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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Regular Session, 2025 SR 29 3
4
By: Senators F. Love, J. Scott, R. Murdock 5
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SENATE RESOLUTION 8
TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, 9
INC., FOR ITS CONTRIBUTIONS TO ITS COMMUNITIES, THE 10
STATE OF ARKANSAS, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD. 11
12
13
Subtitle 14
TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR PHI BETA SIGMA 15
FRATERNITY, INC., FOR ITS CONTRIBUTIONS 16
TO ITS COMMUNITIES, THE STATE OF 17
ARKANSAS, THE NATION, AND THE WORLD. 18
19
WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., has been empowering 20
generations of men since its founding at Howard University in Washington, 21
D.C., on January 9, 1914; and 22
23
WHEREAS, the founding of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., was based on 24
a desire to judge each potential member on his own merits rather than his 25
appearance or family connections and also a desire for the fraternity to 26
serve as a mechanism to deliver services to the general community, thereby 27
returning members' newly acquired skills to the communities from which they 28
had come; and 29
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WHEREAS, the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., uphold the 31
fraternity's ideals of "Culture for Service and Service for Humanity" and 32
promote brotherhood, scholarship, and service; and 33
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WHEREAS, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., has five hundred ninety -nine 35
(599) active chapters; and 36 SR29
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1
WHEREAS, members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., have been 2
instrumental in the establishment of the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation 3
and the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union; and 4
5
WHEREAS, the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., assisted with 6
the 1920 founding of its sister organization, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, 7
Incorporated; and 8
9
WHEREAS, the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., give five 10
hundred seventy-six thousand (576,000) volunteer hours annually, mentor four 11
thousand five hundred (4,500) young men annually, give one million two 12
hundred thousand dollars ($1,200,000) in scholarships to students annually, 13
and have invested eighteen million dollars ($18,000,000) in the Black Spend 14
Initiative; and 15
16
WHEREAS, members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., have included 17
scientist George Washington Carver, writers James Weldon Johnson and Dr. 18
Alain LeRoy Locke, United States Congressman John Lewis, religious and 19
political leader Al Sharpton, honorary members and actors Harry Belafonte, 20
Blair Underwood, and Terrence Howard, honorary member and weather anchor Al 21
Roker, football star and television host Emmitt Smith, Olympic gold medalist 22
Al Joyner, and honorary member and former Governor of Arkansas and former 23
President of the United States William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton, 24
25
NOW THEREFORE, 26
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY -FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 27
STATE OF ARKANSAS: 28
29
THAT the Senate recognize and honor Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., 30
for its contributions to its communities, the State of Arkansas, the nation, 31
and the world. 32
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption, a copy of this resolution be 34
provided to the leaders of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., by the Secretary 35
of the Senate. 36