It details how the companies failed to adequately address the calls to violence and election-related conspiracy theories circulating online after the 2020 presidential election. Thompson had three children: BendaLonne, Jeanna, and Thomas. He understands in a deeper way the dynamics of both normal and abnormal politics.. JACKSON, Miss. The hearings and report included testimony on the importance social media played in spurring supporters to come to Washington and inciting the mob after it penetrated the Capitol to further anger against former Vice President Mike Pence. You know, I cast votes based on what the issues are at that time, Thompson told CNN last July, explaining his vote against certifying Bushs election. "Fella who came down here and got in trouble overstepped his bounds to a degree some folks thought," says Whitten. 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. Thompson added: I can assure you that if a criminal referral would be warranted, there would be no reluctance on the part of this committee to do that, according to the Post. 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. Throughout my public service career in Congress, I have always put service above self and principles above politics. Triangle. He makes sure that we have an opportunity to reach consensus, said Representative Zoe Lofgren. "Because it matters morally who gets to tell it, and it matters financially who gets to tell it.". Instagram/Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, 6 Decades Later, Acquittal Of Emmett Till's Killers Troubles Town, Emmett Till's Cousin On Reopening Of Case: 'An Opportunity For The Truth To Be Told', Fraternity Suspends Students Who Posed In Front Of Emmett Till Memorial With Guns, A Brutal Lynching And A Possible Confession, Decades Later, Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation in Chicago. That has been the experience across the South, but especially Mississippi, said Derrick Johnson, the president and CEO of the NAACP and a mentee of Thompson. His 43 years of public service is a testament to his That pattern is set to repeat this year, with Nancy Pelosi stepping down as House Speaker to make room at the top for Jeffries, while sticking around to help guide the 52-year-old as he manages the caucus. "And the story never got told from an African American perspective.". inNew Orleans,LA, Weighted Career AV (100-95-): 15 (6677th overall since 1960), PFR HOF Monitor: 8.20 (981st among DB, average HOF DB is 98.02). * Selected to Pro Bowl, + First-Team AP All-Pro, Bold indicates league leader. That network may be part of what set him on his path to Congress in the first place. Or write about sports? When Thompson and Flowers faced off in 2020, Thompson ended up winning by more than 30%. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity (Gamma Rho Tougaloo College) and a lifetime member of the Asbury United Methodist Church in Bolton. Grace Segers is a staff writer at The New Republic. And Bennie Thompson has life experience dealing with all of these things, Raskin said. in bearing their share of the financial burden "It would be the same thing if I had a Bible up there, or if I had the flag up there and you shot it up," she says. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. One of those men, 21-year-old Bennie Thompson, had run for office because he wanted change for the towns Black residents: improved housing and infrastructure, fire and police protection, recreation for young people. The Fraternity would seek to raise the sights of Black youths and stimulate them to accomplishments higher than might otherwise be realized or even imagined. Hakeem Jeffries at a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Binghamton Alumni Chapter and Mu Kappa Undergraduate Chapter meeting in 1991. "And it's not just about replacing the sign, but it's what do they teach there? Politics | "Basically African Americans didn't have an opportunity to tell any of the story back in 1955 when it did happen," he says, because of fear of reprisals in Jim Crow-era Mississippi. For a long time, Thompson says, people didn't talk about Till's lynching. 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. The percentage of Blacks on campus was less than 1%. This city was largely populated by settlers from below the Mason-Dixon line and therefore found many sympathizers of the Southern cause. Over time, white students came to watch, too. Thompson considered running for Congress in the 1980s, after a congressional district with a majority African American population was created, but ultimately decided against it. It's also available for basketball, baseball and hockey. 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. Thompson was born in Bolton in 1948, the son of a mechanic and a schoolteacher. Vigilante lynchings of Blacks were commonplace. 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. This change became effective April 15, 1915. Consequently, eight other men met with Diggs and Armstrong for the purpose of organizing such a fraternity. Debbie Elliott/NPR "We're here in the cotton gin where they received the fan, the old fan, that they attempted to dispose of the child's body with," says museum founder and Glendora Mayor Johnny Thomas. Track and Field was the only sport which Blacks were able to demonstrate their athleticism. After becoming mayor of Bolton, Thompson helped organize the Mississippi Conference of Black Mayors, which successfully lobbied for federal funds to aid the region. According to Brown, Black Greek life in the U.S. arose from exclusion and racism in higher education. In 2012, Jeffries won his seat in Congress. Bennie Thompson is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Mississippis 2nd congressional district since 1993. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Spring, 2009. The ideals of the church were an important foundation of the Fraternity. 