#23
Vol. 1. No. 23
Tuesday, May 18, 1999
Circulation-1,500+
A FEW HISTORICAL GEMS:
The Members of Alpha Chapter held their first
"entertainment' at the local AMEZ Zion Church in 1905. The pastor was Rev Theodore
Augustus Auten who actually extended the invitation to C.C. Poindexter for
the young men to come. Rev. Auten, a native of Sommerville, New Jersey
graduated from Lincoln
University receiving both Bachelors and Theological
degree from the school. He was assigned to Ithaca after 1899.
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RITUAL AND INITIATION
COMMITTEE:
Following the first initiation, Lemuel Graves was later
added to the
Initiation Committee (Wesley, p.53) . At the first general
convention, Brothers Roscoe Giles and Graves presented the "first
Ritual." The following year Brother Numa P. G. Adams worked with Graves and Giles. Wesley cites the following:
"The original copy of the notes made by the Ritual
Committee is in the archives of the fraternity in the handwriting of Broher
Giles and shows the extent of the committee's labor,"
Now the 2nd General President(1909), Brother Roscoe Giles
sent a letter citing the imporance of the ritual. He described it
"As the most fundamental thing after the constitution." The brothers were
urged to keep sacred all of its information and its practices was to remain solely
within the fraternity. By 1912, the Committee on Ritual recommended that a ciper
be adopted to safeguard the secrets.
A cipher ritual was used following the adoption of that
report. Through painstacking typing, copies of the ritual was sent to
each chapter. It was in 1914, when the explanation for the fraternity
pin and the Greek letters of Alpha Phi were added to the ritual. By 1916,
the code for the ritual had changed. In what was a profound move, the Ritual Committee
recommended that each chapter should appoint some member (who was qualified) to
research the early
development of African civilizatiton. In 1919, more
changes were made in the ritual.
"We take it that each fraternal group of our day
seeks to enroll the best minds and the noblest characters among the youth. Their
aim is to develop and direct these minds along proper channels to the end that
they may be the minimum in liability and the maximum in asset to
civilization
13th General President, B. Andrew Rose, 1929
"In 1956, 50 years after the founding of Alpha Phi
Alpha at Cornell, many are saying what type of men were the Jewels."
Jewel George Biddle Kelley, 1956
AND NOW A WORD ON
MY
BOOK
“Without this particular sacrifice on your part and
on my part, the
fraternity may never have an account of its life and
history. Unfortunately, this is one of the common neglects of the Negro group in
America, the disregard for our past. Let it not be for those who have
seen the light."
Charles H. Wesley, c. 1927
THE TALENTED TENTH:
THE FOUNDERS AND 30 GENERAL PRESIDENTS
OF Alpha
By Skip Mason
Foreword by Brother Andrew Young
Dust Jacket comments from:
Brother Lenny Wilkens, Coach, Atlanta Hawks,
Brother Maynard Jackson, former Mayor of Atlanta
Brother Dennis Kimbro, author of "Think and Grow
Rich" and "What Makes the
Great Great?
Brother Dr. Thomas W. Cole, President, Clark Atlanta
University
Published by Four G's Press, c. 1999
Winter Haven Florida
472 pages; 23 cm, 100+ photographs
ISBN#- - Application submitted
$25.00 (soft back)
$32.00 (hard back)
In the fall of 1905, seven unique AFRICAN-AMERICAN men
found themselves on campus of Cornell University laying the foundation for
the first AFRICAN-AMERICAN fraternity for College men. Who were
these men? Where did they come from? What did they do after Cornell? What were
their thoughts and beliefs on the fraternity that they created? Now for
the first time in print, brothers may experience through text and
photographs the Jewels phenomenal careers, family histories, speeches and
letters. In addition, for
the first time collectively, the biographies of the 30
men who served as General President are also included. Over 100
photographic images (many never before seen photos of the Jewels and their
families), documents, bibliography and index are presented in this volume every
member of the fraternity should add to his collection. Written and
edited by Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., former National Archivist of the fraternity,
Mason has spent the last seven years researching the lives of the founders.
From interviews with
family members to research at the Library of Congress,
the Schomburg, the Moorland Spingarn and other repositories, this
compilation will be a welcome addition to the literature on these 20th century pioneers
of Greek life for African-Americans.
WHY AM I DOING THE BOOK?
A few years ago, I found that statement made by Jewel
George Biddle Kelley that was so profound. He said "In 1956, 50 years
after the founding of Alpha Phi Alpha at Cornell, many are saying what type of men
were the Jewels."It is my fervent prayer that this book the Talented
Tenth, will answer that question.
Skip Mason
On the back of the book cover:
"Brother Skip Mason takes us back to a time when God
gave us men. Menwith strong minds, humble hearts, and true faith. Men who
maintainedthe courage of their convictions. Men who were larger
than their calling. Men who could stand in the presence of their God
and say "The place I occupy does not need reforming." Men who
could look their struggling brothers and sisters in the eye and whisper
with love "Follow me." Men who became the rocks upon which so many
others leaned. As only he can, Skip shares the historical, moral, and
spiritual significance of such men: The Seven Jewels and 30 General
Presidents of Alpha Phi Alpha. From my college days at Zeta Zeta to my
writings that have taken me around the world, I am still overwhelmed to
think that I'm
a part of such a grand organization. Thank you, Skip!
