brothers, their dreams, and making substantial change in our world. Our investment’s can reap such impressive results when we fight ignorance with education, hate with compassion and love, and business as usual with an investment in something new. Invest in my Alpha Plan brothers, and let ‘normalcy never again’ continue to usher in more dreams.

I too have a dream, that dream is to invest in the advancement of Alpha Phi Alpha.

See you at the mall.

Fraternally Yours,

Brother Mark S. Tillman
Candidate for 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

The Alpha Investment Update | Celebrating Brother Dr. Payton C. Cook

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”  - Unknown

Brothers,

Recently, the Western Region embraced me with open arms as I traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate the 90th birthday and life of Brother Dr. Payton C. Cook, Life Member #215, of Theta Pi Lambda Chapter. Throughout my travels, the brothers I meet and speak with that live out and embody the tenets of our fraternity – “First of All”, “Servants of All”, “We Shall Transcend All” – continue to impress me. Brother Cook is one of these brothers. 

Brother Cook’s life is laudable. Since his initiation into Beta Sigma Chapter at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, he achieved two advanced degrees – a Master’s of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. He shared his love of education with youth for more than 30 years, teaching and molding young minds. Brother Cook made the ultimate commitment to the fraternity -life membership – and he has served in elected offices within Alpha‘s Western Regional at the local,
state and regional level, while maintaining his commitment to numerous other community organizations.

Brother Cook was honored with a proclamation issued by General President Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., proclaiming a day of celebration of the life that he has led thus far. After the dinner, tributes, and Fraternal Hymn, I realized I was truly fortunate to receive an invite to witness such a celebration. 

At the core, my dedication to become the 34th General President is about an investment in service and the Fraternity, much like the example of Brother Cook’s life. It is a continued and dedicated commitment by brothers everywhere and by me. The fraternity is in good shape as long as brothers continue to invest in the servant-leader lifestyle exemplified by Brother Cook, and I look forward to that continued investment as I campaign for 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha.

Brother Cook with brothers representing all five regions.

Brothers singing the fraternal hymn in honor of Brother Cook.

Brother Cook and Brother Tillman

Brother Tillman with Brother Aaron Crutison, Western Regional Vice President

Brother Jerome Cannon, president of Eta Pi Lambda (Pasadena, CA), Brother Tillman, Brother Dr. Norman E. Towels, past Western Regional Vice President, and Brother Dr. Jeriod D. Patterson, Rocky Mountain District Director.

Brother Paul Thurman (Sigma Psi), Brother Charles Ticer, president of Sigma Psi (UNLV), Brother Tillman, Brother Leon Jackson (Theta Pi Lambda), Brother Michael Franklin (Theta Pi Lambda).

Thank you in advance for your continued support and your investment in Alpha Phi Alpha.

Fraternally Yours,

Brother Mark S. Tillman

Candidate for 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.