Obama Administration Official, Fraternity Member Propels Gamma Pi Achievement Week

Bro. Dr. Joe Leonard, Jr. speaks

You had to be there to feel the spirit of the place and sense the spirit of the Founders of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. at Gamma Pi's Achievement Week observance held Saturday at the Drew-Freeman Middle School in Suitland. Thanks to some powerful words from Guest Speaker Brother Joe Leonard, Jr., Ph.D., today's Achievement Week program hit on just the right chords for both youth and adults who made up a packed house at the school. In light of the upcoming Centennial Celebration for Omega Psi Phi in 2011, this year's Achievement Week was special. Brother Brian Long served as Emcee.

Bro. Marcus Davis and Surrattsville Choir

Brother Leonard, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, led the way with a formidable challenge to the young people gathered in the audience to chase dreams and goals and not money and position as they begin to build their careers and establish their place in the world. He provided some hints for success, referring to his own background and to profiles of successful people outlined in a book by Malcolm Gladwell:

"You have to spend about 10,000 hours doing something you love if you are going to be successful," he said in his remarks. The upshot of his message for the students was to give their all and become passionate about what they feel they are good at in order to become truly successful. He related the story of his own career and how he knew at age 8 that he wanted to work in civil rights. He did not just fall into it. Brother Dr. Leonard is appointed by President Obama and confirmed to his post by the U.S. Senate. Just this week, he was a point person in the historic settlement of more than $1 billion to black U.S. farmers in a decades-old discrimination case involving government loans and loan payments.

True to the Cardinal Principles of Uplift and Scholarship, Saturday's event showcased just how one chapter of Omega Psi Phi can help uplift a community and make a difference in bringing along the next generation through creating educational opportunity.  After all, that is what the Founders envisioned. Gamma Pi is involved in building and improving local communities and in creating and enhancing educational opportunities for local youth, who were well represented at today's program.



Omega Man of the Year Bro. Felder and Family

 In addition to Brother Dr. Leonard's keynote speech, several Community service awards and Fraternity service awards were also presented during the program. Winners of the Community Service Awards are: Kenya Colbert, Scholar Athlete of the Year (daughter of Brother Derek Colbert); Brenda J. Gilmore, Citizen of the Year; and Gamma Pi Brother Rev. Rodney Barnes as Religious Leader of the Year.

Winners of the Fraternity Awards are: Brother Joe Felder (Keeper of Records and Seal), Omega Man of the Year; Brother Terry Rogers, Founder's Award; Brother Maurice Calhoun (Basileus 2008-10), Superior Service Award; and Brother Rodney Beverly, Citizen of the Year. Bro. Felder was presented for Man of the Year by Brother Tim McIntosh, Gamma Pi's first Basileus.

Basileus Calhoun thanks Bro. Leonard

The chapter also awarded 10 scholarships to Prince George's County seniors, which brings the total scholarship awards for this year to more than $23,000. Those winners were Brandolyn Irene Burks (Flowers High School) Temple University: Carl Franklin Felton III (Suitland High) Towson University; Courtney Camille Ford (St. John's College High) Spelman College; Nicole Lorraine Heard (Gwynn Park High) University of Maryland; Kyle Julien Majors (Flowers) Alabama A&M University; Modinat Mayowa Mustapha (Bladensburg High) University of Maryland; Min Namkoong (Roosevelt High) Maryland- Baltimore County; Renee Elizabeth Plummer (Central High) Howard University; Kiah YeWon Victoria (Bowie High) New York University; and Ciara Janee Williams (Gwynn Park High) Spelman College.

Thanks also to Brothers Patrick Johnson and Brian King, who serve as co-chairs for Achievement Week. Some video from Saturday's event is below and also thanks to Brother David Sierra of the PR Committee for the photos:

Project ENRICH Gets Off to a Flying Start as Youth Are Treated to Inspirational Talks



Project ENRICH Students Listening

 You wouldn't know it was Saturday morning by the buzz of activity and positive academic energy coming from the Thurgood Marshall Library at Bowie State University earlier today. While many were using the time to sleep in, the Brothers from Gamma Pi were fully awake and at the helm guiding and directing our youth toward the future as the chapter kicked off the first monthly session for this year's Project ENRICH.  Just two weeks removed from an outstanding opening ceremony that drew a full house, Brothers joined forces with enrolled students and their parents in rolling up their sleeves and going to work for what will be a rigorous year of academic and personal enrichment.

