Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 6-12-20

Local
Local Chapter Of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Pays Homage To George Floyd And Black Lives Matter
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
Quietly and honorably, local chapters of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated paid homage to Black Lives Matter and George Floyd on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at Cur- tis Hixon Park. The distin- guished men gathered and stood in silence for eight min- utes, forty-six seconds, the exact amount of time that a former police officer kept his knee on the neck of George Floyd. Pi Iota Chapter Pres- ident Albert Lee stated that the men in the fraternity wanted to make a substantial statement.
Lee and his fraternity brothers began looking into ways to honor George Floyd
Pi Iota Chapter president, Albert Lee, front, stands with his Omega brothers.
The members of Pi Iota chapter of Omega Psi Phi stand in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
in a significant way at the local level. Lee wants the commu- nity to know the Omegas are a part of the community and stand with the community. The fraternity has members from varied backgrounds and
professions, and all wanted to display solidarity with the Tampa community. The intent was to capture the solemnity of and the seriousness of the moment.
Lee states, “We are a part
of this community and we stand with them.”
Some members brought along family members. Lee was accompanied by his wife, Pamela and son, Austin. However, there were no speakers and or invitations sent out about the event. Lee says the chapter wanted all the attention to be focused on George Floyd and the ex- traordinary grief that has come from the Black commu- nity after his death.
Former State Represen- tative Sean Shaw says, “I was proud to be a part of the peaceful gathering of Omega men this Sunday. The period of silence was a powerful way to honor the memory of George Floyd and demand that policies be put in place that will prevent another 8 minutes and 46 seconds from happening ever again.”
There was also regional representation from the fra-
ternity. Region IV Represen- tative Rod Lewis stated, “As Omega Men, we are called to be leaders in our communi- ties. We are called to stand up for what is right and to de- nounce that which is wrong. This event was a means to show OUR community that Omega Men stand for justice and will not tolerate injustice. Omega Men stand against po- lice brutality which was dis- played against Mr. George Floyd. Those 8 minutes and 46 seconds we had as a mo- ment of silence was deafening! As uncomfortable it was to stand there in silence for that amount of time, I could only imagine having three men on top of me with one with a knee on my neck. We will continue to speak out against racism, prejudice, and injustice. We continue to pray because God is with us. He will never leave us or forsake us or turn his back on us.”
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