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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 32nd General President Darryl R. Matthews, Sr. Among Ebony Magazine's "Power 150"
Several Alpha Members Also Appear in Special Section
Darryl R. Matthews, Sr.
32nd General President,
Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. |
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Baltimore, MD (BlackNews.com) - In the May 2008 issue, currently on newsstands, Ebony Magazine highlights some of today's prominent and most recognized leaders in America and beyond. Included in the number is Darryl R. Matthews, Sr., 32nd General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation's first and largest African-American intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity.
During Matthews' term, Alpha has had a strong, more relevant and substantive presence within the local, regional and national community evident through the commitment to several outreach initiatives and community & corporate partnerships.
Recently, Alpha announced a national partnership with Wells Fargo Financial in the launch of a national internship program. Created under the fraternity's own national initiative, College Life to Corporate Life (C2C) - "Champions of Change", the internship program will provide career opportunities in financial services for minority college men and women.
When afforded the opportunity, Matthews shares that the fraternity continues to be a positive agent of change and, empowers, enlightens and reinforces the need for all persons to be the change they are looking for. A strong point Matthews has made part of his leadership is volunteerism. "There is a vital need for the service and leadership we provide to our communities. Participation in our national programs, which include our partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and March of Dimes, is not an option for our brothers and we expect, no, we demand strict adherence to Alpha's mandates," he said.
In a statement of reflection on the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Alpha Member Martin Luther King Matthews shared, that "Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. calls on the nation to show its strength...To use its strength...To show its greatness. Help your fellow man to rise up and to raise up those who shall follow."
He continued, "We cannot hope for another Martin. We must all become like Martin. We hold the keys to the forward progress of the race and harmony we seek. And, in doing this, we truly will honor the ultimate sacrifice that this great man made."
Alpha continues to stand as the organization that represents the totality of the Black male; representing the full diversity and true essence of this important and often misrepresented community. Alpha men are yesterday, today and tomorrow's leaders, influencers, and community activists, sports icons, trailblazers, businessmen, fathers, sons, and mentors.
This is clearly represented through the many members of Alpha that are also listed in the 2008 "Ebony" 150 which include Don Thompson, president, McDonald's USA; Dr. John Hope Franklin, noted historian and professor emeritus, Duke University; Dr. Cornel West, author and scholar; Marc H. Morial, president, National Urban League; Albert E. Dotson, Jr., chairman, 100 Black Men of America, Inc.; Ralph B. Everett, president/CEO, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Eugene Upshaw, executive director, NFL Players Association; and, Roland Martin, nationally syndicated columnist and CNN contributor, to name a few.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity's 102nd anniversary celebration and general convention will be held in Kansas City, MO in July. For more information visit www.apa1906.net
Founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has continued to supply voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The Fraternity has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community's fight for civil rights, through Alpha men such as Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Thurgood Marshall, and Andrew Young as well as members of the 110th Congress including: Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO), Charles B. Rangel (NY), Danny K. Davis (IL), Chaka Fattah (PA), Al Green (TX), Gregory Meeks (NY), David Scott (GA), and Robert C. Scott (VA). The fraternity through its college and alumni chapters serves the community through nearly a thousand chapters in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.
CONTACT:
Monica Wood | MWPR, Inc.
704-430-6300
mwood@mwprinc.com
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