Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Convenes in KC

kcsoul.com/kcalphas

July 17-21, 2008. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. hosts its 102nd Anniversary Convention in Kansas City. This is the national convention of the organization and thousands of Alpha men will descend upon the city for the opportunity to fellowship, service, and conducting the business of Alpha. The host hotel for the convention is the downtown Marriott Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.

In addition to Alpha men, the general public will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of exciting events planned. A few of the events include golf and tennis tournaments; Jazz & Barbecue concert; national fraternity stepshow; parties for college students, young professionals and alumni. A special treat for both Kansas City residents and conventioneers will be Saturday night’s pub crawl on 18th & Vine which will give adults an opportunity to experience music venues from Jazz to Hip-Hop. Local hosts have worked to make this a convention for the entire family, so a range of enjoyable activities is scheduled for registered ladies and youth.

Even with a full itinerary, guests will have ample time to experience the jazz and barbecue heritage of Kansas City, plus experience the entertainment districts of 18th & Vine, the all-new Power and Light District and a plethora of other KC Hot Spots.

The convention is hosted by Beta Lambda Chapter, the fraternity’s second oldest Alumni chapter. Beta Lambda chapter is especially proud to note that Darryl R. Matthews, Sr., the current General President of the fraternity, is a former Kansas City resident and product of Delta Rho chapter which is seated at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

For vendor, sponsor, advertising or volunteer opportunities contact Beta Lambda at info@betalambda.org or 816-921-6161 or visit the national convention site, alphaconvention.com.

For additional Kansas City event details and updates, be sure to visit KCSoul.com.

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Alpha Phi Alpha is the nation’s oldest inter-collegiate, African-American, Greek-letter organization. It was founded December 4, 1906. For over a century, the Alphas have proven to be both national leaders and community servants.

The list of prominent fraternity members reads like a Who’s Who Among America’s. History makers and record breakers. Partial list of prominent Alphas include:

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Activist
Frederick Douglass: Anti-Slavery Activist
W.E.B. Dubois: Writer, Historian, Civil Rights Activist
Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.: Civil Rights Activist
Thurgood Marshall: Civil Rights Activist, Supreme Court Justice
Dennis Kimbro: Author
Frederick Patterson: Founder, UNCF
Cornell West: Author
Kwame Kilpatrick: Mayor of Detroit
Thurgood Marshall: Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice
Keenan Ivory Wayans: Comedian, Producer
Lionel Richie, singer
Jesse Owens: Olympic Gold Medalist
Eddie Robinson: Winningest Football Coach in NCAA History
Art Shell: Former NFL Player and Coach
Gene Upshaw: President of the NFL Players Association
Emanuel Cleaver II, U.S. Congressman and first African-American mayor of Kansas City, MO

In 1950's America, the equality of man envisioned by the Declaration of Independence was far from a reality. People of color — blacks, Hispanics, Asians — were discriminated against in many ways, both overt and covert. The 1950's were a turbulent time in America, when racial barriers began to come down due to Supreme Court decisions, like Brown v. Board of Education; and due to an increase in the activism of blacks, fighting for equal rights.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist minister, was a driving force in the push for racial equality in the 1950's and the 1960's. In 1963, King and his staff focused on Birmingham, Alabama. They marched and protested non-violently, raising the ire of local officials who sicced water cannon and police dogs on the marchers, whose ranks included teenagers and children. The bad publicity and break-down of business forced the white leaders of Birmingham to concede to some anti-segregation demands.

Thrust into the national spotlight in Birmingham, where he was arrested and jailed, King organized a massive march on Washington, DC, on August 28, 1963. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he evoked the name of Lincoln in his "I Have a Dream" speech, which is credited with mobilizing supporters of desegregation and prompted the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The next year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
http://www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

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