Gamma Pi's Project ENRICH Teaches Students to Speak Up, Speak Out Confidently

Student listens to feedback from Project ENRICH staff

They approached the front of the room one by one. Once positioned, they introduced themselves and identified their topics. And then it was time to start talking. Each one had a different cadence, a different decibel level and a different presentation style. But one thing that is common to each of the students who presented their essays at Saturday’s Project ENRICH session, is that they all had the opportunity to research and talk about an important part of Black history.

Each year, the April essays are nail-biting time for the students who must overcome the jitters to stand tall and deliver a coherent talk in a room full of their peers and parents. But it’s also one of Project ENRICH’s top learning activities. It goes to the core of one of the program’s key goals, to help students learn vital verbal communication skills as they prepare for college and life afterwards.

The students are assigned topics according to their class standing. For example, the freshmen were asked to research and write essays about the early 20^th century Camp Logan Riots. What precipitated the riots and were the actions justified? The sophomores were given the task of orating on A. Phillip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. The juniors spoke about The Great Migration of the 20^th century that saw millions of African Americans “head north” to escape the clutches of Jim Crow in the deep south and latch on to better job opportunities. Finally, the seniors discussed the two types of African American leaders who dominated at the turn of the 20^th century – the Assimilators and the Liberators. Which one should Black people have followed?

Persuading the audience

Project ENRICH Director Bro. Willie Hines views the essays as a training exercise for public speaking, as well as a venue to develop critical thinking skills. The students seem to understand and appreciate. After each presentation, students are given a critique by a panel of Project ENRICH staff, which included Gamma Pi members Hines, Lawrence Branch, Pete Ford, Marc Ellington, Jason Crump and James Riley.

Mastering the topic

“This subject was picked because we wanted you to understand what Camp Logan was all about,” director Hines said this morning. “These men left a military base and went into Houston and engaged police and whites…we want you to apply critical thinking skills to these topics.”

The subjects selected for also help the students learn about little-known or unknown Black history, as well as hone leadership skills, debate techniques and interpersonal communications skills. Project ENRICH is always reminding the students to practice and be ready to give their “30-second elevator speech.”

Project ENRICH awards prizes in every grade group. Winners will be announced next month.

Gamma Pi Brothers Show Up in Support of Fight Against Domestic Violence

Basileus Bro. Tony Lee, 2nd right and Social Action Chair Kevin Greenwood, 2nd left,
 with some of the other Gamma Pi Brothers at the domestic violence event

The Brothers of Gamma Pi don't have any problem rolling out of bed early on a Saturday morning, even after working all week, if it is for a good cause. Today, the Brothers rolled out and showed up at the Camelot by Martin's in Upper Marlboro to show support for and help local advocacy groups strategize in the fight domestic violence. For the third consecutive year, Gamma Pi participated in the Prince George's County MOMENTum "Men Making Our Relationships Excellent" Domestic Violence conference.

The chapter's participation was led by the Social action committee and was highlighted by the deployment of its new exhibit booth that served as an onsite home base for the distribution of information about the Fraternity and chapter and its ambitious Social Action initiatives. The booth received a multitude of visitors curious about Omega Psi Phi and about the various community programs the chapter is involved in.

Gamma Pi also drew praise for bringing about a dozen young boys from the nearby underserved Kentland Community-- many dressed professionally in their ties -- to learn an early life lesson in having a proper relationship with women. The young boys are part of Gamma Pi's long-running QueKidz mentoring initiative that sponsors a monthly series of social and education enrichment activities for the Kentland youth. The young boys were transported to the event by bus from the Kentland Community Center where QueKidz programs are held one Saturday a month.

One of the key aspects of the conference, sponsored by the county's Department of Family Services, was a series of breakout sessions, which the Brothers from Gamma Pi covered. For example, there was a session on "Understanding Domestic Violence and Your Role in Preventing It" which included discussions on learning how to detect, report and respond to domestic violence. Another one of the sessions focused on "Becoming a Better Man."  The Gamma Pi team attending the conference took an active part in the frank dialogue and informative discussion that came out of the conference.

"The conference created a gender specific community dialogue to educate men and youth on healthy relationships, non-violence, and to give them an opportunity to partner with other males in discussion to address domestic violence in Prince George’s County," said Social Action Chairman Kevin Greenwood. "We learned  lot."

In 2016, the chapter used the opportunity of attending the conference to observe and meet community leaders directing the fight. The focus now is on getting more actively engaged in the effort. In recent years, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has turned more of its attention to the plight of domestic violence in our communities.

VIDEO CLIP: Que Kidz mentees arrive at the Camelot

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Chapter's Achievement Week Events Filled with Enthusiasm, Inspiration and Participation

All the honorees

The Brothers of Gamma Pi closed the books on the 2018 Achievement Week observance on Saturday night, November 17, at the annual Rededication Service held at Howard University's Crampton Auditorium, buoyed into the 108th year of the Fraternity by the powerful challenging words of "not satisfied" from Bro. Mark Jackson, the Grand Keeper of Records and Seal.

