Gamma Xi Phi

Category: National News

  • GXP hosts successful event for World Suicide Prevention Day

    GXP hosts successful event for World Suicide Prevention Day

    Gamma Xi Phi, The Fraternity for Artists and Creators, hosted a successful event in observance of World Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, bringing 21 members of the fraternity together from various locations across the country. The event was held virtually and featured a presentation by President La Toya Hankins and Sister Venise Keys, who spoke about mental health and the importance of seeking help. The event provided an open space for attendees to share their experiences and resources for supporting those in need.

    Members of the fraternity showcased their artwork, highlighting the power of art in starting conversations about mental health and suicide prevention. Gamma Xi Phi remains committed to supporting mental health initiatives and promoting an open dialogue about these important issues. For more information about Gamma Xi Phi and its initiatives, visit https://gammaxiphi.com.

    “Bright With A Chance of Rain” by Sister Sharnell Bryan, Beta Chapter

  • Shayna Hayes, Newest honorary Member

    Shayna Hayes, Newest honorary Member

    Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists and creators, initiated an honorary member during the 2023 National Convention in New Orleans, La.

    Shayna Hayes is Head of Content, Entertainment & Initiatives at the National Football League (NFL). She pilots the editorial and creative vision around all content for the NFL’s social justice and social impact initiatives, as well as entertainment content for tentpole events such as the Draft and Super Bowl. She was previously a Senior Producer at BNC and a Producer at ESPN. Prior to that, she worked as a Senior Producer for KLAS in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a Producer at WTVM in Columbus, Georgia. In recognition for her outstanding work, Shayna has received two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and a duPont-Columbia Award.

    She is an alumna of American University in Washington, D.C., where she was President of the American University Gospel Choir and was active in campus media and residence life. Her hometown is Mobile, Alabama.

    Shayna believes, “effective communication is the pathway to identifying actionable solutions that can be used to create a more accepting society.” She has spent nearly 20 years as an expert at coaching, training, and supporting creators through their processes, living out Gamma Xi Phi’s principle of Elevation through creative connections.

    Shayna is excited to join Gamma Xi Phi at its first in-person convention initiation of an honorary member since the first National Convention in 2013. Her service interests include connecting artists and creators to the fraternity and in supporting west coast expansion.

    “We are deeply honored that Shayna Hayes has accepted our invitation to honorary membership and is joining us here in New Orleans,” said National President La Toya Hankins during the ceremony.

    * * *
    Gamma Xi Phi is an anti-racist, non-hazing, all-gender professional fraternity for artists and creators established in 2010 by undergraduate students attending Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. Organized on the principles of Philanthropy, Sodality, and Elevation, Gamma Xi Phi seeks to create a world in which artists are valued as thoughtful and justice-oriented leaders in their communities and in their careers. 

  • National Convention Elects New President

    National Convention Elects New President

    Gamma Xi Phi, the nation’s leading multi-disciplinary fraternity for artists, elected author La Toya Hankins as National President during the 2023 National Convention in New Orleans, La. The fraternity also partnered with the Xavier University Art Department on a service project for local artists.

    National President La Toya Hankins is the author of SBF Seeking and K-Rho: The Sweet Taste of Sisterhood. She has published multiple short stories with JMS Books, including “Married to the Struggle,” “Heat Wave-Southport,” and “Challah and Calloo.” Her work has been featured in anthologies “Black From the Future,” and “Lez Talk: A Collection of Black Lesbian Short Stories,” published by BLF Press.

    “I am inspired and appreciative of the support of the members of Gamma Xi Phi in selecting me as National President,” she said. “I look forward to continuing our mission to honor the achievements of artists through fellowship, philanthropy, social Justice and service.”

    Sister Hankins has been involved in Gamma Xi Phi as a charter member of Theta Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi in the Raleigh/Durham area, where she has served as Program Director. Before her election to National President, she served as Gamma Xi Phi’s National Secretary.

    Outgoing president Rashid Darden served as the third National President from 2015-2017 and the fifth National President from 2019-2023. Brother Darden will now hold the position of Member Emeritus, serving as Program Director of Phi Chapter in North Carolina.

    Read about the Board of Trustee members who also were elected. The 2023 National Program theme is Gammas Out Loud: Artistry Maximized Professionally.

    This year’s theme for the 6th National Convention was Awakening in the City of a Million Dreams. Representatives from the fraternity’s many chapters joined the Xavier University Art Department to host a discussion about the business of being an artist. The group of more than two dozen split into small teams representing a variety of disciplines, giving participants the opportunity to receive insights into pursuing their chosen art.

