Am I My Brother’s Keeper?
I remember, in college, I had people both “Greek” and non-Greek asking my why I never wanted to join a fraternity. I often gave them one of two reasons. The first was that I could never understand calling somebody “brother” after them beating on me for several weeks. The second reason was that I would probably not have made it because I am vindictive and would have caught each of them alone and paid them back for the beatings I’d suffered.
During my time at Ohio State, I saw an Omega Psi Phi chapter basically shut down for 4 years (could not pledge) because, during one hazing incident, they broke a pledge’s sternum and left him tied to a tree overnight. I saw the Kappas (Kappa Alpha Psi) treat one pledge as an outsider after he “crossed” because, during the pledge period, they had broken his ankle. I presume they “crossed” him to avoid legal concerns. I even saw the “AKAs” (Alpha Kappa Alpha) get kicked off the yard for one year for hazing.
Needless to say, I find that, by being black, I have plenty of opportunities to get my a$$ kicked without volunteering and spending my hard-earned money to do so.
So, when I recently saw that two Kappas at FAMU are serving two-year jail sentences for the beating of a pledge that landed in the hospital, I can’t say I felt too sorry for them. The two were convicted under an anti-hazing law enacted in Florida in 2005, which makes hazing a felony when it results in serious bodily injury or death.
According to the victim, Marcus Jones, he and his line brothers were struck so hard with canes that, in some instances, the canes actually broke.
Now, what some will immediately say is, “why do these pledges allow this to happen?” Some will even hold the abusers blameless.
However, Lawrence C. Ross, Jr’s thoughts on this are more in line with my own. He questions why those that haze break both their own rules against hazing and the laws of the land in regards to their actions. He calls out those who engaged in this hazing and those attempting to hold them blameless, labeling them “fake brothers”:
But alas, the rest of us live in the real world. Hunter and the two Kappas who are now in jail for two years are finding out that being fake brothers can have consequences. Fake brothers cause real injuries that can send you to jail for real time. I don’t shed a tear for the Kappas in jail, except for the notion that as young educated black men, they had real opportunities to avoid their plight, but chose not to. And now they pay the piper. C’est la vie.
But I have a warning for Hunter and those black Greeks who think like him. The day of the fake black Greek is coming to an end. Create a fake pledge process and you’ll end up in a real jail. And despite how much you’d love to blame the brutalized pledge for your plight, the responsibility will be all your own.
Well put, indeed.
Popularity: 21% [?]
Sphere: Related Content
For the person who sent this reply,its so easy to pass judgement when you’re on the outside trying to look in.
February 16th, 2007 at 6:50 pmHowever no organization principles allows for any member
to be haze or degraded. You only think that you know whats happen during those pledge periods. Once again you was not part of that fraternity or sorrity so you don’t know all the details.The Omega Psi Phi charter that was suppended for whatever reasons and only the brother who was there knows, don’t have to answer to nobody but the advisor who oversee that chapter.Some people don’t understand my fraternity brothers and they don’t want us to grow so they try to give us a bad name.So you cannot pass judgement on anybody. Am I my Brothers Keeper.
Rickdog,
Thank you for your reply but, I think a little intellectual honesty is in order. The age-old excuse that I hear is that these organizations have rules against hazing. Yet, time and time again, for longer than I can remember, we run across case after case of hazing going on. I have seen cases of this from all over the country and the same tired refrain is given — this is against our rules.
I don’t need to be part of a fraternity to know that beating someone unconscious or breaking bones and leaving them tied to a tree is AGAINST THE LAW. So, before you go lecturing me about my “misunderstanding”, you should pressure your own fraternity to get rid of members who haze.
February 16th, 2007 at 10:14 pmAnyone who defends the sadistic hazing methods used by Black fraternities and sororities is clearly not being intellectually honest and clearly does not have a level of consciousness and humanity to move Black people upwards and onwards. As a graduate of FAMU I am ashamed to have these individuals associated with my alma mater.
February 17th, 2007 at 10:04 pmDear Mr. Smith,
Unfortunately, I hate that you have to be on the receiving end of such verbal harrasement. I am a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and yes we do lose chapters from time to time because of legal issues. Before I became a brother in this fraternity, I was a man. After enduring some long nights of heated sessions, I wasn’t the only one who left bruised. Prior to becoming an Omega, I spent five years, special forces, with the Marine Corps. Pledging is more mental, than it is physical. I don’t believe I have to damn near kill you to make you my brother, but if I give you an assignment, and you blow me off, than I cut you off. Go ahead and become a brother….in Omega, it’s harder to be a bruh, than it is to become one. I know brothers who went through hell to get it, and are afraid to put it on today. Sad to say, it happens to all of us alike, but I’m still my brothers keeper!
February 20th, 2007 at 11:08 amMY FIRST STATEMENT TO ALL OF THE SO CALLED BROTHERS BEATING THESE PLEDGES,YOU SO CALLED MEN NEED HELP.I HAVE WORKED UNDERCOVER ON SEVERAL CAMPUSES AS A MEMBER OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI(YES I’M A REAL NUPE)I HAVE PUT SEVERAL BROTHERS BEHIND BARS AND SOME ARE WAITING ON THERE COURT DATES. LETS PUT THIS BULL SHIT TO A END ,THERE ARE SEVERAL AGENTS DEPLOYED ON MANY CAMPUSES HERE IN THE US.SO WATCH YOUR STEP.
September 15th, 2007 at 9:47 pmI think as a whole the black fraternities have gotten away from some of our true values (knowledge, religion). These were the principles that allow the fraternities to be in existence today. http://fietts.blogspot.com/
F.I.E.T.T.S.
January 16th, 2008 at 11:08 pmI know i am an outsider but this is what i think only. YOu don’t have to agree. I LOVE the black brothahood and sisterhood that comes with faternaties and sororities and understand the process is quite necessary because alot of people join or try to join black greek organizations for the wrong reason. HOWEVER the physical degradation that happens in SOME BGO’s is absolutely unneccessary. If you are a young black male joining a black faternity on a predominately white (or black) campus, life is already hard enough. Our main go for going to school is learning. The legacies of BGO’s is to serve the community and bring together leaders. IF they can prove they are a leader, they know to stand for themselves and its sad to see people stand for themselves and get abused more than they were when they weren’t hazing. What we need to focus on is having brotherhood and sisterhood out side of BGO’s. but on the unnecessary physical abuse, its funny to only see omegas stand up for it…jus saying. Truth be told, if it wasn’t that bad, people wouldn’t tell.
February 28th, 2008 at 1:38 am