[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 29, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4236-S4237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 221--CONGRATULATING KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC., 
 ON REACHING THE HISTORIC MILESTONE OF 100 YEARS OF SERVING LOCAL AND 
 INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES, MAINTAINING A COMMITMENT TO THE BETTERMENT 
 OF MANKIND, AND ENRICHING THE LIVES OF COLLEGIATE MEN THROUGHOUT THE 
                             UNITED STATES

  Mr. WICKER (for himself, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
Lugar, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mrs. Hagan, Ms. Murkowski, Ms. Stabenow, and Ms. Cantwell,) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 221

       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., was founded on 
     January 5, 1911, at Indiana University in Bloomington, 
     Indiana, by Elder Watson Diggs, John Milton Lee, Byron K. 
     Armstrong, Guy Levis Grant, Ezra D. Alexander, Henry T. 
     Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Paul W. Caine, Edward G. Irvin, 
     and George W. Edmonds;
       Whereas the founders of Kappa Alpha Psi were God-fearing, 
     high-achieving, serious-minded young men who possessed the 
     imagination, ambition, courage, and determination to defy 
     custom and cultural challenges in pursuit of college 
     educations and careers during a period in United States 
     history in which such opportunities were not broadly 
     available to African-Americans;
       Whereas since its founding Kappa Alpha Psi has stressed 
     high ideals and the importance of achievement in every field 
     of human endeavor by instilling in African-American youth the 
     noble aspiration of serving others and by training its 
     members to positively influence their communities and 
     society;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi membership has grown to include 
     more than 150,000 college-educated men, with undergraduate 
     chapters located on more than 360 college and university 
     campuses and with alumni chapters located in more than 340 
     cities in the United States and in 5 foreign countries;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi hosts a biennial Undergraduate 
     Leadership Institute, a comprehensive training- and skills-
     enhancement program for the top student leaders of Kappa 
     Alpha Psi, to inspire them to become positive role models and 
     to serve the good of society;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi partners with Habitat for Humanity 
     and assists in building homes for local families in 
     conjunction with each of its biennial national conventions;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi partners with St. Jude Children's 
     Research Hospital, based in Memphis, Tennessee, and, with the 
     help of local communities and churches, has raised more than 
     $1,000,000 for the continuation of the mission of that 
     hospital;

[[Page S4237]]

       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi designated St. Jude Children's 
     Research Hospital as the primary benefactor of its national 
     fundraising efforts;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi sponsors Kappas on Capitol Hill, a 
     4-day conference in Washington, District of Columbia, that 
     seeks to increase member awareness of the political process 
     through workshops, seminars, and lectures, and that seeks to 
     inform its members of the importance of the political process 
     in bettering society;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi emphasizes financial literacy in 
     its community-based outreach by partnering with the National 
     Association of Bankruptcy Trustees, the National Foundation 
     for Credit Counseling, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council 
     to implement 2 major programs, Credit Abuse Resistance 
     Education and Greeks Learning to Avoid Debt;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi, through its Kappa League and 
     National Guide Right programs, matches thousands of at-risk 
     youths throughout the United States with role models and 
     mentors that encourage the youths to positively contribute to 
     and become leaders in their communities;
       Whereas, since 1990, the Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Scholarship 
     Fund has provided scholarship grants to more than 10,000 high 
     school graduates to assist in furthering their education and 
     has encouraged its undergraduate and alumni chapters to 
     support similar endeavors to broaden the ability of 
     economically disadvantaged youth to aspire to obtain a 
     college education;
       Whereas the oldest formal program of Kappa Alpha Psi, the 
     Holiday Food Drive, provides food, clothing, and toys to 
     thousands of low income individuals in many metropolitan and 
     rural communities throughout the United States;
       Whereas the national theme of Kappa Alpha Psi, ``One Kappa, 
     Creating Inspiration: A Call to Service'', has mobilized 
     Kappa Alpha Psi members across the United States who are 
     leaders in business, education, government, the humanities, 
     arts and entertainment, science, and medicine to become 
     better servant leaders for their families and communities, 
     the United States, and the fraternity at large;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi partners with the United Negro 
     College Fund, the National Association for the Advancement of 
     Colored People, and the National Urban League;
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi supports the National Education 
     Association, the National Association of State Boards of 
     Education, the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, 
     the North-American Interfraternity Conference, and the 
     National Pan-Hellenic Council; and
       Whereas Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity will hold its Centennial 
     Celebration at its 80th Grand Chapter Meeting in 
     Indianapolis, Indiana, July 5, 2011, through July 10, 2011: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate congratulates Kappa Alpha Psi 
     Fraternity, Inc., on 100 years of serving local communities 
     and enriching the lives of collegiate men throughout the 
     United States.

                          ____________________