The college provided him with the framework to understand the structural racism that underpinned life in Mississippiwhy his side of town had no sidewalks or spaces for recreation, why his schools textbooks were secondhand and out of date. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Georgia is a Kappa too, as is Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, who served as chairman of the groundbreaking Jan. 6 committee. A commitment to Pi Kappa Phi that transcends any personal selfishness. We strive to live each day by our founding principles and consistently work towards the betterment of Pi Kappa Phi, ourselves and the world. "And for folks that live here, there's been, over generations I think, a tendency to sweep it all under the rug to the extent possible. "And the story never got told from an African American perspective.". in bearing their share of the financial burden Thompson added: I can assure you that if a criminal referral would be warranted, there would be no reluctance on the part of this committee to do that, according to the Post. Since the beginning, every endeavor was directed toward establishing the Fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking on plans of expansion. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. "By letting the trees and so forth grew up around it, and letting the walls fall down, it's a way to let history fade into invisibility," says Reilly Morse, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice. Debbie Elliott/NPR In a previous Web version of this story, we incorrectly said the Mississippi Delta is in the northeast part of the state. Milam (left) and Roy Bryant sit with their wives, Juanita Milam (second from left) and Carolyn Bryant, in September 1955. This button displays the currently selected search type. Bennie Thompson Family And Net Worth. Martin Luther King Jr. was among the luminaries in the civil rights movement who spoke at the colleges Woodworth Chapel. By Jeff Welch, Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Kappa Alpha Nu became the first incorporated Black Fraternity in the United States once granted a charter by the Indiana Secretary of State on May 15, 1911. That context was particularly pronounced at predominantly white institutions, including the Indiana university where Kappa Alpha Psi was founded in 1911. Weband Thompson served as a town alderman from 1969 to 1973, when he won election as the towns mayor. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. hide caption. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The House panel that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection focused in televised hearings and in its final report on the role Trump and his efforts to overturn the presidential election. Copyright 2022 The Brooklyn-Long Island Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. All Rights Reserved. "I think all these folks are stirring crap up," he says. And Bennie Thompson has life experience dealing with all of these things, Raskin said. The primary source of federal aid to K-12 education is the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, particularly its Title I, Part A program of Education for the Disadvantaged. Triangle. With assistance from Sarah Frier, Alex Barinka and Emily Birnbaum. Committee members including Liz Cheney and Adam Schiff pushed back and said such a decision had not been made yet. Thompsons chairmanship of the select committee is not just a capstone of the career of a respected congressman and chair of the Homeland Security Committee, but of his lifes work of subverting systems while still acting within them, using his relative power to methodically scrub the grout of racism and corruption from their halls. Our public core values were created to help guide the decisions we make. It was Carter's vision to leverage to size and breadth of the fraternity to mobilize legislators, regulators, and activists, and, at the same time, bolster the influence of the Congressional Black Caucus. Bennie Thompson (second from left) at the National Conference of Black Mayors in 1974. Since their inception, each organization has contributed countless hours of community service, donated millions of dollars toward educational scholarships, and have provided leadership to communities around the country. A "private property" sign posted out front is barely visible. Politics | Since 1980, 13 members of the fraternity have served in the United States House of Representatives, the most by any member organization of the National Pan Hellenic Council. Tougaloo helped me make the connection of how that develops. The chairman of the January 6 committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, will miss Thursday's prime-time hearing after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a committee spokesman. Able assistance provided by each of the remaining Founders furnished necessary sustenance for the embryonic group. "It's something that a lot of people are still living.". of the chapter and the national organization; Who bring credit to the fraternity by striving to attain The Fraternity has over 125,000 members with 700 undergraduate and alumni chapters in nearly every state of the United