Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated Reignite Partnership to Empower Young Men of Color Through Mentorship

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Jul 15, 2021, 09:14 ET

TAMPA, Fla., July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated announce the renewal of its long-standing partnership to empower young men of color. Both organizations recognize a shared commitment to developing leaders, promoting brotherhood and academic excellence, and with 30 years of existing partnerships across the country, BBBSA and Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity Inc., will take its efforts nationally to reach more young men through one-to-one mentoring.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated announce the renewal of its long-standing partnership to empower young men of color.

"We are honored to work with this prestigious organization and the thousands of members across the country who share our values. And as a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, I know firsthand the tremendous impact this network can have on the life of a young man," said Artis Stevens, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. "We are excited to reignite our partnership with a deeper focus on outreach, engagement, and opportunities to provide career and higher educational readiness to youth with the support of Alpha members."

Currently, there are over 30,000 youth across the country waiting for mentors, called 'Bigs', with most being young boys of color. Studies show that children who have role models are more likely to do better in school, have better connections with family and friends and are less likely to be involved in delinquent behaviors.

The renewed partnership will focus on recruiting mentors, where Alpha Phi Alpha members will serve as Big Brothers, join local boards, and help open doors to companies and other organizations for advocacy and financial investment to support Big Brothers Big Sisters locally and nationally.

"This partnership will allow Alpha members the opportunity to leverage our collective power," said Dr. Willis L. Lonzer III, General President, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. "We will build a true movement of change for children and make a difference in the lives of young people."

BBBSA's mission to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth is a mission valued by the full network of fraternities and sororities serving the Black community. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. partnership is just the beginning of BBBSA's efforts and partnership with all nine historically African American fraternities and sororities.

To learn more about this partnership and ways to get involved, visit www.bbbs.org.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters of America