HR0375 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0375 LRB099 11625 MST 33550 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, was founded on December 4, 1906, by 7 college men, respectfully known as the "Seven Jewels", on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, becoming the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established by and for African-Americans; and

WHEREAS, The Seven Jewels of the Fraternity, Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy, recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country while stressing academic excellence among its members; the founders recognized the need to help correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African-Americans and other people of color; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell University; the Jewel Founders and early leaders of the Fraternity succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity; and

WHEREAS, Since its founding, Alpha Phi Alpha has consistently supplied its voice and vision to the struggle of African-Americans, people of color, and issues of civil rights around the world; and

WHEREAS, The aims of Alpha Phi Alpha are manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind; and

WHEREAS, The mission of Alpha Phi Alpha is to develop leaders, promote brotherhood and academic excellence, and provide service and advocacy for communities, as exemplified through its national programs, which include "Go to High School, Go to College", which focuses on the educational achievement of students in elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools and has given thousands of dollars in scholarship funds to deserving students; "Project Alpha", which teaches teenage pregnancy prevention and sexually transmitted disease prevention to young males, and its "Voteless People is a Hopeless People" campaign, a voter registration and education program, through which thousands of voters have been educated and registered; Alpha Phi Alpha also focuses on providing service through its strategic partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of America, March of Dimes, the American Heart/American Stroke Association, and the American Cancer Society; and

WHEREAS, For over 108 years, Alpha Phi Alpha has played a fundamental role in the positive development of the character and education of more than 200,000 men; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha has over 700 college and alumni chapters in the United States of America, the District of Columbia, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Europe; this total includes 141 chapters in the Midwestern Region, including 32 in Illinois; the Midwestern Region includes the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Canada; Alpha Phi Alpha's presence started in Illinois, with the founding of the first college chapter in Illinois, the Theta Chapter, in 1910, and the first alumni chapter, the Xi Lambda Chapter, which was founded in 1924, both in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Members of Alpha Phi Alpha include many noteworthy leaders in the areas of government, business, entertainment, science, and higher education, including the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, John Hope Franklin, John H. Johnson, Adam Clayton Powell, Andrew Young, and Cornel West; its membership also includes federal, State, and local elected officials, including U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis, former U.S. Senator Edward Brooke, former U.S. Senator Roland Burris, former Cook County Board Presidents John and Todd Stroger, and former Mayor of Chicago Eugene Sawyer, among countless others who have long stood at the forefront of the fight for civil and human rights and social change for all Americans; and

WHEREAS, Several Alpha Phi Alpha members have served in the Illinois General Assembly, including the following members of the 99th General Assembly: Senator Donne E. Trotter and Representatives Al Riley, Arthur Turner, Jr., Emanuel "Chris" Welch, and Elgie R. Sims, Jr., who also serves as the 26th Vice President of the Midwestern Region; and

WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha continues to enrich the lives of its members, who, in turn, provide service and advocacy for the communities they serve with a commitment to service and the uplifting of humanity; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize and honor the 2015 Alpha Phi Alpha Day held at the Illinois State Capitol and welcome the members of Alpha Phi Alpha to the Capitol; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we designate the date of April 23, 2015 as Alpha Phi Alpha Day in the State of Illinois in honor of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and its continued service and impact on the communities it serves; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Elgie R. Sims, Jr., Esq., Midwestern Regional Vice President; Jameson S. Taylor, Assistant Regional Vice President; the Illinois District Director and the Assistant Illinois District Director; and the Presidents of the 32 College and Alumni Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, located in the District of Illinois.