Fraternity members stop by middle school to inspire

EAST ORANGE, NJ — The familiar words “I am the  greatest,” spoken to reporters in 1964 by heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, recently found their way into an empowering goal-setting presentation. The event, sponsored by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter, drew about 150 eighth-grade male students from Sojourner Truth Middle School.

Principal Monica D. Burton addressed the students, “We are preparing you, our young men, for high school, college and beyond. You must always hold yourselves to a higher standard than anyone expects of you. See these men as role models. See yourselves as our nation’s next leaders.”

As part of the students’ participation, keynote speaker, past President of the chapter and Chairman of the Martin Luther King Jr. program Jesse Branson Sr. had them stand together and speak affirmations. He explained, “I’m a big believer in affirmations. Inspire yourself.”

Branson also inspired students to set goals in their lives, stating, “Goal-setting is very, very important. You’ve got to have direction in your life. It’s important to have goals.”

Branson explained his choice of affirmation, stating, “It’s a miracle that I’m here. When I was in the eighth grade, I never never thought I’d be here today. When Muhammad Ali said those words, something sparked in me.”

Other members from the chapter in attendance included Horner Williams, current president of the chapter, and Mark Smith, past president of the chapter.

Each year, the fraternity sponsors an oratorical competition to honor the work and long-standing impact of Martin Luther King Jr. on the world. Branson explained, “Dr. King was an Alpha man.

“We want students to step up and be leaders. We want them to stand up for what is right!”

Closing out the event, Burton shared an observation with participants: “I saw a young man who did not have a writing pad, so he wrote his goal down in the palm of his hand. We want you to look up to these brothers. We want you to go to college.“

Also in attendance was Deborah M. Harvest, assistant superintendent of the East Orange School District, who commented, “The East Orange School District is most appreciative of our community partners. We recognize that it does take a village, working together, to make a difference in a child’s life. The men of Alpha Phi Alpha have done a wonderful job assisting our young men at Truth Middle School with becoming phenomenal public speakers.”

Inspired by the event, students in the audience shared their reflections.

Nixon Abuku, 13, stated, “I vividly remember his speech. It helped me a lot. His speech was about power and the importance of goals. He also told us we must have passion in ourselves. I followed that advice. It really helped me. He also said that our goals must have deadlines.”

Similarly, Sincere Daniels, 14, commented, “The Alpha Fraternity inspires young black males to do the right thing.  They believe in us.”

Nickalos Carter, 14, stated, “They inspired me to believe that I can do anything, if I put my mind to it.”

Tashawn Stevens, 13, added, “I know that there’s a key to unlock every door and the key is success.  Without success, you won’t be able to do anything in the world. Work hard, play hard.”

Helping to make the event special were Gabriel Cajuste, Lynnette Joyner, Mirvetk Tonuzi, Marion Bell and Tanya Green.