My Brothers of the Eastern Region,

This fraternal year is one of the most unique within the historical framework of our fraternity.  We have witnessed challenges to chapter administration within the Covid-19 era and experienced the transition of fraternity brothers into Omega Chapter. Individual brothers have been personally impacted through the loss of family members and restricted social mobility, as a result of unemployment or under employment during this period of economic uncertainty.

Our mission statement states “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.” We must become especially more vigilant in providing advocacy for better educational opportunities and outcomes, economic development and capital formation, and combating social injustice and disparities within the judicial and healthcare systems, which disproportionately affect African American communities. In order to successfully address these concerns, we must first secure the House of Alpha !  We must not remain content with the legacy bequeathed by the Seven Jewels. Now at this critical juncture, the Brothers of the Eastern Region must lead the fraternity to become firmly rooted in our alpha ideals.

My campaign theme, in this election as the 29^th Eastern Region Vice President is entitled, “Alpha Ideals: Building the Future.”  Through acknowledgement of our history, appreciation for the character, lineage and purposeful actions of our Founders, we are poised to further expand the Cornell University experiment in brotherhood, leadership, advocacy and service. The four essential platform areas of my campaign to maximize the social impact of our Brotherhood, will provide aspirational leadership, create dynamic partnerships, and foster tangible membership strategies to improve our retention and membership development. These platform areas are as follows:

• Leadership Development and Chapter Administration: We will adopt a Strategic Plan with milestones to improve Eastern Region operations & maximize the collective social impact of the fraternity’s chapters in our communities.
• Brotherhood and Membership Engagement: We will invest in the Brotherhood, developing meaningful mentorship for brothers post-IMDP and thoughtful ways to retain and reclaim brothers.
• Enhancing Civic & Political Development: We will recognize the self-invested capital within our Brotherhood to provide diverse and aspirational leadership “to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic and intellectual status.”
• Board Governance and Accountability: We must ensure our National Board of Directors utilizes best practices on governance, exercises financial transparency, and maintains both accountability and responsiveness to the Brotherhood in the adoption of fraternity policies.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and concerns on the issues facing our fraternity and society, presenting my robust campaign platform during your chapter meetings, and enjoying the fellowship of the Brothers. Please contact me by telephone at (914) 458-2470 or email at [email protected] to dialogue with you further on how we together, can strengthen the Eastern Region and ensure the efficacy of the fraternity through “Alpha Ideals: Building the Future.”   

Yours in Service & Leadership,

Cleveland E. Beckett, Jr.
Bro. Cleveland E. Beckett, Jr.
Life Member # 8035
Candidate, 29^th Eastern Region Vice President