National and local media outlets turned out to cover Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and the National Action Network’s announcement of the organizations’ efforts to form a national coalition of civic organizations, academic institutions, politicians and concerned citizens to stand together to denounce and stop the culture of hazing.
On Thursday, May 31, 2012 a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. featured Brother Jimmy Hammock, international president, and Brother Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network. At this gathering, the two announced plans to eradicate the culture of hazing while preserving the legacy of Greekdom, service organizations and fraternal organizations through a major anti-hazing campaign. The multi-layered campaign will include print, audio and a professionally developed sensitivity training curriculum for Greek-lettered organizations, academic administrations, parents, students, and potential fraternity/sorority members. The newly formed coalition also announced its support of federal anti-hazing legislation and its plans to work with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson to strengthen her bill and help it become federal legislation.
"Hazing is an injustice to all of us," said Bro. Sharpton. "We want to raise awareness within organizations who may be harvesting this culture and let them know that hazing is unacceptable. Furthermore, we want to send a message to those who think it is tolerable for them to be hazed to belong."
Hazing is the practice of forcing new recruits to an organization to perform strenuous, humiliating and dangerous tasks to gain entry. Over the years hazing has become a mainstay for bringing new members into fraternities and sororities, but is practiced by groups of all types, including the military and marching bands on college campuses. Because of its emphasis on the use of physical and psychological abuse, hazing has been declared illegal by local, state and national law enforcement, and is an injustice that creates a culture of senseless violence.
"Institutionalized hazing has had a crippling affect on many lives for many years, " said Brother Hammock. "This initiative is a top priority of this administration. The leadership is serious about our efforts and the assigned task force is developing every opportunity to spread the message." September 6, 2012 will be National Anti-Hazing Day. Phi Beta Sigma collegiate chapters across the country will be required to host sensitivity training on their respective campuses. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity will also hold a Town Hall Meeting on this anti-hazing campaign during the Serious Sigma Summit. The meeting is scheduled for August 11, 2012 at the Marriott Charlotte Executive Park, Charlotte, NC.
"The time is now and Phi Beta Sigma is starting a movement to eliminate the culture of hazing," said Brother Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., International First Vice President and task force chairman. "At the end of the day, Sigma’s main objective is to put an end to this divisive and destructive culture, which threatens to further decimate not only the African-American community, but also the wider society."
Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, a past regional director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated discussed the importance of supporting and putting into law federal anti-hazing legislation which she has authored. The growing numbers of academic, social, civic and political figures supporting this effort and joining the coalition include Congressmen Edolphus Towns and John Lewis, Sigma members. Mrs. Paulette Walker, National First Vice President, speaking on behalf of Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, National President Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, proclaimed the sorority’s support of this effort. Other academic leaders included Scott Rokowski, Head of Sorority & Fraternity Life, University of Pennsylvania, Dan Robbins, Cornell Coalition and senior at Cornell University and Barbara Cheives, Converge and Associates, developer of the Anti-Hazing Curriculum.
For more information and access to articles covering the anti-hazing campaign and press conference, please log onto www.pbs1914.org.
