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ALPHA PHI ALPHA TO ADDRESS PLIGHT OF BLACK MALES: Fraternity to develop national plan to combat education and health issues.
*Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., the nation's largest black fraternity, has set as its immediate goal the challenge of addressing pressing issues among African American males.
Anthony Anamelechi of Black College Wire writes of the fraternity’s national strategic plan, which aims to address such problems as the low numbers of black males majoring in education and black men's disproportionate health issues.
"We want to make discussions on healthcare as common as dapping someone up," said Mitchelle Artis, alumnus of the Alpha Phi Alpha chapter at Hampton University.
During the Alpha’s national conference in Washington this summer, more than 10,000 members were on hand for a symposium and "town meeting" designed to define goals for black male advancement in health, wealth and innovation, and to develop black men personally, emotionally and spiritually.
"As Alphas, we have to contextualize this making black men and boys our worst enemy," said Bobby Austin, vice president for university relations and communications at the University of the District of Columbia, and the convention's operational chair.
Austin explained that the deficits of African American men were already known. But instead of dwelling on them, he feels its important to work toward solutions and positive endeavors for black men.
"As college men, we should increase our activity with young black males," said Everett Ward, vice president of the fraternity’s Southern region. He said Alphas need to urge these children to pursue a college education.
Conference members also searched for ways to address the following sobering statistics regarding black males and college education.
• An analysis of data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows one black male teacher for every 63 black male students in public schools, compared with one white male teacher for every 21 white male students.
• Young black males are less likely to have completed college degrees than other 25- to 29-year-olds.
• In 2004, 16 percent of black males had completed an associate's degree or higher, compared with 37 percent for all 25- to 29-year olds.
• Thirty percent of black males, compared with 20 percent of all 25- to 29-year-olds, had attended some college but had not completed a degree, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
