Call-To-Action Town Hall: The Fraternity's Stance on Anti-Lynching

Bishop William J. Barber II, DMin, is President and Senior Lecturer of Repairers of the Breach; a Professor in the Practice of Public Theology and Public Policy and Founding Director of the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School; Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival and Bishop with The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries.

Bishop Barber is the author of five books: We Are Called To Be A Movement; Revive Us Again: Vision and Action in Moral Organizing; The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics, and The Rise of a New Justice Movement; Forward Together: A Moral Message For The Nation, and White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy.

Bishop Barber served as senior pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church, Disciples of Christ for thirty years and as president of the North Carolina NAACP from 2006-2017, and on the National NAACP Board of Directors from 2008-2020. He is the architect of the Forward Together Moral Movement that gained national acclaim in 2013 with its Moral Monday protests at the North Carolina General Assembly. In 2015, he established Repairers of the Breach to train communities in moral movement building through the Moral Political Organizing Leadership Institute and Summit Trainings (MPOLIS). In 2018, he co-anchored the relaunch of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival— reviving the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign organized by SCLS, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., worker’s rights movement, women’s rights movement, religious leaders, and people of all races to fight poverty in the U.S. Bishop William Barber II has been arrested more than 15 times in various states standing up with those who have been marginalized by systematic racism.

A highly sought-after speaker, Bishop Barber has given keynote addresses at hundreds of national and state conferences, including the 2016 Democratic National Convention, the homily at the 59th Inaugural Prayer Service for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Vatican at Pope Francis’s encyclical “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. In June 2018, he addressed the 5th Uni Global Union World Congress to more than 25 countries.

Bishop Barber is regularly featured in media outlets such as MSNBC, CNN, the New York Times, Washington Post, and The Nation magazine. He was named one of 2020’s BET 100 Entertainers and Innovators and one of the 2019 recipients of the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest civilian honor. He is a 2018 MacArthur Foundation Genius Award recipient and a 2015 recipient of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award and the Puffin Award.

Bishop Barber has had twelve honorary doctorate degrees conferred upon him. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctorate from Drew University with a concentration in Public Policy and Pastoral Care.

Jeff Johnson  is an American journalist, communications specialist, TV personality, and political activist who formerly served as the National Director of the NAACP Youth and College Division. [1]

NAACP and Leadership Background

• Role: National Director of the Youth and College Division at the NAACP, where he focused on engaging young activists and leaders. [1]
• Activism Roots: His desire to serve the Black community deepened during his time at the University of Toledo, where he served as Black Student Union president and student government president. [1, 2]
• Other Major Roles: Vice President of the Hip Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN), Senior Advisor for People for the American Way, and Managing Director at Actum. [1, 2, 3]

Media and Journalism Career

• BET Network: Known as "Cousin Jeff," he hosted and produced shows such as Rap City, , >em class="zhvwWe" data-sfc-cp="" jsaction="" jscontroller="LFsGHb#ycPkjf" data-sfc-root="ep" data-epip="" jsuid="DkyP0e_2e" data-complete="true">The Truth With Jeff Johnson, and the late-night talk 
• show MANCAVE. [1, 2]
• High-Profile Interviews: Interviewed prominent figures including President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Omar Al-Bashir. [1]
• Commentary & Writing: Contributed to CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, The Grio, and the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, and authored the book Everything I'm Not Made Me Everything I Am. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Over the course of a journalistic career that has seen him interview multiple U.S. presidents to the top athletes and entertainers in Hollywood, Roland S. Martin is a journalist who has always maintained a clear sense of his calling in this world. Many have bestowed upon him the moniker, “The Voice Of Black America.”

Martin is the host and managing editor of #RolandMartinUnfiltered, the first daily online show in history focused on news and analysis of politics, entertainment, sports, and culture from an explicitly African American perspective. It launched on Sept. 4, 2018.

On Sept. 4, 2021, Martin launched the Black Star Network, an OTT network that features a variety of shows focused on news, culture, finance, wellness, history and wellness. BSN is available on Apple and Android phones; Apple and Android TV; Roku; Amazon Fire, XBox One and Samsung TV.

For the last two years, Martin produces a twice daily commentary on iHeartRadio’s Black Information Network, heard on nearly 40 stations nationwide.

Martin is the author of four books. His latest is “White Fear: How The Browning of America Is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds.” His other books are: Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith; Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America; and The First: President Barack Obama’s Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin.

