Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. to Honor Rosa Parks in Annual Tribute

by Angie Best
The Tau Alpha chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. will hold its annual "Tribute to the Black Woman" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in the Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center on the Baylor University campus. The theme for this year's event is "A Tribute to Rosa Parks."
"This year's event is different from past years because it highlights the life of a specific black woman and not just black women like past years," said Willie Ford, chairman of the event and vice president of Alpha Phi Alpha. "We encourage and would like to see all women come to the event because it is a tribute to womanhood as well."
The event will honor Parks through a performance by Portraits, a performing arts group that writes and performs monologues and skits, as well as two monologues given by the current Miss Black and Gold, JeLonna Rideau, and a member of Portraits. The keynote speaker for this year's event is Brenda Atchison, who is expected to highlight the contributions of Parks and relate them to the black woman of today.
The wife of Reverend Delvin Atchison, pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Atchison received a bachelor's degree in criminology and a teaching certification in English with a minor in sociology from Sam Houston State University. She also completed a master's in counseling education from Prairie View A&M University and is scheduled to receive her doctorate in organizational management and leadership, with an emphasis on church organizations and leadership, in October 2006.
Atchison currently serves as an academic admissions advising specialist at McLennan Community College, where she is also chair of the diversity committee and a professor of psychology. Atchison has more than 20 years of experience in the field of education, and has taught at both primary and secondary schools, as well as on the collegiate level.
The event is free and open to the public. Women who attend will receive a yellow rose (the fraternity flower) and will be personally escorted to their seat by one of the fraternity members.
For more information, contact Taryn Ozuna in the Baylor Multicultural Activities office at 710-6949.