Tussle At the Top: The Over One Hundred Year Competition Between the Omegas and the Alphas

©2018 Vincent Windrow Ed.D. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Print ISBN: 978-1-54394-914-8

eBook ISBN: 978-1-54394-915-5

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1

Genesis of Greatness

Chapter 2

Lincoln, Langston, and Leadership

Chapter 3

Awards and Accolades Accumulate

Chapter 4

Nobody Knows My Brothers

Chapter 5

All-time Greats and all-time lists

Chapter 6

The Cause trumps the Competition

Chapter 7

The Final Analysis

Dedicated to Omega’s Four Founders:

Dr. Ernest E. Just

Bishop Edgar A. Love

Dr. Oscar J. Cooper

Professor Frank Coleman

With gratitude towards The Phantom 13 plus 1

Ernest McKinney

Charles Wilson

Robert Rock

Mason Bonner

Jimmy Merritt

Jerald Edwards

Billy Hardison

Harold Huss Martin

Ronald Barbour

Wilbur Rock

Jonathan Staples

Jimmy Powell

Steve Peeler

Miles Ridley

Foreword

In this exciting historical exposé, Dr. Vincent Windrow brings to light one of the most common and age-old contentions to exist between natural competitors: Who’s Number 1 and why? In this case, these questions are presented between two rival, predominantly Black, fraternities that are striving for a goal that cannot be shared. Arguably, the essence of who the men of Omega Psi Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, and Phi Beta Sigma are and what they stand for are the same. Albeit, you’ll never get either to collectively admit such a notion. It shall always be an Us or Them proposition when speaking of Who’s Number 1. Ultimately, the answers—whether perception or reality—will serve to one’s gain and the other’s loss.

Competition within, between, and among species is one of the most important forces in biology, especially in the field of human reaction. The genius of Windrow’s treatment of this topic is that it illuminates both the monumental successes of the collective members of each organization and the nature of the competition between not only the separate groups but also individuals as a microcosm of the groups. Additionally, he manages to show how competition among these entities begat cooperation during the transforming era from the profoundly corrupting nature of the Old South slavery mentality toward securing justice and equality. The men highlighted in this book helped to manifest this transition and to establish a long-overdue new social order in America.

Often, competition is the opposite of cooperation; however, in this case, mixtures of cooperation and competition are the norm. Optimal strategies to achieve common goals were the phalanx against the status quo. Beyond that fact, Windrow explores how this rare combination of competition and cooperation perpetuated the development of African-American wisdom provided by the knowledge of previous human experience. This formidably researched, powerfully written, and wrenchingly detailed narrative presents the actions of several individuals who are bonded together through these four collegiate assemblies. These stellar individuals helped to change the tide of mistreatment of millions of Blacks in America; a mistreatment that kept a race of people in shackles even if not of the body but certainly of their minds long after slavery had officially ended. The actions and accomplishments of the Omegas, Alphas, Kappas, and Sigmas have made a deep and lasting impact on Black history and as such, on America as a whole.

As someone with two degrees in history, who is a professional soldier, and military researcher, I am most impressed by the book’s organization, originality, and perspective on how Black fraternities made a pivotal impact on Black and White interactions and the insidious legacy of racism that still reverberates today. Dr. Windrow, a senior university administrator and renowned religious leader, clearly proves that he is a meticulous researcher and superb analyst as he explores this dynamic topic. Using these skills in a private capacity, he has set forth reasonable and prudent information across fraternal boundaries that has never been published in a single manuscript. This information explains historical actions by fraternal members that helped to shape current events. An astonishing book—it will not only challenge and change your understanding of what we were taught when seeking to enter one of the core four fraternities, but also of what our national organizations have become. Focusing on this salient thought, he points out the fallacy of assuming that your organization is the best, was always first, and is still leading the pack. Equally impressive is his concept of looking at each accomplishment independently and developing a stratagem to quantify who is truly No. 1. He has once again proven the age-old adage that The total is greater than the sum of the individual parts.

This book is an historical and social resource of gargantuan proportions. The reader is introduced to the flesh and bones of people who, for most of the current generations, have only been shining names on plaques, trophies, and antiquitous pages. It is a necessary read for any individual thinking of joining a Black Greek fraternity and for those who have pondered for years, Who is No. 1? To read this book is to cross an intellectual Rubicon: once opened, you will no longer fall consequence to the untrue myths and legends that have been passed down through organizational tribal wisdom. It is an unbiased look at fraternities, their histories, and their current impact.

Lieutenant Colonel (R) Shannon Rock Jones

5-Mu Zeta-1981

Introduction

This work had its beginning some thirty years ago, around 1986. Although considerable history had been made before the summer of that year, it was during that time, starting in May, that I began my official pledge process to enter into the folds of Omega Psi Phi. Such Omega men as Joe Herbert (Eta Psi) and Melvin Daniels (Mu Zeta) while growing up in Murfreesboro, Tennessee had influenced my life. Despite being heavily recruited by two other fraternities, I subscribed to a sentiment once shared with me by the legendary civil rights attorney and staunch Omega man Fred D. Gray, who, when I met him and told him I was a Que, succinctly remarked You knew what to do. And, choosing Omega Psi Phi is what I did!