    Gamma Xi Phi also hosted a social event, Amethyst Hour, at the Royal Frenchman Hotel & Bar, with more than 50 artists, creators, and community members in attendance.

    The fraternity hosts a National Convention every other year and will host its next convention in Charlotte, N.C. in 2025.

    Gamma Xi Phi is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which honors the achievements of artists through fellowship, philanthropy, social justice, and service. Your ongoing support is appreciated.

  • Arts fraternity bestows prestigious awards to outstanding community members

    Arts fraternity bestows prestigious awards to outstanding community members

    Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists, announces its inaugural class of honorees for the Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice. The winners are:

    • Chadwick Boseman
    • Michaela Coel
    • Misha Green
    • Colin Kaepernick
    • Jordan Peele,
    • DJ D-Nice
    • Team Rayceen

    Team Rayceen, a collective led by Washington, DC, based community activist Rayceen Pendarvis, produced 300 unique cultural programs that linked the public to emerging and established artists, especially those in the Black and LGBTQ communities. Their acceptance speech is below.

    The Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice was named for Gamma Xi Phi Brother Bruce Hawkins, a renaissance man best known for his television and stage work, who passed away in 2016.

    Additionally, Gamma Xi Phi honored Gamma Chapter in Newark, Jersey, with the 2020 Program of the Year Award for its Creatives Corner virtual program focusing on mental health.

    Brother Steven Van Patten was named 2020 Gamma of the Year for his contributions to the arts and his active engagement with the fraternity.

    Krylios (left) and Rayceen Pendarvis, representatives of Team Rayceen, winners of the 2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Exellence in the Arts and Justice.

    Krylios (left) and Rayceen Pendarvis, representatives of Team Rayceen, winners of the 2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    Chadwick Boseman

    An actor who delivered outstanding performances in Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    Michaela Coel

    Creator, executive producer, writer, director, and star of I May Destroy You, a groundbreaking series which furthered conversations about sexual assault and its repercussions.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    Misha Green

    Executive producer, writer, and director of Lovecraft Country, which deftly adapted a story about race and horror for television audiences.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    Colin Kaepernick

    Social justice activist and philanthropist who established Kaepernick Publishing, a liberation-based publishing house that aims to amplify diverse voices.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    Jordan Peele

    Executive producer of Lovecraft Country, The Twilight Zone, and The Last O.G., which provided both entertainment and thought-provoking commentary on society.

    2020 Bruce Hawkins Prize for Excellence in the Arts and Justice
    DJ D-Nice

    A renowned DJ who united the world during the COVID-19 pandemic through his popular Club Quarantine sets on social media.

    2020 Gamma of the Year
    Steven Van Patten

    2020 Program of the Year


    Creatives’ Corner
    Gamma Chapter, Newark, New Jersey

  • Gamma Xi Phi Celebrates Ten Years of Philanthropy, Sodality, and Elevation

    Gamma Xi Phi Celebrates Ten Years of Philanthropy, Sodality, and Elevation

    Gamma Xi Phi, the fraternity for artists, celebrated its tenth anniversary with a virtual birthday party for its founding chapter on October 7, 2020.  It was a members-only event.

    Alumni from Ramapo College of New Jersey, the birthplace of the fraternity, assembled along with members from chapters serving the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and North Carolina.  A slideshow began the evening, with music produced by Alpha Chapter charter member Micaela Moore serving as the soundtrack.  Later on the program, Founders and members had the opportunity to share their thoughts about the origins of the fraternity and the hard work involved in making it sustainable.

    National President Rashid Darden, a novelist, along with other members of the fraternity, feted the founders and early members of Alpha Chapter by sharing stories of their more youthful days.

    Darden also recounted the many accomplishments of the fraternity’s first ten years, with an emphasis on the current year.  Recent accomplishments include the most chapters chartered in a single year, the most initiates initiated in a single year, and the most community members impacted by and engaged with fraternity programming.

    As a special surprise to the membership, Beta Chapter charter member and past National Treasurer Nadia Fisher of Aria del Sole presented a digital painting called Solidarity in honor of the occasion.  The painting represents the sacred values of the organization.

