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.