[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10271-10272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED

 Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, this year we are celebrating the 
100th birthday of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. Next week, 
thousands of members and guests from all over the world are coming to 
Indianapolis, IN, to participate in a week-long program of forums and 
seminars with a focus on leadership, brotherhood, and service, known as 
the 80th Grand Chapter Meeting and Centennial Celebration.
  Kappa Alpha Psi was founded on January 5, 1911, on the campus of 
Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. Led by the vision of Elder 
Watson Diggs, it was founded by 10 God-fearing, serious-minded young 
men who possessed the imagination, ambition, courage, and determination 
to defy custom in pursuit of college educations and careers during an 
oppressive time in American history for African Americans.
  Now, the membership has grown to more than 360 undergraduate chapters 
and 347 alumni chapters located throughout the United States and five 
foreign countries including 35 chapters in Louisiana. Today, the 
fraternity boasts a membership of more than 150,000 college-trained 
young men.
  Kappa Alpha Psi has been an instrumental group in raising the profile 
of African-American men and has worked tirelessly to knock down 
barriers to advancement in our society. The brotherhood has 
consistently encouraged achievement in every field of human endeavor.
  I also would like to take this opportunity to commend attorney Dwayne 
Murray. Professionally, Dwayne not only founded and continues to manage 
his own law firm but he became the first African American appointed to 
the District 7 Panel of Trustees for the U.S. Middle District 
Bankruptcy Court. He was recognized by the Louisiana Legislature as an 
``Honorary State Representative'' and the Governor's Office as an 
``Outstanding Citizen'' for his community service and efforts to bring 
lay and professional people into the political process. Today Dwayne 
currently serves as the 31st Grand Polemarch of Kappa Alpha Psi 
Fraternity, Incorporated, and is a resident of the great State of 
Louisiana. Under his extraordinary leadership, the organization has 
initiated several community service projects, including ``Sunday of

[[Page 10272]]

Hope.'' Through this effort, Kappa Alpha Psi has raised well over 
$500,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the past 2 
years. Dwayne has also spearheaded the ``Greeks Learning to Avoid 
Debt'' or GLAD Program. This program will ensure that college students 
receive the necessary training to use credit wisely and remain 
financially stable through college and beyond. A final noteworthy 
accomplishment, Dwayne founded Kappa Kamp, a rigorous leadership 
institute for elementary and middle school aged young men. The Baton 
Rouge Alumni Chapter continues to raise money to support Dwayne's 
project through the annual Walter Banks Golf Classic.
  In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Kappas from 
all over the country came to the aid of hurricane survivors along the 
gulf coast and helped with our recovery effort.
  Thus, it is with great pride that we not only congratulate all 
members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. on the occasion of their 
centennial celebration, but I would also like to recognize my 
constituent and friend, Dwayne Murray, as he approaches the end of his 
tenure as Grand Polemarch of this great organization.

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