The highest number of lynchings in the country between 1882 and 1968 occurred in Mississippi, according to the NAACP. hide caption. These students saw the need to foster communal bonds while on campus, and to increase professional opportunities after their collegiate experience. Find out more. The Delta is in the northwest. Born in a state with a unique history of racial inequality, Congressman Bennie G. Thompson draws inspiration from the legacies of Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry and Henry Kirksey. The Bolton, Mississippi native considers it an honor to walk the path Mississippi civil rights icons paved decades ago. In what capacity would you like to participate? There was an additional misunderstanding being attributed to the acronym of the Fraternitys Greek letters, KAN. Some confused the abbreviation of the letters to refer to the state of Kansas. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, How Hakeem Jeffries' Leadership of His Historically Black Fraternity Shaped His Career. The obligation to remain involved in Pi Kappa Phi after graduation and to work perpetually to build the ideal fraternity. Trump ups competition with DeSantis in planning trip to Iowa For $5, you can watch a short film in which local residents describe what they remember from 1955, and walk through a hallway of exhibits, including a replica of Bryant's Grocery. There, he partnered with current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, then a state senator, to author a law preventing police from keeping the names and addresses of New Yorkers they stopped, frisked, and releasedmany of them Black and Latino. Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., testifies before the House Rules Committee on Dec. 14, 2021. The state of Indiana became a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan. ". Thompson spent his time as mayor determined to improve infrastructure for the towns Black residents: Streets were paved, housing renovated, and a new City Hall constructed. Twitter, Parler and Gab didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. Although Thompson can be seen giving interviews on cable news, he is not a fixture. Three college students posed in front of the Emmett Till memorial sign in Tallahatchie County, Miss. by keeping careful watch over their personal conduct; Who uphold faithfully the traditions The charter members were Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Guy L. Grant, Paul W. Caine, George W. Edmonds, Ezra D. Alexander and Edward G. Irvin. He was a force to be reckoned with, Joseph Cordero, who was two years ahead of Jeffries and a fellow Nupe, recalls of the man who would go on to be the first Black lawmaker to lead either party in Congress. Primarily, under the efforts and leadership of the calm, methodical, and philosophical Elder W. Diggs and the critical, and scholarly Byron K. Armstrong, the Kappa Alpha Nu Fraternity was founded. Bennie G. Thompson, (born January 28, 1948) is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993, and the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security since 2011. Some of Till's relatives will be a part of the ceremony. The town reevaluated its real estate, revealing that many white residents had been undervaluing their property. Join our linker program. To combat the repeated attacks by vandals, he has helped the Memorial Commission create a smartphone app called the Emmett Till Memory Project a virtual tour including pictures, documents, and maps. The idealist, John Milton Lee also contributed significantly to the fledgling organization. In the school years of 1910-11, a small group of Black students attended Indiana University. The following is a transcript of an interview with Representative Bennie Thompson that aired Sunday, January 23, 2022, on "Face the Nation." Senior Director of Business Development at Favorite Healthcare Staffing, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Spring 93. She says the family is also awaiting word from the U.S. Justice Department, which has reopened the Till murder case. Although two Republicans sit on the panel, they have largely been excommunicated from their own party, and Thompson has the unenviable task of ensuring the work of the committee is not seen as politically motivated. The ideals of the church were an important foundation of the Fraternity. The city halls are no longer places our black folks fear to come, Thompson told The New York Times in a 1979 article. The expectation that you find your passion and excel. Hes all about getting the job done, said Representative Ritchie Torres, the vice chair of the Homeland Security Committee. Mississippi continues to face tremendous challenges as we confront our health care needs. I believe that the ideal chapter is made up of men. That it has to be addressed head-on, or it can quickly take us back to where we were in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s., Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the January 6 committee, also drew a line from Thompsons experiences confronting racist institutions in the Deep South to his leadership of the committee. Thompson had three children: BendaLonne, Jeanna, and Thomas. He practiced law for several years, representing CBS in a suit over Janet