AUSTIN, Texas — Leadership, brotherhood and being an advocate for the community are some of the core values of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.
The brothers of Gamma Eta Lambda, the Austin alumni chapter, held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Martin Luther King Jr. statue located on the University of Texas campus Monday morning.
Dr. King was a member of the brotherhood, and members of the fraternity commemorated him through inspirational speeches, songs and prayer.
"Even though it's super cold this morning, that doesn't stop us. MLK, along with all the other guys who fought for our freedom, was walking in the rain, sleet and snow. This is just a small fraction of what we could be doing," said Greg Harrington, president of the Gamma Eta Lambda chapter.
The fraternity brothers – dressed in their signature colors of black and gold – shook hands and embraced each other. This was one of the first times they all have come together as a chapter since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
"Dr. King's goal was to make sure that we understood that whatever endeavor we undertook that we always worked as hard as we could. The opportunity that we have today is based on the sacrifice that people like Dr. King and our fraternity made yesterday," said Jeffrey Travillion, Travis County Commissioner, Precinct 1.
The Austin alumni chapter intends to lend a helping hand in the community whenever possible. In the last presidential election season, one of the brothers helped registered 667 Austinites to vote. Their goal for the next election is to register 1,000 residents.
Their overall goal? Keeping their beloved activist brother, Dr. King, in the back of their minds with hopes to be an inspiration to others, and always dream big.
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