The AHEPAN Spring 2023 - 10

A
labama was the site of many key events in
the American civil rights movement. Scholars
point to Birmingham as the city where the
movement reached a climax in 1963 when
the city responded to nonviolent protesters
with the use of police dogs and fire hoses.
Further, Scholars consider Martin Luther King's " Letter from
Birmingham Jail, " also drafted in 1963, as the most important
written document of the civil rights era. And on September
15, 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham was
bombed by four suspected Klansmen. The blast killed four
young girls and injured 22 others.
Given the basis for AHEPA's founding in 1922, it is not a
surprise that Birmingham is home to one of AHEPA's earliest
chartered chapters, Chapter 3. The chapter celebrated its 100th
anniversary on December 17, 2022, with a host of dignitaries in
L-R: Supreme President Kokotas, Ambassador Papadpoulou, former U.S. Senator Doug Jones,
honoree; and Chairman Gulas, PSP. Photo by Agatha Pihakis
attendance. The program included nods to AHEPA's support of
civil rights and commitment to education.
" Birmingham Chapter 3 was the third and final chapter
AHEPA established in 1922; a reflection upon the important
need for Greek immigrants to organize in the American South
in the early 20th century, " Event Chairman Ike Gulas, PSP, said.
" The Greek American community in Birmingham is vibrant,
ever-present, and has placed a key role in advancement of
American society. "
Birmingham Chapter 3 honored community leaders,
10 | THE AHEPAN · Spring 2023
including former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, who is an Ahepan.
Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas presented Senator Jones with
the AHEPA Pericles Award. Jones, who also is a former United
States Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, authored
the book, " Bending Toward Justice: The Birmingham Church
Bombing that Changed the Course of Civil Rights. " The book provides
Jones' account of the decades-long fight to bring justice to
the victims of the bombing that culminated with Jones' prosecution
of the last two living bombers in 2001 and 2002.
" We proudly reflected on the historical significance of
Birmingham, which is considered by all accounts as the birthplace
of the civil rights movement in America; a movement for
which Archbishop Iakovos boldly advocated and marched, and
AHEPA supported, " Gulas said.
Dating back to the Order's founders, the " E " in AHEPA has
been celebrated as a core principle. " To champion the cause of
education, " they wrote in the AHEPA
Constitution. They understood the
importance of gaining access to education
and the doors it can open in their
adopted homeland, America. Ahepans
took providing educational opportunities
to the next level when it established
AHEPA's National Educational
Foundation in 1966. The family of the
late AHEPA Life Member Sam Nakos,
a Birmingham native, received posthumous
honors on his behalf for his vital
role to bolster the National Educational
Foundation. As its vice-chairman,
Nakos donated $119,000 in 1971 that
became known as the Sam S. Nakos
Scholarship Trust; an amount six-fold
greater than his original pledge. The
foundation has awarded millions of
dollars in scholarships and grants since
its inception thanks in large part to the Nakos Trust.
Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Alexandra Papadopoulou
delivered remarks and Supreme President Jimmy Kokotas concluded
the evening's speaking program.
President of AHEPA Canada, Emmanuel Constas, Supreme
Vice President Lou Atsaves, Supreme Secretary Savas Tsivicos,
Supreme Treasurer E. Chris Kaitson, Supreme Counselor
Themistocles Frangos, and Board of Trustees Vice Chair George
Horiates, PSP, attended this excellent event to help conclude
AHEPA's year of centennial celebrations.
www.ahepa.org
http://www.ahepa.org
The AHEPAN Spring 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The AHEPAN Spring 2023