Jacksons costume incident during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. Whitten sees no reason to commemorate Till's slaying. All five members of Mississippis U.S. congressional delegation other than Thompson are Republicans. Their intolerance toward Blacks fueled the negative mindset of other Whites residing there. Rep. Bennie Thompson speaks during the January 6 committee's first public hearing. His congressional colleagues describe him as even-tempered and levelheaded, able to command respect without shouting for attention. Till was kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head and dumped in the bayou, weighted down by a heavy industrial fan taken from a cotton gin activities that stretched across three counties. The Kappa Alpha Psi Legislative Conference, as it was originally named, was established by Congressman John Conyers (Gamma Eta, 1951) in 2002. Plans for violence were telegraphed on both far-right forums and mainstream platforms, which pushed Jan. 6 as a critical day in the Stop the Steal movement, the report said. We will continue to monitor and enforce our policies across the platform.. "There was a lot of pushback not only from the white community but from the black community also," says Jaynes-Diming. Let us see you in your colorful paraphernalia. Mississippi continues to face tremendous challenges as we confront our health care needs. However, few Blacks could remain longer than a year or so without having to withdraw in search of employment. This button displays the currently selected search type. Both Facebook and Twitter faced significant headwinds in taking aggressive action against problematic content by President Trump and his supporters, partly out of fear that they would be classified as overly partisan, according to the report. hide caption. Blacks could go weeks without seeing one another on campus. And so in this moment, as he chairs the January 6 [committee], the importance of holding people accountable for the insurrectionist acts on our nations Capitolif we dont hold people accountable, he clearly understands it only opens the door for more acts of domestic terrorism.. Just make sure that you do it the right way.. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE NEW! How We Can Learn to Live with COVID-19 After Vaccinations. That pattern is set to repeat this year, with Nancy Pelosi stepping down as House Speaker to make room at the top for Jeffries, while sticking around to help guide the 52-year-old as he manages the caucus. Representative John Katko, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, said he and Thompson have a terrific partnership, stemming from an understanding of the bipartisan importance of the committees purview. The two men attacked the teen after Carolyn Bryant claimed he made an aggressive pass at her. hide caption. * Selected to Pro Bowl, + First-Team AP All-Pro, Bold indicates league leader. Bennie Thompson has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. Bennie was sent to Hins County public school by his parents. Debbie Elliott/NPR Realizing that they had no part in the social life of the university and drawn together by common interests, they decided that a Greek-letter fraternity would do much to fill the missing link in their college existence. "It's something that a lot of people are still living.". Though those who knew him back then dont remember him speaking about national political ambitions, Jeffries was involved in campus politics and especially focused on uplifting students of color. Power always changes hands, and Republicans are widely expected to retake the House in the midterm elections. Its a real joy working with him, said Katko, who is retiring at the end of the year. Bennie Thompson played 159 games over his career. The Bryant's Grocery building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. If nobody would stir that damn pile of stuff up, it wouldn't stink.". We have long established policies that prohibit hate speech, harmful conspiracies and incitement, Ivy Choi, a YouTube spokesperson, said in an email. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. of the chapter and the national organization; Who bring credit to the fraternity by striving to attain The historic marker was taken down after three white fraternity brothers from the University of Mississippi were pictured holding guns next to the sign. As far as replacing the sign, Weems is getting help from a fifth-generation local farmer, Walker Sturdivant, who owns the property and plans to donate a long-term lease to better protect the site. