John James Positioned to be First ΑΦΑ in U.S. Senate
 

Republican John James (a millennial BIPOC combat veteran) remains in a tight race against Democrat incumbent Gary Peters (a baby boomer multimillionaire white male) for U.S. Senator from Michigan.

James attended West Point so must have been initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha as an alumni member, which - I believe - they permit? If elected, he would be the first member of Alpha Phi Alpha to serve in the U.S. Senate.

https://images.dailykos.com/images/8...jpg?1589861538
https://i.postimg.cc/GpbdvNcZ/dfdfd.png

NPHC organizations initiate both undergraduates and at the alumni/alumnae level. That’s commonplace for us.

Thanks for the clarification, PersistentDST!

While Gary Peters continues to make this race all about the extension of his 27 year career as a politician, John James seems to be living the Alpha Phi Alpha motto Servants of All, prioritizing his fraternal values above his personal aggrandizement by donating campaign funds to meet urgent needs in the community even if it means a few less yard signs or TV ads.

That’s neat.

Senator Edward Brooke was the first Alpha elected to the Senate in 1966.

Senator Roland Burris was the second in 2009.

John James was initiated into the Lansing alumni chapter in 2010. He is a current member of the Detroit alumni chapter.

Thanks for the correction!

Please let me know where you got the information that James is an Alpha Phi Alpha brother...

He's listed as a table sponsor on the 2019 Alpha Phi Alpha centennial gala program (https://issuu.com/detroitalphas/docs...souvenir_journ) and the Michigan Chronicle, in its "40 Under 40" issue, reports that he's "an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity" (https://michiganchronicle.com/2014/1...Id=0&videoId=0).

The first, I had found, but didn't consider enough of a reference. I'll take a look at the second.

OK.

Here's a third one you can check ... this 2012 video purports to show seven people singing the "Alpha Phi Alpha Hymn at the Wedding of Bro. John James." Of course, John James is a common name, but we do know he married his wife Elizabeth in 2012.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xPa8BACDOM

At this point, while none of these three items on their own is definitive, the combination of the three leads me to safely believe either John James is a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha or he has gone to extraordinary lengths to create a trail of false evidence to misrepresent himself as one. I'm more inclined to believe the former.

I have to tell you, John James definitely hasn't skimped on signs, or TV and snail mail advertising.

Sorry to his brothers, but I definitely did not vote for him. His positions are diametrically opposed to mine. He and Peters are BOTH multi-millionaires, but Peters is a Democrat and James is a far-right conservative.

The Detroit News is the "Fox News" of the two Detroit papers; the Detroit Free Press is more liberal.

I don't think you need to apologize. You have every right to vote for whomever you want.

If I were in Michigan, which I'm not, I would probably vote for James because I believe in elevating Black voices and don't believe I'd serve the beauty of diversity by spending my vote on entrenching yet another wealthy white male.

However, I would never question the decision of those who believe otherwise.
The freedom of choice is part of the beauty of democracy!

Amen! And he backs the racist president whole heartedly which is baffling to me.

Woodrow Wilson?