GUIDE RIGHT
Canton-Madison (MS) Alumni Supports Guide Right, Recognizes Youth Through Personal Enrichment Days T he Canton-Madison (MS) Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Redefines the “typical formula” for Kappa League through When asked why he wanted to join the Canton-Madison Kappa League, Cameron Mayars, an eighth grader at Terry High school, answered “To become admitted 34 new young men for membership in its last recruiting cycle. Upcoming events include a Beautillion to raise scholarship money for members
implementation of an innovative curricu- lum that focuses on civic engagement and Black culture. “We’ve done that. We’ve done that already. We’ve had the parties and we’ve been successful. However, I want these young men to take more from this experience than that. Given the racial climate of this country today, it is pivotal that they are taught their history and that they are cultivated to become servant-leaders in their communities and ultimately, in the world,” stated Ken Jones, Guide Right Chair and Advisor for The Canton-Madison Kappa League. Jones passionately informs his team of advisors of the logic behind his method- ology. College Tour It is 9:50 p.m. in the parking lot of the local Target and the last student has just been picked up by his mother following a day long trip to Xavier University in New Orleans Louisiana; the first stop on the Kappa Leagues “The Blacker the Kollege, The Sweeter the Knowledge Tour.” The purpose of the tour is to expose the young men to HBCUs that their high-schools would otherwise fail to recommend. Youth Literature Club Along with the tour, the Kappa League is in the process of starting up its Youth Literature Club; a round table discus- sion of Black literature that will be open to Kappa Leaguers and Non-Kappa Leaguers alike in the community. The literature club will be spearheaded by chapter members and recent graduates of Tougaloo College and will focus on didactic texts that address the plethora of social issues present in our communi- ties.
Blacker.” His answer made the advi- sors laugh, but it also exposed a gaping hole in our public education curriculum that excludes material geared toward empowering and informing minority stu- dents. Ken Jones, along with his team of co-advisors and volunteers, have made it their business to groom a group of well- rounded young men who are not only smoove but also socially conscious. Church “Service” On any given weekend, the Canton- Madison Kappa Leaguers can be found at Black’s Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, where they hold their chapter meetings and plan their community ser- vice events. They have become regulars at the church and are often put to work by maintenance; helping to carry things and set up for church functions. “My favorite event was the Etiquette 101 event.” says Trey Banks, a junior at Clinton High school. “Powerful men in the community like Canton Mayor Arnell Bolden, Robert Lock and Floyd Baker came and spoke with us on the importance of getting an education; both a traditional education and self- education. They also spoke with us on professionalism and how to present ourselves in public. It felt great to share spaces with some of the most accom- plished men in my community. With the tools and knowledge they gave me, I feel unstoppable. I really need more black mentors being that I go to Clinton High, which is a predominantly white high- school and I really appreciate Kappa League for granting that to me.” The good news about the Canton- Madison Kappa League is surely spreading throughout the greater Jackson area, as the Kappa League
who are graduating seniors. By any measure, the Canton-Madison (MS) Chapter's Guide Right Program has a tangible benefit to its members in particular and the community at large. “Powerful men in the community... came and spoke with us on the importance of getting an education....”
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