Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and others gathered in Alumni Hall Monday evening… Members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and others gathered in Alumni Hall Monday evening to hold their first-ever, C-SPAN-inspired, State of the Black Union.

The event was supposed to spotlight several guest speakers, including Vice Provost of Undergraduate Affairs and Dean of Students Jack Daniel, but the speakers were unable to participate because of scheduling conflicts.

Despite Kappa Alpha Psi’s advertising, the discussion attracted fewer than 20 attendees. Kappa brother Edward Smith attributed the low turnout to the scheduling conflicts.

“If [the speakers] would have been able to come, I think that would have brought more people out,” Smith said.

Kappa brother Brandon Edmonds organized and led the discussion, and after he distributed excerpts from Willie Lynch’s “Let’s Make a Slave,” the group was asked to read one section, “Cardinal Principles for Making a Negro.” Edmonds then asked the audience how Lynch’s principles of “seasoning” enslaved Africans still appear in today’s black community.

Attendees agreed that Lynch’s text focused on mentally, and not physically, changing African Americans, and that the “slave mentality” is still problematic for black people in the United States.

“It’s about how to break the mental chains that many black people have within America,” said Edmond, explaining that he feels materialism and self-oppression are issues black people often create for themselves.

“How do we emancipate ourselves from this mental slavery?” Smith asked. Audience members gave a wide range of responses throughout the evening.

“We immortalize these people that play basketball and rap,” said Marisa Bartley, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“I’m just not expected to succeed as an industrial engineer,” said Stephen Sengstacke, a Kappa brother and Pitt senior.

Sengstacke said that, in his experience, he sees more support for black people who excel in athletics and entertainment than for those who work in academia.

“As black people, we put an emphasis on entertainment,” Edmond said.

“Everybody watches BET. Ludacris is rich, and you can see he’s rich. All he has to do is talk and he gets millions of dollars per year for it,” he added.

Kappa brother Delon T. White attributed this to the historical progression of black culture. African Americans, White explained, were first seen as heathens and then praised for their talents of rhythm, dance and jazz.

“They think, ‘Hey, this is what they like us for, we should stick with it’,” White said.

He added that he feels it is often considered taboo for black people to “step out of the black frame of reference.” Instead of working hard to defy stereotypes, many take the easiest route in life.

“You gotta know where you came from before you can know where you’re going,” attendee James Alvin said.

Alvin dominated most of the discussion, offering information that he considered most accurate about black history. He expressed his thoughts about how the black community would benefit from strengthening itself rather than trying to integrate into other social spheres.

“I think there’s definite synergies to having communication with other communities,” White responded.

He said he feels that black Americans must take advantage of the opportunities they are given — to attend college, for instance — to gain resources like knowledge and wealth, which can then be used to help the community as a whole.

The group also discussed ways to solidify and improve the black community.

“First is education. Education of everyone else and education of our community,” said Ricardo Alvarado, a Kappa brother who attends Carnegie Mellon University.

“Until we support our own, there’s not enough people that care,” Edmond said, adding that he feels the black community must progress within itself before taking responsibility for more global issues.

As the discussion ended, Kappa brother Dexter Miller passed out informational pamphlets about the March 29 death of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. member Johnnie Cochran.

“We’re trying to get every event to be annual,” Edmond said of Kappa Alpha Psi’s programs.

The State of the Black Union was the first event of Kappa Week 2005, which will also include “Arthur Ashe: Kasino Night ‘ Health Fair,” a paintball outing and a relationship forum facilitated by relationship experts.

After the discussion, Smith led the group out to the Stephen Foster statue, located on Forbes Avenue next to the Carnegie Music Hall. The statue displays a shoeless, bearded black man playing a banjo as a clean-shaven, suited Foster stands higher, looking over him.