Led by Brother Dwayne "Pete"Ford, the new program coordinator who is stepping up to replace the retired Brother Roland Byrd, Brothers from the chapter delivered the first of what will be numerous pitches concerning critical information about scholarships, completing homework, careers, colleges, confidence, public speaking and "competency and competitiveness" in a tough, unforgiving world.



Brothers Cox and Jarmon lead session

 This year's Project ENRICH offers a new component -- mentoring. Several Brothers in the chapter have already received formal training in that area in preparation for applying those skills in this year's program. Gamma Pi's Project ENRICH has caught fire in recent years as more Prince George's County parents see the benefits of the chapter's formal, four-year program to prepare their students for college that is free and intense. The program builds off the expertise of Gamma Pi members who are in education as well as connections many Brothers have with area educators.



"The Master" Bro. Byrd in attendance

 "There is one thing you cannot put in a book, and that is the passion of the individual," said Brother Ford in addressing the students. His message to the participating students and their families was to get serious about their academic skills, show some passion for succeeding academically and be aggressive in pursing educational and career opportunities.

In addition to Brother Ford's talk, Brother Wesley Jarmon, head of the Ernst E. Just Foundation, and retired educator Brother Barron Stroud, also spoke to the students. Brother Jarmon outlined an upcoming February trip for some of the Project ENRICH students to a Science Symposium in South Carolina in honor of Omega Psi Phi Founder Dr. Errnest E. Just.  Speaking of "passion," Brother Stroud hit home the importance of education and the payoff to come with an emotional, inspiring, no-holds-barred, locker-room-style talk that had all the students and parents sitting up in their seats and taking note. After hearing the initial talks by Brothers, students were split off into groups for classroom sessions based on their class.

Below are some video clips from today.

Gamma Pi's Brother Gordon Everett Leads WSSU Homecoming 2011 with TV Interview

Last weekend was a "red-letter" weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C. Make that a "red and black" letter weekend, as Winston-Salem State University celebrated its Annual Homcoming. Prominent in the celebration was Gamma Pi's own Brother Gordon Everett, who is fresh into his term as the elected National Alumni President for WSSU. He is a 1978 Rams graduate. Brother Everett crossed those Burning Sands at WSSU in 1975 (Mu Epsilon).

Brother Everett was front and center on the local news filling the community in on Homecoming festivities during a live interview on Winston-Salem's Channel 12 WXII-TV. This was not a "man-on-the-street" or "face-in-the-crowd" interview. This was an in-studio interview "on the set," as they say in the industry. Morning Reporter Nichole Ducouer interviewed both Brother Everett and another alumni official on-air on last Friday, October22.  The station is an NBC affiliate and serves the Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point "Triad" area.

In the interview, Brother Everett described an exciting, action-packed weekend that included numerous galas, reunions, dinners and oh, yeah, the game, which WSSU won by beating UNC-Pembroke before a full house of more than 18,000 screaming fans. Gamma Pi's Brother Eddie High and his wife, Mary, were Brother Everett's special guests for Homecoming. The High's daughter, Mya, is a freshman at WSSU.  Brother High is also a Second District Corridor Representative for Omega Psi Phi.

"The weekend started Thursday morning with "Return to Serve" where over 50 alumni from various career experiences visit students and faculty in classrooms to hold discussions with students on their preparation for life after WSSU."

For Brother Everett, the National Alumni Association Scholarship Gala was a key event among many held during the weekend as  he leads the organization in pursuing an ambitious goal of raising $500,000 for a scholarship endowment.  The Millenium Center in  downtown Winston-Salem was the center of all the social activity.

Brother Everett, who is Gamma Pi's incoming Basileus for 2010-11, was elected National Alumni President for WSSU in April and his two-year term began in July. He previously served as Vice President of the alumni organization prior to his election to the top post. Click here to watch Brother Everett's interview on WXII Channel 12

Brother Everett (right) on the set live at WXII-TV 

Here's a Homecoming bonus courtesy of WSSU: even though you may not have been in attendance, you can enjoy last week's sizzling halftime show put on by the "Red Sea of Sound" marching band directed by Dr. Michael Magruder.

