By Alexandria Leatherberry
The Truth Reporter
The Alpha Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. held its second Annual Alpha Esquires Beautillion at the Toledo Museum of Art Glass Pavilion Saturday, April 19. The event served as a rite of passage for the organization’s youth group, Alpha Esquires.
Alpha Esquires is a youth mentoring and leadership development group designed for young men of color in sixth-12th grade. The group serves students in the greater Toledo area to promote leadership, communication skills, social awareness, community involvement and other areas of personal growth.
Prior to the Beautillion event, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha conduct several workshops to prepare the Esquires: financial literacy, public speaking, college readiness and etiquette. Upon completion of the program, the Esquires will be better prepared to meet the challenges of college, their future professions and daily life.
President of Alpha Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Calvin C. Burney, EdD, opened the ceremony followed by a welcome from the Director of Belonging and Community Engagement of the Toledo Museum of Art, Rhonda Sewell.
Zuri Hall, an Emmy award winning TV personality and host, led the main event of the evening as mistress of ceremony introducing the Beaux and Belles. The Beaux included: Meikhi Bailey, a senior at Rogers High School with a 3.9 GPA, Langston Allen Baker, a senior at Toledo School for the Arts, Xavien Bofia with a 3.2 GPA at E.L. Bowsher High School, Kavon Riley from St. John’s Jesuit High School with a 3.5 GPA.
The Belles held their own accomplishments in their community academics in their perspective classes, the young ladies of the cohort included: Jaila Bofia of Start High School, Samara Coleman of Rogers High School, Kaitlyn Diggins of Notre Dame Academy and Celina Winfield-White of Central Catholic high School.
The introduction was commemorated with a dance among the Belles and Beaux, followed by a mother-son dance, concluding with community highlights. The Alpha Xi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. will be accepting applications for the Alpha Esquires and sharing more upcoming events at: toledoalphas.com
Since its founding December 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans, was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country.
Locally, Alpha Xi Lambda, an alumni chapter, was chartered November 3, 1928 at the Frederick Douglass Community Center. Alpha Phi Alpha’s college chapters: Epsilon Alpha and Epsilon Theta were chartered May 15, 1954 (University of Toledo) and May 15, 1959 (Bowling Green State University).
