Gamma Pi Appearing on Majic 102.3's "In the Community with Sheila Stewart" on March 25

Sheila Stewart - On-Air Host

As host of the upcoming 5-state 64th Second District Conference of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. at Washington National Harbor, Gamma Pi chapter is front and center as a series of district meetings are being held across the country by the Fraternity. Members of the chapter, including Second District Representative Brother Kenneth Rodgers (highest elected leader for the District), will be interviewed about the activities and events of the April 26-29 District meeting on the public affairs talk show, "In the Community with Sheila Stewart", on Sunday, March 25. The show  airs from 6:00-6:30 a.m. on WMMJ "Majic" 102.23 FM in the Washington, D.C. market.

The interview was taped a few days ago at Radio One studios. Click here to access the station's live programming online and to hear the interview: Majic 102.3 Online  Ms. Stewart is the award-winning News and Community Affairs Director for Radio One. WMMJ is a Radio One affiliate.

Bro. Kenneth Rodgers

In addition to Brother Rodgers, who is a past three-time Basileus of the chapter, Gamma Pi's Brother Eddie High, who is serving as the lead logistical organizer of the conference, was also interviewed by Ms. Stewart. Several other members of the planning committee will also be appearing on the program. Because of the location at the exciting new Washington National Harbor and the recent Centennial Anniversary of Omega Psi Phi, this is expected to be one of the largest District Conferences in memory. About 2,000 Fraternity members and their families are expected to attend the conference from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Read more about the scope and purpose of the upcoming conference here.

More information on Conference Logistics:
Registration (Omega Psi Phi members only)
Social and Community Events and Online Ticket Purchase (Public)

Bro. Ambassador Taylor Stays on the Move in the South Pacific

Bro. Amb. Taylor greets villagers on his trip to New Ireland Province

Bro. Ambassador Teddy Taylor, a past Basileus of Gamma Pi, has been gone for more than two years on an important Foreign Service assignment to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. In his third year in the prestigious job, he continues to plow new ground in leading the area diplomatic corps in a part of the world that is somewhat unsettled.

Bro. Taylor's influence was recently on display as he traveled throughout the region on a weeklong tour for several public events in behalf of the U.S. State Department. The locale was New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea, the first such tour of this province by a U.S.diplomat in quite a while.


Heading to a school dedication on the island of Tanga

During the tour, Bro. Taylor visited the open pit Gold Mine in Lihir, met with the Chamber of Commerce, Provincial Government Officicals, Women Leaders, and dedicated two schools. In the photo at right, Bro. Ambassador Taylor and his junior officer are being taken ashore in a rain storm for the school dedication on the island of Tanga, which is part of the province.

 "New Ireland is one of the Islands we (the U.S.) liberated from the Japanese during WWII. The provincal goverment has been a leader in transparent governance, they were the first province to offer free public education through grade 12 and they have just begun a very modest pension program for senior citizens,"said Brother Ambassador Taylor.

 "The governor, sir Julius Chan is one of the founding fathers of the republic of Papua New Guinea and donated some of his family land to the province to build one of the schools."

Bro. Taylor is returning to Washington for meetings this month. Send him an e-mail.


Bro. Amb. Taylor addresses the crowd



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Prince George's County's Finest Young Talent Will Be On Display THIS WEEK: Gamma Pi's Annual Talent Hunt



This young singer wowed the crowd

 It’s one thing to flip the channels between “American Idol” and “The X Factor” to see who will be the next great singer, instrumentalist or band. It’s another thing to watch these budding young artists in person. You can do just that in the coming week: see tomorrow’s stars in person when you join Gamma Pi chapter of Omega Psi Phi for the Annual Talent Hunt on Saturday, March 10, at 5 p.m. at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, Maryland. Admission is FREE. Bring your family, your friends and especially your students to watch this amazing display of talent from right here in Prince George’s County!

In recent years, the Gamma Pi Annual Talent Show has brought down the house with piercing vocal renditions, classic piano performances, rhythm-inducing guitar and drum solos, Broadway-like dramatic performances and even brilliant displays of artwork evoking memories of the late great African American artist, Romare Bearden. Last year’s overall winner, Malcolm Jackson, floored the auditorium with a Lionel Hampton-like marimba solo. You can relive his stunning performance in the video below.


Bro. Leroy Barton,Jr.



Brother Leroy Barton, Jr., a longtime college-level music instructor and a professional musician, has led Gamma Pi's Talent Hunt efforts for several years. He arranges each year for Gamma Pi to get judges for the competition who are professionally and academically trained in music and the arts. Not just anybody can serve as a judge for Gamma Pi's Talent Hunt. They must be experts in the area.

In recent weeks, Brother Barton has been auditioning local county students for the upcoming program on March 10. Talent Hunt is a popular program among county students and many have showed up at the auditions looking to make it to "the big show." Everyone who has attended Gamma Pi Talent Hunt events over the years has left astonished and amazed at the type and level of talent on the program. Performances have been punctuated by standing ovations and cheers from the audience.

Talent Hunt is a mandated program of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Read more about the purpose of Talent Hunt and other Omega Psi Phi mandated programs: Mandated Programs.

