NATIONAL FOUNDERS’ DAY THE BAHAMAS
From left: The Honorable Paul Young (Mu Rho 2000), The Honorable Andre D. Dickens (Lambda Delta 1996), Dr. Antoine J. “Tony” Allen (Nu Xi 1989) and Dr. C. Andy McGadney (Theta Iota 1989).
“OUR STADIUM IS FILLED WITH BROTHERS SINCE 1911 WHO ARE EXPECTING SOME THINGS FROM US.”
brothers since 1911 who are expecting some things from us,” he said. “Not that we do it their way, but that we take our best efforts upon our own place of usefulness and honor in the world.” If stadiums are always watching in higher education, they are relentless in politics. The Honorable Andre Dick- ens, who grew up in Atlanta, told the brothers that he first voiced his dream of becoming the city’s mayor at the age of 16. “I would like to introduce myself: ‘I’m Andre Dickens. I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. I’m a chemical engineering major. And one day I will be mayor of Atlanta,” he said, laughing. He shared that line in high school, in college, at Kappa interest meetings, and in conversations with older brothers who would later fund his campaigns. “Don’t ever think that your dreams that you have right now at your young age, that they can’t become real,” addressing
- Dr. Antoine J. “Tony” Allen President, Delaware State University
he had applied to be that same uni- versity’s president—and failed. “They said, ‘You are so good, we’re going to scrap the search and start over,’” he recalled to laughter. Humbling, yes. But also clarifying. “Never forget why you started this in the first place,” Allen advised a brother who asked how leaders keep refueling themselves under relentless pressure. Then he offered a story that quieted
the room. During one particularly triumphant football game—a marquee match-up that drew 47,000 people, more than many bowl games—Allen found himself in a heated argument with his wife on the sideline. Distracted and frustrated, he later turned to his pastor for counsel. “The stadium is always watching,” the pastor told him. Allen brought the lesson home. “Our stadium is filled with
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