And the chairman of the January 6 committee, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, warned on CNN that no one is off limits in terms of being compelled to Social media companies bent their own rules in favor of former President Donald Trump and his supporters in the volatile weeks preceding the 2021 attack on the US Capitol, according to an unpublished staff report from the Houses Jan. 6 committee. This button displays the currently selected search type. "The issue of race is still the undercurrent about the discussion of Emmett Till," according to Rep. Bennie Thompson, an African American Democrat who has represented the Mississippi Delta region in the U.S. House since 1993. That gives committee members a ticking clock to complete their task. "And the story never got told from an African American perspective.". Able assistance provided by each of the remaining Founders furnished necessary sustenance for the embryonic group. Happy Founders Day to the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. hide caption. Blacks were not allowed to reside in on-campus dormitories, were not afforded off-campus accommodations, and they were also denied the use of all other university facilities, and were barred from participating in contact sports. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. The historic marker was taken down after three white fraternity brothers from the University of Mississippi were pictured holding guns next to the sign. According to Brown, Black Greek life in the U.S. arose from exclusion and racism in higher education. He was involved with Binghamtons Black Student Union, and in attempting to elevate his fraternitys status on campus, he helped make communities of color more visible to the university as a whole. The number of places where they might assemble was limited. During this secret ceremony, we learn, in the words of our founders, the principles and ideals upon which our fraternity was built more than a century ago. When the Mississippi State Highway Patrol set up roadblocks to harass Black citizens during voter registration drives while he was in office, Thompson recalled to me, he took them to court. Jeffries was only a college sophomore at Binghamton University when he was elected president of the schools fledgling chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. He had joined the fraternity just a year earlier in search of community in his new home, nearly 200 miles and a world away from his Brooklyn upbringing. "And they cured him of his problems.". Jeffries was only a college sophomore at Binghamton University when he was elected president of the schools fledgling chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. The organization was given the temporary name of Alpha Omega, while they further developed the formation of the organization. It Doesnt Always Make It Easy for Them to Lead. The charter members were Elder Watson Diggs, Byron K. Armstrong, John M. Lee, Henry T. Asher, Marcus P. Blakemore, Guy L. Grant, Paul W. Caine, George W. Edmonds, Ezra D. Alexander and Edward G. Irvin. Milam (left) and Roy Bryant sit with their wives, Juanita Milam (second from left) and Carolyn Bryant, in September 1955. He was very good at it. by keeping careful watch over their personal conduct; Who uphold faithfully the traditions Wicker was the only member of the states Republican congressional delegation not to cast votes on Jan. 6 challenging the After Carter died in 1999, the event was renamed in his honor. The Tallahatchie County courthouse where the trial was held has undergone a multi-million-dollar renovation, and now there's an Interpretive Center on the courthouse square. Once every year, the group meets in the District of Columbia tounderstand current legislation that affects members of our communities, and to develop talking points and plans of action for engaging elected representatives in the House, the Senate, and respective state assemblies, and local city halls. Jaynes-Diming is part of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, which is trying to preserve sites like this. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital Judge: Former California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes not defamed by Esquires Iowa farm story Over time, white students came to watch, too. He didn't die in vain, and he triggered, I believe, the civil rights movement.". Henry Tourner Asher, Dr. Marcus Peter Blakemore, Paul Waymond Caine, George Wesley Edmonds, Dr. Thompson, who grew up in a small Mississippi community in 1971, sympathized with the group known as the Republic of New Africa, participating in a news conference blaming law enforcement for instigating clashes with the group which led to a dead police officer and a wounded FBI agent. It was clear at the outset that the new fraternity would not warm over principles or practices of other organizations. Politics | It was 1969, one year after the death of Martin Luther King Jr., and in Bolton, Mississippi, white Southerners ugly backlash to the gains of the civil rights movement was a powerful force. I