Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Celebrates 50 years Of Mentoring In The Dallas Community At C.C. Russeau Black & Gold Gala
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.‘s Alpha Sigma Lambda chapter and the Alpha Merit Group Committee, Inc. held the annual C.C. Russeau Black & Gold Scholarship Gala Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel. The event is a fundraiser for the 50-year-old Alpha Merit Group mentoring program.
The Alpha Merit Group is a 501(c)3 educational organization founded in 1964. Focused on helping boys between 5th and 12th grades promote academic excellence, build leadership skills and broaden social skills, the program has mentored more than 15,000 boys and has awarded more than $75,000 in scholarships. The group was founded by Earnest Wallace but Russeau played a significant role in the growth of the program. Some Alpha Merit alumni are active members of Alpha Phi Alpha, including the Alpha Sigma Lambda chapter.
“We are proud to honor the mission of Alpha Phi Alpha by continuing to help turn boys into young men while assisting them with some of the cost of college through Alpha Merit,” said Jabari Jones, president of the Alpha Sigma Lambda chapter. “We also look forward to honoring individuals who we feel reflect some of Alpha Phi Alpha’s values.”
Four people will be honored at the Black & Gold Gala. The honorees include: Wright L. Lassiter, Ed.D., chancellor-emeritus of the Dallas County Community College District; Norma Adams-Wade, award-winning journalist and the first African American full-time general reporter for The Dallas Morning News; Nakia Douglas, principal of the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy; and Cheryl Smith, award-winning mass media veteran.