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. During the early days of Greek life, these elite fraternities and sororities were known to groom their members on the basics of business and social etiquette. And Bennie Thompson has life experience dealing with all of these things, Raskin said. All Rights Reserved. As members of the Favorite Healthcare Staffing family, if you are also a member of a Divine Nine fraternity or sorority, please post a picture of yourself representing your organization. He plans to donate a long-term lease to better protect the site. "I think all these folks are stirring crap up," he says. You can barely make out a "private property" sign posted out front. But again, I didnt tear up the place because I cast a vote.. Charter Line Spring 1979 Rutgers University! He is a longtime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Gamma Rho Tougaloo College). READ MORE: Rep. Bennie Thompson, leading the public Jan. 6 hearings, has long worked to protect democracy. The inaugural edition of the Kappa Alpha Nu Journal debuted April 1914 and has printed uninterrupted since with the exception to 1918 and 1919, due to WWI. Weems says. Avid hunter. Nor would the new Fraternity seek its members in the manner of other Greek organizations from among the sons of wealthy families or families of social prestige. JACKSON, Miss. Other Kappa Alpha Psi alumni include famed NBA center Wilt Chamberlain, civil rights activist and quarterback Colin Kaepernick, lawyer Johnnie Cochran, and New York Times columnist Charles Blow, as well as Mandela Barnes, the former Wisconsin lieutenant governor who nearly flipped a U.S. Senate seat last year. Its a committee of bosses, Torres said, a committee of the most powerful personalities in Congress. He is the son of Will Thompson and Annie Thompson. His father died while Thompson was in high school, and friends stepped up to help raise him, instilling in the young Thompson a strong sense of community and sense of connection to the small hamlet of just a few hundred residents. You know, I cast votes based on what the issues are at that time, Thompson told CNN last July, explaining his vote against certifying Bushs election. He was very good at it. Wicker was the only member of the states Republican congressional delegation not to cast votes on Jan. 6 challenging the Sometimes, the greatest gifts arrive in the most innocuous packaging. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. The Mississippi congressmans long struggle for civil rights is culminating with his role atop the January 6 committee. Martin Luther King Jr. was among the luminaries in the civil rights movement who spoke at the colleges Woodworth Chapel. With assistance from Sarah Frier, Alex Barinka and Emily Birnbaum. Today, the building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. The district includes most of Jackson and is the only majority-black district in the state. It is a fact of which Kappa Alpha Psi is proud that the Constitution has never contained any clause which either excluded or suggested the exclusion of a man from membership merely because of his color, creed, or national origin. Related Articles Blacks were not allowed to reside in on-campus dormitories, were not afforded off-campus accommodations, and they were also denied the use of all other university facilities, and were barred from participating in contact sports. Ratings: 14 Grade: 67% Rate This Fraternity. The college provided him with the framework to understand the structural racism that underpinned life in Mississippiwhy his side of town had no sidewalks or spaces for recreation, why his schools textbooks were secondhand and out of date. Our public core values were created to help guide the decisions we make. A replica of Bryant's Grocery is part of the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center Museum in Glendora, Miss. Congressman Thompson has diligently fought to reverse discrimination in the higher education system of Mississippi as an original plaintiff in the Ayers Desegregation Case. A replica of Bryant's Grocery is part of the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center Museum in Glendora, Miss. He graduated from Hinds County It can demonstrate to young people, Thompson said, that somebody who was not born on the right side of town, somebody who didnt go to the best schools, somebody who basically by all indications is lucky to be alive, that properly encouraged can make it.. Hes one of the few people in politics who has no ego. Thompsons supporters delineate a clear path from Thompsons upbringing, education, and career as a Black man in Mississippi, a state riven by the domestic terrorism of white supremacists in the decades between Reconstruction and the civil rights movement. Proudly serving #MS02 in Congress. More than 30 years before he was elected to lead 211 of his fellow Democrats in Washington, Hakeem Jeffries was tapped to lead a dozen young men in upstate New York. The House panel that investigated the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection focused in televised hearings and in its final report on the role Trump and his efforts to overturn the presidential election. