Karsceal Turner – I Got NEXT!
STOP PERPING!
It was necessary to take a break from this topic in light of the onslaught of Black men curently being murdered by Police. Now, let us pick up where we left off in Part One of “When Perping goes Wrong!”
We started off with Pastor Mark Burns, who among other untruths, claimed membership in Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Incorporated.
As presented in Part One, this series is more focused on the epidemic of perpetrating fraternities and sororities.
Burns is an Evangelical Christian televangelist, Pastor of Harvest Praise & Worship Center in South Carolina; and supporter / surrogate of Republican nominee Donald Trump’s 2016 candidacy for the U.S. presidency. Burns is co-founder & CEO of the NOW Television Network, a Christian television network, also based in South Carolina.
Burns was caught and exposed for perpetrating military service and membership in a Black collegiate fraternity known for achievement. He was actually exposed by a brother of said fraternity, that brother (Damon Davis), who actually broke the story and tagged CNN. Davis visited the offices of CNN in Atlanta, GA to confirm the allegations.
According to Davis, the story really took off once the right wing found out about it. Davis visited CNN offices and personally attempted to pull Burns up on the fraternity’s National database as CNN reporters looked on. He was unable to do so. Also according to Davis, a Twitter conversation exposed Burns.
“I broke the story and Lamont Hill solidified it,” Davis said. “I first called his office where his secretary informed me that yes, he was a Kappa and she would verify it. Later, he texted me on my phone to deny membership. I then put it on Twitter and tagged CNN, Mark Lamont Hill (another Kappa man), and Burns,” Davis said.
According to Davis, Burns initially told Hill he was a member of the fraternity in an earlier conversation. Burns has since blocked Davis on the social network. However, the damage is already done.
“It blew up in his face once the right wing, who tried to protect their Black supporter got wind of it. I do extensive research in ways perps can’t prepare for. You must have proof,” Davis added.
All perps must crash and burn
And so it goes when perping goes wrong. It isn’t a matter of if but when. We now turn our attention to fraternity perping across the board. Truly it has gotten out of hand. Before intake process evolved into the sign your name on the dotted line and pay up system currently in place, one had to go through a process.
The process usually involved some form of hazing. Some overzealous members of various organizations (male and female), hospitalized and even killed pledges who already underwent the established intake process. Lost lives equaled laws against hazing. Henceforth, hazing is indeed illegal.
Lawsuits and settlements paid out of the coffers of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) threaten to bankrupt many of the century-old organizations. Leadership amongst them had to take drastic steps to insure they wouldn’t cease to exist.
But I digress, this commentary spotlights those who have gone through no intake process, paid no dues (literally or figuratively) and possess no identifying credentials, YET will purchase paraphernalia bearing insignia and letters of a given organizations, will troll various social media groups claiming membership, pose in various photographs with known members of said organizations who are oblivious to a perp in their midst.
What they do is try and blend with unsuspecting members of the organizations they aspire to. You can bet money those legit members would never pose in a photo with a perp knowingly.
For the record, member organizations of the Divine Nine all have their checks and balances to insure no one fraudulently gains membership. There are databases, which lists each active member of said organization. If one isn’t listed on the National database for a given organization, it’s a good bet they’re a perp. There simply is no getting past a National membership number and a “Member in good Standing” status.
Divine nine members sound off via social media
Claiming to be a member of any of the nine Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLO) without proper credentials is a very serious matter. This author is a perp whistle-blower and does so out of respect for the Founders of those organizations who formed their own when they were denied membership into White fraternities and Sororities. As recent as 2015, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma was filmed on a bus while chanting “there will never be a nigger in SAE!”
BGLOs are a direct result of such bigotry. How dare people perpetrate membership. Ultimately, the farce is uncovered and they are exposed. Perps Beware!
