Omega Psi Phi, the leading national fraternity for black men, continues its national convocation in Little Rock this week with sessions sure to provoke discussion.

Advertisement

Officers and others will meet at 2:30 p.m. today at the Central High Museum to note the coming 50th anniversary of the Little Rock school crisis. Ernest Green, a member of the Little Rock Nine, will be on hand. So will Ben Crump, a Tallahassee lawyer representing the family of an African-American youth who was killed in a highly publicized case in a Florida boot camp. Their perspective will be racial progress over the last 50 years.

George Grace, a Florida telephone executive who currently leads the fraternity as grand basileus, put it simply: “We haven’t solved all the problems just yet. We need to keep them at the forefront.”

Advertisement

 

To that end, the Omegas will air a video made with another fraternity member, Bill Cosby. (A conflict forced him to cancel a planned personal appearance.) His message, Grace said, is about the need for black business development, respect for women, healthy living and a variety of other messages emphasizing personal responsibility. “Riding with a boom box up to your ear smoking marijuana is not something people struggled for 50 years to accomplish,” Grace said.

Advertisement

 

A public affairs forum is scheduled in Little Rock Wednesday. The Rev. Jesse Jackson and a number of elected officials from around the country will participate in the discussion.

Advertisement

Help to Keep Great Journalism Alive in Arkansas

Join the fight for truth and become a subscriber of the Arkansas Times. We've been battling powerful forces for 50 years through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, our readers value great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing and supporting our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage. Together, we can continue to hold the powerful accountable and bring important stories to light. Subscribe now or donate for as little as $1 and be a part of the Arkansas Times community.

Previous article CEO to depart St. Vincent Next article Huckabee touts presidential run