Last Month, members of the Wall Street Alphas and the Beta Chapter Alumni Association of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated hosted a tribute to Mayor David Dinkins, the first and only African-American to be elected Mayor of New York City and also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
The event was entitled “An Alpha Man from Gotham”. The purpose was to bring together members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. across several generations to honor the legacy of Dinkins, an Alpha who pledged the organization’s Beta Chapter during his college years at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Special guests included:
- Charles Rangel, the U.S. Representative for New York’s 13thcongressional district.
- Gregory Meeks, the U.S. Representative for New York’s fifth congressional district.
- Chaka Fattah, the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s second congressional district.
- Floyd Flake, the senior pastor of the Greater Allen African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens, New York, and president of Wilberforce University.
- Marc Morial, the current president of the National Urban League.
Dinkins was elected to the state assembly in 1965 and later served as president of elections for New York City and as Manhattan borough president. He successfully ran for mayor in 1989. Due to an increase in crime rates during his term, he was not re-elected into office for a second term.
This past May, several members of the fraternity met with Dinkins following graduation ceremonies at Columbia University, where he is a professor in the School of International and Public Affairs. After spending some time with him the idea of having a tribute was born.
“David has been a friend, a father, a husband, a grandfather, a decent human being and whatever is good about politicians he has exemplified the highest standard,” said Rangel at the event.