CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As many as 10,000 people -- including former presidential candidate the Rev. Jesse Jackson -- are heading to Charlotte for the fraternity Omega Psi Phi's convention, which is held every two years.\nJackson is appearing as a speaker during the seven-day event that began Thursday at the Charlotte Convention Center.\nBasketball legend Michael Jordan, comedian Bill Cosby and the late poet Langston Hughes rank among the African-American fraternity's most famous members.\n"Empowering minorities economically and socially" is the theme of this year's meeting and the topic Jackson and others are addressing in speeches and workshops. A career fair, health fair and leadership camp for children also are part of the week's events. \nFormer Mecklenburg County Commissioner and State Senator Jim Richardson are serving as the meeting's grand marshals. He, Charlotte Mayor pro tem Patrick Cannon and State Senator Charlie Dannelly also are members of the fraternity.\nOmega Psi Phi has initiated more than 150,000 members since it was founded in 1911 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Original members took the name from the initials of the Greek phrase that means "friendship is essential to the soul," the group's motto.\nIn addition to on-campus chapters, it has chapters for members who have finished college. \nThe fraternity sends tens of thousands of dollars a year to the United Negro College Fund and supports the National Urban League. It also builds Habitat for Humanity homes and helped register black and other minority residents in the 2000 Census.\n"We're about serving mankind -- that's what our fraternity is about," said Earl Wilson, executive director of the fraternity, which has 650 chapters around the world and about 13,000 active members. While in Charlotte, Wilson said, the fraternity will donate $25,000 for scholarships to Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and another $23,000 to The Tom Joyner Foundation, to help students continue their education at black colleges. \nBut, like many other fraternities and sororities, Omega Psi Phi's reputation has been marred by hazing incidents at some of its chapters, sometimes leading to serious injuries and, in rare cases, death. The fraternity banned hazing years ago. \n"We have no tolerance for hazing," Wilson said earlier this week. "We've taken swift action against anyone who violates that. They're expelled from the fraternity."\nFraternity members, their families and guests are expected to spend $2.3 million in the Queen City, according to Kim Rickwood, a vice president with the Charlotte Convention & Visitors Bureau. \nOther conventions bring more people to Charlotte, but city officials consider this one significant.\n"This is one of those groups that really bring some national notoriety (to Charlotte) because of who attends," Rickwood said. "Shaquille O'Neal is a member -- and he may attend"
Omega Psi Phi fraternity holding national convention
Jesse Jackson to attend seven-day gathering
Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe



