Comedian and syndicated radio host Rickey Smiley recently weighed in on Stephen A. Smith's Omega Psi Phi blunder from his Straight Shooter SiriusXM show last week. In the January 13th episode of Straight Shooter, Smith touted his credentials in the black community to counter Reid's claim that he is a “sellout.” He spoke about his HBCU advocacy and also his membership in the fraternity Omega Psi Phi. However, when he tried to say the fraternity's name, he said it incorrectly before correcting himself.
“I'm a member of Osega…Omega Psi Phi fraternity. I ain't just down with a fraternity. That's a brotherhood. All of them are my boys.”
After being informed of the error, Smith later apologized on his X account. Jokes were still made at Smith's expense, including a meme that circulated linking Rickey Smiley to the error. Smiley took exception and released a video response stating his stance on Smith's error and laying out his credentials.
“When he misspoke, I saw it live. When he did it, I thought nothing of it. [It] didn't bother me one way or the other. And then all of a sudden I started seeing on the internet…First, I saw an apology with him apologizing, uh, to Omega Psi Phi for misspeaking and mispronouncing Omega Psi Phi,” Smiley said.
He then went on to address those circulating the meme of him and Stephen A. Smith, laying out distinct political differences between both of them and his commitment to the fraternity, and denouncing the circulation of the images.
“If friendship is essential to the soul, is what y'all doing friendly? Are you displaying friendship? If friendship is essential to the soul, are you displaying friendship? By, and I'm not, my feelings ain't hurt by it. I'm just addressing it. 'cause I don't, I don't give a f***.”
Smiley is active in Omega Psi Phi, joining the organization as a member of the Psi Rho chapter in 2000, and is one of the more notable members due to his platform as a syndicated radio host with The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, in which he was the successor to fellow Omega Psi Phi member Tom Joyner and his Tom Joyner Morning Show. Smiley has been particularly vocal about his aversion to hazing, specifically in the death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson.
