Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. recently announced that it would contribute $50,000 to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP), to support the new James Weldon Johnson Scholarship. Micheal E. Cristal, the international president of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, made the declaration in a video interview with Derrick Johnson, president, and CEO of the NAACP.
The James Weldon Johnson Scholarship is named after Bro. James Weldon Johnson, author of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” civil rights activist, and former Executive Director of the NAACP. The grant will support students who represent Bro. Johnson’s commitment to community engagement and social justice.
“As A Brotherhood of Conscious Men Actively Serving Our Communities, Phi Beta Sigma’s mission is to educate, empower and train the next generation of change agents and community leaders,” said Bro. Cristal, the NAACP’s International President. “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a natural partner because of our shared connection to Bro. Johnson’s legacy and a commitment to empowering our people to be the change we need in our country. I look forward to working with their team to inspire the next generation of leaders.”
“We are thrilled to partner with Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated to establish the James Weldon Johnson Scholarship Award,” said Derrick Johnson, NAACP President, and CEO. “James Weldon Johnson was an instrumental member and leader in our organization and this scholarship will give the next generation of leaders and activists the assistance to follow in his path. We look forward to witnessing our student recipients contribute to their communities and beyond.”
ABOUT PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INC.
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was initiated on January 9, 1914, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Its founders were the three African American male scholars on the principles of Brotherhood, service, and Scholarship. The Founders perceived Phi Beta Sigma as an instrument to help deliver services to the entire community. This deep belief is replicated in the Fraternity’s motto, Culture for Service and Service For Humanity. Currently, Phi Beta Sigma has expanded into a worldwide organization of leaders, with over 800 sections chartered across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, United States, and Canada. The Fraternity offers metamorphic experiences through its global programs of Bigger and Better Business, Education, Social Action, and Sigma Beta Club, as well as partnerships with strategic cohorts. For more information, visit www.phibetasigma1914.org.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the most pre-eminent and largest civil rights organization in the state, founded in 1909 to respond to the violence against the people of color. We have more than 2,200 units and branches, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to ensure educational, social, political, and economic equality of rights to eradicate race-based discrimination and safeguard the h