Dennis P. Kimbro
author, What Makes the Great Great
".....Those lasting values of the Seven Jewels
mandate that we bring meaning and vision to our lives and to lives of other by being
Men of Alpha who engage in an obstinate, daily revolt against the
ordinariness of our lives."
Maynard H. Jackson, Alpha Rho '56
Mayor of Atlanta and
Chairman/CEO
Jackson Securities
ORDER FORM, PLEASE PRINT, FILL OUT AND MAIL . BELOW ORDER
FORM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS REGARDING BOOK
__
$25.00 (Soft back) $32.50 (Hard back)
This is still pre-publication price. So get it while it
last!
ORDER FORM
Please send me ______ copies at ___________. Total
enclosed: $____________
(add $3.20 for shipping for each copy/ 6% sales tax each
copy)
Ship books to:
NAME______________
ADDRESS___________________
CITY STATE ZIP_____
email address___________________
INDICATE IF YOU WANT BOOK SIGNED AND TO
WHOM_______________
To order, send order form, check or money order made
payable to Skip Mason
to:
Skip Mason/The Talented Tenth
564 Blake Avenue, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30316
__________________________
So many of you have asked questions regarding the book. I
have attempted to
answer some of them below:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
How does this book differ from the previous one published
in 1997:
A- There is no comparison. This new book is being
professionally published, edited with a slick, glossy cover and additional
researched content and photographs. The first book was a work in progress and
did not include the section on the General President. In this book, the
Section on the Jewel has been updated extensively and included excerpts from their
speeches and writings. There is an appendix with full text of several
of their speeches.
It was important to me that you had a chance to read
first hand their thoughts about the fraternity they founded and where it
was headed. But hold on to your first copy. Who knows maybe it will become
somewhat of a collector's one day.
Are Skip's Historical Moments Coming Directly from the
book?
Absolutely not. While a few of the subjects and quotes
are, the majority of the moments are not included in the book in the manner in
which you received them. The book has a compilation of information on the
Jewels that you will not find anywhere in print. I am a master researcher (Not
bragging, just recognizing a gift God has given me). I teach Research
Methodology to my freshmen history students. Not looking at the traditional
sources, but
finding those non traditional sources to pull material.
As a certified
genealogist, I was able to do extensive research on many
of the Jewels families. As a Certified Archivist (graduate of the Jimmy
Carter Presidential Library Archives Institute and Black Studies
librarian (Master's in African-American Studies/Library and Information
Sciences) , I was able to utilize my network of resources. The director of the
Schomburg Research
Center in Harlem, Howard Dodson is a fraternity brother
and friend as well as the Director of the Tuskegee University Archives Danny
Williams. The director of Fisk University Special Collection is a dear
friend. I had full access to the material at the Auburn Avenue Research
Library in Atlanta which has an extensive microfilm collection of material which I
used. I say all of that that to say that these persons and their staff
opened their resources to
me. While there is still a lot of information to locate,
I feel very good
about this effort. And as Wesley so often did, this book
will undergo in future years revisions and updates.
When will the book be ready?
Okay, I know what I initially said, but then the
publisher did not realize that I had such a mammoth manuscript. Nevertheless, the
manuscript has been professionally edited and typeset. I am no editor nor do
I claim to be. I am a historian who likes to write but needs to have a good
copy editor. Currently I am doing my final review of the typeset
proofs. I will be
meeting my publisher/editor next week to deliver the
proofs. After the changes have been made, it will go the printer and blue
lines will be made. >From that point it will take three weeks to do the
Soft covers and five weeks to do the hard back copies. The soft covers will have a
glossy finish.A- The soft back copies will be ready in the middle of
JuneThe hard bound copies will be ready the first of July
Who is the publisher?
A- The publisher is George Grant, owner of Four G-
Publishers, Inc. out of Winter Park, Florida. It is African-American owned and
operated. He has published over 30 book and caters to African-American
authors who chose to self publish. George Grant, the owner is recognized
professionally in academic and library circles throughout the country and
is a co chair of the Black Librarian Conference in Las Vegas in July in which
I will be attending,
lecturing on documenting community histories and
participating in the Author's Booksigning. As I have mentioned, I have
published four books on Atlanta's African-American History with Arcadia Press and
one with Longstreet Press. I will also be introducing Civil Rights Legend and
Best Selling Author John Lewis (a good member of Phi Beta Sigma) and Tavis
Smiley( a good member
of Kappa Alpha Psi) at breakfast entitled "A Few
Good Men."
What has been the delay in the book?
