Alpha Phi Alpha: soon to be known as the chicken fraternity
 

Fraternity, Church's partners in growth
Alpha Phi Alpha joins with a fast-food chain in an effort to spark black enterprise and revitalize neglected neighborhoods
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By Andrea K. Walker
Sun Staff
Originally published September 11, 2002



Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the country's oldest black fraternity, has entered into a $30 million deal with Church's Chicken to acquire franchises in inner city neighborhoods and create a new pool of African-American business owners.

The Baltimore-based fraternity will acquire at least one franchise and help its members buy 49 others over the next five years. The agreement is part of an initiative by the fraternity to develop neglected neighborhoods and open the door to business opportunities for minorities.

"We [African-Americans] don't own many franchises now because of roadblocks," said Alpha General President Harry E. Johnson Sr. "We're trying to erase some of those roadblocks."

The deal is the first business venture for the fraternity, which recently created a separate foundation for economic development projects.

Although the fraternity and its members expect to eventually run franchises in 17 cities around the country, Johnson said he hopes to open the first in the Baltimore or Washington area in the next nine months.

This was a good article and a nice gesture on your part...but the subject line? A little tasteless.

Would you want someone to call your org "the chicken org"?

?
 

A juicy headline sucks in a lot of readers.

No one would look at "APA starts community service project"

Re: ?
 

I'm a journalist with 13 years experience, as well as a member of a GLO. Trust me, the people who visit the forum where this was originally posted would pay attention to APA starts community service as a headline.
;)

Re: ?
 

I agree, I truly do.

Really though, a juicy headline is one thing, but it is quite another to seemingly disparage an organization's name. Again, insert your org into that headline...it just isn't the best choice of words.

Re: Re: ?
 

Amen to that 'cause I would seriously pay attention to a community service headline!
I highly doubt if APA would like to be referred to as "the chicken fraternity"

<deleted>

boo loser
 

This thread seriously needs to be renamed.

Not at ALL cool.

Re: boo loser
 

Do you really expect anything different on here?

Uh...Hoosier....

You are COMPLETELY OUT OF LINE! And I suspect that you knew you were disrespecting Alpha Phi Alpha when you posted that subject line!

The topic is being discussed in its appropriate location - the Alpha Phi Alpha forum here on GC. Please go to that thread to continue the discussion.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...threadid=21962

Title of thread has been updated to be more tasteful (no chicken pun intended,lol).

Hoosier,
I have to agree that "chicken fraternity" title belittles the achievement of The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
I didn't read this thread because of it's "juicy" language but because I was disturbed by the headline.
What Alpha Phi Alpha is doing is nothing short of groundbreaking, truly. As someone who has worked in corporate America for over a decade now, I can only just imagine the monumental amount of work that Alpha Phi Alpha undertook to establish this deal with Church's. We should all be taken aback at how they are living their founding principles. In addition, they seem to be proceeding with enormous humility, I have to say that if my organization undertook and was successful with this type of effort, you wouldn't be able to stop me from screaming about it from every platform available.
The men of Alpha Phi Alpha truly deserve all the accolades that come their way.
violets

Hoosier,
Thank you for changing the title!
violets

Just as a side note, the Eta Sigma (San Diego Metro) chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha put on a step show last week. First step show I've ever been to, and although they are a small part of NPHC operations, I just wanted to say that was one of the tightest things I've seen as a Greek.

I was fortunate enough to see Spike Lee's movie "School Daze" back
when I was still in college and I still think it's the best movie
about Greek Life anyone's ever made, and a real eye-opener to people
who are unfamiliar with the culture and traditions of NPHC orgs.

It's available on DVD and shouldn't be too hard to find as a rental.
And yes it has a really cool scene at a step competition.

*SIGH*

WTF??? :eek: :mad: :confused: I swear, I don't even know why I continue to venture into some of these forums. Even if you were thinking this, what would possess you to actually post it? If you have to preface a post by saying "so please don't flame me", chances are you deserved to be flamed. Please expound on how this post has anything to with "the culture of the NPHC organizations".

I'm not even going to comment of the original title of this thread.