He has contributed to several others, including Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism by Julianne Malveaux; Black Woman Redefined: Dispelling Myths and Discovering Fulfillment in the Age of Michelle Obama by Sophia Nelson; Faivish Pewzner New York and Fatherhood: Rising to the Ultimate Challenge by Etan Thomas and Nick Chiles.

Martin is a sought after international speaker, delivering speeches and lectures to numerous groups annually, electrifying audiences with his deep understanding of history, politics and culture.

He has been named four times by Ebony Magazine as one of the 150 Most Influential African Americans in the United States.

When Jet Magazine readers voted in 2012 for who is “King of the Hill” in terms of who they turn to on issues of concern to African Americans, Martin came on top, ahead of the likes of the Rev. Al Sharpton and Donna Brazile. NewsOne.com named as the number one Black pundit in the country; and he has been named several times to The Root 100, their annual list of influential African Americans.

In October 2022, Martin was named a Fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists, the organization’s highest honor. In December 2021, he was inducted as the youngest living member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall Of Fame. In 2008, he was also inducted into the Texas A&M University Journalism Hall of Honor.

In his career, Martin has been showered with more than 40 awards for journalistic excellence, including being named the Journalist of the Year in 2013 by the National Association of Black Journalists for his extensive focus on voter suppression and other issues of concern to African Americans during the 2012 election.

Martin was also awarded the 2008 President’s Award by the National Association of Black Journalists for his work in multiple media platforms.

He is a four-time NAACP Image Award winner, including named Best Host for the last two years.

Martin spent six years as a contributor for CNN, appearing on numerous shows and earning accolades near and far for his no-holds honesty, conviction and perspective on various issues. In 2009, CNN was awarded the Peabody Award for its outstanding 2008 election coverage, of which Martin was a member of the Best Political Team on Television.

From 2008 to 2019, Martin was a senior analyst for the Tom Joyner Morning Show, where his daily segment was heard on more than 100 stations and 8 million people daily.

Martin has been named one of the top 50 political pundits by the Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, and has appeared numerous times on a variety of American networks, as well as media outlets in Canada, Columbia, Italy, Australia and South Africa.

From October 2005 to October 2008, he served as a radio talk show for WVON-AM in Chicago, first as mid-day host and later as morning drive host.

He is the former executive editor/general manager of the Chicago Defender, the nation’s most historic Black newspaper. A digital media pioneer, Martin launched the first Black news source audio and video podcast in 2005 and 2006 at the Defender.

He is the former founding news editor for Savoy Magazine under the team of New York-based Vanguarde Media, and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com.

He previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper. He also has worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly, which he led to a number of local, state and national journalism awards.

Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM; news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas; city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. He has also written pieces for Ebony and Essence magazines.

Mr. Martin is a life member of the National Association of Black Journalists; a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc..; and a member of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

He is a board member of the education reform group, 50Can.

Martin a 1987 graduate of Jack Yates High School-Magnet School of Communications, and a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor’s of science degree in journalism.

He has been awarded honorary degrees from Florida Memorial University; University of Maryland-University College; Lemoyne-Owen College; Lane College; and South Carolina State University.

He is married to the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin, author of “Fulfilled! The Art and Joy of Balanced Living,” and “Wedded Bliss: A 52-Week Devotional to Balanced Living” and the children’s book series, “Hannah’s Heart.”

They reside in northern Virginia and the Dallas area.

As President of the National Urban League since 2003, Marc Morial has been the primary catalyst for an era of change and a transformation for the 100-plus-year-old civil rights organization. His energetic and skilled leadership has expanded the League's work around an empowerment agenda, redefining civil rights in the 21st century with a renewed emphasis on closing the economic gaps between Whites and Blacks and rich and poor Americans.

Under his stewardship, the National Urban League has had record fundraising success and secured the Better Business Bureau nonprofit certification, establishing the National Urban League as a leading national nonprofit organization.  He presided over the League's centennial celebration in 2010, ushering in a new century of service and establishing empowerment goals for every division across the League and its affiliates. Morial's creativity has led to initiatives such as the Urban Youth Empowerment Program, which assists young adults in securing sustainable jobs, and Entrepreneurship Centers in five cities to help the growth of small businesses. He also created the National Urban League Empowerment Fund, which has pumped almost $200 million into urban impact businesses, including minority businesses, through debt and equity investments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Morial led the Urban League in sounding the alarm about the racially disparate impact of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis, commencing an intense advocacy and direct relief campaign later to be called The Urban League Fights For You. Under his leadership, NUL also responded to the murder of George Floyd with advocacy, organizing, and policy actions, including 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Public Trust, a framework for criminal justice advocacy.

