Fraternity Members Speak at Republican Convention
Posted on July 18, 2024Seven fraternity members from UNC marched down the aisle July 17 at the Republican National Convention carrying American flags, as convention goers cheered and high-fived some of the students.
The fraternity members were invited to the convention for holding up an American flag at the center of Polk Place that Pro-Palestinian protesters had tried to remove April 30 so that they could replace it with a Palestinian flag. A group of fraternity brothers, later identified by a GoFundMe account, which said it was raising money for a party to celebrate the students, as members of Pi Kappa Phi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Upsilon, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Phi Gamma Delta and Zeta Beta Tau, held the flag up to keep it from touching the ground.
In the convention center, Brian Kelley, former member of the country duo Florida-Georgia Line, sang “American Spirit” on stage with the choir from Milwaukee’s Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ as the fraternity members entered the arena.
The fraternity members had been invited to attend as part of what the Trump campaign has called “Everyday American Convention Speakers” chosen to address the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, according to an official press release from the campaign.
“A group of students and fraternity brothers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill patriotically protected an American flag that had been disturbed by demonstrators during an anti-Israel protest on their campus,” the campaign press release stated. “The students gained national attention as videos of the protest showed them standing strong to protect the American flag, even as protestors antagonized them.”
The release did not specify which fraternities were invited.
At least one fraternity did not accept the invitation to attend the convention. UNC chapter leaders for Pi Kappa Phi announced in an email their fraternity would not speak at the convention, according to The News & Observer.
A member of Pi Kappa Alpha did travel to Milwaukee. Alex Johnson, a sophomore from Kennesaw, Georgia, said at the convention he and other students protected the flag out of respect when pro-Palestinian protesters sought to bring it down. “Too many people have sacrificed everything for it,” Johnson said as convention goers cheered. “The least we could do was keep it flying, and tonight we are proud to honor our flag again.” Pi Kappa Alpha was not listed on the GoFundMe account.
It is not clear whether any other fraternities were represented on Wednesday night or whether the other six men with Johnson were also members of Pi Kappa Alpha.
The UNC fraternity members were thrust into the national spotlight after a photo went viral of them holding up the American flag on the Polk Place flagpole April 30 during a pro-Palestinian protest. The next day, a GoFundMe account was created for what is now being called “Flagstock 2024,” a party to celebrate the members who organizers describe as American heroes. “These boys, … no, men, of the UNC frats, gave the best to America and now they deserve the best,” the pitch read. “Help us raise funds to throw these frats the party they deserve, a party worth of the boat-shoed Broleteriat [sic] who did their country proud.”
More than $515,000 was raised, money organizers have said will go towards an invite-only event to be held Sept. 2. John Rich of the country music duo Big & Rich said in a post on X he will perform during the party. (See “Group Raises Half a Million Dollars for Fraternity Party,” July-August 2024 Review.)
An update to the GoFundMe account in June said funds not used for the party will be donated to charities. Back the Blue NC, Wounded Warrior Project, Children of Fallen Patriots and Zeta Beta Tau Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism were named as possible benefactors.