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. Pi Kappa Phi is the only Greek organization which owns its own philanthropy. He participated in step shows, a Black Greek Life tradition, stomping and clapping in unison with other brothers. It Doesnt Always Make It Easy for Them to Lead. Most of them were working their way through school. The Bryant's Grocery building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. ), When Espy was selected by President Bill Clinton to serve as secretary of agriculture in early 1993, Thompson ran in the special election to fill the vacant seat. For $5, you can watch a short film in which local residents describe what they remember from 1955, and walk through a hallway of exhibits, including a replica of Bryant's Grocery. They found that through these close interactions, they had common interests and a close bond began to emerge. There was an additional misunderstanding being attributed to the acronym of the Fraternitys Greek letters, KAN. Some confused the abbreviation of the letters to refer to the state of Kansas. The following is a transcript of an interview with Representative Bennie Thompson that aired Sunday, January 23, 2022, on "Face the Nation." Hes very careful and inclusive as chairman. The event was originally conceived by James T. Carter Jr. (Xi, 1948), a retired teacher from the DC public school system, who became an aide to Congressman Conyers. That 814-page report, which was issued in December, concluded Trump was the central cause of the 2021 mob invasion of the Capitol. Ratings: 14 Grade: 67% Rate This Fraternity. For her part, Cheney called Thompson a tremendous leader in a statement to The New Republic. WebCongressman Bennie G. Thompson is a firm believer of giving back to those whom afforded him an opportunity to serve. Trump ups competition with DeSantis in planning trip to Iowa Their intolerance toward Blacks fueled the negative mindset of other Whites residing there. One day as one of the Fraternity members, Frank Summers, was running the hurdles, Founder Diggs overheard a White student state, He is a member of Kappa Alpha Nig. Serving his 13th Bennie Thompson was born in a very loving family in Bolton, Mississippi. ), Thompson is also widely praised by members of the select committee, who say that he has fostered a collaborative environment. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Till was kidnapped, beaten, shot in the head and dumped in the bayou, weighted down by a heavy industrial fan taken from a cotton gin activities that stretched across three counties. "We have struggled with getting the whole story out; we don't want the sanitized version.". Bennie Thompson had 40 receiving yards over his career. 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 Congressman Thompson is and has been a consistent supporter of our armed fighting forces and veterans, making sure that these 22.6 million heroes get the services they deserve. The panels investigators interviewed technology industry executives and law enforcement and intelligence officials, along with Trump aides and Republican election officials. You have reached your limit of free articles. The event also creates opportunities for community leaders in the fraternity to meet with, and hear from current members of the House and Senate, who are also members of the fraternity. "We came by to see this part of history about Emmett Till," says Alexis Ortiz. The committee is also expected to hold more public hearings this year, after just one high-profile hearing with Capitol and Metropolitan Police officers last summer. Congress is a venue in which attention-seekers thrive, instinctively turning to camera lights like plants tilt toward the sun. 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 Rights Reserved. They were also notorious for discriminating against Black students. The two men attacked the teen after Carolyn Bryant claimed he made an aggressive pass at her. But the local chapter president has reached out to Memorial Commission Executive Director Patrick Weems, who welcomes a dialogue. 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. You know when you are in college, and there are just some people that seem like grown-ups, more than the other students? 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 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. 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. Rep. Bennie Thompson speaks during the January 6 committee's first public hearing. These students saw the need to foster communal bonds while on campus, and to increase professional opportunities after their collegiate experience. Triangle. Recent reporting by The Washington Post and CBS News revealed a gap in Trumps phone logs on January 6, 2021, of seven hours and 37 minutes. That's not the America that we want to live in. 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 Debbie Elliott/NPR Other Kappa Alpha Psi alumni include famed NBA center Wilt Chamberlain, civil rights activist and quarterback Colin Kaepernick, lawyer Johnnie Cochran, and New York Times columnist Charles Blow, as well as Mandela Barnes, the former Wisconsin lieutenant governor who nearly flipped a U.S. Senate seat last year. Former members of Congress who were Kappas include Alcee Hastings of Florida, Don McEachin of Virginia, and Louis Stokes of Ohio, who helped lay the foundation of the Congressional Black Caucus. The chairman of the January 6 committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, will miss Thursday's prime-time hearing after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, according to a committee spokesman. