Hurricane Katrina
 

Brothers of Iota Phi Theta

Please remember our brothers that are caught in the mix of hurricane Katrina. Pray for them and be there for them. If you know of any brothers effected by hurricane Katrina and might need assistance please let the brothers of Alpha Pi Omega Alumni Chapter know.

Our resourses are limited, but we will do what we can!

In The Fold
Bro. W. Walker, Vice Polaris
Alpha Pi Omega Chapter

Re: Hurricane Katrina
 

we got hit in miami over the weekend. hope everything is well up your way, frat.

Hey Family
I have posted this message on other sites, but I think it is important to say more than once. Hurricane Katrina has destroyed many lives. If you know of a brother, sister sweetheart or their family who need help please do so without asking how to help them. Most of them are so overwhelmed with this catastrophe that they may not know how or what to ask for. They can use a place to stay, a phone to contact their kin, relocation, food/water, a shoulder to cry on and a hand to help up. Prayers to everyone that reads this message. Love ya all.
Marcus 4A88FA Smith
Baltimore, Maryland

Please remember that brothers, sweetheart sisters AND their family is OUR FAMILY TOO.

Photos from New Orleans
 

Re: Photos from New Orleans
 

I've seen other photos but these were even more graphic in nature. Thanks for the link.

EPSILON PSI CHAPTER
 

GREETINGS BROTHERS,

I am a current member of the Epsilon Psi Chapter of Iota located in Hattiesburg, Ms. We were hit hard but nowhere near the damage of the coast or New Orleans. I had a family of 15 (all from new orleans) living with me until road conditions were safe enough to travel. Between sitting in four hour lines for gas, scouring the city for ice, clean water, and a hot meal and keeping my family's hope alive, I have come from this experience a changed man. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone and this storm is a vivid, unwanted reminder of this. My relatives have since all relocated to Texas, Baton Rouge, and Tennessee with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and the supplies they brought for all of their homes were either destroyed or looted. One of our brothers, Brother Bradley Lewis is from Gulfport and his family has relocated to Georgia. However, he is still attending school here at usm and continues to be a very valuable asset to the organization. I can honestly say I never imagined witnessing a disaster of this magnitude in my lifetime, however, we must all learn from it and do our parts as not only Iotas, but as Americans to help those in need.

Fraternally,

Bro. Merwin Brown
fall '03

Re: EPSILON PSI CHAPTER
 

Prodigal_Son 1

We continue to pray for all effected by Katrina and we pray for this country. Please send me your email address at pastorwalker@warriorhill.org.

In The Fold;
Bro W. Walker
APiO Chapter

FRAT I CONTINUE TO PRAY AND DONATE THROUGH MY JOB AND I ALSO HAVE A VERY CLOSE FRIEND WHO HAD AN UNCLE MISSING BUT I WAS GLAD TO BE INFORMED THAT HE WAS FOUND SAFE AND UNHARMED. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THOSE IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL.

I have to send blessings and prayers out to Brother Derrick Anderson who goes by the moniker Mufassa. His family has been missing since this devastating hurricane. He is going through so much mental trauma that no human should experience. PLEASE keep him and his family in your prayers. He is very stressed. We all know that stress leads to ulcers; ulcers can lead to death. We need this brother (MAN) to live on and do great things to come.
PLEASE GIVE TIME, MONEY, CLOTHES, SHELTER, PRAYERS AND/OR ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP THOSE EFFECTED AND THOSE THAT MIGHT BE EFFECTED BY HURRICANE RITA.

MAD PROPS go out to Brother Anthony 'BUDDA' DeVoil (who has been trying to locate Derrick's mother Lois Anderson and family) and those bros in the gulf coast who have been pitching in to do their part as Iotas and more importantly as AMERICANS.

MARCUS

Interesting HK-related Forum Hosted by Alpha Chi Chapter
 

Interesting forum hosted by the brothers of the Alpha Chi Chapter (San Francisco State Univ.).

http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/breaking/004264.html

Platform Discusses Hurricane Katrina and Feelings of Disillusionment

by Kristi Dyes
September 22, 2005 05:09 PM


On Wednesday, SF State students had a platform to express feelings of disillusionment concerning Hurricane Katrina, not too long before Hurricane Rita is set to touch down on the Gulf Coast, making New Orleans old news.

The forum, entitled “Being Black during Hurricane Katrina,” was a meeting of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc.’s monthly current events group the “I”. The informal gathering of about 20 mostly African American students was held in Cesar Chavez Student Union and focused on two main themes: What were their feelings about the hip-hop community’s response concerning Katrina and media coverage of the event.

The debate over the racial aspects of Hurricane Katrina’s coverage and in turn America’s response to the tragedy has been raging since shortly after the Hurricane touched shore.

Pete Griffin, the moderator and a member of Iota Phi Theta, wanted to give people a chance to discuss the perceived racism in relation to Katrina before Rita hits and these issues are put on “a back burner.”

“There’s been a lot of questions with Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “We want people to know a lot of (what they see on TV) is untrue.”

Many of the students said they were troubled by images of African Americans looting, their constantly being referred to as “refugees,” and watching them wallow in knee-deep, unsanitary water literally for days as they awaited aid. They added that they felt people in Louisiana were being treated as though they were outsiders.

While frustrated with these images, many said they were not surprised since they say the media has historically portrayed African Americans in a negative light.

Some charged the media with denying racially biased reporting. They cited shows such as MSNBC’s Scarborough County and anchor Bill O’Reilly, who recently pointed fingers at Louisiana’s government, especially New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, in what group participants perceived as an effort by the conservatives to prove that the media and Bush administration is indeed color blind.

“People think when you say someone’s racist it’s ‘oh (they) hate black people’, but really it’s all about power and privilege,” SF State student Corey Hill-Crudup said. “From a historical and social context, do black people have power and privilege? No they don’t.”

As the discussion progressed from the media to the hip-hop community’s response, the mood in the room shifted from resentment to disappointment. Everyone agreed that many of the people who made up those, now lost, communities make up a large part the hip-hop audience and that rappers should be doing more to directly help the people.

“A lot of money was generated in that area between (New Orleans resident rappers) Master P and the Cash Money Millionaires,” said Tarramazz Harris, 23, a psychology major. "It took awhile to respond. They could’ve been in the neighborhoods on boats.”

There was a long debate about Kanye West, one rapper who did publicly speak out about the perceived injustices. His very public, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” comment was applauded by some and criticized by others.

“I saw what the potential of Kanye’s consciousness caused him to do,” Hill-Crudup said. “If Kanye West happened to be that one spark that made everybody think, then so be it.”

Tiffany O’Neal, 29, disagreed saying that West’s outburst was an isolated incident and the majority of entertainers are unwilling to risk their popularity for something they believe in.

“Instead of looking out for black people they look to their contracts to make sure it’s okay,” she said.

The hope for the group is that with another natural disaster looming on the horizon in the Houston area, the media will not make the same mistakes in their coverage and that leaders of the black community will have a stronger and more immediate response.