States, and international chapters in Nigeria, South Africa, the West Indies, the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea and Japan. Let us see you in your colorful paraphernalia. ), Thompson is also widely praised by members of the select committee, who say that he has fostered a collaborative environment. The inaugural edition of the Kappa Alpha Nu Journal debuted April 1914 and has printed uninterrupted since with the exception to 1918 and 1919, due to WWI. The event was originally conceived by James T. Carter Jr. (Xi, 1948), a retired teacher from the DC public school system, who became an aide to Congressman Conyers. Three college students posed in front of the Emmett Till memorial sign in Tallahatchie County, Miss. As fraternity president, Jeffries coordinated and emceed the Mu Kappa chapters fashion show fundraiser. Whitten's father was one of the defense lawyers. The expectation that you live both your personal values, as well as those espoused in the Fraternitys Ritual of Initiation. Congressman Thompson is committed to working to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The following is a transcript of an interview with Representative Bennie Thompson that aired Sunday, January 23, 2022, on "Face the Nation." Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, How Hakeem Jeffries' Leadership of His Historically Black Fraternity Shaped His Career. All rights reserved. He attended a public school in the heart of the borough, and he later recalled the culture shock of arriving at Binghamtons campus in 1988. Father. The duty to lead and the privilege to serve others in order to better the world around you. WebBennie Thompson - US Congressman William Clay - US Congressman Louis Stokes - US Congressman Marshall Pitt, Jr. - Mayor of Fayetteville, NC Michael Coleman - Mayor of Columbus, Ohio Sports & Athletics Arther Ashe * - Tennis Kenny Lofton - Baseball J.J. Birden - Football Wilt Chamberlain - Basketball Gayle Sayers - Football Jon Drummond - Use tab to navigate through the menu items. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE NEW! "This is justice for our family," says Till's cousin Airickca Gordon-Taylor who runs the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation in Chicago. Kappa Alpha Nu began uniting college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a Bond of fraternity. It would be the only Greek-letter organization founded with the concept of achievement. Alpha and Omega, the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet correlate to Christ and the Founders relationship and connection to the church. We will continue to monitor and enforce our policies across the platform.. The organization was given the temporary name of Alpha Omega, while they further developed the formation of the organization. by keeping careful watch over their personal conduct; Who uphold faithfully the traditions At the end of FY2010, the Veterans population in the United States was approximately 22.6 million. WebOne of the 5 Objectives of the Fraternity is: To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual and moral welfare of members. Many aspects of the Fraternitys rites are engrained in Bennie Thompson was born in New Orleans, LA. Many people think of fraternities as just, you know, beer bongs and parties and all that, and I guess theres a time that that is a part of it, says Carter. Former members of Congress who were Kappas include Alcee Hastings of Florida, Don McEachin of Virginia, and Louis Stokes of Ohio, who helped lay the foundation of the Congressional Black Caucus. If I have two roads, a paved road with potholes in a white neighborhood and an unpaved one in a black neighborhood, my priority is the unpaved road, Thompson said in a 1985 profile written by Joe Klein for Esquire. The company found its own response to the incitement of violence troubling, according to the report, but no substantive work was done to improve the situation in 2021, including in other high-profile elections such as in Brazil last year. Today, the building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. AP Hakeem Jeffries at a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Binghamton Alumni Chapter and Mu Kappa Undergraduate Chapter meeting in 1991. Thompson became chair of the Homeland Security Committee in 2007 and introduced legislation implementing the remaining recommendations provided by the 9/11 Commission. The charter members were Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Guy L. Grant, Paul W. Caine, George W. Edmonds, Ezra D. Alexander and Edward G. Irvin. Ratings: 14 Grade: 67% Rate This Fraternity. For her part, Cheney called Thompson a tremendous leader in a statement to The New Republic. Copyright 2022 Bennie Thompson for Congress. Judge: Former California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes not defamed by Esquires Iowa farm story He understands in a deeper way the dynamics of both normal and abnormal politics.. Happy Black History Month! The 122-page Summary of Investigative Findings, which was obtained and posted by the Washington Post, analyzes testimony from employees and documents received from tech companies including