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. Today, the building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. The number of places where they might assemble was limited. The report provides examples of Twitter managers failing to act on employee warnings about heated rhetoric on the platform, including the phrase locked and loaded. Employees were told they could escalate any troubling content to superiors, but no experienced supervisor was on duty the morning of the certification of the Presidential election, the report said. The administration maintained an attitude of indifference, as Blacks slowly matriculated and were likewise swiftly forgotten. Congress launches inquiry into states disinvestment in Jackson water, Jan. 6 panel votes unanimously to subpoena Trump to testify, Capitol Police investigate letter with concerning language found near Jan. 6 committee Chair Bennie Thompsons office, Congress launches inquiry into states disinvestment in, Jan. 6 panel votes unanimously to subpoena, Capitol Police investigate letter with concerning language. That gives committee members a ticking clock to complete their task. Do you have a blog? Its a real joy working with him, said Katko, who is retiring at the end of the year. He calls commemorative sites like signs and monuments the new lunch counters. Whitten's father was one of the defense lawyers. Jaynes-Diming is part of the Emmett Till Memorial Commission, which is trying to preserve sites like this. "Emmett was murdered because of racial hatred," says Gordon-Taylor. The campus of Indiana University at that time did not encourage the assimilation of Blacks. Whitten sees no reason to commemorate Till's slaying. These men of vision decided Kappa Alpha Nu would be more than another social organization. During the early days of Greek life, these elite fraternities and sororities were known to groom their members on the basics of business and social etiquette. Weband Thompson served as a town alderman from 1969 to 1973, when he won election as the towns mayor. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Troy Carter of Louisiana got to Congress in 2021, he and Jeffries joked about how they would work on growing their ranks in Congress. The Bryant's Grocery building is in ruins, overtaken by trees and vines. Meta spokesman Andy Stone declined to comment on the draft report and referred questions about Trumps reinstatement to the companys previous public statements, which pledged consequences for future violations if Trumps accounts are reinstated. Sixteen years before the insurrection, on January 6, 2005, Thompson voted against certifying the electoral victory of President George W. Bush, objecting to the election results in Ohio. A New York Times article detailing Thompsons victory said he was regarded as far more confrontational than Espy, noting that he made no overtures to white voters.. The Mississippi congressmans long struggle for civil rights is culminating with his role atop the January 6 committee. As fraternity president, Jeffries coordinated and emceed the Mu Kappa chapters fashion show fundraiser. By Jeff Welch, Director of Diversity and Inclusion. In Congress, Thompson focused much of his work on racial equity. Civil rights tour guide Jessie Jaynes-Diming stands on the banks of the Tallahatchie River, one of several Emmett Till Memorial sites that local officials are trying to have protected under the National Park Service. The fraternity declined to comment to NPR. Why don't y'all let that die?' In 1980, Thompson was elected to the Hinds County board of supervisors, where he served 13 years. Join our linker program. The group works with families who have been victims of racially motivated crimes and police violence. Wicker was the only member of the states Republican congressional delegation not to cast votes on Jan. 6 challenging the These incidents caused the Founders to change the name of the Fraternity. After graduating Binghamton with a Bachelors degree in political science, Jeffries got a law degree at New York University. Hes one of the few people in politics who has no ego. Debbie Elliott/NPR Guy Levis Grant, Edward Giles Irvin, and Sgt. "Kappa Alpha Psi", "KA", and the Coat of Arms of Kappa Alpha Psi are registered trademarks of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. "There was a lot of pushback not only from the white community but from the black community also," says Jaynes-Diming. As far as replacing the sign, Weems is getting help from a fifth-generation local farmer, Walker Sturdivant, who owns the property and plans to donate a long-term lease to better protect the site. He is well-known among his colleagues, but not necessarily a nationally recognized figure. Jeffries grew up in Brooklyn, the son of a social worker and a state substance abuse counselor. Twitter and Facebook bent rules to favor Donald, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Twitter and Facebook bent rules to favor Donald Trump, Jan. 6 staff report finds, Trump ups competition with DeSantis in planning trip to Iowa, Fox ratings plunge for Tucker Carlsons old time slot, Trump lawyer cross-examines rape accuser Carroll, Judge: Former California GOP Rep. Devin Nunes not defamed by Esquires Iowa farm story, Denied an abortion, woman tells senators she nearly died on their watch, US conducts first evacuation of its citizens from Sudan war, AP Interview: Pelosi says Ukraine, democracy must win, Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors. Equality doesnt mean spending the same amount of money on blacks as whites. Fast forward to today, the Divine Nine is a collective of Black fraternities and sororities that are governed by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Instagram/Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting He plans to donate a long-term lease to better protect the site. The committee has also been entangled in multiple lawsuits attempting to block it from obtaining information. "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.". He has been married his college sweetheart, London Johnson of Mound Bayou, Mississippi, since 1968. Thompson and wife have a daughter, BendaLonne Thompson. Bennie Thompson and his wife London Johnson have a daughter, BendaLonne; granddaughter, Jeanna; and grandson, Thomas Gordon. Bennie Thompson is the son of Will and Annie Lauris Thompson. The leak of the document comes as Facebooks parent company, Meta, decides whether to allow the former president back on its platforms. Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Favorite Healthcare Staffing. This one day event brings together teenage members of the fraternity's Kappa League from various chapters to learn about careers in government, meet current members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and tour the Capitol. "The basic idea is that you can't shoot an app," Tell says. In fact, all twenty-three counties in the Second District are medically under-served and many citizens are unable to afford health coverage. Members of Greek letter organizations also get the opportunity to participate in numerous philanthropic and community service events. Farmer Walker Sturdivant owns the land where Till's body was removed from the river. Since 1980, 13 members of the fraternity have served in the United States House of Representatives, the most by any member organization of the National Pan Hellenic Council. Power always changes hands, and Republicans are widely expected to retake the House in the midterm elections. She added that she wanted to particularly credit him for his decision to elevate GOP Representative Liz Cheney to the role of committee vice chair. Let me tell you, stepping is not easy, especially when you have to learn to twirl canes, Cordero says. He was a force to be reckoned with, Joseph Cordero, who was two years ahead of Jeffries and a fellow Nupe, recalls of the man who would go on to be the first Black lawmaker to lead either party in Congress. The Delta is in the northwest. The question of who gets to tell the Emmett Till story is a charged question says Dave Tell, a professor at the University of Kansas and author of Remembering Emmett Till. 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. The duty to lead and the privilege to serve others in order to better the world around you. Reddit, in a statement, said it found no evidence of coordinated calls for violence on it platform related to Jan. 6. The obligation to become engaged in the college or university community. Some of Till's relatives will be a part of the ceremony. Milam (left) and Roy Bryant sit with their wives, Juanita Milam (second from left) and Carolyn Bryant, in September 1955. The city halls are no longer places our black folks fear to come, Thompson told The New York Times in a 1979 article. hide caption. Notable Members: Attorney, Johnnie Cochran, US Congressman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, and Athletes, Arthur Ashe and Colin Kaepernick Omega Psi Phi | Ranking Member of @HomelandDems . Emmett Till's killers J.W. 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. Born out of the vestiges of racism, Kappa Alpha Nu encountered another metamorphosis, partially related to action of bigotry. The name of Fraternity and the image it portrayed was of paramount importance. Let us see you in your colorful paraphernalia. Learn more on the philanthropy page. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. of the chapter and the national organization; Who bring credit to the fraternity by striving to attain WebRate This Fraternity. According to Jeffries: Never before had anyone seen leadership qualities in me outside of anyone in my family.. 2x Pro Bowl. Reliance would be placed upon high Christian ideals and the purpose of ACHIEVEMENT. A "private property" sign posted out front is barely visible. 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. U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson called on the hundreds who marched during the annual King Day at the Dome to continue to fight against injustice. We strive to live each day by our founding principles and consistently work towards the betterment of Pi Kappa Phi, ourselves and the world. and I shall do my share to make it so. 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. hide caption. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. Twitter, Parler and Gab didnt immediately respond to requests for comment. A commitment to Pi Kappa Phi that transcends any personal selfishness. 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. The story begins in Money, Miss., at Bryant's Grocery, where Till allegedly flirted with a white woman. hide caption. Two of these men, Elder Watson Diggs and Byron Kenneth Armstrong, had previously attended Howard University and had come into contact with men belonging to the only national Black Greek-Letter Fraternity currently in existence. The killing propelled the civil rights movement, and his name is still invoked when innocent blood is shed in racial violence. But, although he has had his fair share of big-name interviews, Thompson has maintained a relatively low profile. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. WebThe obligation to remain involved in Pi Kappa Phi after graduation and to work perpetually to build the ideal fraternity. He didn't die in vain, and he triggered, I believe, the civil rights movement.". 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. The organization was given the temporary name of Alpha Omega, while they further developed the formation of the organization. Thompson became chair of the Homeland Security Committee in 2007 and introduced legislation implementing the remaining recommendations provided by the 9/11 Commission. The establishment in the community saw this as a threat to their way of life. The city clerk had told him in the first meeting of the new council that he would not do anything the Black aldermen said. Both Facebook and Twitter faced significant headwinds in taking aggressive action against problematic content by President Trump and his supporters, partly out of fear that they would be classified as overly partisan, according to the report. His congressional colleagues describe him as even-tempered and levelheaded, able to command respect without shouting for attention. "I think all these folks are stirring crap up," he says.

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