A new national initiative from Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. that focuses on developing solutions to improve race and police-community relations in response to the killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota and the later attacks on police officers in Dallas seeks to build, not break, a bridge for people. The B.R.I.D.G.E. (Building Relationships, Inspiring Development, Getting Engaged) Initiative, says Director of Alumni Affairs Toby Miller, is used as a way for Iota Alumni Chapters to help pull us together.
“…this initiative promises to be an effective and sustainable way to help communities identify, process and address many of the issues they face,” he said.
According to Brother Kevin Jeffries of the Office of Alumni Affairs, “This process or system is designed to facilitate systemic changes in the communities we serve. We recognize there are a galaxy of issues that need to be addressed and we believe this is one way Iota can meaningfully impact our communities.”
“As an organization that was founded during an era of radical social change, we have an opportunity and obligation to deal with what continues to be a national crisis of confidence and conflict in the communities we serve,” explains the fraternity’s president, International Grand Polaris Robert Clark. “We believe the BRIDGE Initiative services that ambition and we welcome our galaxy of friends and partners to join us in this endeavor.”
Iota Phi Theta, an international public service organization, is the fifth largest predominately black fraternity. Founded on September 19, 1963, the fraternity is dedicated to its motto and their Founders’ vision of “Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!”
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