    Gamma Xi Phi was founded at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, New Jersey by undergraduate students Malcolm Minor, Ashli Johnson, Tahir Register, and Kanisha Taylor.  The purpose of Gamma Xi Phi is to honor the achievements of artists through fellowship, philanthropy, social justice, and service.  Notable members of the fraternity include poet and activist E. Ethelbert Miller, novelist Melanie S. Hatter, visual artist Nette Forné Thomas, and sculptor Allen Uzikee Nelson.

  • A Life in Motion: Remembering Brother Christopher Brient

    A Life in Motion: Remembering Brother Christopher Brient

    Gamma Xi Phi, the professional fraternity for artists, has fewer than 100 members and is less than ten years old.  When Christopher Brient became a member of the fraternity, there were less than 30 members—the majority of whom were not subject to a ritualistic initiation.  The organization was only two and a half years old when he entered.  He was the fraternity’s second honorary member. 

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  • Delta Chapter Welcomes the Fall 2018 Class

    Delta Chapter Welcomes the Fall 2018 Class

    The Delta Chapter of Gamma Xi Phi initiated two new members on October 7, 2018, the fraternity’s 8th Founders Day. Delta Chapter was chartered on October 8, 2016, and servies the five boroughs of New York City. The newest members were initiated in a ceremony attended by members of Alpha Chapter at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Beta Chapter of Washington, DC, and Gamma Chapter of Newark, New Jersey. The ceremony was officiated by National President Sharnell Bryan.

    Baron Wright is CEO and Founder of CreateX Retreats, a lifestyle experience company and BaronArts, a leadership development and creative arts system. As a Certified Coach with over a decade of coaching, analysis, and management experience, he uses creative strategies to achieve breakthrough results for his clients. Baron is a professional recording, spoken, and performance artist, graphic designer, and motivational speaker who is a recipient of the Nations United Award for Creativity, Out Hip Hop Award and Excellence in Photography. He inspires people to find the power in their voice and to live a life of their design. He is passionate about empowering people to develop their personal life’s vision to create passion, clarity & certainty.

    Steven Van Patten is a celebrated writer and Brooklyn native. He has penned five novels; The Brookwater’s Curse trilogy is about an 1860s Georgia plantation slave who becomes a vampire. Killer Genius: She Kills Because She Cares, features a hyper intelligent black woman who becomes a serial killer. The sequel, Killer Genius 2: Attack of The Gym Rats dropped in late 2018. Van Patten’s short horror fiction has appeared in Hell’s Kitties, Shadows of Deathlehem and New York State of Fright. He also has a children’s book, Rudy’s Night Out, which is loosely based on the childhood of one of the characters from the Brookwater’s Curse series.

    Gamma Xi Phi was founded on October 7, 2010, by Ramapo College men and women who were interested in creating strong bonds between students pursuing artistic careers. The purpose of the fraternity is to unite collegiate and professional artists in the spirit of fellowship and perpetual artistic growth. Gamma Xi Phi promotes philanthropy and service to the arts, brotherhood among all artists, and leadership development in artistic professions through collegiate and community outreach to people of color across the world.

    In remarks following the ceremony, President Sharnell Bryan expressed the significance of welcoming new members on the 8th anniversary of Gamma Xi Phi’s founding. “We look forward to working with our newest Brothers, and I am very glad to have been a part of their introduction to Gamma Xi Phi. We are a young organization, but with the support of our members, I am looking forward to more outstanding work and representation of who we are.”

  • Delta Chapter Established in New York City

    Delta Chapter Established in New York City

    Gamma Xi Phi, the professional fraternity for artists, announces the chartering of its newest chapter. Delta Chapter, chartered on October 8, 2016, will serve the five boroughs of New York City.

    Five new members were initiated in a ceremony attended by members of the National Board of Trustees, honorary members, and Brothers and Sisters from Alpha Chapter at Ramapo College of New Jersey and Beta Chapter in the District of Columbia.   (more…)

  • Gamma Xi Phi Members Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of Founding

    Gamma Xi Phi Members Celebrate Fifth Anniversary of Founding

    On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, chapters of Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity participated in local celebrations commemorating the fifth anniversary of the founding of the organization.  Since that first day at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Gamma Xi Phi has grown in membership and in number of chapters.  Nationally, the fraternity took to social media to celebrate its birthday.  Locally, members assembled with one another in fellowship, toasting to the past and looking forward to a brighter future. (more…)

  • Happy Fifth Anniversary, Gamma Xi Phi

    Happy Fifth Anniversary, Gamma Xi Phi

     

    Rashid Darden, National President of Gamma Xi Phi
    Rashid Darden, National President of Gamma Xi Phi

    In 2110, by the grace of God, someone will call my name as the 3rd National President of a century-old fraternity for artists.  Perhaps there will be some three dimensional portrait of me in a historical exhibit with all the other past National Presidents.  Maybe there will be some bullet points with the major accomplishments of my administration.  If I’m lucky, someone will be there, not who remembers me, but remembers someone who remembers me.

