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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, was
3founded on December 4, 1906, by 7 college men, respectfully
4known as the "Seven Jewels", on the campus of Cornell
5University in Ithaca, New York, becoming the first
6intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by and for
7African-Americans; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The Seven Jewels of the Fraternity, Henry Arthur
9Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George
10Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle,
11and Vertner Woodson Tandy, recognized the need for a strong
12bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country
13while stressing academic excellence among its members; the
14founders recognized the need to help correct the educational,
15economic, political, and social injustices faced by
16African-Americans and other people of color; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha initially served as a study and
18support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice,
19both educationally and socially, at Cornell University; the
20Jewel Founders and early leaders of the Fraternity succeeded in
21laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of
22scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of
23humanity; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Since its founding, Alpha Phi Alpha has
2consistently supplied its voice and vision to the struggle of
3African-Americans, people of color, and issues of civil rights
4around the world; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The aims of Alpha Phi Alpha are manly deeds,
6scholarship, and love for all mankind; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The mission of Alpha Phi Alpha is to develop
8leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, and
9provide service and advocacy for communities, as exemplified
10through its national programs, which include "Go to High
11School, Go to College", which focus on the educational
12achievement of students in elementary, secondary, and
13post-secondary schools and has given thousands of dollars in
14scholarship funds to deserving students; "Project Alpha",
15which teaches teenage pregnancy prevention and sexually
16transmitted disease prevention to young males, and "Voteless
17People is a Hopeless People", a voter registration and
18education program, through which thousands of voters have been
19educated and registered; Alpha Phi Alpha also focuses on
20providing service through its strategic partnerships with Big
21Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of America, March of
22Dimes, the American Heart/American Stroke Association, and the
23American Cancer Society; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, For over 106 years, Alpha Phi Alpha has played a
2fundamental role in the positive development of the character
3and education of more than 200,000 men; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha has over 700 college and alumni
5chapters in the United States of America, the District of
6Columbia, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe; this total
7includes 140 chapters in the Midwestern Region, including 31 in
8Illinois; the Midwestern Region includes the states of
9Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
10Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, West Virginia, Wisconsin,
11and Canada; Alpha Phi Alpha's presence started in Illinois,
12with the founding of the first college chapter in Illinois, the
13Theta Chapter, in 1910, and the first alumni chapter, the Xi
14Lambda Chapter, which was founded in 1924, both in Chicago; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Members of Alpha Phi Alpha include many noteworthy
16leaders in the areas of government, business, entertainment,
17science, and higher education, including the likes of Dr.
18Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, John
19Hope Franklin, John H. Johnson, Adam Clayton Powell, Andrew
20Young, and Cornel West; its membership also includes State and
21local elected officials, including former U.S. Senator Roland
22Burris, former Cook County Board Presidents John and Todd
23Stroger, and former Mayor of Chicago Eugene Sawyer, among

 

 

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1countless others who have long stood at the forefront of the
2fight for civil and human rights and social change for all
3Americans; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Several Alpha Phi Alpha members have served in the
5Illinois General Assembly, including the following members of
6the 98th General Assembly: Senator Donne E. Trotter and
7Representatives Al Riley, Arthur Turner, Jr., Emanuel "Chris"
8Welch, and Elgie R. Sims, Jr., who also serves as the 26th Vice
9President of the Midwestern Region; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha continues to enrich the lives of
11its members, who, in turn, provide service and advocacy for the
12communities they serve with a commitment to service and the
13uplifting of humanity; therefore, be it
 
14    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16we recognize and honor the 2013 Alpha Phi Alpha Day held at the
17Illinois State Capitol and welcome the members of Alpha Phi
18Alpha to the Capitol; and be it further
 
19    RESOLVED, That we designate the date of May 8, 2013 as
20Alpha Phi Alpha Day in the State of Illinois in honor of Alpha
21Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and its continued service
22and impact on the communities it serves; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
2delivered to Elgie R. Sims, Jr., Esq., Midwestern Regional Vice
3President; Sharron R. Anderson, Assistant Regional Vice
4President; the Illinois District Director and the Assistant
5Illinois District Director; and the Presidents of the 31
6College and Alumni Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
7Incorporated, located in the District of Illinois.