For the third year in a row, the Gamma Eta Sigma, Tampa Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity has been named the Model Chapter of the Year, as well as earning Gold Level Membership status. The award came during the fraternity’s 98th Anniversary Southern Regional conference in Biloxi, Miss. The organization also received the honor for years 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In 2009 the Tampa Chapter was also awarded the International Model Chapter of the Year. During the regional conference, which took place at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Center, the Alpha Beta Gamma Chapter from University of Tampa won the Florida Collegiate Model Chapter of the Year. Brothers from the Zeta Xi Chapter from the University of South Florida won the Silver Level Membership status.

This year, Brother Philip Harris from the Alumni Chapter was awarded the Southern Region scholarship to support his Doctoral degree in Business Administration from Argosy University. The Southern Region consists of more than 4,000 members from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Bahamas. They hold high the ideas of Brotherhood, Scholarship, and Service as signified in the motto, “Culture For Service and Service For Humanity.”

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., an international organization of college and professional men, was founded at Howard University in Washington, DC, in 1914. It is one of the nine largest predominantly African American Greek-lettered organizations. Phi Beta Sigma boasts more than 150,000 members, with 650 chapters throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa. Programs of the Fraternity include Sigma Beta Clubs (the youth auxiliary for males), Sigmas Against Teenage Pregnancy (SATAP), Sigmas Against Domestic Abuse (SADA), American Cancer Society, March of Dimes and its newest initiative, a partnership with the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA).

For more information contact Brother Philip Harris at (727) 255-1360.

It started with 12 black men at the University of Minnesota who started a social club in 1911.

The club became a chapter of the national Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity in 1912. In less than a week, the fraternity will celebrate its 100th year on campus.

The historically black fraternity will celebrate in conjunction with the 80th Midwest Regional Convention of the national organization. The convention is a celebration of all chapters in the region.

Every year, chapters from the Midwest apply to host the convention. This year the Minnesota chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha will host.

“It’s been a long time coming; this is something we’ve been planning since we put in a bid about a year ago,” said Emeka Okafor, a pre-medicine and psychology senior.

The fraternity will start the event next Thursday at the McNamara Alumni Center. The evening will feature speakers, including communication studies senior and chapter President Anthony Gnakadja. Other student organizations on campus are scheduled to speak in recognition of the chapter. The convention will continue through April 15.

The convention will also serve as a commemoration of those who were initiated into the Minnesota chapter of the fraternity years ago. A room will display pictures of members since 1912. Many members who were initiated in the Mu chapter in the 1930s and ’40s are attending.

In preparation for the anniversary, the University provided the chapter a grant to help fund the convention and anniversary. The grant helped fund buses that will transport attendees from the University to the Marriott Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, where a large portion of the convention will be held.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. was first founded in 1905-1906 at Cornell University, after half of a dozen black students didn’t return to school the previous year because of the racism they experienced on campus. The fraternity is the oldest black fraternity in the nation.

Notable members of Alpha Phi Alpha include Duke Ellington, Thurgood Marshall and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Black greek life in its entirety benefits from the success of Alpha Phi Alpha. Since 2009, four other historically black fraternities and sororities have returned to campus.

“We, as men of Alpha Phi Alpha, we want to be leaders; we want to improve the community to the best of our abilities,” Gnakadja said. “But we cannot always do that by ourselves. We need help.”

The brothers see their accomplishments as largely supported by the black sororities on campus.

“What are men without women,” Okafor said.

Members of the fraternity have worked long hours to pull the centennial celebration together. Most express excitement and anxiety in tandem.

“It’s going to be a really big event on campus,” Okafor said. “There’s going to be a lot of people here, and it should be really fun.”

Jeff Tate, Vice President, Finance, Dow Performance Plastics has been named to Savoy Magazine’s Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America 2012 issue.

Savoy is geared toward African-American business professionals and profiles prominent African-American business leaders. With 100,000 readers per issue, the magazine serves as a premier forum for issues of workplace diversity and lifestyle features. Savoy notes the 2012 Top 100 issue is “one of the most definitive lists of African American achievers in Corporate America produced to date.” The magazine will be available on newsstands March 13, 2012.

In his role at Dow, Tate has responsibility for short- and long-term financial planning as well as accountability for developing and evaluating value-creating business strategies for Dow Performance Plastics, a $16 billion corporate Division of The Dow Chemical Company.

