00:00So how about that blue five, you know, it's the brotherhood and sisterhood for Essence.
00:06So this month we're celebrating the Divine Nine organizations, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha,
00:13Omega Psi Phi, Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho,
00:21and Iota Phi Theta. We're showing love to our staff that are Divine Nine members.
00:25My name is Kelvin Byers. I'm the senior social manager here for Essence and I crossed spring 2009
00:32into the illustrious Phi Beta Sigma fraternity incorporated. The reason I chose Phi Beta Sigma
00:37wasn't because I thought it was the coolest thing on the yard or because all the bruhs dressed the
00:44flyest or simply because they had all the girls.
00:55It just simply, they were the ones that were doing the work. I'm a huge advocate on community
01:00service and a huge advocate for just betterment of our society. And those were the brothers
01:06that were on the yard actually holding the blanket drives, actually going to the soup kitchens,
01:10actually working in the community. And that's what I really wanted to do. So I will say that
01:15Phi Beta Sigma kind of chose me because my heart for human interest was really there.
01:20I think my proudest moment today has to be being able to represent Phi Beta Sigma on a national
01:26level serving as assistant state director for the state of Kentucky for two years. Through
01:32that, my efforts really helped build not only our undergraduate chapters with the community
01:35service work, but also helped bring Phi Beta Sigma to a national platform.
01:39I think these organizations are super important in 2024 because when you look back at the early
01:431900s when we were founded, there was a lot of segregation and there was a lot of just people
01:49not being able to do the things they love to do because of the color of their skin. And Phi Beta
01:53Sigma for instance was founded on the inclusively, not the exclusively. And as we come to 2024,
01:58we see the strike down of affirmative action and people not being able to do simple things because
02:03the way they look or the way they love or the way they pray. I think that these organizations
02:07are still here today to help push the agenda that we are all important. And I think that's why
02:11we are still relevant today.
02:12Phi Beta Sigma's got souls. Phi Beta Sigma's got souls.
02:27Me and my line brothers still are in contact today. Me and my chapter brothers still talk
02:31all the time. I think it's super important because we have more than just those four or five years,
02:37six years, if you took that long in college together, we actually build a foundation and a
02:42family. I can call on my five brothers anytime I'm in need and vice versa. My five brothers even got
02:48me my first job, like my first job post-college. So it's more than just a stepping and strolling on the
02:52yard. These are lifetime bonds that we're making. I think a common misconception that people have
02:57about the Define Niner that we are just stepping and strolling and yelling on the yard. We are actually in
03:02the communities doing the work. We are in our government, being government officials, making
03:07policies. We are change makers. And I think that once we step aside from just being hoot and hollering,
03:14seeing as the cool people on the yard, that you see that we actually are the ones that are putting
03:18in the work and making the future a little bit brighter.
Comments