T-Shirt Wearer?

My fraternity (Alpha Phi Alpha) is having its regional Convention here in Memphis this weekend, but I doubt I will even attend one event. So much for brotherhood I guess. You would think I would at least go to the stepshow (too long), or at least see the honies in the Miss Black and Gold Pageant (I don't know those chicks), but naw, the kid will not be in the house. Actually, I think I would attend if finals were not approaching but nonetheless, I have no desire to even slightly alter my schedule to support the org. With such a nonchalant attitude, could it be that I have become that dreaded frat t-shirt wearer. Dang......I hope not.

Let's see I pledged Sp. Ninety-Something, and yes, I pledged. I think I was online about 5-6 weeks, anyway, I had no clue coming from the westcoast what pledging was all about. I don't even think I had seen School Daze to give me a heads up. Nonetheless, I showed up at the interest meeting and met some of the members of the chapter. A few days later, I was told to be at a location at a specific time. I remember arriving at the location and while waiting, observed several other guys pulling up to the location, at the time I had maybe seen two of the guys on campus, but I never really had any substantive conversations with the guys, so I simply remained in the car. Anyway, one of the bruhs pulled up and ordered us to follow them, which we all did and eventually ended up somewhere in Orange Mound for another interview, but this one was totally different from the first interview at the interest meeting. (The following statements have been deemed classified and have been deleted to protect the innocent.) At the conclusion of that interview, all I was thinking was what the hell have I gotten myself into. I knew nothing about pledging, I was like these cats crazy. I don't think I was scared, but I was more like what should be my proper response to what was about to be going down. I was truly clueless as to what would unfold in the next few weeks.

Seven of us made the cut, and we were told to learn everything about each other as we would be seeing a whole lot of each other, and we were told to keep our mouth's shut. I ended up being the shortest fella in there, making me the ace, but once again I did not know the significance of that.

The following was deleted to protect the innocent and the guilty. Yea we was getting hazed. What have I gotten myself into, I aint no punk so, I bet not quit. In the end, seven of us remained, known as the "Significant Seven"

Truth be told, I bought my first Alpha T-shirt at my first ever stepshow I attended at San Diego State, I was impressed by the guys who stepped and decided I would buy me a shirt. I remember cause one of my boys, bought an Omega t-shirt because the colors matched his Cross-Colors outfit. Remember Cross Colors? Anyway. I was still in high school though. I did a little research at the time about the fraternity, I new why it existed, I kinda knew what its aims were, so I figured one day I would be one. Thurgood Marshall was an Alpha, that's all I needed to see, I just did not know how that was gonna go down. I even had the nerve to wear that t-shirt before I even crossed. Hey, I did not know any better.

Why am I an Alpha? I respected the values and aims it stood for and wanted to join other like minded men in trying reaching those goals. I still respect what it stands for, but I think today, Black Greek Organizations need to re-evaluate its purposes and aims. We still have to work towards the primary goals of the organization, but we also, we meaning all greek organizations should add some new initiatives. There is strength in numbers, collectively, pan-hellinicly (that ain't a word) speaking, we could establish a very strong political base. Using our numbers to dictate local issues, local politics etc. Nationally, we have numbers as solid as the NAACP, Urban League, NRA, (uh that would be the National Rifle Association), or any of the strong conservative lobbyist groups. Here is a hypothetical, anytime the government tries to establish any type of gun legislation, the NRA gets crunk, applies pressure to the particular legislative body, and ultimately kills the bill. I need not go into how gun violence plagues the black community, but it would be in our interest to support such legislation, could panhell, or my frat and DST approach that same legislative body exercising our power in numbers to pass the legislation? Can you imagine that? Is it possible? Surely. It's possible. I mean in undergrad the purposes of our chapters is to influence our campus and community in a positive way. To develop ourselves as leaders. Why does such proactiveness have to stop because we have graduated? What is the purpose of the grad chapters? To sit around and reminisce about all the parties we had or we used to set it off in undergrad or have lame azz Black and Gold Balls? I think not. Perhaps, if the graduate chapters began to spur political advocacy, perhaps it would spread to the nationals level on each organization. By reaching out to the other organizations it would create a large political base, a new voting bloc, consisting of educated black folk, (well excluding those Ques, who went to undergrad only to pledge.) that could ultimately have the ability to influence our elected leaders and have an impact on laws and issues that affect or plaque our respective communities. Do you feel me on this, or is it a pipe dream? Talk about giving back, I think it goes directly to the aims of marching towards the light.

If we don't look to initiating new and dynamic changes within, I submit that black greeks will become irrelevant. Heck, we are no longer able to initiate effectively, its becoming damn near a mail order society. College chapters grow weaker each line by not being able to selectively choose who gets in, how do you truly become brothers and sisters when the bonding opportunities are snatched away, how does one who has never had to work together for a common cause, suddenly develop those skills when they so easily earn their colors? You see where I am coming from?

So am I t-shirt wearer? No not at all, I am simply patiently waiting on a few good men and women who are ready to take their respective organizations (even the sigmas) to a whole nutha level. I wanna be a part of that flame that flickers, sparking the change that comes.

Hey KEE, they did you dirty over in Circuit, don't let them folk steal your thunder, bigger and better things lay ahead, go get it. Always a friend around. Thanks for making my days in court kool.