About 50 Gamma Pi chapter members rolled up U Street Washington, D.C. in a Que car caravan -- direct from the November monthly chapter meeting -- to attend the service. The Gamma Pi Brothers were part of a full house of about 1,000 Fraternity members who came from near and far to the program, some by chartered bus.

Audience enjoys the program

Gamma Pi put on a spirited Achievement Week of its own, making the Howard program "icing on the cake." Friday night, November 16, the chapter hosted 100 Chapter members and Fraternity guests for the annual Robert Busby/Claudius Brothers Only dinner at Martin's Camelot. It was the first time that Gamma Pi had held the dinner at the plush location. Immediate Past Grand Keeper of Records and Seal Bro. Kenneth Rodgers, a Gamma Pi legend, offered the inspirational words of "unity" at the dinner. Brothers enjoyed a free-form fellowship afterwards. It was one of the best Brothers Only dinners in recent memory, from the atmosphere to the succulent food to the Brotherhood to the message of the evening.

 On Monday, November 12, when Veterans Day was observed, the Social Action committee led a contingent of Omega men who gathered at the P.G. House Men's Shelter in Capitol Heights to deliver suits and shirts to the residents. Marching up to the facility in single file, with the clothes in their possession, the Gamma Pi men were met with enthusiasm and appreciation from the shelter manager on duty. Brothers delivered a total of 35 suits and two dozen shirts to the shelter.

How good and pleasant it is when brethren ...

For Gamma Pi, Achievement Week kicked off on Saturday, November 10, with the chapter's annual communitywide awards program held at the Ernest E. Just Middle School. It was a full house audience that witnessed the bestowing of awards to the following community leaders and chapter members. Bro. Anthony Stewart served as emcee.

Incoming Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsbrooks (Citizen of the Year) and incoming Gamma Pi Vice Basileus Bro. Don Norwood (Omega Man of the Year), led the way in receiving the most coveted awards. Other winners were Kayla Lawrence (Student Athlete of the Year); Ms. Dives Lopes (Educator of the year); Rev. Akil Dickens (Religious Leader of the Year); Past Basileus Bro. Brian K. Long (Super Service Award);  and Bro. Kenneth Rodgers, Immediate Grand Keeper of Records & Seal (Founders Award).

In addition to the awards, the program was highlighted by an insightful and riveting keynote speech by Bro. Theodore "Ted" Johnson, a former Gamma Pi chapter member who is a nationally known commentator on social justice issues, and by the soul-stirring renditions sang by the Gamma Pi Chorale, under the leadership of Bro. Alan Stewart.

Earlier in the day, the Social Action committee organized a Veterans Day program for youth in the Kentland community. The event featured military veteran Omega men sharing their experiences and explaining their role and the impact that African Americans have had on the U.S. Armed Forces.

Congratulations to Brother Teddy Taylor and the Achievement Week committee for an exciting and challenging week. Brothers who engaged in the week's events clearly felt re-energized after an uplifting series of activities.

Without Clones, Gamma Pi Pulls Social Action "Double Duty"

Bro. Hines explains Project ENRICH to students and families

There was a lot of good college football action on Saturday, September 29. Some great matchups were on TV and some even  more meaningful ones could be found in person at one of the local area college stadiums. Yet two teams of Brothers from Gamma Pi - with some overlap - managed to fully participate in two major community service projects simultaneously.

Brothers joined the local contingent of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and other Divine Nine organizations and community groups for a daylong scholarship fair at Charles Flowers High School in Springdale. There, Gamma Pi's Project ENRICH program, headed by Bro. Willie Hines,  advertised its upcoming October 6 start for the 2018-19 academic year and registered new students for the program in the process. Scholarship Chairman Bro. Tony Williams was also in tow.

These Brothers assisted at  Surrattsville Community Day

Chapter members also took part in the Surrattsville Community Day program during which the NAACP team, led by Chairman Brother Melvern McCottry and co-chair Lucious Toney , registered new voters on site at the venue. All of this was led by the Social Action team headed by Bro. Kevin Greenwood. Bro Basileus Tony Lee, his "chapter-leased helicopter" down for repairs, managed to shuttle between both events to show support and greet members of the community.

Both events were crowded throughout the day and it was a fantastic opportunity for members of the Prince George's County community to participate in and witness the outcome of Gamma Pi's initiatives to better the community. The Cardinal Principle of UPLIFT was on full display all day.

The benefits to the Community were clear and direct. In the case of the scholarship fair, the chapter was able to share information about Project ENRICH with more than 50 students and families and and sign many of them up for the program. Brochures, flyers and website information was provided to people who visited Gamma Pi's booth and registrations occurred onsite at the table.

For those who encountered Gamma Pi at the Surrattsville Community Day event, the community benefits were obvious. Residents were able to learn more about the Fraternity and chapter and the support programs it offers in the local community and, most importantly were able to register to vote.

Gamma Pi showed Saturday how one chapter through one committee and one vision can make the difference in one community. They don't call us the Super Chapter for nothing. They just call us!

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