    But one thing is certain:  I will not be alive in 2110.  So I’d better do a damn good job at being a National President if I want to be remembered.  I’d better make sure that every Founders’ Day is a milestone for our beloved fraternity.

    Today, Gamma Xi Phi is five years old.  Students attending Ramapo College of New Jersey came together five years ago with an idea for a new fraternity, one established for artists of all crafts.  Years later, the fraternity has already grown into something far greater in size and scope than our original members could have expected.  It has experienced this growth because it is fundamentally a good organization that has come at the right time.

    I am proud of each and every one of our members, from the charter members of Alpha Chapter to our newest initiates.  Gamma Xi Phi Brothers and Sisters are on the move, sculpting monuments in Washington, performing on tour in Europe and Africa, studying in graduate programs in New York, and hosting popular podcasts in New Jersey.  We have done a lot in five years and we are not stopping any time soon.  Through the years, Gamma will grow in size, in strength, and in influence due to our wonderful members.

    But we can’t do it alone.  To our families, friends, and supporters:  If you believe, as we do, that Gamma Xi Phi is a good organization, we ask that you spread this simple message to the artists in your life:

    You are not alone.  There is an organization out there for men and women in the arts.  They are waiting for you.  They need you, and while you might not know it now, you need them as well.  They are a group of great folks: literary artists, visual artists, performing artists, and professionals in arts-serving careers.  They have an awesome national program of artistic service that I think you’d like.  Check them out:  www.GammaXiPhi.com.

    Gamma Xi Phi will exist in 2110, certainly without me, but I must do my part to make sure that it is a greater organization than I could have imagined. If you are an artist, join us.  If you are a friend, help us.  These past five years have been a nice start, but we have only just begun to build our legacy.

    Happy fifth anniversary to my Brothers and Sisters.  Thank you, one and all.

    Rashid Darden,
    National President

     

     

  • Celebrating National Arts & Humanities Month

    Celebrating National Arts & Humanities Month

    Every stroke of the brush, stitch of the needle, or moment of the memoir uniquely marks our society and contributes to our national character.  This month, we recognize the ways the arts and humanities have forever changed our country, and we recommit to ensuring every American has the opportunity and the freedom to question, discover, and create. — Barack Obama, President of the United States of America

    Washington, District of Columbia, October 1, 2015 – Gamma Xi Phi, the professional fraternity for artists, is participating in National Arts & Humanities Month, an annual celebration of culture coordinated by Americans for the Arts, through local and national programs and projects. Gamma Xi Phi members will commemorate the 30th anniversary of National Arts and Humanities Month by sharing their favorite works of art on social media with the tag #ShareYourArt, participating in local “Creative Conversations” with artists and arts administrators, and by celebrating the founding of Gamma Xi Phi in local chapter events on October 7, 2015. (more…)

  • A Celebration of Service and Fraternalism

    A Celebration of Service and Fraternalism

    On Saturday, August 15, 2015, Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity hosted A Celebration of Service and Fraternalism, a public program honoring National President Rashid Darden.  It was held at the Greater Tried Stone Baptist Church in the Columbia Heights Section of Washington, DC. (more…)

  • Chidi Asoluka Addresses Gathering of Artists

    Chidi Asoluka Addresses Gathering of Artists

    Chidi Asoluka, founder and director of the New Community Project at Germantown Academy, addressed the artists of Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity at their biennial convention last Saturday.  He was the first non-member in history to address the fraternity while convention was in session. (more…)

  • Rashid Darden Elected to Lead Arts Fraternity

    Rashid Darden Elected to Lead Arts Fraternity

    Philadelphia, PA, June 14, 2015— Gamma Xi Phi, the professional fraternity for artists, elected novelist Rashid Darden as National President at the fraternity’s biennial convention on June 13, 2015, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Several other members were also elected or reelected at that time. (more…)

  • Congratulations National President Rashid Darden!

    Congratulations National President Rashid Darden!

    Brother Rashid Darden was elected to serve Gamma Xi Phi Professional Arts Fraternity as National President on June 13, 2015! (more…)