Nevertheless, kudos to the men of Alpha Phi Alpha for their entrepreneurial endeavors. http://www.click-smilie.de/sammlung/.../aktion033.gif

Q!!
 

Hoosier, I think you stepped on your thingy!

I love good fried chicken, taters and gravy with a littlle bread and gravy!

Does that make me Afro-American! Not!

I had that same meal every Sund and wish I could do it as good as my Mamma could do it!

Hell, every body loves Chicken, fish, pork, and beef! Well maybe not!

I do not eat potataoes, they have eyeys!

Please do me a favor Peeps, get over your typical sterotypissm!

I love food and so do you!

Why dont you just quit making a big issue out of every thing that is said! You belittle yourself only!


OKAY so jump in my stuff!

I a can tske it!

Some of your ethnicity sometimes gets a little under whealming!

We are 4 Greeks Trying to Do Good For Greeks, no damn color.

Get over your self importance, it has no place here!

Richard(SNU),
Although I count Spike Lee as one of my favorite American directors, I don't think School Daze is a the best portrait of HBGLOs. It is fiction after all:)
Although I have been posting on GC only a little while, I have been consistenly impressed with all of the members of the Divine 9, their actions seem to match their words, which is what as organizations we should all be striving towards.
I would recommend that anyone interested do some reading on their national websites which are full or rich histories which include their foundings as well as their achievements through the years. You also are able to sense their values that are at the forefront of their Greek experience. Also, upon further research the charities that HBGLos support are many times very vocal in their thanks to those groups and it's interesting to read these acknowledgements.
We in NPC & IFC groups would benefit from doing some research about all HBGLOs, they really live values they espouse.
In addition I think some reading and research would prevent us from making gaffes in these posts. I think it comes from assumptions that because we have experience in NPC & IFC organizations that that experience gives us some credence in posting opinions on HBGLOs. I would submit that it does not. Again, I only say this AFTER I have done some reserach and AFTER I made some errors in posting here (which a member of one of the D9 kindly corrected me within a very generous private message).
I'm not trying to be "high-handed" in this post, I'm simply saying that I've realized after just cursory research that HBGLOs represent an entire chapter in US History, and nothing less than that, and I don't think any of us would post about a chapter in History we had not studied.
I would encouage everyone to do some reading. It is fascinating.
Just my .2 cents.
violets

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,
 

violets,

You, my dear, are a breath of fresh air.

Re: Q!!
 

Yeah, what he said. LOL.

Tom, I know I can be a little paranoid at times, so before I get defensive, I have to ask if this was directed toward me. If not, my apologies.

Bamboozled, I sincerely apologize for offending you.

I removed my post.

Sorry.

Re: Q!!
 

WTF???:confused: :eek:

Why are you making an ASSumed mountain out of a mole hill? No one mentioned COLOR until your post. Interesting.........

The problem was simply the tacky title of the thread. Why did you choose to take ti there with all of the racial pitter patter? Sad, that if folks come in agreement about an issue(who is this case happen to be mostly african-american) someone like you will feel the need to take it there.

What? Does it sound like I am going off? Yes, I am because F.T.D.S I an sick of this type mess and backwards thinking on forums outside of the NPHC-related one. :mad:

Someone lock this HOT MESS of a thread and folks please move the SERIOUS convo to:

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/s...?threadid=21962



Bamboozled, I REALLLLLYYY feel you on that statement.

Re: Q!!
 

Sigh. Tom. Why even say any of those things? This was SO not a racial issue. It was an issue about the lack of judgment regarding the thread topic. Think: What if Lambda Chi Alpha had the fortune to partner with Churches...and hoosier started a thread called "LXA: soon to be known as the chicken fraternity..." Would you take it lightly?

By the way Tom...brevity is the soul of wit.

New Drinking Game: drink every time Tom says SELF IMPORTANCE or UNDERWHELEMING.

Richard, thank you for the apology. I commend you for removing your post and being humble enough to recognize the error of your way. Apology accepted.

Re: Re: Q!!
 

we don't really want to play that game, do we?

drink everytime tom says something you have to think about what it means. Then get rushed to hospital five minutes later. J/K