By Stillman College
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has made a significant investment in the futures of students at Stillman College.
Members of the fraternity’s Alpha Tau chapter gathered on Stillman’s campus Friday morning to present a $5,000 gift to the college. Its gift will go toward Stillman’s Black Male Initiative, a service and leadership organization on campus.
The Black Male Initiative focuses on the academic and life issues of Black males, both on and off campus, through consistent interaction and mentoring between students, faculty, staff and alumni. BMI has a keen focus on empowering Stillman students to compete in industries like teacher education, STEM fields, business, and criminal justice.
Roland M. Lewis, basileus (president) for the West Alabama chapter and a Stillman alumnus (’97), said the gift is part of a broader initiative by the fraternity’s international headquarters to increase financial support of HBCUs.
“Omega Psi Phi was the first Greek-letter organization to be founded on an HBCU campus, so without HBCUs, there wouldn’t be an Omega Psi Phi,” Lewis said. “That said, we’re tied to what’s happening nationally with our HBCUs, and we’re happy to make this gift to Stillman College.”
The Alpha Tau chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has over 90 members across Tuscaloosa, Bibb, Greene, Pickens and Sumter Counties. The chapter supports Stillman College in a variety of ways, from financial gifts to joint service projects. Past gifts and collaborations include a donation of 200 suits to Stillman’s “career closet” and constructing row planters at Stillman’s community garden, which recently launched in a plot adjacent to campus.
“Personally, I don’t know where I would be without Stillman College,” Lewis said. “My love for my alma mater, along with the things we do in the community – if there’s an opportunity to make Stillman College greater, then we’re all over that.”
Arick Evans, Stillman senior and member of Omega Psi Phi, was recently named “Mister Stillman,” a campus ambassador position established in 2021. He also serves as student director for the Black Male Initiative. The Columbus, Mississippi native said he’s “extremely excited” and proud of his fraternity’s regional alumni chapter for continuing its reputation in service.
“As a fraternity, we love to give back to our community for the improvement of our environment and youth,” Evans said. “This is inspiring to me, and it’s a great opportunity for us to see how our black organizations pour back into our HBCUs.”