As part of the pledge process, my Big Brothers (who were strong and mighty, to quote a pledge chant) made sure that structured time was of the essence every single day in every single way. Reminiscent of the teaching of Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, there was literally a time for everything. There was newspaper delivery time. There was breakfast time. There was class time. There was lunchtime. There was more class time. There was dinnertime. There was library time. There was time for hop practice. Moreover, there was a time on Wednesdays when we were tested on the information that was taught us during history time. Believe me; I looked much more forward to learning the history than I did to being tested on the history.

Our history time was interesting. All the pledges or little brothers would sit on the floor with pencil and pad in hand ready to receive that night’s instruction. However, our Dean of History—the Big Brother who was responsible for teaching us the fraternity’s history as we scribbled away in our spiral Lampados (pledge) books—seemed to be more interested in his testing us even before he taught us. Luckily, the chapter’s leaders soon assigned another Big Brother to be the Dean and the actual teaching began. As for me, I was enthused, to say the least, to learn such fascinating information about men who I would eventually call my friends and fraternity brothers.

For a member of Omega’s Lampados Club, learning was fundamental yet not always fun, considering that all the information received was subject to be included on the every Wednesday-night test. Therefore, we learned Omega songs. We learned poems that I can recite without pause even now. We learned Omega’s first twenty-four chapters and their whereabouts. We learned basic history on the other Black fraternities and sororities. We learned greetings for the Big Brothers. We learned all the previous pledge lines in our undergraduate chapter and the names of those brothers in the order that they were initiated. That particular information came in especially handy when those same brothers came to town from near and far to pay us special visits. And, even though pictures were not provided in conjunction with the names, brothers would, without fail, on the very first time that we’d meet, ask us in very demanding manners Who am I? or What’s my name?

Although learning all that information was fun—or not—we learned about a great number of Omega men. Those Omegas fought for the civil rights of Black people, were scientists, were activists and trailblazers, and were college presidents and historians. Others were judges, politicians, athletes, and entertainers. They were all men who invested their lives in one cause or another. Learning about them stirred an insatiable curiosity in me. Even after being initiated into a lifetime of friendship, I am over thirty years later still fascinated with Omega’s rich history and the need to celebrate it. To this day, I clip newspaper and magazine articles featuring Omegas who are making differences across the world, and place them in albums commemorating our successes as fraternity members. A signal honor has been to add a few of my Omega contemporaries who I personally know to the collection, such as entrepreneur/philanthropist Darrell Freeman, author Brian Egeston, popular comedian Joe Torry, and religious leader Bishop Joseph W. Walker. However, nothing has been more impactful than attending the Omega International Conclave in Birmingham, Alabama in 2008. It was there where, after viewing the Fraternity’s pictorial salute to the Civil Rights Movement and reading Distinguished Omegas in Civil Rights¹ presented by Brother Carl. A. Blunt, my interest in pursuing Omega’s bountiful history flourished.

So, here I am having completed a project that took countless hours to finish and was an offshoot of another book on Omega’s history that I began several years ago. I now have nearly 400 books on African American history in my personal library housed in my home office that I have utilized in some way to help shape this work. Due to the great number of those books, I have almost entirely reassigned my Christian and church-related book collections to my offices at our two church locations. In addition, during the research process, I have used an untold number of reams of paper in printing material from fraternity websites, archived newspapers and magazines, online history sites, and library books. In other words, this undertaking was more than a notion.

Now, here you are about to read a work that has been thoroughly researched and not too shabbily written, I hope. My desire is that after completing the book you gain a renewed sense of the history of Black people here in America and a greater appreciation for the extremely important role that members of fraternities have played in the Black pursuit of the American Dream. The stories are extremely fascinating and eyebrow raising, as are the people and times highlighted in this book.

Although this book is mainly about the exploits of Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha fraternities and their competition to rule the roost, I have intentionally included interesting and compelling information on Kappa Alpha Psi and Phi Beta Sigma fraternities and featured more than a few of their members. Notwithstanding my aim to be as inclusive as I could, Tussle at the Top is written from an Omega’s perspective. I realize that many people are highly sensitive about how their fraternities are represented. However, no fact was intentionally left out that would challenge an observation. No truth was written to embarrass or offend anyone. No axe was ground with the details of relationships and/or controversies.

Here are a few questions and answers that may assist you as you engage with the material contained in this book.

Is the information contained in this book factual? Yes.

Are the men who are described as being members of a respective fraternity indeed that? Yes, based on years of research.

Was fair treatment given to all persons written about and situations described herein? Indeed.

Are sources provided to support what is written? Intentionally.

Were revisions made to the manuscript to make the book more appealing to people who are neither Omegas nor Alphas? Several.

In addition to the aforementioned desires (i.e., appreciation for our history and for the contributions of