Gamma Pi Celebrates Another Omega Life Well-Lived After Back-to-Back Giant Losses

Not quite a year ago, on the evening of November 29, Gamma Pi Brother Phillip Ferguson sent out this email to the Gamma Pi Brotherhood: "I informed one of Brother Blakey's line brothers, Prince Willis, from Knoxville College of Buddy's condition. Prince has visited him in the hospital several times and is quite concerned about Buddy's progress. He said Buddy recognized him and sort of smiled which was his only form of communication."

Bro. Blakey (left) and Bro. Richard Moore 

At the time, Brother Ferguson and Brother William A. Blakey, Esq. were simply tied together by the bond that holds all Omega men together, especially when they are in the same chapter. One was looking out for the welfare of another and reporting back to other Brothers, and it would have happened the same way had it been the other way around. But like a double-edged sword, that e-mail cuts through the heart of the chapter now as Gamma Pi chapter finds itself having participated in yet another Omega Service for a fallen member barely two weeks after performing the same duties for another Brother.

That recently discovered email poignantly ties Brother Ferguson and Brother Blakey (known as "Buddy") together in a way that no one would have expected last year, looking back, as the chapter this week paid homage to Brother Blakey. He entered Omega chapter after a long illness and ironically just a few days after Brother Ferguson entered Omega chapter. Brother Ferguson's period of illness began soon after he sent the note out updating the chapter on Brother Blakey's condition.

Brothers gather for Blakey Omega Service

Just as for Brother Ferguson on October 7, a large contingent of Brothers held an Omega Service for Brother Blakey on October 21 at Greater Mount Nebo AME Church in Bowie, Md. Gamma Pi seemingly has worn black all of the month of October. But through the darkness and the drabness, the bright lights of these Omega Brothers and others in Gamma Pi who have gone on before them shined brighter than ever.

Like Brother Ferguson, Brother Blakey, who entered the Fraternity in 1962 at Beta Epsilon chapter (Knoxville College), was active and fully engaged in Omega through Gamma Pi. He, too, had become legend. He was just two years short of his 50th year as a member of the Fraternity when the Supreme Basileus called him to reward. He was recalled this week as "a man of character, a man of integrity" and a man of "vision, faith and courage."

Brother Blakey's very successful career as an attorney combined his love for politics, law and education. He was a graduate of Knoxville College and later the Howard University School of Law. He had his own practice, William A. Blakey & Associates, in Washington, D.C. He made his passion for education an integral part of his work and as a result of his tireless work in behalf of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, he was inducted into the Black College Hall of Fame in 2001. His concern for education extended to Gamma Pi as he served on the Scholarship Committee, helped the chapter select scholarship recipients and worked closely with Gamma Pi's Project ENRICH college preparatory program.



Bro. Blakey (right) at  Que legislative event

Brother Blakey was a member of Gamma Pi for 17 years. In addition to his work in the area of Scholarship, he served as Legislative Committee chairman and is best known for recently organizing the very successful annual "Ques Night in Annapolis" event.  He also served on the Constitution & Bylaws Committee, the Housing Committee and the Membership Selection Committee. When business ended, Brother Blakey enjoyed the social fellowship of his Omega Brothers and frequented golf outings and HBCU college football games with his Omega Brothers in tow.

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, and Gamma Pi chapter will miss him dearly. Brothers can visualize him and Brother Ferguson greeting each other at the door to Omega chapter just in time for the next meeting.

Bro. Dove in his favorite environs

In the past year, Gamma Pi also lost Brother Douglas Dove,who passed away in December 2009.  Many recall his quiet, introspective demeanor and the true, genuine friendship he extended to all Brothers. Like a lot of other Gamma Pi Brothers, Brother Dove also had a passion for golf and fraternized often around the game, organizing many of the outings himself. He, too, was active in chapter committee work and supported numerous chapter events. He participated in last year's Achievement Week while very sick-- less than a month before his passing. His Omega Service in Washington, D.C. also drew a large group of Brothers from Gamma Pi and elsewhere.

Basileus Maurice Calhoun announced that the chapter is planning to develop a memorial project for Brothers who have gone on, and a pictorial memorial from Brother Thad Turner is forthcoming. Brother Eddie Epps provided the photo from this week's Omega Service and Brother Turner the others. Also thanks to Brother Joe Felder (Keeper of Records and Seal) and Brother Roland Byrd for supplying biographical information on Brother Blakey.