As evidenced by a gander at the closed Facebook Group entitled “The Perp Alert”, there is indeed a number of perpetrators for nearly every fraternity and sorority. The group currently has 6,243 members and counting. The page is continuously updated with known perpetrators across the Black Greek spectrum.
In chronological order the Divine Nine of Black Greek Letter Organizations is composed of: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc – 1906; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc – 1908; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc – 1911; Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc – 1911; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc – 1913; Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc – 1914; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc – 1920; Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc-1922, and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc – 1963.
Damon Davis is the creator and one of 22 administrators for the page, he is also a brother of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity Incorporated. He provided some insight into the purpose of the page.
“The Perp Alert exists to warn members of the Divine 9 fraternities and sororities of fraudulent claims of membership by non-members. The alerts are to make sure that real members are not scammed into assisting these people only later to be hurt by finding out they have been lied to for years,” Davis said.
Davis pledged Kappa Alpha Psi in 1999 at Michigan Tech (Eta Eta chapter) “We started with three and ended with three,” he said. I was 21, my deuce was a sophomore, my “Tre” was a freshman. Two of us were football players at the time. We went on to charter another chapter, Omicron Theta in 2000. The love for the fraternity is such that Perps are dealt with decisively, he said.
“The Perp Alert” actually does extensive background checks before posting information about suspected “perps”, Davis added.
The page categorizes albums for each fraternity containing photos, chapters claimed and government names as opposed to aliases many perps use to stay under the radar. Kappas and Omegas are the most commonly perped fraternities on the page. On the Sorority side, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta are most perped.
This author personally counted over 150 Kappa Perps, 70 Omega Perps, 21 Delta Perps, one Zeta Perp, two SGRho Perps, and one AKA Perp. That’s ugly.
Just like in Burn’s case, a reckoning is coming.
Various perspectives from Black Greeks
Perps go as far as to have fraternity insignia branded on themselves, they pose with public figures who are known members of fraternities or sororities, they even open establishments based off their perpetrations. Some are athletes and entertainers, some are ministers. ALL are frauds. There are even masonic perpetrators but far less for fear of coming up missing.
It beckons the question about one’s personal level of integrity if one blatantly claims membership in fraternal organizations. Once uncovered, their credibility takes a nose-dive and no one ever takes them seriously again.
It doesn’t help matters when close friends of perps enable them and support such falsehoods. Indeed some people applaud and condone such behavior. Those usually are those denied membership at one time or other.
Many perps once made an attempt at pledging said organizations, found it too strenuous, and quit. In some cases, perhaps they were apprehensive from the outset but felt pressured to undergo a process. Later, they feel they can assume membership by simply wearing letters and insignia. That is until they are confronted by REAL members of those organizations. Representatives of some of those organizations gave their insight on the “perping” phenomena.
Willie Earl Sparrow Jr., a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha and a Prince Hall Freemason, gave his perspective on dealing with “perps”.
Sparrow Jr., 40, crossed Phi Mu Alpha in Fall 1996, pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Xi Omicron Lambda 11 years later in Spring of 2007, and was raised as a Master Mason in June 2015 as a member of Royal Palm #512, Ft. Myers.
“I wouldn’t fight. I wouldn’t allow anyone else to fight. I would first pull them to the side and talk man-to-man. The conversation would be simple. I’d demand any “nalia” (paraphernalia or clothing article) they might be wearing, then, politely ask them to stop “perping”. Advise them their name will be put out for doing it. If at a club wearing “nalia”, the next step might involve me slipping some money to the DJ to announce that the perp is not an Alpha over the microphone. The public humiliation will start. It’s all about how far they want to take it,” he said.
Nicholas Rawls – Brother of Omega Psi Phi and Freemason “Every organization has charges and queries to flush out imposters. The proper way above grounds is to contact a local chapter and send appropriate documentation to the National Headquarters. I know these days, it’s definitely worse on Social Media,” he said.
Rawls became nostalgic and reminisced about days past, when fraternity members used more physical means to get the point across that perping was a no-no for Omega.
