The Founders were God-fearing and serious–minded young men with the imagination, ambition, courage, and determination to defy custom in pursuit of a college education and career. The ideals of the church were an important foundation of the fraternity. One of the 5 Objectives of the fraternity is: “To promote the spiritual, social, intellectual and moral welfare of members.” Many aspects of the fraternity’s rites are engrained in Christian ideals and contain excerpts from the Bible.
From 2000-2009, Shelby County remained as the fastest growing county in the State of Alabama over the past decade in terms of % growth. Though the growth brought an influx of businesses and families, there was a low/no presence of African-American male role models and a lack of diverse leaders in the education systems and outreach programs for children of color.