“We could not be more proud of Jeff for being recognized by this prestigious ranking,” said Bill Weideman, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Dow Chemical Company. “He is an exemplary team member who consistently drives financial discipline and pushes the team to strive for higher performance. His unique talents and passion for excellence are well-known, and this honor is further proof of his leadership both at Dow as well as in the community.”

In addition to this honor, Tate is also the recipient of the 2010 National Achievement in Industry Award from the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA). He serves as the National Co-Chair of the African American Network for Dow, an internal organization that unites and creates a community for the company’s African American employees. Tate earned his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has held various Finance positions since joining Dow in 1992, including most recently as Finance Director of the Company’s Investor Relations group.

Tate was chosen for this honor from a pool of more than 500 candidates. Each candidate was selected based on criteria such as community influence and past achievements. The selection committee included Savoy’s editorial board, community leaders and representatives from the business and academic sectors.

There wasn’t an empty seat at the Steven R. Agee II scholarship fund kickoff Monday.

The event was hosted by Steven’s mother, Kimberly Agee, in the Holmes Student Center Capitol Room.

“I think it was a wonderful night,” Kimberly said. “So many students came out. I didn’t expect this. His fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, did all the groundwork. All I had to do was show up.”

Steven was fatally shot in the early hours of Nov. 23 at 809 Edgebrook Drive. He was a senior sociology major and involved in several organizations on campus, including Kappa Alpha Psi.

“The major decision [to create the scholarship] was when I saw my son lying on a slab for the very first time,” Kimberly said. “I promised myself that his death would not be in vain, and this has been part of what I’ve worked on since Nov. 23.”

At the kickoff, Kimberly talked about her son and why she decided to create the scholarship. She then allowed friends of Steven to come up to the front of the room and share stories and memories they had of Steven.

“He was so for diversity,” said Odarian Jordan, senior communication major and Kappa Alpha Psi member. “And that’s one thing that rubbed off on me, is how he just wanted to bring everyone together at the end of the day.”

The scholarship will be run by Steven’s parents and fraternity. Kimberly said applicants must showcase qualities her son had, like an interest in leadership and academics.

“One thing that makes Steven so well-known to the NIU community is how well he was involved in different organizations,” Jordan said.

Kimberly said anyone can donate to the scholarship by going to the website. She said there has already been donations from businesses, groups and individuals. Jordan said students can also ask members of Kappa Alpha Psi to get information on either donating to or applying for the scholarship.

“I think a scholarship would be the perfect thing because he, himself, was very pro-academics and having good grades,” Jordan said. “It’s only right that we give back to our NIU family, our NIU community, with a scholarship in honor of a person who really was prestigious.”

Kimberly said the scholarship will be offered every year. The scholarship has no set amount, Kimberly said, but there will always be some money given.

“If we can’t do anything but help someone purchase books-give them a scholarship for their books, then that’s what we’ll give them,” Kimberly said.

Proudly wearing his royal blue and pure white attire Assoumou Sahou,truly embraces Phi Beta Sigma’s motto of “culture for service and service for humanity.” Founded in 1914 Phi Beta Sigma International Fraternity Incorporated has been an enormous part ofSahou’s life. Crossing in Spring 2011 and being a part of the Mu Pi chapter has changed Sahou’s life in many positive ways. As treasurer for his chapter, he holds many responsibilities. In addition to his fraternity, Sahou manages a plethora of duties here at Kean because of all he is involved with. “Since I came to Kean, I’ve been highly involved in student government and I am a student ambassador at Kean admissions hall.”

Assoumou Sahou – or JR, as he is commonly known – is a senior public administration major. He was born and raised in Philadelphia and later on moved to New Jersey, where he began to learn more about Phi Beta Sigma. “I knew this organization was for me since my freshmen year,” He states. Dedicated and willing, Sahou obtained the strength and knowledge to be a part of this “Divine Nine” organization. One of his most memorable moments was the night he crossed over. “I accomplished something that most do not. It was a good feeling; most people don’t know the feeling of accomplishment.”

In his leisure time, Shaou’s number one hobby is playing the drums. Relaxing and having fun is also a priority “I like to just chill with my chapter and I also step on the National Step Team.[The team] has a long list of victories. We perform at shows all of over the United States, made TV appearances on CBS news, and step for youth center.”

