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To the Distinguished Board of Directors, Past General Presidents, The Men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Ladies and Gentlemen: This is indeed a day of great celebration for me personally as well as for my family assembled and who are virtually engaged. Before I begin my formal remarks, I must take a few moments to reflect on whence I have come. To God; to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful to the Lord for His divine providence in my life. For it is the Lord who chooses leaders, and all things work together for His divine plan. Surely, as I was on this path, I invoked the Spirit of the Lord, calling on many scriptures. Jeremiah 29:11 and 2 Corinthians 5:7 - that we walk by faith and not by sight. Surely, those scriptures, along with many others, will stay with me as I serve in this lofty position. To my Family – I am very thankful for the support of my family; for their warm and generous spirits, for The humor that I am able to enjoy when I am not in the lens of our good Brotherhood that keeps me humble, keeps me grounded and certainly does keep me on my toes. 2
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To my wife Pamela: You are so very supportive and resourceful. And I must acknowledge today that my esteemed Silver Star Member and Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha is celebrating their Founders’ Day today and I said that I would acknowledge you, as you are rightfully due.
I AM GRATEFUL TO THE LORD FOR HIS DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN MY LIFE. FOR IT IS THE LORD WHO CHOOSES LEADERS, AND ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR HIS DIVINE PLAN. And I say this to the Men of Alpha Phi Alpha that she is no shrinking spirit. She is an excellent corporate executive in her own right and a scholar both legally as well as in global compliance. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she will be an outstanding first lady and
INAUGURAL ADDRESS DR.
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represent Alpha Phi Alpha well in that capacity.
love you. You’ve always been there for me and I will not let you down.
Thank you to my sons, Josiah David and Ryan Ellis, who are unable to be here today physically due to the pandemic conditions. I want to continue to thank you for your support and love. Although COVID-19 has prevented your participation today, I definitely feel your presence with me right now.
To my Delaware State University family, just like our esteemed Madam Vice President-Elect is connected to Howard University, I am connected to the wonderful, outstanding Delaware State University seated in Dover, Delaware. And the Hornet family, the Hornet nation, as we say in Delaware State “lingo”, is swarming in loving pride and I have felt every impulse and every spiritual connection as you connected with me not only today, but even throughout this journey and I’m grateful to you for that.
To my daughter, Camille Alexandria – my Spelmanite; my budding Spelman woman; my fashion critic; my intellectual jouster, I say thank you for all of your sacrifices. Certainly, you have made some as you were transitioning from high school to college while I pursued this office. But I want to let you know that I am indebted for your love. As I say to my family who are here with me this evening, my mother-inlove, my brother-in-love, my sister-inlove and my nephew who is also my godson, I thank you for being here with me tonight as I embark on this very unique journey that only 35 men prior to me have experienced. And to my family who is virtually engaged tonight, throughout the country, I want to let you know that I
As I begin to close my personal comments, I must acknowledge my parents who’ve transitioned on to glory and my maternal and paternal grandparents. Family is very important to me, but I can tell you of Willis and Gloria, that I am the only child that was a product of their union. And I recall a message from my father saying to me, when I was (featured), the very first time, in The Sphinx magazine, that “I’m very proud of my man child.” Now, my first question that I had for my father, who was not an Alpha man, was how did you know that I
96TH GENERAL CONVENTION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | JULY 14-18, 2021
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GENERAL PRESIDENT DR. WILLIS L. LONZER AND THE LATE 25TH GENERAL PRESIDENT, JUDGE JAMES R. WILLIAMS
was in The Sphinx magazine? Well, my father and mother, were Virginia Union University alumni, and I have a connection. And that was my first baptism and exposure to Alpha Phi Alpha as a young lad, and then to family members and friends as I grew. So, I’m indebted to them as they look on from glory and move forward. As I turn my eye toward the fraternity, I acknowledge my now late mentor, the Past General President, the 25th General President, Judge James R Williams. This man indelibly marked my journey as an Alpha man as I paralleled some paths that he took within the fraternity. It allowed 4
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me to see the balance between Brotherhood and authority. It allows me to understand that fraternity is personal. And his transfer of that energy to me certainly left a mark on my life. I embrace, tonight, the 35 Past General Presidents who have preceded me and acknowledge the weightiness of this office, already. I thank you for holding high the standard for all men and for Alpha Phi Alpha men, in particular. To my immediate past predecessor, the honorable Dr. Everett B Ward, I thank you for keeping the helm of this mighty vessel. Assuredly, it is not an easy one to navigate.
“THIS MAN INDELIBLY MARKED MY JOURNEY AS AN ALPHA MAN AS I PARALLELED SOME PATHS THAT HE TOOK WITHIN THE FRATERNITY. IT ALLOWED ME TO SEE THE BALANCE BETWEEN BROTHERHOOD AND AUTHORITY.” – DR. WILLIS L. LONZER, III
96TH GENERAL CONVENTION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | JULY 13-17, 2021
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GENERAL PRESIDENT LONZER AND HIS WIFE, PAMELA LONZER
TO MY WIFE PAMELA: YOU ARE SO VERY SUPPORTIVE AND RESOURCEFUL. AND I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY THAT MY ESTEEMED SILVER STAR MEMBER AND LIFE MEMBER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA IS CELEBRATING THEIR FOUNDERS’ DAY TODAY AND I SAID THAT I WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, AS YOU ARE RIGHTFULLY DUE. 6
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And now to the Brothers… I call you with me to the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Builders”
THE BUILDERS All are architects of Fate, Working in these walls of Time; Some with massive deeds and great, Some with ornaments of rhyme. Nothing useless is, or low; Each thing in its place is best; And what seems but idle show Strengthens and supports the rest. For the structure that we raise, Time is with materials filled; Our to-days and yesterdays Are the blocks with which we build. Truly shape and fashion these; Leave no yawning gaps between; Think not, because no man sees, Such things will remain unseen. In the elder days of Art, Builders wrought with greatest care Each minute and unseen part; For the Gods see everywhere. Let us do our work as well, Both the unseen and the seen; Make the house, where Gods may dwell, Beautiful, entire, and clean. Else our lives are incomplete, Standing in these walls of Time, Broken stairways, where the feet Stumble as they seek to climb. Build to-day, then, strong and sure, With a firm and ample base; And ascending and secure Shall to-morrow find its place. Thus, alone can we attain To those turrets, where the eye Sees the world as one vast plain, And one boundless reach of sky.
