Leading Figures in the History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Leading Figures in the History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Volume 2
Highlighting 21 members of this illustrious historically Black fraternity
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., was founded in 1911 at Howard University to cultivate and nurture a generation of leaders who would work toward racial uplift and influence American society. In an unprecedented two volumes, Judson Jeffries brings together original works on 21 of the fraternity’s accomplished and influential members. Written by a diverse group of scholars, these profiles highlight the national importance of these figures in their chosen fields of endeavor as well as the enormous impact of this great fraternity.
Volume 2 discusses Brigadier General Charles Young; artist and activist Charlotte "Lottie" Wilson, affectionately considered the fraternity’s lone female member; modern civil rights activists T.R.M. Howard, Bayard Rustin, Lawrence Guyot, Jesse L. Jackson, and Emory O. Jackson; and scholars Lewis V. Baldwin, Asa Grant Hilliard III, and Benjamin E. Mays. Jeffries concludes by celebrating the recent rise in scholarship that draws attention to the fraternities and sororities that have connected other Black trailblazers such as these.
Including both widely recognized and little-known individuals and featuring people who were on the front lines of the struggle for racial equality as well as those whose work took place behind the scenes, these volumes show the contributions of Black leaders in the areas of science, civil rights, athletics, the arts, the military, politics, education, and more. Leading Figures in the History of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. is a testament to the significance of Black Greek-letter organizations, whose members have made history through lives of struggle, accomplishment, triumph, and uplift.
Contributors: Judson L. Jeffries | Qiana M. Cutts | Francis V. Gourrier, Jr. | Dereck J. Rovaris | Kyle Brooks | Brian G. Shellum | Kimberly Mangun | Cynthia Hawkins | William J. Southerland | Raymond Sommerville | Jeaninne D. Wallace
“This massive undertaking makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the fraternity and the kind of history-making, pathbreaking, and trailblazing figures it has both attracted and produced since its founding. These two volumes will be hailed as classics and are a must-read for anyone interested in African-American history generally and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., specifically.”—Walter A. H. Gill, teacher and activist
“Brother Judson Jeffries’s latest attempt to highlight the illustrious history of this great fraternity and its members is a tour de force and will stand the test of time.”—R. Charles Byers, Emeritus Provost and Vice President of Student Affairs, West Virginia State University
“Breaks new ground. There is no question about the originality of this scholarship and its contribution to the field.”—Ronald J. Stephens, coeditor of Global Garveyism
“A captivating examination of the members and history of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Certain to become a definitive study of this Black fraternity.”—Floyd W. Hayes III, editor of A Turbulent Voyage: Readings in African American Studies
Judson L. Jeffries, professor of African American and African studies at The Ohio State University, is the author or editor of many books, including Feel My Big Guitar: Prince and the Sound He Helped Create.
