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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 focuses 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 its
17"Voteless People is a Hopeless People" campaign, a voter
18registration and education program, through which thousands of
19voters have been educated and registered; Alpha Phi Alpha also
20focuses on providing service through its strategic
21partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boy Scouts of
22America, March of Dimes, the American Heart/American Stroke
23Association, and the American Cancer Society; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, For over 108 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 141 chapters in the Midwestern Region, including 32 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 federal,
21State, and local elected officials, including U.S.
22Representative Danny K. Davis, former U.S. Senator Edward
23Brooke, former U.S. Senator Roland Burris, former Cook County

 

 

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1Board Presidents John and Todd Stroger, and former Mayor of
2Chicago Eugene Sawyer, among countless others who have long
3stood at the forefront of the fight for civil and human rights
4and social change for all Americans; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Several Alpha Phi Alpha members have served in the
6Illinois General Assembly, including the following members of
7the 99th General Assembly: Senator Donne E. Trotter and
8Representatives Al Riley, Arthur Turner, Jr., Emanuel "Chris"
9Welch, and Elgie R. Sims, Jr., who also serves as the 26th Vice
10President of the Midwestern Region; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Alpha Phi Alpha continues to enrich the lives of
12its members, who, in turn, provide service and advocacy for the
13communities they serve with a commitment to service and the
14uplifting of humanity; therefore, be it
 
15    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
16NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
17recognize and honor the 2015 Alpha Phi Alpha Day held at the
18Illinois State Capitol and welcome the members of Alpha Phi
19Alpha to the Capitol; and be it further
 
20    RESOLVED, That we designate the date of April 23, 2015 as
21Alpha Phi Alpha Day in the State of Illinois in honor of Alpha
22Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, and its continued service

 

 

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1and impact on the communities it serves; and be it further
 
2    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
3delivered to Elgie R. Sims, Jr., Esq., Midwestern Regional Vice
4President; Jameson S. Taylor, Assistant Regional Vice
5President; the Illinois District Director and the Assistant
6Illinois District Director; and the Presidents of the 32
7College and Alumni Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity,
8Incorporated, located in the District of Illinois.