Phi Beta Sigma Announces New Anti-Hazing Sensitivity Curriculum

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of Greek organizations as well as high school and college students who are considering joining a fraternity or sorority will now be able to get sensitivity training thanks to a new collaboration between Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Converge & Associates Consulting, a firm which specializes in race and ethnic relations consulting and Cultural Competency Training.  The program will be announced today by Phi Beta Sigma at a press conference held during the Congressional Black Caucus conference and as part of its national anti-hazing initiative launched last May.

"Let's not beat the life out of a beautiful legacy," is the theme of a national campaign launched by Phi Beta Sigma and National Action Network, one of the country's leading civil rights organizations.  The groups formed a national coalition of civic organizations, academic institutions, politicians and concerned citizens to stand together to denounce and stop the culture of hazing.  The coalition has also joined forces with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) in support of her efforts to promote federal anti-hazing legislation.  

An anti-hazing curriculum has been designed to be taught by trained sensitivity instructors from within the coalition to high school and college students all around the country, and beyond.

"We no longer can treat pledging and hazing as a series of isolated and unrelated set of unfortunate incidences," says Jimmy Hammock, International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. "Phi Beta Sigma has started a movement that will eliminate the culture of hazing. At the end of the day, Sigma's main objective is to be the leader in destroying this culture, not only within the African American community, but also within the mainstream community."

The anti-hazing sensitivity training curriculum includes a 30-page facilitator guide, a 30-page participant guide along and a 60-minute video presentation that will be used to train members of Greek organizations. The goal is to then take this training into schools, colleges and the community at large with three goals in mind: 1) to teach potential organization members the proper way to conduct membership intake programs, which are educational and free of activities that may encourage hazing, 2) to teach potential initiates how to spot activities that constitute hazing, how to report those activities and to whom such activities should be reported, and 3) to distribute hazing awareness materials, intended to alert families about the dangers of hazing, tell them what they can do to protect family members and to support efforts of colleges and other organizations wanting to eradicate the culture of hazing in their respective settings.

These curriculum materials are currently available at no charge to all organizations through the Phi Beta Sigma website at www.pbs1914.org

Jonathan A. Mason, Sr., International First Vice President and Task Force Chairman, says, "Phi Beta Sigma has taken the time to produce these anti-hazing sensitivity training materials for our chapters and for other organizations that are committed to ending the culture of hazing. We are encouraging you to download them today and get prepared to conduct training in your local communities."

For organizations interested in joining this coalition or for more information on Phi Beta Sigma's Anti-Hazing Campaign, please visit www.pbs1914.org.

Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C., January 9, 1914, by three young African American male students who wanted to organize a Greek letter fraternity that would exemplify the ideals of brotherhood, scholarship, and service. Today, Phi Beta Sigma has blossomed into an international organization that includes the Phi Beta Sigma National Foundation, the Phi Beta Sigma Federal Credit Union and the Sigma Beta Club Foundation.

SOURCE Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity