Darrell Henderson, Feb 18, 2013
Clark Atlanta University Alpha Phi Alpha strolling at Spelhouse Market Friday Spring 2013
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents my editorial notes about the custom of members of Alpha Phi Alpha strolling with the lead stroller blowing a whistle.
This post also showcases video examples of this custom from 2013 and from 2023.
Selected comments from these videos' discussion thread are also included in this post. Those comments focus on the subject of Alphas strolling with a whistle.
The Addendum to this pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of actual members of Alpha Phi Alpha stepping in Spike Lee's 1988 movie School Daze. Comments from that video's discussion thread about Alphas strolling with the lead stroller blowing a whistle are also included in this post.
The comments in this pancocojams post -including those from the discussion thread for the School Daze video in the Addendum- document mixed (positive or negative) opinions about the custom of Alphas strolling with the lead stroller blowing a whistle.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
This post doesn't refer to members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. or members of any other historically Black Greek letter fraternity or sorority doing a line dance or a stroll to rapper Too Short's 2006 hit record "Blow The Whistle" unless one or more of those strollers actually blow a whistle instrument. The Soul line dance "Blow The Whistle" was widely done in the Soul Line Dance community. However, I've never come across any videos of any dancers (or strollers) actually blowing a whistle while performing that dance.
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This is Part Six of an ongoing pancocojams post on the cultural meanings of and uses for blowing whistles (instruments) in various Black cultures throughout the world.
These pancocojams posts can be found under various tags beginning with the words "blowing whistles" such as the tag "blowing whistles while dancing" for the post entitled "Popping Fans & Blowing Whistles In "Boots On The Ground" And "Follow Me" Soul Line Dance Videos" https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/02/popping-fans-blowing-whistles-in-soul.html
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/02/pancocojams-posts-about-historically.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Pancocojams Posts About Historically African American (Black) Greek Letter Fraternity & Sorority Strolling,"
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EXCERPT FROM MY EDITORIAL NOTES ABOUT HISTORICALLY BLACK GREEK LETTER FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES STROLLING
by Azizi Powell, Feb. 23, 2025
"Strolls" are loosely or tightly choreographed processional (vertical line) dances that are usually performed by a group of people that are members of the same Greek letter organization, or -in the case of unity strolls- by members of different Greek letter organizations. Strolls originated with and are still mostly associated with members of the historically Black (African American) Greek letter organizations (members of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, informally known as "The Divine Nine") https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council).
[...]
Blowing a whistle while strolling
A small subset of non-competitive strolls that I have happened upon in YouTube videos and YouTube video shorts document the custom among members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity strolling with the lead stroller blowing a whistle. It appears to me that the the lead stroller blowing a whistle is in imitation of the role of a marching band drum major. However, unlike the drum major's whistle blowing, the lead stroller's whistle blowing doesn't appear to signal any movements or directions that he wants the rest of the group he leads to follow. Also, the lead stroller's whistle blowing doesn't signal for people to get out of the way.
My guess is that the sounds of the whistle that is blown by the lead stroller in the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity videos that I've come across are meant to augment the sounds of the record that he and the other strollers are moving to. But I think that what is most important in those stroll performances that feature the lead stroller blowing a whistle is the image of a drum major type figure rather than the sound of the whistle itself.
The earliest YouTube video that I have come across for this custom are from 2011. One 2011 video of strolling that includes the sound of a whistle is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozCLSYxoX7I "Alphas & AKAs Stroll" published by Charles Sueing, Nov 3, 2011, Morehouse/Spelman Homecoming 2011. That video shows members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. doing separate strolls at the same time in the same outdoor space. The whistle bursts are coming from an Alpha stroller.
As of the publication date and time of this update* for this pancocojams post (Feb. 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM EST) that video has a total of 192,994 views and 43 comments. None of those comments refer to the sound of the whistle being blown. That might suggest that hearing the sound of a whistle during a stroll-and particularly during an Alpha stroll- wasn't anything new or unique or worthy of commenting about, meaning this custom started before 2011 or was common in 2011.
Another 2011 YouTube video of Alphas strolling also features the song of a whistle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlsYnyGKw3w "Alpha Phi Alpha HT ISU Down for my stroll" published by Prettybr0wn3y3z, Oct, 8, 2011. (ISU = Illinois State University)
As of the publication date and time for this update* for pancocojams post (February 23, 2025 at 5:00PM EST), this video has a total of 150,575 views and 26 comments. Here's the only comment that mentions whistles:
@jameshudson6523, 2017
"keeping a wisle ha ha ha"
I don't know if 2011 is the earliest date for that custom among Alphas. And I also don't know if any other historically African American Greek letter fraternities or sororities has the same custom of a lead stroller or any other person in that strolling group ever blows a whistle. (I haven't come across this custom in any other historically Black Greek letter organization and I haven't come across any video of anyone but the lead stroller in the Alpha strolls blowing a whistle.)v
The comments that I've read in discussion threads for YouTube video and YouTube video shorts document that there are mixed reviews about the custom of a whistle being blown during a stroll. Some commenters really like it and other comments don't like it at all.
Please share any information that you know about the early days of historically Black (African American) Greek letter organizations strolling. Please also share any information and/or your opinion about a stroller blowing a whistle while strolling.
* I updated this essay to reflect the early examples of Alphas strolling with whistles that I found after I had initially published this pancocojams post.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - MIZZOU ALPHAS | ALPHA PHI ALPHA | V.ISLAND STROLL
@GrandTourMedia Aug 27, 2023
Vulture Island V2 · Rob49 & Lil Baby
-snip-
Mizzou is an informal name for The University of Missouri (Columbia, Missouri)
This is a YouTube video short. (YouTube video shorts are on a loop which continuously repeats the very brief video.)
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THESE VIDEOS' DISCUSSION THREADS
These compilation presents some of the comments from each of these videos' discussion thread that referred to the custom of the lead stroller in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity strolls blowing a whistle.
I assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only.
SELECTED COMMENTS FOR VIDEO #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht5hKgvb1O0
1. @jadeagudosi1170, 2013
"my favorite stroll so far!!!"
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2. @dmedinahh5060, 2013
"they killed this !"
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Reply
3. @divaxbabyy, 2015
"yessss! they did that"
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4. @dominichardaway3472, 2013
"'06 to the Bruhs"
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5. @WHODINI06, 2017
"Good stuff Bros!!!"
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6. @richiehughes9736, 2016
"nostalgia"
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SELECTED COMMENTS FOR SHOWCASE VIDEO #2
WARNING- Some comments in that discussion thread that aren't included in this compilation directly disparaged people who are LGTBTQ. A few of these selected comments may also allude to anti-gay attitudes.
1. @amoneylabamba
"🔥🔥🔥"
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2. @MizzLovelyOfMD
"Go head Pham #06/08💞💚🖤💛"
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3. @ItsJustDev321
"🔥🔥"
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4. @vrx5021
"Blacks involved in Greek methodologies 🤦🏾♂️"
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Reply
5. @StephanieNiecey, 2024
"It’s sick and I go to a HBCU and I see this junk all of the time."
-snip-
I believe that "sick" in this comment is a negative meaning of that word (which also has a very positive meaning in contemporary (about late 1990s/2000s) African American Vernacular English.
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Reply
6. @kylefair14, 2024
"The sphinx is Ancient Egyptian Mythology…"
-snip-
This comment and a few other comments in this compilation alludes to the fact that in the 1960s (if not earlier) to the 1990s members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (the Alphas) were known for their use of Egyptian cultural motifs particularly Pharaohs and the Sphinx.
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7. @cookmup3229
"That dance is so wack 😂"
-snip-
The African American Vernacular English word "wack" means "corny".
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Reply
8. @LIFEWITHFEFE-
"Oh pls like you can do this"
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Reply
9. @latoyanance3815, 2024
"@LIFEWITHFEFE- they throwing down in sync with each other and on key 🗝"
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10. @cristobalbalenciaga7295, 2024
" @LIFEWITHFEFE- So and everything you can’t do is not wack..? What kind of logic is that?
As a man i’m sure I can’t twerk. So as a man, I now can’t say that twerking as a man is wack? 😅
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2024
11. @beautyupabove4708
"Can you imagine in the days of Pharaoh in Egypt and the fella came in like this. The Pharaoh was blowing the MF whistle ❤❤❤"
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12. @Joker36544
"They getting it"
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13. @2sadto
"Lol i want to do it only for the whistle 😂😂😂😂👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️"
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14. @category9cane488
"When did we start dance routines 😠"
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Reply
15. @Brifearless5
"Since people decided they don’t want to be boring and just chant and stomp"
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Reply
16. @Heyu7her3
"Ummm... it's a stroll"
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17. @basilicamiddlebrooks3293
"Nothing like an Alpha Man ❤"
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18. @Teddy-m4z
"Hope you all graduate!"
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Reply
19. @shanteprice6658
"They will!❤"
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Reply
20. @Reignsupreme76
"They are Alphas! You best believe
they will graduate!"
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21. @Heyu7her3
"They party hard, they stay up late; But, most of all, they graduate!"
-snip-
"We party hard" etc. are words from an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity song or chant.
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22. @CBAKEZX80
"Not the whistle!"
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23. @Frank-t4j3l
"Cab calloway😂"
-snip-
Cab Calloway (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a famous African American Jazz singer and band leader. Some people consider/ed his demeanor to be somewhat over the top ("extra"). demeanor.
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24. @Ricksh.1989
"Dem boiz too lit"
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25. @jDunnFIT
"Lost ones."
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26. @christinacarter2518
"🤎💯"
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27. @Logansrae
"That dance corny sorry"
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28. @manuelsmiley7125
"Buffoonery"
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29. @johnholman3200
"SAD.👎🏽 GOT YASHAR'EL IN THE LAND OF THEIR CAPTIVITY DOING EGYPTIAN/GREEK PAGAN DANCES.
#yahudahtruthtribe"
-snip-
"Yashar'el" is a Hebrew Israelite referent for the population (or a man or men) from the population that is commonly known as Black Americans (African Americans). As far as I know, this referent is neutral i.e. It doesn't have any negative connotations.
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30. @Jrmabin1
"❤ Okay I see y'all!"
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31. @tiffanydegoya
"I can tell the lead guy is the 1 who made this erratic stroll 😂"
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Reply
32. @shannonj.5256
"😂😂😂 Lmaooo this comment got me rolling!!!"
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Reply
33. @Heyu7her3
"😭 Idk where it repeats 😅"
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Reply
34. @kpg9806
"don't do my frat like that lol"
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ADDENDUM: SHOWCASE VIDEO FROM THE 1988 MOVIE SCHOOL DAZE
iCE iCE BABY,,,The Black And Gold
Allen C Johnson, July 3, 2014
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
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EXAMPLES OF COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD ABOUT STROLLING WHILE BLOWING A WHISTLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfPc8Ia7E20&t=3s
1. @cduone, 2016
"And no dumb whistle sound either."
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Reply
2. @bayarea510, 2016
"i like the whistle lol"
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Reply
3. @shaunastokes1906, 2019
"Most of these guys ain't in shape to step, that's why most of the just stroll now. Laziness has crept in our ranks brothers of Alpha and we must reclaim the art of stepping"
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Reply
4. @marqosmarqos1201, 2019
"@shaunastokes1906 Sounds like something that should be discussed in house. You should consider deleting the comment if you are in fact a Alpha. Peace"
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Reply
5. @shaunastokes1906, 2020
"@marqosmarqos1201 That is not something that needs to be discussed in house. I have talked to several of the young brothers on the campus about that. I also am speaking in general terms concerning national and international brotherhood. There is nothing I said that in anyway betrayed the bonds of Alpha Phi Alpha. Thank you very kindly my brother."
6. @taylorwaylor8965, 2022
"Wow! no whistles or anything! This is a real marchdown"
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7. @dontem.8369, 2023
"Wait, no APE steps or whistles back then???"
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Reply
8. @anthonypersons7212, 2024
"Remember, this was the heyday of lawsuits and unfortunate deaths from pledging. So much was underground, just in case. Don't worry, the APE lives!🤙👊💯"
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/05/alpha-phi-alpha-fraternity-alpha-walk.html Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity - "Alpha Walk" (also known as the "Ape Walk") videos and comments for a 2024 pancocojams post about the relatively new custom of members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity doing the Ape Walk.
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