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Web6-0 , 210lb (183cm, 95kg) Born: February 10 in New Orleans, LA (Age: 60-069d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. They found that through these close interactions, they had common interests and a close bond began to emerge. Politics | Since their inception, each organization has contributed countless hours of community service, donated millions of dollars toward educational scholarships, and have provided leadership to communities around the country. The company found its own response to the incitement of violence troubling, according to the report, but no substantive work was done to improve the situation in 2021, including in other high-profile elections such as in Brazil last year. Jeffries was only a college sophomore at Binghamton University when he was elected president of the schools fledgling chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. Through its worldwide prominence, Kappa Alpha Psi has had a global impact on events which affect our local communities as well as places around the globe. This city was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause. "By letting the trees and so forth grew up around it, and letting the walls fall down, it's a way to let history fade into invisibility," says Reilly Morse, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice. Somebody saying we have racial disparity here. But telling his story in the Mississippi Delta remains fraught. "What happened to Emmett Till, it's awful, it's sickening, turns my stomach every time I think about it, but it's a part of our history. "And for people to come along and shoot it up is to say that's not the story we want to tell. Developments affecting the committees work continue at a fast pace. The Jan. 6 committee chair said it was not the group's job to refer Trump or anyone else to the DOJ for charges. Guy Levis Grant, Edward Giles Irvin, and Sgt. On Congressman Thompsons voting record, he has never voted against a Farm Bill during his nine terms in Congress. His 43 years of public service is a testament to his unwavering dedication to fulfill their expectations and to be the resounding voice for the constituents of the Second District of Mississippi. We strive to live each day by our founding principles and consistently work towards the betterment of Pi Kappa Phi, ourselves and the world. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Bennie was always like a grown-up, said Oleta Fitzgerald, now the Southern regional director of Childrens Defense Fund, but once a classmate of Thompsons at Tougaloo College. She says the repeated vandalism just adds more pain. Congress is a venue in which attention-seekers thrive, instinctively turning to camera lights like plants tilt toward the sun. He is well-known among his colleagues, but not necessarily a nationally recognized figure. But, although he has had his fair share of big-name interviews, Thompson has maintained a relatively low profile. The chairman of the January 6 committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, will miss Thursday's prime-time hearing after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a committee spokesman. The story begins in Money, Miss., at Bryant's Grocery, where Till allegedly flirted with a white woman. Politics | WebBennie Thompson - US Congressman William Clay - US Congressman Louis Stokes - US Congressman Marshall Pitt, Jr. - Mayor of Fayetteville, NC Michael Coleman - Mayor of Columbus, Ohio Sports & Athletics Arther Ashe * - Tennis Kenny Lofton - Baseball J.J. Birden - Football Wilt Chamberlain - Basketball Gayle Sayers - Football Jon Drummond - In the US, Facebooks Samidh Chakrabarti, then the product lead for the US election, suggested forming a working group to study the torrent of election delegitimizing content on Facebook. Guy Rosen, Facebooks chief information security officer who was running the companys safety and integrity efforts at the time, told Chakrabarti that even studying the problem would just create momentum and expectation for action that he didnt support. Vigilante lynchings of Blacks were commonplace. "It would be the same thing if I had a Bible up there, or if I had the flag up there and you shot it up," she says. The event was originally conceived by James T. Carter Jr. (Xi, 1948), a retired teacher from the DC public school system, who became an aide to Congressman Conyers. To help address these challenges Democrats introduced the Affordable Care Act of 2010. "And in 2019, you have another hate crime of vandalism occurring where they want to desecrate the space that we've allotted for memory of him.". Hes very careful and inclusive as chairman. Jeffries grew up in Brooklyn, the son of a social worker and a state substance abuse counselor. hide caption. Social media companies bent their own rules in favor of former President Donald Trump and his supporters in the volatile weeks preceding the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, according to an unpublished staff report from the Houses Jan. 6 committee. H cuRRenT membeRs H Bennie Thompson 1948 united states representative democrat from mississippi 1993 "And it's not just about replacing the sign, but it's what do they teach there? In 2012, Jeffries won his seat in Congress. "So it's not just history," he says. Able assistance provided by each of the remaining Founders furnished necessary sustenance for the embryonic group. "Because it matters morally who gets to tell it, and it matters financially who gets to tell it.". The duty to uphold and abide by the Fraternitys standards of conduct and to use Ultimate Respect when confronting brothers who fail in their obligations to Pi Kappa Phi. The fraternity declined to comment to NPR. