[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 164 (Monday, November 18, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  ON THE OCCASION OF THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF THE PHI BETA SIGMA 
                               FRATERNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 18, 2013

  Mr. PETERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with the members 
of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. to celebrate the centennial 
anniversary of their brotherhood, which is bound together under the 
ideals of scholarship and service.
  When it was founded by A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse and 
Charles I. Brown at Howard University in the early days of 1914, Phi 
Beta Sigma was envisioned as a fraternal organization that would seek 
an inclusive membership of meritorious young leaders. Together the 
founders sought to build a brotherhood committed to serving the 
communities in which they were raised--empowering residents and 
bringing together friends and neighbors to create positive change.
  One-hundred years later, Phi Beta Sigma has grown into a thriving 
international fraternal network, with hundreds of collegiate and alumni 
chapters and an impressive list of accomplishments. In the early part 
of the Twentieth Century, its members answered the call to serve their 
nation in the face of unprecedented challenges--fighting bravely in the 
U.S. Armed Forces during World War I and World War II. Phi Beta Sigma's 
members were at the forefront of the Harlem Renaissance, an incredible 
resurgence of the unique and rich cultural contributions African-
American communities have made to our country. During the Great 
Depression, Phi Beta Sigma worked to ensure that a college education 
remained an attainable goal for America's African-American community by 
offering scholarships. And during the 1950s, members of Phi Beta Sigma 
were among the individuals leading the charge for Civil Rights in 
Selma, Alabama, and across the nation, including my distinguished 
colleague, Congressman John Lewis.
  As a Member of Congress from the Greater Detroit region, I have the 
privilege of representing many Phi Beta Sigma members of the Alpha 
Alpha Beta Sigma, Nu Alpha Sigma and Xi Beta Sigma alumni chapters in 
the Greater Detroit area, as well as several collegiate chapters across 
the Southeast Michigan region. In their efforts to fulfill the mission 
of their brotherhood, they have supported organizations like Forgotten 
Harvest that rescue and redistribute food to organizations that assist 
food insecure families in Michigan, been mentors to young men in the 
Big Brother program and the Boy Scouts of America, and assisted seniors 
with maintaining their households. Furthermore, they have undertaken 
endeavors that support HIV/AIDS education and awareness, created 
scholarship programs to increase access to higher education and that 
have increased the quality of living in communities across the Greater 
Detroit region. Most recently, Phi Beta Sigma has been at the front of 
a campaign to eliminate hazing in fraternities and sororities across 
our country.
  In addition to the greater local chapters of the Phi Beta Sigma 
Fraternity, Inc. in the Southeast Michigan area, I also extend my 
congratulations to the Epsilon Tau Sigma, Pi Rho Sigma and Zeta Gamma 
Sigma alumni chapters, as well as the many collegiate chapters that 
serve other communities across Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to congratulate the Michigan 
members of the Phi Beta Sigma as they celebrate their centennial with 
their brothers from around the world. In one-hundred years, they have 
given rise to leaders that have been at the forefront of shaping our 
nation in the defining moments of the Twentieth Century and engaged in 
countless service projects that have increased the vitality of 
communities around the world. I know they must be very proud of this 
incredible milestone in their organization's history and I wish them 
many years of continued success in their service to our communities.

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