96TH GENERAL CONVENTION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | JULY 14-18, 2021
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IMMEDIATE PAST GENERAL PRESIDENT DR. EVERETT B. WARD PINS GENERAL PRESIDENT LONZER
In the spirit of Longfellow’s poem, we Brothers now must embrace that it is time to “Elevate” the Alpha Spirit. I remind you of the vision that I cast for the fraternity: Leadership; Brotherhood; Academic Excellence; and Community Impact. Our Jewel Founders believed that each of these elements collectively invoke the “true spirit of fraternity.” And inspired by 35 years of service at the chapter, district, regional, and general organizational levels, and even through my professional training and leadership in global corporations, my vision, for our august fraternity, and as Brother Anthony J Rucker aptly said, “the greatest fraternity in the world” and I know our Greek brothers and sisters often smile when we say it, but we say it in the spirit of excellence for all of the fraternities because we aspire to excellence! So, we must encourage each other through our work and our efforts through our camaraderie. And my vision is that we, Alpha Phi Alpha, excel and that we excel on the principles on which Alpha Phi Alpha was founded. That we, as a fraternity, advance to be the Brotherhood (fraternity) of choice when men seek a bond like ours; AND then we would be the nurturing, intellectual hub, 8
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a “think tank” providing solutions to 21st century issues by answering the call to work as Servant-Leaders in our communities… thereby continuing our role, along with the Greek brothers and sisters quite honestly, to be a beacon of hope to humanity. We, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, must invoke the Spirit of Alpha in order to elevate the Alpha Spirit and carry out our mission. I am calling on all brothers! I am calling on the men of Alpha Phi Alpha! I am calling on all the Noble, the True and the Courageous! I am calling all brothers back to the House of Alpha in the spirit of Brotherhood! We will reclaim and retain our Brothers! I’m calling on all brothers to answer the call of servant leadership, a new call! We are in the midst of a global pandemic, not the like seen since nearly 100 years ago and even then, the spirit and the work of Alpha Phi Alpha continued as it is doing today. We are in the midst of racial unrest in the United States and in the world. The mission of Alpha Phi Alpha to be that leader beckoning other community leaders to come together is our role, as a Brotherhood. Mayhem and unrest occurring in the very cradle of democracy in the
world. It will take Alpha Phi Alpha standing shoulder to shoulder with the leaders from Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity; from Omega Psi Phi fraternity; from Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, from Iota Phi Theta fraternity and from all of the Divine 9 sororities, as we lock arms together as community leaders to battle Fascism, to battle unAmerican principles and doctrines; to thwart the efforts of an autocrat, of a dictator, to become seated and overturn the will of the people in a duly and properly executed election. And yes, this is America where we are supposed to be able to have dialogue. Maybe we don’t agree on how things were executed but we can say that it is the very spirit of the American constitution and the Declaration of Independence, which we know was written without us in mind. But we have stayed the course to ensure that we will inherit what all American citizens have a right to and that is a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I am calling on all brothers to elevate in your communities.
call; of our Brotherhood; of our fraternity is our mission to develop leaders, to promote Brotherhood and academic excellence while providing service and advocacy for our communities. In the spirit of our mission statement, on the principles of our motto… And at the core of our aims, I charge all Brothers, in every field of endeavor, to continue to bring our best to Alpha Phi Alpha. So that we can foster the “true spirit of fraternity”. Much like 107 years ago, When General President Henry Lake Dickason charged the fraternity to: “think Alpha Phi Alpha; talk Alpha Phi Alpha; promote Alpha Phi Alpha and labor for the broad principles of idealism, for which Alpha Phi Alpha was created, so that humanity shall look on us as a body worthwhile.” That same charge still exists today. And we must embrace that charge as I now charge you to Elevate the Spirit of Alpha as we lift our communities, as we lift our nation, and we lift this world. Thank you.
As our Jewel Founder Henry Arthur Callis, physician, implored us and reminded us that “as alumni Brothers, our task is to support college men and college chapters and to promote the advancement of our communities.” That was done well before a mission statement was issued. That was executed well before we experienced the likes of the amalgamation of principles and doctrines and lots of community organizations where they talk about now, community advancement. But I would tell you as Alpha Phi Alpha men we are now called to elevate international service, to make a global impact in what we do. We must answer the call. We must continue to answer the call as we “Elevate the Alpha Spirit”, holding high our aims: “Manly Deeds, Scholarship and Love for All Mankind; Embracing the spirit of our motto: “First of all, Servants of all, We shall transcend all”; and radiating the true purpose of our 96TH GENERAL CONVENTION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | JULY 14-18, 2021
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