As a service oriented fraternity, Shaou and his brothers enjoy giving back. This organization has been involved all throughout the nation. “On a national level, Phi Beta Sigma has several affiliation organization such has American Cancer Society, National Foundation of March of Dimes birth defects division, NAACP, United Negro College Fund, National Collation on black voter participation, Leadership Conference on civil rights, congressional black caucus and the list goes on!” says Sahou.

Locally, the chapter works weekly with high schools all around in search for future Sigmas. This international organization is best known as the Sigma Beta Club. Attending these high schools Sahou and his brothers mentor students and provide scholarships for them. This allows future members to take a look at what Phi Beta Sigma has to offer. They also teach leadership skills and social/cultural awareness to the youth during their developmental years.

Phi Beta Sigma is scheduling upcoming events for February 2012, in which students do not want to miss! “Sigma week is February 12 – 18. We are having activities all throughout the week, such as volunteering social programs and educational workshops held throughout campus.”

Sahou does have many interest and future aspirations, he wishes to achieve. “After I’m done with my bachelor degree I’m going to get a master degree in public administration with a concentration in health administration here at Kean.” says Sahou. Certain that his contributions to Phi Beta Sigma has transformed him into the man he is today, Shaou gives thanks to his brotherhood and will be apart of them even after he graduates as an alumnus. “I also will continue to be apart of my fraternity and hopefully help the governmental aspects,” he states.

When asked to describe his fraternity in three words, Sahou pondered, then with a big smile , immediately said, “smooth, suave, and sophisticated, because we are a melting pot. We all manage to bring different things to the table.”

Born about the time the Tuskegee Airmen were earning their reputation over the skies of North Africa and Italy, Marcelite Harris would go on to break a number of racial and gender barriers during an illustrious Air Force career.

Harris was born Jan. 16, 1943, in Houston and attended Spelman College in Atlanta, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and drama in 1964. She then attended Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where she was commissioned a second lieutenant in 1965.

During the early days of her career, Harris held assignments as an administrative officer in California and West Germany, before transitioning into the maintenance field by attending the aircraft maintenance officer’s course at Chanute Air Force Base, Ill., and graduating as the first female aircraft maintenance officer.

Her first assignment as a maintenance officer was to support the Vietnam War as a maintenance supervisor with the 49th Tactical Fighter Squadron in Korat Royal Thai air base, Thailand. After stints back in California and Washington, D.C., Harris broke another barrier as one of the first women to be an air officer commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

After commanding an avionics maintenance squadron and a field maintenance squadron, both in Kansas, and a director of maintenance in Okinawa, Japan, Harris would make another first – this time as the first woman deputy commander for maintenance.

But her biggest accomplishment lay ahead, when in 1991, Harris became the first female African-American general, when she pinned on her first star as the vice commander of the Oklahoma Center Air Logistics Center.

Harris retired from the Air Force in early 1997, where she had been serving as the director of maintenance, deputy chief of staff for logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force. At that time, she was the highest ranking female officer in the Air Force and the highest ranking African-American female within the Department of Defense.

Harris continues to contribute to the Air Force even after her retirement. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed her a member of the Board of Visitors for the United States Air Force Academy. As a board member, she inquiries into the morale, discipline, curriculum and other matters deemed appropriate. The board submits reports to the secretary of defense and the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and Congress via the secretary of the Air Force.

As she continues to serve the Air Force she serves her community. She is a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. For her works, in 2010 she was nationally recognized by the Black Girls Rock Foundation with the Trailblazer Award.

Having reached his 36th birthday in September, Brandon Pendarvis Brown is a testament to the old adage that age is just a number, based on the many accomplishments Brown has garnered in such a relatively short period.

He’s about to add one more accolade to the long list of achievements. In good company, Brown, along with CNN Anchor Soledad O’Brien and other distinguished individuals, will receive the national Legacy Award for outstanding service to higher education during the UNCF NAC/PAC Leadership Conference, Friday, February 3, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. The Conference, held annually, features college presidents, educators, alumni, students and philanthropists who gather to learn how to better render support to UNCF institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

When the South Carolina native was named Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Paine College in 2008, the job appointment could have been hypothetically titled, “The Return,” if speaking of Brown’s matriculation where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in History in 2000. He would later go on to earn a Master’s degree in Human Resources from Webster University of St. Louis.