A- Several factors have contributed to the delay, some
partially mine and the other the publisher. The manuscript underwent extensive
professional editing. There were over 472 pages to edit. When I initially told
you six week, my publisher told me I was out of my mind. Several weeks
were lost when the publisher relocated and had death in his family and then
the editor was delayed due to personal reasons. In addition, additional research material which was
uncovered after the manuscript was presented was added. For example, I
located after the manuscript was released information on Cornell in 1906,
Vertner Woodson Tandy's son, that I thought was important to include. The
same goes with the other Jewels. I am still constantly researching even
though the manuscript has submitted and the book is partially complete.Prior to
that point (while
it was in editing) when I found something that needs to
be included, I did. While there was a cut off point, I felt that this
information was important to include. Those who have preordered will have their
copy long before the convention.
What if I have already ordered a copy of the book?
A- To those who have paid the initial $25, you will get
you a soft cover copy which was what the original plan was. If you desire a
hard copy (with dust jacket), please forward the difference ($7) plus shipping
and handling($3.20) for a total of $10.20. As I stated, initially the plan
was to do a Soft Cover edition only, but the publisher was able to work
with me to get a limited number of Hard Cover books done. Remember if you
have already ordered, you do not owe anything (even though I failed
initially to include
shipping charges early on). Nevertheless, I will absorb
that cost and you will receive your copy of the book in the spirit of the
brotherhood. The cost (both soft and hard) is reflective of the number of books
that I am ordering. If the quantity was much larger, the price
could be reduced substantially. Remember brothers, I do not have the
luxury to publish 10,000
copies. If that was the case, the cost would be much
lower. To those of you who answered my initial plea, I am so grateful to you.
You made it possible to get it started but I still have a lot of books to
sell. So if you have not placed your order, please do so right away.
What about other fees?"
I plan to pay the required licensing fee to the
fraternity to sell
merchandise. I also plan to pay vending fees for Dallas
should I decide to take book to the convention.
Is there a web site?
My website is almost completed. On the site, you will be
able to see what Skip Mason is about. It includes my company, excerpts
from my books on Atlanta as well as this book on the Jewels and General
Presidents. You will also be able to retrieve back issues of Skip's Historical
Moments.
of
his heart
Why are you doing Skip's Historical Moments?
A- Simply so the brothers on the Internet can know that I
am serious about my commitment and love for this organizations history. That
I am not selfish in sharing it and most importantly it does not belong to me,
but to the collective bond of brothers who eat up Alpha's history as
much as I do and there are so many of you whom I have heard from that
still have that passion in their heart. Let me say (contrary to anything that you
may have heard, I
am not in it for personal gain. If you think that is the
reason, then you really don't know Skip Mason. I have for the last 17 years, have been collecting
information on the fraternity. You can ask anyone in Atlanta, Georgia, the
South and those brothers who have known me since college days at Morris
Brown College in Atlanta where I was initiated into Iota Chapter on April
4, 1982. Immediately after I went over, I located the founder of
my Chapter and sat down at his feet to gain knowledge. As my students say,
"It's been on ever
since." I have always hung around the Senior Alphas
at conventions, just absorbing their knowledge. I have not missed a General
Convention since 1983. The Dallas Convention will be my 16th consecutive
convention. Brother Dr. Charles Wesley was and still is my fraternal idol.
Raymond W. Cannon and I used to correspond with each other before he died. I
still have his typed and hand written letters. Lionel Newsom, the 21st General
President was also my mentor. He and his wife Maxine got in their car and drove
down to Atlanta to attend the unveiling of my first book. Before he died
(and I was not the Archivist) he gave me a copy of the last chapter that
Wesley had written and asked me make some comments. Brothers long gone like
Andrew
"Generalissimore" Lewis, Sidney Jones, Father
Henry James Charles Bowden, Frank Dee (who told me the correct password), Moses
General Miles (whom many of us during the early 80's when we were college brothers
called "the Eight Jewel'), Hobart Jarrett and so many others that when they
talked, I salivated. I used to write General Presidents Teamer,
Ponder when they were
in office and asked them when they were going to appoint
a historian, update the book. Don't believe me, I have copies of the letters
and their responses. I have probably read every available issue of the Sphinx
going back to the 1920s. Zeroxing pages, marking notes. Long before Brother
Milton Davis appointed me as Archivist, I had been hungry for
information. Once again on
April 15, the spirit of the Lord sat me down and I wrote
the first Skip's Historical Moment. The response, overwhelming. It's
sometimes unexplainable other than the fact that it is the historical intuitive
in me to want to know ore and why, but not only that to share it with the
brothers. Wesley's phenomenal book left many unanswered questions from me. Well, from a couple of hundred addresses to now over
2,000 and growing, the Historical Moments have been well received. The majority
of the email addresses are of non financial brothers. Oh how I have
enjoyed talking to the
brothers. I feel so blessed to be in contact with so many
brothers. I try answer every email. While it was not the intent to use
this as a tool for reclaiming, that has been the most consistent response I
am getting from brothers. I am surprised but am glad for it. I ask God to
use me as a vessel to do his work.(by the way, I am pastor of the St. James
C.M.E. Church) and a college professor formerly at Morehouse College. In the
fall, I will return to my Alma Mater Morris Brown College to teach and direct
the college's archives and museum. I am aware of my gifts and talents
and thank God for the abilities. Most importantly I try to remain humble.