We dive deep into the brotherhood of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated.
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00:00 It's the brotherhood and sisterhood for Essence.
00:02 So this month we're celebrating the Divine 9 organizations.
00:06 Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi,
00:10 Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta,
00:14 Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta.
00:18 We're showing love to our staff that are Divine 9 members.
00:21 - Yo, yo, yo.
00:22 - So let's get into it
00:23 with the Smooth Brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi.
00:25 - My name is Oakland Jones,
00:26 entertainment editor here at Essence,
00:28 and I crossed spring 2012 at the Nuance Alumni Chapter
00:32 at Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity incorporated.
00:34 (upbeat music)
00:36 The reason why I decided to join KSI,
00:41 because a lot of the men that I idolized
00:45 and wanted to be like, they were all noobs.
00:47 They had this amazing balance of like masculinity.
00:50 They were strong, they were athletic,
00:53 they were good role models.
00:54 They took care of their families.
00:55 They were financially successful too,
00:57 but they were also like the best dressed men in the room too.
01:00 They were charming.
01:01 They knew how to treat women with respect
01:02 and things like that.
01:04 And all those facets,
01:05 it really encompassed the man that I wanted to be.
01:08 And also it needs to be said too, I'm a legacy.
01:11 My father, he crossed at Alpha Sigma in 1966
01:15 at Southern University.
01:16 And my uncle, he's also a noob as well too.
01:18 So I was just surrounded by these men my entire life.
01:22 And it was really part of me, you know,
01:24 even before I knew it.
01:25 My proudest moment would have been
01:28 when I called my uncle after I crossed.
01:31 It was just, he was able to share that moment with me.
01:33 My father's no longer living,
01:34 so I wasn't able to call him,
01:36 but my uncle is like a father figure to me.
01:38 And being able to share certain experiences
01:41 and, you know, for us to kind of go through the same things
01:44 and for me to have the opportunity to call him a brother,
01:47 that really meant and it really means a lot to me.
01:50 I think these organizations are necessary in 2024
01:53 because similar to the question,
01:55 there's a lot of history behind them.
01:57 You know, and like with us in 1911
02:00 and I'm America's South Fire the same year,
02:03 the AKAs, 1908, Delta Sigma Theta, 1913.
02:06 Like back then we didn't have a lot in this country too.
02:10 So those sororities, fraternities,
02:11 they gave like young black men and women
02:14 who were pursuing higher education
02:16 like an additional sense of purpose.
02:18 And I think it carries on to that day too.
02:20 And it can create like inspiration.
02:24 You seeing people that are like-minded,
02:26 that are successful, that are ambitious,
02:28 that are goal-oriented.
02:29 It can push you to achieve more too
02:32 just because you're around it.
02:33 And I think too, just the representation.
02:36 Like we are beautiful, we're intelligent, we're leaders.
02:40 And I think those Divine Nine sororities and frats,
02:44 they're like symbolic of the resilience of our culture too.
02:48 You know, no matter what the obstacle
02:49 we can get through it 'cause pressure makes diamonds.
02:52 My line brothers and I,
02:53 we don't see each other in person
02:57 as much as I would like, you know,
02:59 especially with the pandemic.
03:00 I'm in Atlanta, one is in DC, one is in California,
03:03 the other is in Texas too.
03:05 And there, you know,
03:06 two of them are starting families and everything too.
03:08 So it's getting more difficult.
03:10 We still speak often, but I haven't,
03:12 I don't see them as much as I would like.
03:15 And you know, we shared so many experiences
03:18 and we've been through so much,
03:20 you know, we'll always be brothers
03:21 and we have an unbreakable bond,
03:23 but you know, I would like to see them more
03:25 than I have in recent years.
03:27 A fraternity brother that I am proud
03:31 to be in the same organization with is definitely my father.
03:35 He's no longer with us,
03:36 but he was my number one role model.
03:39 He was the first African-American district attorney
03:42 in the city of New Orleans.
03:44 He was a federal judge appointed by Bill Clinton.
03:47 And he came from a really, really small town.
03:49 And what he was able to do
03:51 with the costs that he was dealt is very inspiring.
03:55 And I, you know, try to walk in his footsteps.
03:57 And if I can be just half the man that he was,
03:59 I think I lived a great life.
04:01 One celebrity that I'm happy to be attached to
04:04 and that was a part of Kappa Alpha Psi
04:06 would happen to be Ralph Abernathy.
04:09 He's a notable figure.
04:11 He walked with Dr. King
04:12 and he was a pivotal part of the movement.
04:15 And I just think that's inspiring, you know,
04:17 and like most Greek organizations,
04:19 too, we had a hand in the civil rights movement.
04:22 And that's very, very proud to be a part of that.
04:24 The common misconception that people have
04:27 about the Divine Nine is that it's all fun and games.
04:31 I think, you know, people see the parties,
04:33 they see the step shows and all that,
04:35 which is definitely a part of it.
04:36 But a lot of people don't see,
04:39 and it's not highlighted as much like the volunteer work,
04:42 the days of service, the mentorship programs,
04:45 the college and career fairs, the fundraisers,
04:48 you know, things like that.
04:50 And I really believe, my mother told me this, too,
04:52 she's a Delta, she would tell me that
04:55 college is where your fraternity journey may start,
04:59 but after you graduate is when the work really begins, too.
05:02 And that's, I learned that when I graduated, too,
05:04 'cause you really get a chance to see
05:06 the beauty of the brotherhood
05:07 and the beauty of the sisterhood.
05:09 And, you know, I see the reason
05:11 why we hold these organizations so close to our hearts,
05:13 you know, 'cause it's given us so much
05:15 and it's allowed us to give so much to others, too.
05:17 (upbeat music)
05:20 (upbeat music)