For Brown, the Paine experience is personal and significant, considering that he is following the legacy footsteps of his father, Bennie F. Brown Jr., a chemistry major who graduated from Paine College in 1969. The older Brown would go on to enjoy a successful career as a high school math and science teacher, in addition to continuing the family funeral home business in the Brown homestead of Greenville, S.C. The Browns are also proprietors of Brown Rentals and Properties. The younger Brown has also provided his expertise to ensure both family businesses have continued to remain viable.

Brown says he is honored to have the opportunity to return to his alma mater. “It’s a special privilege to work with Dr. Bradley to move my alma mater forward,” he said. Dr. George Cleveland Bradley was named President of Paine College in October 2007.

As Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Brown is charged with raising in excess of $14 million for the institution’s Health Education Activities Learning Complex (HEAL), which is currently under construction on the Paine campus. The new facility will in part replace the historic Randall A. Carter Gymnasium which has been part of the Paine campus for the past 60 years. “The HEAL will also include classrooms, laboratories and a 2,400-seat arena with new amenities Paine athletes have gone without for way too long,” Brown said

He is responsible for fostering scholarships, endowments, furthering the institution’s strategic plan and helping to move the Campus Master Plan forward.  Of particular note, the College has witnessed an upsurge in capital improvements and support.

Fundraising and friend raising are comfort zones for Brown, considering his 2006 experience as State Deputy Political Director for Senator Joe Biden’s Presidential campaign. Biden would go on to become Vice President of the United States in President Barack Obama’s administration. Brown continues to cherish a warm relationship with VP Biden and his staff.

Brown’s commitment to making higher education accessible to students is unparallel. He served as a recruitment officer at Claflin University, in Orangeburg, South Carolina for 3 years and went on to create the Greenville HBCU Basketball Classic in 2003. The HBCU Classic was one of a kind in the Upstate and is credited with spurring enrollment at several HBCUs throughout the country. Later, in 2004, he founded the HBCU Football Classic in the Upstate and brought the Battle of the Bands to half-time that was a sidebar to the College Fairs and Recruiting sessions that were forefront.

Brown comments that the Greenville HBCU sports classics were born out of his desire to make college affordable and accessible to his community.  “I wanted to give young people access to a quality education at valuable institutions that are credited with producing many of the nation’s leaders today,” said Brown.

Having caught the political bug, Brown became the first African-American South Carolina candidate for U.S. Congress (age 28) in the Fourth Congressional District and won the Democratic nomination.  Needless to say, Brown leads the Governmental Relations initiatives at Paine College and as a result, the College is witnessing an increase in federal and state funding and support.

Constantly at the forefront of social justice issues, Brown was an organizing member of the Greenville Technical College Multi-cultural Diversity Board that was formed after a senior member of the Greenville Tech Administration made insensitive statements about Katrina Evacuees. Brown contributed heavily to the healing process and went on to serve as an advocate on many fronts.

Rooted in community service, he served as Executive Director of the Allen Temple Community Development Center that catered to at-risk children; and co-founded the Upstate (S.C.) Black Family Reunion, which promotes community unity.  He remains active in civic and social organizations in both Georgia and South Carolina and has served on the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Committee; the Augusta Symphony Board of Directors; and the Greer,
SC Hospital Advisory Board. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the John Wesley United Methodist Church, Greenville, Ssouth Carolina.

The fall of 2011 marked a personal milestone in Brown’s life who had been a longtime committed bachelor. On October 29, 2011, Brown and Augusta TV news anchor/personality Kimberely Scott of WJBF-TV, exchanged marriage vows during distinguished ceremonies that attracted well-wishers from near and far.

“Obviously, this is an exciting time of my life in more ways than one,” said Brown.

“I fully believe in the vision and leadership of our president and feel absolutely certain that Paine College will continue to evoke positive changes locally and nationally — from now and into the future.

“Frankly, I’m having the time of my life,” he added with a smile.

Helene Carter, Assistant Vice President at Paine College and long-time associate of Brown said, “I’ve watched Brandon mature into an exceptional servant leader who is committed to higher education and he’s just beginning to reap some of the benefits of his dedication to servant leadership and his conviction to social justice.  He is a walking testament of the power of exercising positive vision and anyone who is in his company is inspired to reach for greatness.”