Previous Performances on Video including last year's winner:

Gamma Pi Chapter Leads Omega Psi Phi's Salute to Forgotten Woman of Black History

Mockup of the Nannie Helen Burroughs AAA Member Card

It may seem unusual that a fraternity would lead the way in honoring the legacy of a sorority woman. But when it comes to Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Gamma Pi chapter specifically, that is not unusual at all. Two of the four Cardinal Principles of the Fraternity -- Scholarship and Uplift -- don't have gender-eligibility requirements when it comes to who Omega serves. That was evident today as The Super Chapter observed Black History Month  by joining forces with the American Automobile Association to honor the work and legacy of Nannie Helen Burroughs.

Who is Nannie Helen Burroughs? An overlooked African American civil rights advocate and religious and education figure, she lived in the early 1900s in Washington, D.C. She was president of the Baptist Women's Convention and established a school for Negro girls in the city in 1909. The school and a street are named in her honor in The Nation's Capitol and that is really the extent to which most people in the metro area know her. She is also an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Gamma Pi's involvement in today's program is tied to the passion and perseverance of Brother James E. Wyatt, a 62-year-member of the Fraternity and a retired U.S. Army Colonel. Brother Wyatt has spent his years since retirement from the military researching Nannie Helen Burroughs' background and persuading AAA and others to give her proper respect and attention, even if posthumously. AAA's role as a partner with Gamma Pi and Omega Psi Phi is even more interesting. It is the result of Brother Wyatt's research in which he discovered, through a Library of Congress letter, that Nannie Helen Burroughs was mysteriously denied a $12 AAA membership in 1930 during a time when she was very outspoken to the President of the United States about "the plight of the Negro in America."

An Omega Man, Bro. Col. (Ret.) James E. Wyatt, Paves the Way

Bro. Col. (Ret.) Wyatt with Nannie Helen Burroughs Display

Early today, Brother Wyatt's work and tireless dedication resulted in a powerful, moving and informative Black History Month tribute to Nannie Helen Burroughs at Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Springdale, Md. The tribute was conducted as part of the chapter's signature educational program --Project ENRICH, a four-year program for Prince George's County students beginning in ninth grade during which they participate in once-a-month lectures, seminars and academic enrichment sessions at Bowie State University as preparation for college. Some of the students alo receive scholarship monies. Students from the Nannie Helen Burroughs School were also in attendance.

Brother Willie Hines is director of Project ENRICH and worked closely with Bro. Wyatt and AAA to merge the two efforts together to serve a double-edged purpose: to correct a wrong in Black history and use it as a "teachable moment" to imbue program youths with the values that Nannie Helen Burroughs espoused.

The highlight of the tribute -- which captured the interest of local media in attendance -- was the symbolic presentation of Nannie Helen Burroughs' long-overdue AAA membership card posthumously on stage. AAA officials flew in from Florida to make the presentation. Local Nannie Helen Burroughs historian Dr. Traki Taylor-Webb served as the "stand-in" for the late Ms. Burroughs in receiving the membership card, and she in turn presented the symbolic membership card to Brother Wyatt as a token for his efforts.

Bro. Col. (Ret.) Wyatt and Bro. Willie Hines prep on stage

Like many people, including many who know their civil rights history, AAA spokeswoman Yolanda Cade said today to the audience: "I had never heard of Nannie Helen Burroughs...but what she was saying was work hard, be proud and lift others up with you."

Iconic NBC newsman Tom Brokaw, author of the best-selling "The Greatest Generation," even sent a personal note to Brother Col. Wyatt that was read at the program: "We must all commit to the values Nannie Helen Burroughs personified."

Honoring Nannie Helen Burroughs Through the Voices of Our Youth

Adding depth and emotion to the program and to Nannie Helen Burroughs' values and legacy were the convincing and heartfelt testimonials of several Project ENRICH students, who spoke onstage about their experience in the program and how they have benefited from Project ENRICH.  One parent, Ms. Najmah Bass, represented other parents with children in Project ENRICH with a heart-rendering account of how the program has helped her children grow into better students and better people.

A view of the dais - a fabulous historic program

"My participation in this program has given me the tools to embark on a journey of success that is now easier for me to attain," said one of the students.

Gamma Pi has close to 100 youths participating in the 2011-12 version of Project ENRICH. Following the Black History Month program, the students and others willing to stay were treated to a more in-depth look at Nannie Helen Burroughs' life by Brother Col. Wyatt via a PowerPoint presentation.

AAA ended the ceremony with a formal presentation to Bro. Wyatt and Gamma Pi Basileus Bro. Gordon Everett, giving them a souvenir copy of the AAA membership card.

Others involved in this historic program were Omega Psi Phi's Second District Representative, Brother Kenneth E. Rodgers, who is the elected head of the Fraternity in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania; Ms. Sylvia Cyrus, Executive Director of Association for the Study of African American Life and History; Burroughs School principal Ms. Rita Johnson; and Rev. James Coates, Pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church and a pallbearer for Nannie Helen Burroughs in 1961.

Today's program will go down in Gamma Pi and Omega Psi Phi history as one of the most inspirational and uplifting ever held, truly in the spirit of 100 years - something the Founders would have cheered from the front row. Enjoy the video highlights below and the photos from Bro. Thaddeus Turner.

Additional Resources:
Gamma Pi Press Release (distributed to local media)
More about Project ENRICH (http://www.projectenrich.org/)
AAA article about Omega-Burroughs Event on PR Newswire