GRAND POLEMARCH'S POST-CONCLAVE MESSAGE
...I have worked in a profession that has carried me into many troubled communities. I have witnessed first-hand the most serious problems and needs we have, especially in our minority, low-income communities. I have also learned what needs to be done to make life better for our people who continue to have difficulty rising above the poverty level and causing the crime rate to decrease to a level of safety.
to put in place an organization that would survive and thrive for more than a century. Let us pause for a moment to give thanks: Dear Lord we thank you for granting our Founders wisdom in an era when the plight of African Americans was plagued by racism, discrimination and inequality beyond measure. Thank you for putting your armor around them, keeping them safe in a state where the Ku Klux Klan was prominent and extremely influen- tial. Yet You God enabled our Founders to fulfill their dream in the midst of racism that existed at the University of Indiana at Bloomington. For this we say thank you. As we in Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity look back at our Founder’s plight, let us remember the words in Mark 4:39, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” We thank you God for granting calm to our beloved Found- ers, and calm for our standard bearers throughout these many years. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. Amen. When I permitted my name to be placed on the ballot for the position of Grand Polemarch I asked myself, ‘What is your vision, Thomas?’ I immediately
turned to the book of Proverbs 29:18 where it is written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” I had read and heard these prophetic words throughout the years, and surely these words apply to me especially when I am given a duty to serve my people. I still had to answer the question: ‘What is your vision Thomas?’ My brothers, I pondered this relevant question and asked the Lord to help me craft an appropriate answer in my heart that will let my brothers know that my vision is not only what I see for our fraternity in the future, but how I can walk by faith and still cause the future of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity to be bet- ter than I found it when my tenure as Grand Polemarch is through. My vision, when I accepted the office of Grand Polemarch, was to strengthen the brand of our fraternity. The first action was to change the direction we were going with the Kappa Journal. We changed editors and published all past due issues. My vision was to implement The Kappa Six-Point plan to enhance our purpose and dedication to humanity.
promised that we would work hard to implement The Kappa Six-Point Plan. Let me tell you how we’re doing to bring the plan to life. 1. ENHANCE OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE First, we promised to continue to build a fraternity that will last forever, first, by taking action to raise the bar in our community service. We took this initia- tive because the needs of our people demand that we place emphases on the needs of the people who live in the communities we serve. As many of you know I have worked in a profession that has carried me into many troubled com- munities. I have witnessed first-hand the most serious problems and needs we have, especially in our minority, low-in- come communities. I have also learned what needs to be done to make life bet- ter for our people who continue to have difficulty rising above the poverty level and causing the crime rate to decrease to a level of safety. I am also aware of the disparities in our criminal justice system that leaves many of our minority households without a male image present because of incar- ceration. This means that organizations such as fraternities and sororities need
As we began this 33 rd administration we
Publishing achievement for more than 100 years
THE JOURNAL FALL 2017 | 7
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