Twitter Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. Debbie Elliott/NPR The group works with families who have been victims of racially motivated crimes and police violence. Some of the topics discussed at the annual James "Biff" Carter Legislative Conference include immigration policy, criminal justice reform, voting rights, and United States Supreme Court vacancies. In 1986, Mike Espy became the first Black man elected to Congress from Mississippi since Reconstruction. But it also gave me the way forward of how you work toward institutional change in a community, Thompson said. I remember the opportunity to walk out at night at any point in time and feel completely at peace, Jeffries told his colleges magazine in 2013. "And it's not just about replacing the sign, but it's what do they teach there? The highest number of lynchings in the country between 1882 and 1968 occurred in Mississippi, according to the NAACP. All Rights Reserved. It was clear at the outset that the new fraternity would not warm over principles or practices of other organizations. Farmer Walker Sturdivant owns the land where Till's body was removed from the river. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson called on the hundreds who marched during the annual King Day at the Dome to continue to fight against injustice. Bennie G. Thompson, (born January 28, 1948) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security since 2011. "Whites and blacks came to our meetings and [said] 'Why are you all bringing this up? The obligation to remain involved in Pi Kappa Phi after graduation and to work perpetually to build the ideal fraternity. The hearings and report included testimony on the importance social media played in spurring supporters to come to Washington and inciting the mob after it penetrated the Capitol to further anger against former Vice President Mike Pence. A segregated pool was closed, and land was repurposed to build a new municipal building. In 1980, Thompson was elected to the Hinds County board of supervisors, where he served 13 years. Through its worldwide prominence, Kappa Alpha Psi has had a global impact on events which affect our local communities as well as places around the globe. Jeffries grew up in Brooklyn, the son of a social worker and a state substance abuse counselor. Denied an abortion, woman tells senators she nearly died on their watch Civil rights tour guide Jessie Jaynes-Diming stands on the banks of the Tallahatchie River, one of several Emmett Till Memorial sites that local officials are trying to have protected under the National Park Service. He didn't die in vain, and he triggered, I believe, the civil rights movement.". Join our linker program. Achievement in Every Field of Human Endeavor. Learn more on the philanthropy page. In 2012, Jeffries won his seat in Congress. A New York Times article detailing Thompsons victory said he was regarded as far more confrontational than Espy, noting that he made no overtures to white voters.. In the US, Facebooks Samidh Chakrabarti, then the product lead for the US election, suggested forming a working group to study the torrent of election delegitimizing content on Facebook. Guy Rosen, Facebooks chief information security officer who was running the companys safety and integrity efforts at the time, told Chakrabarti that even studying the problem would just create momentum and expectation for action that he didnt support. The expectation that you find your passion and excel. That it has to be addressed head-on, or it can quickly take us back to where we were in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s., Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the January 6 committee, also drew a line from Thompsons experiences confronting racist institutions in the Deep South to his leadership of the committee. Rep. Sanford But the local chapter president has reached out to Memorial Commission Executive Director Patrick Weems, who welcomes a dialogue. Twitter and Facebook bent rules to favor Donald, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Twitter and Facebook bent rules to favor Donald Trump, Jan. 6 staff report finds, Trump ups competition with DeSantis in planning trip to Iowa, Fox ratings plunge for Tucker Carlsons old time slot, Trump lawyer cross-examines rape accuser Carroll, Judge: Former California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes not defamed by Esquires Iowa farm story, Denied an abortion, woman tells senators she nearly died on their watch, US conducts first evacuation of its citizens from Sudan war, AP Interview: Pelosi says Ukraine, democracy must win, Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors. Bennie combines the wisdom, judgment, patience, and good humor necessary to guide our committee at this historic moment, she said. A "private property" sign posted out front is barely visible. Miguel Correa finds parallels to events today. The establishment in the community saw this as a threat to their way of life. The city clerk had told him in the first meeting of the new council that he would not do anything the Black aldermen said. Notable Members: Attorney, Johnnie Cochran, US Congressman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, and Athletes, Arthur