“Ques used to be more aggressive in our efforts back in the day. I know we were historically looked at as most aggressive in weeding out perps. A perp may still run across one of those members who goes for broke in defending the fraternity’s honor,” he chuckled.
“Perps are disrespectful because they are trying to impress and manipulate someone with a fraudulent fascade. Perps operate on a one-to-one basis. The same pathological process that occurs in perps also occurs in fake attorneys, fake doctors, fake real estate brokers, etc.” – Brother of Phi Beta Sigma
Pavonne Scott – Soror of Delta Sigma Theta “In my opinion perping can get you wrecked on so many levels. I have never actually seen someone get para snatched from them but I know some “about it” Deltas like me that will stand their ground if you don’t speak Greek and know your history.
Kim Cooper – Soror of Zeta Phi Beta “the standard “how to catch a perp” is blasting them all over social media so everyone who comes across them knows they are not real.
David Scott Anderson – brother of Phi Beta Sigma and Prince Hall Freemason “There have been people claiming membership in organizations which they had no affiliations for years,” Anderson said. “Perhaps back to the early days of secret societies, and certainly in modern times. These “perps,” as we call them seek the benefits and prestige of membership, without the cost and sacrifice of obtaining that membership through normal channels,” Anderson said.
“In a way, the very thing that makes it easy to fake membership, is also the tool most often used to expose them. Social Media. When I became a member of Phi Beta Sigma in 1981, if a person was able to gain access to our grip and a few other identifiers, and knew the location of a chapter, they could travel to a distant area and identify themselves as a member of that chapter. If they could pass a perfunctory test, they were usually accepted. Rarely did they use this deception to promote themselves professionally.
“When I joined the Freemasons in 1983, if you could buy a ring, being a street Mason was fairly easy, as Masonic Rituals could often be found in your local library. Today we defend our organizations zealously, and often Perps are rapidly identified and posted on Social Media.
“There are Facebook pages dedicated to identifying these people. Truth of the matter is, for those of us who earned our affiliation with our organizations, these people are beneath contempt. Technology is catching up with them. Most organizations have online databases of legitimate members today, and Social Media makes identifying them and alerting legitimate members of their presence much easier,” Anderson concluded.
Cowans and Eavesdroppers are perps too
LaTroye Irviin – Prince Hall reemason Once, I was at a detailing shop and I happened to see a guy wearing a necklace with the emblem on it. So casually walk up to him and asked what lodge he was from. His reply was ‘I’m straight.’ I quickly informed him that wasn’t the correct answer. After the same line of questioning he still had the same reply. I laughed and shook my head while walking off. The whole time he avoided direct eye contact,” Irvin said.
Masons have lore to help keep perping to a minimum, such as the story of William Morgan (No record is kept that states him as a Captain), whose disappearance and presumed murder in 1826 ignited a powerful movement against the Freemasons, a fraternal society that had become influential in the United States.
After Morgan announced his intention to publish a book exposing Freemasonry’s secrets, he was arrested on “trumped-up” charges. He disappeared soon after, and was believed to have been kidnapped and killed by some Masons.
In 1848 Henry L. Valance allegedly confessed on his deathbed to taking part in Morgan’s “murder”. Perhaps stories such as this help keep perpetrating the lodge to a minimum.
Gerard Benjamin, Prince Hall Freemason – I’ve encountered maybe two persons claiming membership however, no more than three in my travels. Due to my line of questioning they’re quickly exposed.
Benjamin also pointed out the internet as a hot spot for fraudulent men claiming membership in lodges reside. “The Internet is full of imposters and unworthy Mason’s who’ve betrayed their oath,” he said.
And so it goes…When perping goes wrong. As if there aren’t more important things one could be doing with their lives. Perps beware, you will be exposed, your credibility is at stake. After all, who wants to make an investment in a fraud? It isn’t a matter of if but when.
I Got NEXT! 