Members of the Divine 9 black fraternities and sororities held their annual Atlanta Greek Picnic last weekend. Over 9,000 members convened on the campus of Morris Brown College to participate in outreach activities like forums, a step show, and community service projects. The highlight was the step show hosted by comedian Lil Duval at Morehouse College, which showcased the best sorority and fraternity step teams. Top honors went to teams from Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

1. June 15 - 21, 2012
T H E A T L A N T A V O I C E 7
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‘Divine9’serve,partyinATL
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ATLANTA – More than 9,000
members of the nation’s leading
black fraternity and sororities con-
vened in Atlanta last weekend for
the 8th annual Atlanta Greek Pic-
nic, an event designed to celebrate
the unity and camaraderie of black,
Greek-letter organizations.
Members of the so-
called “Divine 9” Greek-
Morris Brown College
campus June 6-10 to par-
ticipate in several outreach
activities, including a pub-
lic forum, a step show, a
voter’s registration drive
and two community ser-
vice projects.
“I think it was pretty
successful; it’s growing,”
Atlanta Greek Picnic
founder Tiwa Aganga-
Williams said in a statement. “This
year, the feedback has been 99.9
percent positive, so we are obvi-
ously looking forward to next year.
It’s been a great success all around.”
Members of the National Pan-
Hellenic Council – a coalition of the
nine black fraternities and sororities
– held forums on the upcoming 2012
other topics that affect members of
Greek-letter organizations and the
black community at-large.
During the annual community
service day, more than 30 volunteers
helped pull weeds and dug trenches
at Atwood Community Gardens in
Atlanta and helped feed the home-
less at St. Francis Table-Atlanta, a
soup kitchen dedicated to
feeding and supporting the
poor and homeless.
The highlight of the
weekend, however, was the
annual Greek step show
– hosted by comedian Lil
Duval at Morehouse Col-
lege – which showcased the
nation’s best sorority and
fraternity step teams.
Top honors went to the
ladies of Zeta Phi Beta So-
rority, Inc. Z-List Step Team
of Long Island, New York,
and the men of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. Zeta Mu Chapter
at Georgia State University. Each
claimed a cash prize of $10,000.
Members also participated in an
annual “stroll off” dance competi-
tion where the men of Alpha Phi Al-
pha Fraternity, Inc. Atlanta A Team,
and the women of Alpha Kappa Al-
pha Sorority, Inc. Zeta Kappa Chap-
ter won top honors.
The Divine 9 coalition also in-
cludes: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority,
Inc, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority,
Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority,
Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,
Inc., Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.,
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
comedian Lil Duval at Morehouse College,
which showcased the nation’s best sorority
and fraternity step teams.
PHOTOS BY RAYMOND HAGANS
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Community projects, step show highlight annual weekend

2. T H E A T L A N T A V O I C E8
June 15 - 21, 2012
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New $7.9 million health center opens in Adamsville
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ATLANTA – Residents in At-
lanta’s Adamsville community had
a chance to experience the unveiling
of the county’s new Adamsville Re-
gional Health Center last week.
-
nanced through Fulton County’s
Capital Fund, will work with West
End Medical Center to provide be-
havioral health counseling, dental
services, and a daycare center.
Located at 3700 Martin Luther
King Jr. Drive, the center also will
encourage healthy lifestyles by giv-
ing residents a chance to grow plants
said.
“We encourage different people
in the community to come and grow
their own food and plants; healthy
food at that,” said Dr. Patrice Har-
ris, director of Fulton County Health
Services.
Midway through the unveiling
– emceed by Board of Commission-
ers Vice Chair Emma Darnell and
attended by City Councilman C.T.
Martin – Board of Commissioners
Chairman John Eaves told attendees
the center will be a huge boost to the
community.
“We will provide excellence in
this state-of-the-art facility. We will
provide excellence in terms of the
wonderful relationship with West
End Medical. We will provide excel-
lence in community service. Why?
Because, my friends, you deserve
it and you deserve nothing less,”
Eaves said as the crowd applauded
and praised him for his words of en-
couragement.
Several west side residents said
they are excited about the new
30,000 square-foot center, which
four acres near the previous Adams-
ville health center on Bakers Ferry
Road.
“I think it’s going to be great
because it’s convenient in many
ways,” said Jeanette Wilson, who
has lived in the area for more than
30 years. “Especially when young
people have kids and they have to
give them to someone else such as
family members. But instead they
can bring them here where there is
a daycare center.”
Community resident Henry
Bankston agreed, saying that com-
munity residents have needed such
a facility for many years.
“It’s a godsend because so many
people have been denied service for
so long,” the retired veteran said.
The center is open Monday
from 8:30 to 4 p.m., Tuesday from
8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday
through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to
4 p.m. For more information, call
(404) 613-4215.
Hundreds of Adamsville residents turned out recently for the unveil-
-
vide behavioral health counseling and dental services, among other
health services. Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves
was among the dignitaries who attended a recent unveiling of the
new 30,000 square-foot center. PHOTOS BY MONICA THORPE

