Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated is celebrating 112th years of manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. Omega Psi Phi was the first international fraternity to be founded on a historically Black college campus. In honor of Founder’s Day here is a list of five notable “Men of Omega.”: Bayard Rustin, Jessie Jackson, Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Harvey & Carter G. Woodson.
Reverend Jesse Jackson
Reverend Jesse L. Jackson is a well-known civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician. Jackson served alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the fight for civil rights and equality during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Jackson is the founder of the National Rainbow Coalition and Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity). The goals of Operation PUSH were economic empowerment and the expansion of education, business, and opportunities for the disadvantaged and people of color. The Rainbow Coalition was a social justice organization dedicated to political empowerment, education, and changing public policy. Jackson was the second Black person to make a national run for president of the United States in both 1984 and 1988. Although he didn’t win he has continued to fight for equity and unity.
Jackson crossed the Pi Psi chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. during his time at the University of Illinois.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is everyone’s favorite gentle giant. The 7-foot-1, 325-pound center was a force in the NBA for 19 years.
Throughout his career, O’Neal has played for six teams and is a four-time NBA champion. His professional basketball career began in 1992 when he joined the Orlando Magic as the 1st overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft. O’Neal was named Rookie of the Year that same year. He’s played for other teams including the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers alongside the late Kobe Bryant.
Since leaving the NBA, O’Neal has named for himself as a sports analyst and beloved businessman. O’Neal is currently a sports analyst on the show Inside the NBA with fellow co-hosts Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley. In 2022 O’Neal was among the five wealthiest NBA players with a net worth of $400 million.
O’Neal crossed the Theta Kappa chapter at Louisiana State University. O’Neal says that the love he received from members on campus is what inspired him to join.
Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey is a man of many talents, he is a comedian, author, actor, and television host. He is best known for being the host of Family Feud, his best-selling books such as Act Like a Lady, and Think Like a Man, and his classic comedy specials.
Harvey’s career began to take off when he succeeded Mark Curry as the host of Its Showtime at the Apollo. He would later go on to star in his sitcom The Steve Harvey Show. One of Harvey’s most famous works is his Kings of Comedy Tour with Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and the late Bernie Mac. The tour would later be turned into a film called The Original Kings of Comedy directed by Spike Lee.
Harvey has been the host of his radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, since 2005. He has also appeared in films such as Johnson Family Vacation, The Fighting Temptations, and You Got Served. In 2012, the film Think Like a Man was released based on his best-selling self-help book. Harvey also hosted the Miss Universe Pageant from 2015 to 2021.
Harvey crossed the Psi Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. in 1969 during his time at Kent State University.
Bayard Rustin
Bayard Rustin was an openly gay civil rights activist who served as an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. Rustin was the unsung organizer behind the 1963 March on Washington.
Rustin like many others were the unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, putting in the work but never receiving the recognition. Rustin met Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1950s and began working as an organizer and strategist. He introduced King to Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent resistance and advised him on the methods of civil disobedience.
Later on in his career, Rustin co-founded the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a labor organization for Black trade union members which he led until 1979. He continued to work within civil rights and was in high demand as a public speaker. The film Rustin has been made in his honor and is produced by former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama.
Rustin became a member of the Upsilon chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity during his time at Wilberforce University.
Carter G. Woodson
Carter Godwin Woodson was a historian, author, and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASNLH). He is most known for being the creator of Black History Month.
As a devoted historian, Woodson worked to preserve the history of African Americans. He collected thousands of artifacts and publications while doing research. He believed that African American contributions were “overlooked, ignored, and suppressed by the history textbooks and the teacher that used them.”
In 1926, Woodson introduced the celebration of “Negro History Week”, which was designated to the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. In 1976, younger members of the ASNLH urged leaders to officially extend to a month-long celebration, thus officially becoming Black History Month.
Woodson is an honorary member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
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