JOURNAL NOTES
Reflections on the “Whole Armor” of Achievement
will represent me in court (a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a cli- ent!); how quickly can I reach the sheriff or the mayor of my city to let them know about this stupidity and so forth. Or, is this the day that some confederate-flag- clad-car next to me is going to create a situation that will have someone dialing 911...and I could go on. But then I am quickly reminded that before I left my house, my family prayed together and we asked the Lord to shine our armor, to help us remember to be "strong in the Lord and the power of his might," to go forth with truth, righteous- ness, peace and faith with the under- standing that we are under salvation. This is the whole armor of God. And, through his Spirit we must continue to pray with perseverance and supplication for our fellow man. "For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." As I apply this armor to Kappa Alpha Psi, we are blessed to train others for leadership even as we continue to achieve ourselves. And so, I see The Journal as reflecting the armor of achievement through its stories to equip our mentees with the understanding that there are many paths to get to their chosen professions...but they will have to work for it, mightily. Think of Brother Contee's road to becoming the Chief of Police in Wash- ington, DC, right at the time of the Capitol riots. See page 12. Think of the brothers who are surgeons who are in "White Coats for Black Lives." See page 18. Think of the Grand Polemarch who was the head of litigation for the largest agribusiness conglomerate in the world, leading us now, making great use of social media, including to "get the shot." See page 8. I think of my mentor John W. Ruffin, Jr., and the advice he gave me "that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." See page 67. And my "Uncle Alcee," who was
the epitome of having done all, to stand who has now gone from labor to reward. When I was Polemarch of the Fort Lau- derdale (FL) Alumni Chapter, he served as the keynote speaker for our Charter Day observance in 2002, and admon- ished us to "open our mouths boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel." See page 11. Civil rights is the part of the gospel of this country. Uncle Alcee was nothing if not a champion of civil rights. In our conversations, he shared his passion with me for international law and inter- national norms, because they elevated one's understanding beyond the whims of the White House and embraced universal truths. I never forgot that in my travels and international association appointments. A central pillar of international law is that all people have rights that must be respected. When I survey the stories of achievement and the armor we must continue to burnish as (mostly) Black and Brown men, the light of truth must be reflected off of everything we do. We will honor the 59 th Laurel Wreath Laureate with a Chapter Invisible article in the next issue. Our very existence is called into ques- tion in 2021. It will continue to be called into question if we are not stead- fast in remaining united as college men of culture, patriotism and honor in a Bond of fraternity. We must continue to shine the light of truth, demand justice and we shall continue to chronicle these achievements in every field of human endeavor, with the hope that our future generations will take up the mantle, and that we may all one day say, as Paul did in 2 Timothy, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course. I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Amen.
Cleveland Ferguson III, Esq., Editor O ne of the great pillars of Kappa Alpha Psi's con- tinued success is that it was founded on Christian principles. For it is in these times where one's principles are tested. I, for one, through His blood, want to hear those words "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" One of the ways in which we articulate our service based on our prin- ciples is through The Journal . Inspired to write and publish my entire life, there are few experiences as powerful as exhorting others to uplift the human condition and move the hearts, minds and souls of others to serve. That brings me to the Apostle Paul. Chosen to write more books (12) of the New Testament than any other (I know that Luke wrote more than 5,500 words than Paul in the two books he authored), the fervor and passion for Jesus Christ in his letters along with the plain applicability to today's circum- stances particularly grip me every time I study them. One such example in his writings is Ephesians 6: 10-20. When I consider that every day I pass a speed trap on the way to taking my son to school, I have to visualize whether this is the day that I am going to be stopped for some arbitrary reason, which fraternity brother will I call who
6 | WINTER 2020-SPRING 2021 ♦ THE JOURNAL
Publishing achievement for more than 107 years
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