Perhaps one of Morial's most significant contributions to the National Urban League's legacy is the Urban League Empowerment Center in Harlem. The $242 million, 414,000-square-foot Urban League Empowerment Center is one of the most significant economic development projects in Harlem's recent history – and a return home for the League that was founded in Harlem in 1910. The Center will serve as the headquarters for the National Urban League and be home to the Urban Civil Rights Museum Experience, New York City's first civil rights museum, and the National Urban League Institute for Race, Equity, and Justice. The Center will also bring 170 affordable housing units to Harlem, below-market office space for nonprofits and community groups, including One Hundred Black Men of New York, United Negro College Fund New York, and the Harlem-based Jazzmobile, and retail space featuring Target and Trader Joe's.

Early in his career, Brandon McGee was the Youth & College Division NAAACP President for the state of Alabama from 2004-2006. During that time, Rep. McGee became acquainted with many national figures in the civil rights movement. Brandon was fortunate to befriend Rosa Parks, one of the most influential figures of the civil rights movement, whom he considered a friend and mentor. These experiences and his desire to help people and communities reach their full potential led to his decision to seek public office. His long affiliation and strong ties to his alma mater, Alabama State University, led to the creation of the Brandon McGee Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) scholarship in 2014.

He has numerous affiliations and serves in various capacities, including:

• Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ) – Economic Development Chair (Hartford)
• Hartford Behavioral Health, Board Member
• NAACP of Greater Hartford, Member
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Beta Sigma Lambda Educational Foundation President (Hartford)
• Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center, Board of Directors (Hartford)
• D.I.E.S.E.L. Leadership Academy, Co-Founder and Mentor (Hartford)

Rep. McGee is also a deacon and member of the Board of Directors of the Citadel of Love Church. He lives in Hartford with his wife Geralynn.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lucien Metellus is a distinguished leader with a rich heritage of Haitian descent. His educational journey began at Holy Cross School in Brooklyn and continued in Queens, NY, where he attended Springfield Gardens High School. Lucien furthered his studies at Syracuse University, earning a degree in Policy Studies.

Lucien's dedication to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, began at the Zeta Zeta Lambda Chapter in St. Albans, NY. Over the years, he has held numerous leadership roles within the fraternity, including Chapter President, Vice President, Secretary, Director of Educational Activities, Associate Editor to the Sphinx, and Fundraising Chair. He has also served as the Chapter Advisor for the Theta Epsilon College Chapter at St. John's University and is a Life Member of the fraternity.

At the district level, Lucien has made significant contributions as Parliamentarian, Secretary, Director of Competitions, NY State Director of Conferences, NY City Area Director, NY State President, and District Director. His unwavering commitment to service extends to the Eastern Region, where he has served as March for Babies Coordinator, Parliamentarian, and Director of College Brothers Affairs. As a voting Board of Directors member, he has made impactful decisions, furthering the fraternity's mission.

Lucien's leadership prowess transcends the fraternity. He has chaired Founders' Day, Membership, and served as Parliamentarian, Vice-President, and President for the Pan Hellenic Council of Greater New York. His extensive involvement in the Pan Hellenic Council showcases his dedication to the collective efforts of historically black fraternities and sororities.

On January 12, 2024, Lucien was elected as the 37th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, set to assume office on January 1, 2025.

Professionally, Lucien boasts a 20-year career in information technology, currently serving as a Project Manager & Senior Business Analyst. His expertise has led to substantial cost savings for businesses through innovative technology solutions. With over 10 professional certifications and degrees in leadership, project management, religion, and technology, Lucien is a true asset in his field.

Lucien's commitment to "Servants of All" is evident in his volunteer work with organizations such as the Center for Hope and Safety, Youth Partnership of Bergen County, Boy Scouts of America, March of Dimes, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

A published poet and writer, Lucien also serves as Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in Frederick, MD, appointed by the mayor. He is deeply involved in his church, teaching Christian Education to young adults and serving as a minister.

Lucien is a devoted family man, happily married to Esther Slack-Metellus, with whom he shares a son, Jeremiah, and a daughter, Janae.