By Adam Dodson | The Selma Times-Journal

The Delta Pi Lambda chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity took time out of their day to give college and high school kids some real-world education. Meeting at the chapel located on Concordia College’s main campus, the “Black Alphas” hosted a program to teach Selma youth about the dangers of drinking and driving and about common police etiquette.

Leading the charge were Alphas Billy Young, Henry Moore Jr. and Mark Neely, all taking different segments to help college and high school kids understand the multitude of risks associated with getting behind the wheel after drinking.

According to Young, all Alpha chapters located in the south are required to speak on college campuses as a way of giving back to the community.

“We wanted to express our appreciation and assure that they all stay safe,” Young said. “The students were extremely informative and involved.”

The Alpha’s promotion of alcohol education is broken down into three phases. The fist phase consists of educational training amongst chapter members.

The second phrase consists of community education with the risks around driving under the influence. The third phase is an alcohol-free weekend.

In order to provide the audience with first-hand experience about real-life scenarios associated with drinking and driving, Sgt. Mark Neely presented some of his training and life experiences out in the field.

This included hands-on participation with an audience member about the training the officers receive during DUI situations.

He also provided statistics to help the youth be more aware of their alcohol consumption, such as the legal blood-alcohol consumption (BAC) level for individuals depending on their age or occupation.

“The training we receive helps tell the signs a person has been drinking,” Neely said. “One beer, one shot, one glass of wine all have the same alcohol content. People with high tolerance still feel the effects.”

According to the Black Belt Alphas, these informative community meetings are part of Alpha Phi Alpha’s Cannon-Dozier Project. The project is named after Adrian Cannon and Julius Dozier, two college-aged Alphas at Delta State University and the University of Mississippi who were killed by drunk drivers in two separate incidents.  The program has existed since 2008.

According to Young, the Black Belt Alphas have more events scheduled for 2018, including speaking events at Wallace Community College Selma and Selma High School.

At the end of the Spring semester, Concordia will be closing its gates for the last time. Because of this, Young wanted to make sure the students there had all the same opportunities with the Cannon-Dozier project as anyone else.

“We wanted to get them while we could and they were still open,” Young said.

“The students were made clear about limits with alcohol and what their rights and procedures are.”

Wishing to continue their positive influence on the community, the Black Belt Alpha’s Cannon-Dozer project is promoting an annual alcohol-free weekend. According to the Alphas, the event would feature community entertainment without any alcohol presence, so college and high school students can get a good experience without thinking they need to drink to have fun.