SPOTLIGHT ON ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
The Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc. Xi Psi Lambda Chapter was chartered on November 17, 1984, by seven men who had been initiated into collegiate Alpha Phi Alpha chapters and were members of various alumni chapters. Thy met to inaugurate the establishment of a graduate chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated in Sarasota-Manatee Counties. The founding brothers were Maxie Bragg, Jeremiah Clark (deceased), Gwenard Davis (deceased), Carlton Evans, Eddie Flowers, John Harvey and Darrel Williams. Although initially small in number, under the leadership of the chapter founders, the Brothers of Xi Psi Lambda worked untiringly to affect a positive difference in the lives of young, black males in the Sarasota-Manatee area.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
xLike all other Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Chapters, Xi Psi Lambda follows the objectives of our Fraternity: to stimulate the ambitions of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the causes of humanity, freedom and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic and intellectual status. Our goals are to continue to support the communities of Sarasota and Manatee through mentorship, pursue partnership opportunities with various organizations with liked minded initiatives, and spearhead voter registration within the counties. We will also compete (and win) the Florida District Chapter of the Year for 2023 and use that as a steppingstone for greater Chapter achievements.
SHORT RANGE AND LONG-RANGE PLANS
Xi Psi Lamba will be the premier Pan-Hellenic chapter in the Sarasota-Manatee community. To achieve this status, our short-range goals are to continue to work with county agencies to registervoters, mentor students at both the middle and high school levels and establish partnerships with local agencies to support the needs the counties. Our long-range goals are to compete for the Fraternity’s Graduate Chapter of the Year in 2024, adopt several schools in the counties as mentorship development sites, and leverage partnerships to create better educational opportunities for disadvantaged students.
FRATERNITY/FOUNDATION ACHIEVEMENTS
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Xi Psi Lambda Chapter has contributed to the Sarasota-Manatee counties through our involvement in raising funds and awareness for March of Dimes, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Keep Sarasota and Manatee Beautiful clean-up efforts, college tours for high school students, and voter registration participation. Through the creation of our Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation of Manasota, a 501 (C)(3) exempt organization, we established the Martin Luther King, Jr. Benefit Dinner Dance, raising funds for our scholarship program, and the annualXi Psi Lambda Golf Tournament which raises funds for our scholarship program as well as serving as a community-based networking event. The funds generated by both of these events, along with other sponsored Chapter activities, are used to provide scholarships to deserving students in the Sarasota-Manatee community to help with the costs of their educational pursuits.
XI PSI LAMBDA EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Chapter President – Brother Derrick L. Randall; Vice President – Brother Dr. Jeffrey C. Ball; Recording Secretary – Brother M. Rodney Robinson; Financial Secretary – Brother Dr. Jemaar Graham; Treasurer – Brother Dr. Dedrix B. Daka.
ALPHA PHI ALPHA FOUNDATION OF MANASOTA OFFICERS
Foundation President – Brother Michael K. Suarez; Secretary – Brother Derrick L. Randall; Treasurer – Brother Dr. Reggie Woods; Members at Large – Brother M. Herman Bell and Member at Large – Brother Lacy Ray.
Picture:
Left to right: Michael Suarez, President, Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation of Manasota; Derrick Randall, President and Jeffrey Ball, Vice President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
