TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Fatherhood Infant Safe Sleep Initiative Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Partnership: • The fraternity is partnering with the NICHD on the Safe Sleep Kappa Fatherhood initiative, in an
effort to teach fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers and other community stakeholders about ways to reduce SIDS and other sleep- related causes of infant death.
Education & Outreach •
Across Kappa’s membership, foundational knowledge is increasing on how to promote infant safe sleep practices and recommendations. Protocols have been put in place that added Safe Sleep messaging to the Membership Training Outreach activities have begun nationwide in promoting the Safe Sleep message—facilitating the delivery of educational STS materials to support community outreach by Kappa Chapter. Academy curriculum to ensure all new members are trained on best practices.
By Aaron Williams
Lerone R. Bennett, Jr. 1928–2018 Renown Author, Historian, Scholar, Ebony Magazine Editor
Grand Polemarch Thomas L. Battles, Jr.
All Kappa Leadership has endorsed this initiative. • Nearly two dozen additional state and national partnerships advance awareness of this in every community. • 289 Wellness Chairs have been selected. • 3450 members of Kappa Alpha Psi® have been trained. • 123 community events have been conducted throughout the United States. • The fraternity has garnered over $350,000 in funding to support Infant Safe Sleep Outreach.
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R eflecting on the great influenc- es in his life, Lerone R. Ben- nett commented, “I’m indebted first to the Black teachers of Mississippi, who literally saved my life. The great Black school teachers in Clarksdale and Jackson told me I could dream and do anything.” Historian, Scholar, Chronicler, Morehouse Man, Father, Sage, and Editor were the many characterizations to describe Lerone R. Bennett, Jr. He was one of the country’s preeminent historians, scholars and writ- ers of African American history and cul-
ture. A recent New York Times article stated: “Mr. Bennett was both lyrical and outspoken in his writing, arguing that the history of Black people in the United States had been ignored or told only through a white filter.” In its remem- brance of Bennett, one organization cat- egorized him as “an eloquent defender of Black history and a strident advocate for Black rights. His ability to turn a phrase was as obvious on the page as it was on the stage.” Bennett’s books influenced generations of students, academics, and fellow historians on the significant
impact people of African descent had on the United States and chronicling the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to his numerous ground-breaking books, Bennett is primarily remembered for his extraordinary decades-long run as editor of the iconic publication, Ebony ® magazine. Longtime Chicagoan and Mississippi native, Brother Lerone R. Bennett, Jr. entered the Chapter Invis- ible on February 14, 2018 at the age of 89. Ebony ® CEO Linda Johnson Rice released a statement after Ben- nett’s passing, “He was the guiding light
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Publishing achievement for more than 100 years
THE JOURNAL WINTER ISSUE | 97
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