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Tougaloo was probably that point in my life that convinced me to stay in Mississippi, to choose public service as a lifelong occupation, and just to try to make, in my own way, a difference in the lives of my state and my community, Thompson said. He plans to donate a long-term lease to better protect the site. Careful consideration was given to ensure the organization established a firm foundation the first year before efforts to expand were attempted. And the one person who can manage it, who is uniquely equipped to manage it, is Bennie Thompson.. His net worth is estimated to be around $1.6 million US dollars. As fraternity president, Jeffries coordinated and emceed the Mu Kappa chapters fashion show fundraiser. Do you have a sports website? He wrote the legislation creating the National Center for Minority Health and Health Care Disparities in 2000 and advocated for federal funds to be properly allocated after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, as well as calling for greater oversight and reform of federal agencies that managed the aftermath of the crisis. Troy Carter of Louisiana got to Congress in 2021, he and Jeffries joked about how they would work on growing their ranks in Congress. 2x Pro Bowl. Despite the growing hostility of Whites toward Blacks in Indiana, some Black students sought a college education at Indiana University, as it was a tuition-free university of the highest quality. Consequently, the few Blacks who took up residence in Bloomington in those early years were socially ostracized and encountered extreme acts of prejudice and discrimination. A spokeswoman for Representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the panel, didnt respond to a request for comment or confirm the authenticity of the document. Bennie Thompson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippis 2nd congressional district since 1993. A New York Times article detailing Thompsons victory said he was regarded as far more confrontational than Espy, noting that he made no overtures to white voters.. In 2018, newly-elected Congressman A. DonaldMcEachin (Beta Kappa, 1980) developed and hosted the first ever Kappa League on Capitol Hill program. "Whites and blacks came to our meetings and [said] 'Why are you all bringing this up? He didn't die in vain, and he triggered, I believe, the civil rights movement.". But it also gave me the way forward of how you work toward institutional change in a community, Thompson said. "The Emmett Till Memorial Commission put up that sign to say the story of Emmett Till is important to us as a community and to us as Americans," Glisson says. I dont do a lot of talking, Thompson told me, because I like encouraging others to be engaged with whatever the process is. That focus on collaboration has served him well for the select committee, which includes two other committee chairs among its high-profile members: Lofgren, the leader of the House Administration Committee, and Representative Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. According to Jeffries: Never before had anyone seen leadership qualities in me outside of anyone in my family.. Throughout my public service career in Congress, I have always put service above self and principles above politics. inNew Orleans,LA, Weighted Career AV (100-95-): 15 (6677th overall since 1960), PFR HOF Monitor: 8.20 (981st among DB, average HOF DB is 98.02). The panels investigators interviewed technology industry executives and law enforcement and intelligence officials, along with Trump aides and Republican election officials. The Tallahatchie County courthouse where the trial was held has undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation, and now there's an Interpretive Center on the courthouse square. Bennie combines the wisdom, judgment, patience, and good humor necessary to guide our committee at this historic moment, she said. Bennie Thompson was born on February 10, 1963. Even so, the site draws attention and visitors, like one couple from Brooklyn on a civil rights road trip through the South. He understands in a deeper way the dynamics of both normal and abnormal politics.. What occurred on January 6, and the vitriol and the racism of the modern era, were reminiscent to Fitzgerald of what she and Thompson experienced during the civil rights movement. Bennie Thompson has never won a Super Bowl. Over time, white students came to watch, too. Fox ratings plunge for Tucker Carlsons old time slot Two of these men, Elder Watson Diggs and Byron Kenneth Armstrong, had previously attended Howard University and had come into contact with men belonging to the only national Black Greek-Letter Fraternity currently in existence. Former members of Congress who were Kappas include Alcee Hastings of Florida, Don McEachin of Virginia, and Louis Stokes of Ohio, who helped lay the foundation of the Congressional Black Caucus. Trump hasnt tweeted since his initial suspension after his supporters attacked the US Capitol two years ago. The Fraternity has over 125,000 members with 700 undergraduate and alumni chapters in nearly every state of the United States, and international chapters in Nigeria, South Africa, the West Indies, the United Kingdom, Germany, Korea and Japan. Rep. Sanford The Greek Letter was chosen in place of N and the Fraternity acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha Psi thereby became an indistinguishable Greek-letter Fraternity. Equality doesnt mean spending the same amount of money on blacks as whites.
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