Ashe and Colin Kaepernick Omega Psi Phi hide caption. Although Thompson can be seen giving interviews on cable news, he is not a fixture. That network may be part of what set him on his path to Congress in the first place. Born in a state with a unique history of racial inequality, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson draws inspiration from the legacies of Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry and Henry Kirksey. The Bolton, Mississippi native considers it an honor to walk the path Mississippi civil rights icons paved decades ago. They were also notorious for discriminating against Black students. During the early days of Greek life, these elite fraternities and sororities were known to groom their members on the basics of business and social etiquette. Trumps Missing Phone Records Have a Familiar Stink of Criminality, A Federal Judge Rips Trump for Plotting a Coup, An Intimate Portrait of a Village Torn Apart by Politics, Inside the Battle Between Big Ag and Lab-Grown Meat, Its Bennie Thompsons Moment to Defend Democracy. Till, a black teenager visiting from Chicago, was brutally killed in Mississippi after allegedly violating Jim Crow social norms. "Because it matters morally who gets to tell it, and it matters financially who gets to tell it.". hide caption. Twitter, Parler and Gab didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. AP Emmett Till's killers J.W. But we always operated within the system, Thompson said. You didnt have to stand on the corner and holler loud, you just understood you can have your day in this country in court. How We Can Learn to Live with COVID-19 After Vaccinations. "And for people to come along and shoot it up is to say that's not the story we want to tell. This city was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause. Its a real joy working with him, said Katko, who is retiring at the end of the year. Thompson had three children: BendaLonne, Jeanna, and Thomas. Bennie Thompson has never won a Super Bowl. In what capacity would you like to participate? Happy Founders Day to the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He lives in Sumner, Miss., where the two men who killed Till were tried and acquitted by an all-white jury, only to confess to the killing when they sold their story to Look Magazine months later. (WLBT) - Two Congressional committees are looking into what they say is a, On Thursday, Chairman Bennie Thompson and Vice Chairwoman Liz Cheney of the House select committee, U.S. Capitol Police said Tuesday they were investigating a letter with "concerning language" that was. Major cities like Detroit and New York donated firetrucks and garbage trucks. Twitter reactivated Trumps account in November after Elon Musk, the companys new owner and chief executive, polled his followers on whether Trump should be reinstated. These students saw the need to foster communal bonds while on campus, and to increase professional opportunities after their collegiate experience. "Emmett was murdered because of racial hatred," says Gordon-Taylor. If nobody would stir that damn pile of stuff up, it wouldn't stink.". Let me tell you, stepping is not easy, especially when you have to learn to twirl canes, Cordero says. He was a force to be reckoned with, Joseph Cordero, who was two years ahead of Jeffries and a fellow Nupe, recalls of the man who would go on to be the first Black lawmaker to lead either party in Congress. Power always changes hands, and Republicans are widely expected to retake the House in the midterm elections. Jeffries office did not make the congressman available for an interview for this story. Charter Line Spring 1979 Rutgers University! Thompson faced another failed lawsuit after he won the mayoral election for Bolton in 1973. Kappa Alpha Psi was the first to Black Greek Lettered Organization to issue a monthly publication. Reddit, in a statement, said it found no evidence of coordinated calls for violence on it platform related to Jan. 6. The Greek Letter was chosen in place of N and the Fraternity acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha Psi thereby became an indistinguishable Greek-letter Fraternity. Fast forward to today, the Divine Nine is a collective of Black fraternities and sororities that are governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Last July, he was tasked by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to lead a select committee to investigate the attempted insurrection and storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Membership in these organizations provide students with valuable networking and mentoring opportunities. For a long time, Thompson says, people didn't talk about Till's lynching. Rate. which transcends any personal selfishness; Who realize that membership means personal responsibility And he was that kind of guy.. Even so, the site draws attention and visitors, like one couple from Brooklyn on a civil rights road trip through the South. "There was a lot of pushback not only from the white community but from the black community also," says Jaynes-Diming. John Milton Lee. According to Jeffries: Never before had anyone seen leadership qualities in me outside of anyone in my family.. Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., testifies before the House Rules Committee on Dec. 14, 2021. The historic marker was taken down after three white fraternity brothers from the University of Mississippi were pictured holding guns next to the sign. Fox ratings plunge for Tucker Carlsons old time slot Internationally, Kappa Alpha Psi members have answered the call to service by proudly serving our military in wars since WWI and raising funds to assist those in need following natural disasters around the world, including hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons and earthquakes. (In the 1985 Esquire interview, Thompson said he didnt think that he was the right piece of equipment for the job of congressman. Its a committee of bosses, Torres said, a committee of the most powerful personalities in Congress. To help address these challenges Democrats introduced the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Some of Till's relatives will be a part of the ceremony. Grandfather. He clearly understands that when you have domestic terrorism that goes unaccounted for, you can be guaranteed that you will have more acts of domestic terrorism. Wicker was the only member of the states Republican congressional delegation not to cast votes on Jan. 6 challenging the Or write about sports? Jaynes-Diming is part of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, which is trying to preserve sites like this. The city halls are no longer places our black folks fear to come, Thompson told The New York Times in a 1979 article. "It's just a symptom of America's struggle to come to grips with its history of racial brutality," Morse says. full responsibility as citizens; I believe that my chapter can become an ideal chapter, A spokeswoman for Representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the panel, didnt respond to a request for comment or confirm the authenticity You can barely make out a "private property" sign posted out front. Realizing that they had no part in the social life of the university and drawn together by common interests, they decided that a Greek-letter fraternity would do much to fill the missing link in their college existence. He calls commemorative sites like signs and monuments the new lunch counters. Thompson thrived in this atmosphere, joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and volunteering for civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamers ultimately unsuccessful congressional campaign. He is well-known among his colleagues, but not necessarily a nationally recognized figure. The University of Mississippi fraternity brothers who posed with guns at the bullet-pocked marker were suspended by the Kappa Alpha Order, an organization that glorifies the Confederate South. Rep. Bennie Thompson: You know, now, this is somebody who voted against a committee made up of 50 percent appointed by Pelosi and 50 percent appointed by Republican Leader McCarthy. hide caption. Except for the years of World War I and II, when some Grand Chapter Meetings were suspended, Kappa Alpha Psi has grown and prevailed with unabating impetus. Reliance would be placed upon high Christian ideals and the purpose of ACHIEVEMENT. Bennie was always like a grown-up, said Oleta Fitzgerald, now the Southern regional director of Childrens Defense Fund, but once a classmate of Thompsons at Tougaloo College. Congressman Thompson has been a long supporter of Agriculture. Jeffries was only a college sophomore at Binghamton University when he was elected president of the schools fledgling chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. He had joined the fraternity just a year earlier in search of community in his new home, nearly 200 miles and a world away from his Brooklyn upbringing. Consequently, eight other men met with Diggs and Armstrong for the purpose of organizing such a fraternity. These three Founders are credited with guiding the infant Fraternity through the most perilous years of its life. His district encompasses Bennie Thompson is the son of Will and Annie Lauris Thompson. His father, who died when Thompson was a teenager, was an auto mechanic, and his mother was a teacher. Bennie Thompsons salary is $174,000 per year, which is the salary for most members of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Congressional Research Service. "What happened to Emmett Till, it's awful, it's sickening, turns my stomach every time I think about it, but it's a part of our history. It was 1969, one year after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., and in Bolton, Mississippi, white Southerners ugly backlash to the gains of the civil rights movement was a powerful force. Thompson, who grew up in a small Mississippi community in 1971, sympathized with the group known as the Republic of New Africa, participating in a news conference blaming law enforcement for instigating clashes with the group which led to a dead police officer and a wounded FBI agent. This change became effective April 15, 1915. What is their social impact to their community?" You would be hard-pressed to find somebody whos a member of a Black Greek letter organization who talks about it in the past tense..