The National Pan-Hellenic Council kicks off its annual Greek Unity Fest

today, with events including a Friday night concert by rapper Jadakiss.

Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter will speak at 7 tonight in Goldstein Auditorium. Carter was at the peak of his boxing career when he was wrongly arrested and convicted twice for triple homicide in 1966 and served nearly 20 years in prison before a United States district court judge overruled the sentence and blamed the conviction on racial prejudice.

Jadakiss will perform on Friday, also in Goldstein. Comedians from the ‘Chappelle’s Show’ cast, including writer and actor Charlie Murphy, will open the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $10 for students.

The NPHC, the governing body for SU’s six traditionally black fraternities and sororities, has been working on securing the performers since last semester, said NPHC president and Alpha Phi Alpha brother Jason Jackson.

Dick Gregory, an activist and comedian, was originally booked as tonight’s speaker, but had to cancel many of his tour dates when he got sick earlier in the semester, leaving the NPHC to hustle and find another speaker, said Don Sawyer, an associate director in the Office of Greek Life and Experiential Learning and the advisor for NPHC.

The fest ends Saturday night with a 5 p.m. step concert and a 10 p.m. year-end celebration party in Goldstein.

The NPHC, the governing body for the university’s traditionally black fraternities and sororities, has been hosting the fest for at least 25 years, Jackson said.

‘The whole campus comes out for the events,’ Sawyer said.

Jackson and Sawyer have been primarily in charge of planning the events, though all of the members have helped out in different ways, Jackson said. Alumni also play a large role in the fest, both in planning and in participation.

‘It benefits them too,’ Jackson said. ‘It’s one of the only times they come back to visit, because it’s organizations that they were members of and still are members of.’

While the official events end Saturday night, traditionally, many NPHC council members wake up Sunday morning and attend church together, Jackson said.

‘The spiritual side is very big for historically African-American fraternity and sororities,’ Sawyer said.

The NPHC currently has about 40 members in three fraternities and three sororities.

Published on April 12, 2005 at 12:00 pm