Actress Tonya Lee Williams will receive the Martin Luther King, Jr. Achievement Award at the Black Theatre Workshop (BTW)’s 26th Annual Vision Celebration Gala a week from Saturday in Montreal for her contribution in the Black performing arts.

Williams remains best known as fan favorite Dr. Olivia Williams on the top-rated daytime soap, The Young and the Restless. Her other notable roles includes Octovia Jones on the CBC drama The Border, and most recently as Maxine Williams on the VisionTV sitcom She’s The Mayor.

Tonya made her debut as the host of the children show Polka Dot Door, which led to guest spots on What’s Happening Now!, Gimme a Break!, Hill Street Blues, Falcon Crest, and Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future.

Her role as Linda Dukes on the groundbreaking African-American NBC soap Generations led Tonya to her highest-profiling role to date: Dr. Olivia Winters as Y&R, earning her two Daytime Emmy nominations and two NAACP Awards.

In 2001, Tonya created and founded Reelworld (www.reelworld.ca), a film festival celebrating cultural diversity with the screening of films, documentaries, music videos, and shorts to both Canadian and international audiences.

The Vision Celebration begins with cocktails at 5:30pm, followed by dinner, dancing and entertainment an hour later at 6:30pm.

For tickets, call the Box Office at 514-932-1104 (ext. 226); more information on the Black Theatre Workshop can be found at www.blacktheatreworkshop.ca

Techno pioneer Saunderson recently relaunched influential US techno outfit Inner City, whose first two albums had combined sales of more than six million, for a new album due early next year. We find out more about the 47-year-old New York DJ.

He really wasn’t cut out to be a pop star.
‘It was a bit bizarre, because I had no intentions in that direction. I just wanted to produce music. I didn’t want to be on Top of the Pops. I didn’t see myself as any kind of typical band, but all of a sudden I was being looked on as typical because I had commercial success. I made it very clear in the beginning to my managers that I didn’t wanna do this, and they were like, “You’ve got to do this, this is important to the record, and this is how it works.” So even now, I’m not gonna be on every tour with Inner City. I’m gonna be at home making music, while they might be out performing. I’ve grown, and if we can’t do it this way, I won’t do it. That’s the difference between then and now. I was young, a little naïve.’

He hasn’t updated his equipment much since the old days.
‘I might work with two or three plugins, until I wear them out. It’s easy to say, well, that sound doesn’t work, let me try that one, or this one. That’s the more conservative approach. It’s not easy – it takes time, but when it comes you appreciate it. Some people never experience that, so they never know that.’

He doesn’t listen to music much any more.
‘People would be surprised, but I don’t listen to music like I used to. I play a lot of music, because I’m DJing, but I don’t sit at home and put on my favourite tracks. That’s not to say there’s something wrong with the quality of what’s out there, it’s just not my thing. If I run into a track I love, I’ll ask who it is, but I don’t generally follow music.’

Britain’s early-’90s acid house revolution blew his mind.
‘I saw things move so quickly, coming to the UK in the early part of 1988 and then later that year: it transformed. It blew me away. It was like a virus! Truthfully. This big phenomenon started happening around it. It was very special. That’s something that just doesn’t happen. You can’t just go out and say, I’m going to make something like this happen!’

He doesn’t think that could happen again unless something else happens first.
‘We would have to have some massive thing happen. If half the world got blown up and society was recreated, that’s what it would take for us to come up with something like that, because your experience was so deep that you were on another level of recreating humanity and yourself through creativity. That’s the only way something like that’s gonna happen. I ain’t saying it’s not going to happen, but we should hope that it ain’t happening, ha ha!’

He thinks black people have been deleted from house history.
‘Definitely. I don’t know how much it was remembered in the first place! Because when this music was first created, it was all black people dancing to it. A black people. It’s amazing how it went from all black people to no black people. I was in a college fraternity called Phi Beta Sigma, we did these parties, a thousand black kids on campus partying. They were all progressive. They weren’t into what was on the radio, they were getting it! All these black kids, smoking these German cigarettes, calling themselves preppy, dressing all cool. Between when I released “Big Fun” [in 1988], and about ’92, it totally flipped. And now on the college circuit, all the white fraternities, they’re booking Tiësto and David Guetta!’