RENWL

Nation’s Oldest Black Frat Joins Arizona Boycott And Why We Think They’re Bogus

Martin Luther King Jr. pledging Alpha Phi Alpha, circa 1952 (front row, fourth person from the left) was initiated at Sigma Chapter , Boston Metro chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, while he was a graduate student at Boston University.

The Huff Post published an essay recently by Miguel Guadelupe. The title of the piece is Nation’s Oldest Black Fraternity Joins Arizona Boycott to Support Latinos. A friend of ours posted it to her Facebook profile and we just couldn’t resist checking it out. Guadelupe’s essay talks about Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., America’s oldest African American college fraternity (Est. 1906) decided to move their national convention from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada in response to the recent passage of Arizona’s SB1070. Below is a short excerpt:

The decision to boycott Arizona is not without a cost for Alpha Phi Alpha. Breaking contracts with Phoenix area hotels, catering, and meeting rooms means the fraternity is now in litigation with contractors. And while Mason can’t give an exact amount on how much the boycott will cost the fraternity, he estimates that Alpha is looking at over $300,000 in penalties. That doesn’t include over 3,000 Alphas who will have to change their flight and hotel reservations as soon as possible.

The fraternity, which proudly claims members including former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall has had to boycott Arizona before when the state refused to recognize the national holiday in honor of another one of their members, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Congress and President Obama need also take notice. Up until now, both branches of government have been reluctant to bring comprehensive immigration reform to the floors, thinking this to be an special interest issue. But what they are finding is that the majority of Americans of all types want reform, and they want it now. This is not and never has been “just a Latino” issue. As the chorus grows louder, it would be smart for our leadership to listen closely.

We want to make very clear that we VERY MUCH support Immigration Reform and find Arizona’s SB1070 a complete and total disgrace and a blatant assault against human rights. That said, we think in principle Alpha Phi Alpha’s move a good thing we nonetheless find it jive and bogus.

OUR UNRESTRAINED OPINION?

Big whoop. Any organization made up by people of color—African American, Latino, Asian and so on—-SHOULD stand up in opposition against SB1070 and anything like it. Obviously it would be in their best interest to do so. Illegal Immigrants today, blacks with bad credit tomorrow.

Therefore we will be impressed with Alpha Phi Alpha and any other black fraternity or sorority when they come out publicly against such laws as Prop 8, DOMA and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell—or make some big financial sacrifice in support of equality for all in all ways. Yea, that’s when we’ll swoon with shock, unspeakable gratitude and choked up amazed wonder.

Sorry Mr. Guadelupe. We’re sure your words are well intended and we can clearly tell you’re moved by this seemingly courageous show of solidarity by these black brothers as you obviously use it to underscore of your post’s premise —-a shout out to Obama and Congress. But this action, regardless of how much money it will cost Alpha Phi Alpha to move the convention or what it looks like on surface,  seems to be more along the lines of them getting an order from somebody BIG and BLACK or somebody pretty powerful along those lines—possibly a powerful group of alumnus. Cause that’s what it looks like all over—an order. Meaning, their action is at heart not a political or cultural stretch or much of a statement from a black organization doing something for the progressive sake of it. There’s something else at stake here. We don’t know what that something else is.  But human rights is not at the center of it. We’d be willing to bet money on it.

Anyone who knows RENWL knows that we will give our brothers and sisters mad HOLLA props—-when mad props are due and with a surefire quickness on our behalf at that. But this ain’t one of those occasions. Supporting LGBT rights—now that would an eyebrow raiser fo’ real. When we see the likes of the Alphas standing up for equality with total unbiased support of human rights we’ll be the first to heap on the love. Supporting Immigration Reform? Total self-interest move.  Especially when it appears they were under the gun to make that move.

Huffington Post: Nation’s Oldest Black Fraternity Joins Arizona Boycott to Support Latinos