Alpha Phi Alpha President Lucien Metellus on his Most Influential Alpha Writers

📚 All books linked below via Bookshop.org. https://bookshop.org/shop/thewriteshade Alpha Phi Alpha. Divine Nine. Black Greek-letter organizations. HBCU. Black books. Black authors. The Write Shade kicks off its Divine Nine Presidents Series with the 37th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Brother Lucien J. Metellus, Jr. — and he came ready with ten books by Alpha men that shaped his leadership, his politics, and his life. From W.E.B. Du Bois and John Hope Franklin to Eric Jerome Dickey and Hill Harper, Brother Metellus walks us through the Black literature that built him — from a Brooklyn childhood of Haitian descent, through Syracuse University, through decades of Alpha service, to the top seat of the oldest Black intercollegiate fraternity in America, founded December 4, 1906 at Cornell University. Lawrence Ross, bestselling author of The Divine Nine and founder of The Write Shade, hosts this conversation about Black fraternity life, Black intellectual tradition, Black fatherhood, Black political thought, and why reading has always been an act of resistance. They also get into hazing as a historical problem — not a modern one — what the Divine Nine give Black men that no other institution does, the New York Knicks championship, and why Brother Metellus says the highest title in Alpha Phi Alpha is still just "Brother." Chapters: 0:00 — Introduction & the Divine Nine Presidents Series 0:40 — Brother Metellus on Black literature and why books matter 1:27 — Lawrence on the charge to every organization president 2:23 — Book #10 7:47 — Book #9 10:10 — A brief history of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 12:11 — Book #8 15:53 — Book #7 19:02 — A note on buying books & supporting local bookstores 19:59 — Book #6 24:24 — Book #5 27:28 — Lawrence's Eric Jerome Dickey story 28:29 — Book #4 31:51 — Book #3 36:12 — Book #2 38:54 — The Knicks championship detour (important) 43:03 — Book #1 48:40 — What history are YOU writing right now? 49:38 — Final thoughts & Brother Metellus's personal plug