3. T H E A T L A N T A V O I C E12
June 15 - 21, 2012
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ATLANTA – Renowned
preacher Dr. Jeremiah A.
Wright Jr.
will speak at
10:45 a.m.
July 1 at
West Hunter
Street Bap-
tist Church,
1040 Ralph
David Abernathy Blvd.
Wright, who will speak
at the church’s annual men’s
celebration, is the former
pastor of President Barack
Obama who delivered a con-
troversial sermon in 2008
scrutinizing America.
Other men’s celebrations
will include a gospel fest at
7 p.m. June 15, a health fair
and voter registration drive at
10 a.m. June 23 and a men’s
p r a y e r
breakfast at
9 a.m. June
30.
E l d r i n
Bell, chair-
man of the
C l a y t o n
County Commission and for-
mer Atlanta police chief, will
serve as the guest speaker for
the men’s prayer breakfast.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis
ATLANTA – U.S. Rep.
John Lewis will host a book
signing at 2 p.m June 16 at
St. John’s Lutheran Church,
1410 Ponce De Leon Ave.
The event is free to the pub-
lic but seating is limited to
300.
Attendees are asked
to purchase Lewis’ book
“Across That Bridge: Life
Lessons and a Vision for
Change” at
the event or
at Eagle Eye
Bookstore,
2076 N. De-
catur Road
in Decatur.
For more
information, call (404) 378-
4243.
Word of Faith to
AUSTELL – Word of
Faith Family Worship Ca-
thedral will host “BigTime
BigShot” summer basketball
camp 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June
18-22 at The Bluffs, 7680
The Bluffs.
The camp, which costs
$130, is for boys and girls
25 registrants will win two
tickets to the WNBA Dream
game on June 26.
Registration ends June
15. For more information,
call 770-874-8400.
– Compiled by
Monica Thorpe
Church Digest
Controversial pastor
to speak at West Hunter
WRIGHT
BELL
LEWIS
to convene at Hyatt
ATLANTA – A coali-
tion of the nation’s lead-
ing African-American
newspaper publishers will
convene for its annual
conference June 20-23 at
the Hyatt Regency, 265
Peachtree Street NE.
The conference will
include a series of indus-
try workshops designed to
strengthen and celebrate
the black press inAmerica,
such as monetizing your
community events and the
black family-preventing
teen injustice.
Other events include
several award receptions
held at The World of Coke
and Paschal’s Restaurant.
For more information,
call 202-319-1295.
‘Freedom Riders’
to screen June 15
ATLANTA – The
Shrine of the Black Ma-
donna Culture Center and
Bookstore will screen the
award-winning documen-
tary, Freedom Riders 7
p.m. June 15 at 946 Ralph
David Abernathy Blvd.
Attendees will get a
chance to meet some of
the real-life Freedom Rid-
ers who risked their lives
to integrate highways and
bus stations in the South,
and hear from Dr. Ray Ar-
senault, author of “Free-
dom Riders: 1961.”
For more information,
call 404-549-8676 or visit
www.shrinebookstore.
com.
– Compiled by
Kalin Thomas
and Monica Thorpe
METRO
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