am always looking for students who are a little different from everybody else, who are not afraid to speak their mind, Cingranelli says. All five members of Mississippis U.S. congressional delegation other than Thompson are Republicans. The expectation that you find your passion and excel. These students saw the need to foster communal bonds while on campus, and to increase professional opportunities after their collegiate experience. Weband Thompson served as a town alderman from 1969 to 1973, when he won election as the towns mayor. Politics | The duty to uphold and abide by the Fraternitys standards of conduct and to use Ultimate Respect when confronting brothers who fail in their obligations to Pi Kappa Phi. Their intolerance toward Blacks fueled the negative mindset of other Whites residing there. (It was also where he met his wife of more than 50 years, London.). He attended a public school in the heart of the borough, and he later recalled the culture shock of arriving at Binghamtons campus in 1988. For many of them, joining Kappa Alpha Psi represented a lifetime commitment to leadership and social change. The panels investigators interviewed technology industry executives and law enforcement and intelligence officials, along with Trump aides and Republican election officials. "People only in closed circles whispered about the atrocities of the death," he says. All rights reserved. WebOne of the 5 Objectives of the Fraternity is: To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual and moral welfare of members. Many aspects of the Fraternitys rites are engrained in Christianity ideals and contain excerpts from the Bible. And so in this moment, as he chairs the January 6 [committee], the importance of holding people accountable for the insurrectionist acts on our nations Capitolif we dont hold people accountable, he clearly understands it only opens the door for more acts of domestic terrorism.. Rep. Bennie Thompson speaks during the January 6 committee's first public hearing. The Delta is in the northwest. Bennie Thompson was born on February 10, 1963. in bearing their share of the financial burden In order of their founding, here are some highlights of these nine Black Greek letter organizations. Weems says. Bennie G. Thompson @BennieGThompson. "By letting the trees and so forth grew up around it, and letting the walls fall down, it's a way to let history fade into invisibility," says Reilly Morse, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice. That it has to be addressed head-on, or it can quickly take us back to where we were in Mississippi in the 1950s and 1960s., Representative Jamie Raskin, a member of the January 6 committee, also drew a line from Thompsons experiences confronting racist institutions in the Deep South to his leadership of the committee. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, How Hakeem Jeffries' Leadership of His Historically Black Fraternity Shaped His Career. Web6-0 , 210lb (183cm, 95kg) Born: February 10 in New Orleans, LA (Age: 60-069d) More bio, uniform, draft, salary info. The killing propelled the civil rights movement, and his name is still invoked when innocent blood is shed in racial violence. Bennie Thompson Family And Net Worth. The body of Emmett Louis Till, a 14-year-old Chicago boy who was visiting relatives, was found in the Tallahatchie River near Money, Miss., on Aug. 31, 1955. A bullet-riddled sign that once marked where Emmett Till's body was pulled from the Tallahatchie River is now housed at the Till Interpretive Center in Sumner, Miss. The report covers the shortfalls of other platforms, including mainstream companies such as Googles YouTube and Reddit Inc. as well as those with a smaller user base such as Parler Inc. and Gab. WebBennie Thompson is a producer, known for 2020 Democratic National Convention (2020), Spies of Mississippi (2014) and Attack on Democracy the January 6th Hearings (2022). A segregated pool was closed, and land was repurposed to build a new municipal building. Bennie Thompson was born in a very loving family in Bolton, Mississippi. If nobody would stir that damn pile of stuff up, it wouldn't stink.". The University of Mississippi fraternity brothers who posed with guns at the bullet-pocked marker were suspended by the Kappa Alpha Order, an organization that glorifies the Confederate South. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. His 43 years of public service is a testament to his unwavering dedication to fulfill their expectations and to be the resounding voice for the constituents of the Second District of Mississippi. In tiny Glendora, an old cotton gin has been converted to the Emmett Till Historic Intrepid Center Museum. Pi Kappa Phis esoteric values are taught to each member In 2018, newly-elected Congressman A. DonaldMcEachin (Beta Kappa, 1980) developed and hosted the first ever Kappa League on Capitol Hill program. This was a convergence of a mob riot with a white nationalist violent insurrection, and an inside political coup. One of the 5 Objectives of the Fraternity is: To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual and moral welfare of members. Many aspects of the Fraternitys rites are engrained in Christianity ideals and contain excerpts from the Bible. The Greek Letter was chosen in place of N and the Fraternity acquired a distinctive Greek letter symbol and Kappa Alpha Psi thereby became an indistinguishable Greek-letter Fraternity. hide caption. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Since the beginning, every endeavor was directed toward establishing the Fraternity upon a strong foundation before embarking on plans of expansion. Representative John Katko, the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, said he and Thompson have a terrific partnership, stemming from an understanding of the bipartisan importance of the committees purview. The 122-page Summary of Investigative Findings, which was obtained and posted by the Washington Post, analyzes testimony from employees and documents received from tech companies including Twitter Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. Kappa Alpha Nu became the first incorporated Black Fraternity in the United States once granted a charter by the Indiana Secretary of State on May 15, 1911. hide caption. He makes sure that we have an opportunity to reach consensus, said Representative Zoe Lofgren. Instagram/Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting In what capacity would you like to participate? A spokeswoman for Representative Bennie Thompson, the Democratic chairman of the panel, didnt respond to a request for comment or confirm the authenticity of the document. Power always changes hands, and Republicans are widely expected to retake the House in the midterm elections. But we always operated within the system, Thompson said. Bennie was sent to Hins County public school by his parents. A commitment to Pi Kappa Phi that transcends any personal selfishness. Realizing that they had no part in the social life of the university and drawn together by common interests, they decided that a Greek-letter fraternity would do much to fill the missing link in their college existence. WebCongressman Bennie G. Thompson is a firm believer of giving back to those whom afforded him an opportunity to serve. hide caption. Thompson was born in Bolton in 1948, the son of a mechanic and a schoolteacher. In a previous Web version of this story, we incorrectly said the Mississippi Delta is in the northeast part of the state. I dont do a lot of talking, Thompson told me, because I like encouraging others to be engaged with whatever the process is. That focus on collaboration has served him well for the select committee, which includes two other committee chairs among its high-profile members: Lofgren, the leader of the House Administration Committee, and Representative Adam Schiff, the chair of the House Intelligence Committee. Its a real joy working with him, said Katko, who is retiring at the end of the year. Membership in these organizations provide students with valuable networking and mentoring opportunities. Kappa Alpha Psi, a college Fraternity, was born in an environment saturated in racism. Nor would the new Fraternity seek its members in the manner of other Greek organizations from among the sons of wealthy families or families of social prestige. He is a longtime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton and a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Gamma Rho Tougaloo College). But again, I didnt tear up the place because I cast a vote.. When Thompson and Flowers faced off in 2020, Thompson ended up winning by more than 30%. For their works to establish the fraternity, Diggs was named permanent chairman, Lee was designated as secretary and Armstrong as sergeant-at-arms. "And in 2019, you have another hate crime of vandalism occurring where they want to desecrate the space that we've allotted for memory of him.". Through its worldwide prominence, Kappa Alpha Psi has had a global impact on events which affect our local communities as well as places around the globe. Although two Republicans sit on the panel, they have largely been excommunicated from their own party, and Thompson has the unenviable task of ensuring the work of the committee is not seen as politically motivated. Since their inception, each organization has contributed countless hours of community service, donated millions of dollars toward educational scholarships, and have provided leadership to communities around the country. Morse says that for decades, there has been a reluctance to draw attention to the building. Bennie was always like a grown-up, said Oleta Fitzgerald, now the Southern regional director of Childrens Defense Fund, but once a classmate of Thompsons at Tougaloo College. In fact, all twenty-three counties in the Second District are medically under-served and many citizens are unable to afford health coverage. Just a few years before Thompson and Fitzgerald attended Tougaloo, nine students held a sit-in at a public library in Jackson in an effort to integrate the facility, a protest that catalyzed a wave of civil rights demonstrations in the state.