By Paul Hubbard, MSW
Guest Column
The national news has had a lot of coverage about the hazing death of Caleb Wilson. CBS news said Caleb Wilson died as a direct result of a hazing incident where he was punched in the chest multiple times while pledging to Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. At no point did anyone involved in the incident call 911.
So far three arrests have been made in connection with the death at Southern University and A&M College. The charges are criminal hazing and manslaughter. I am sure the three Black university students charged were not trying to murder their future fraternity brother Caleb Wilson.
The Ricky Smiley radio show had a call in about the death and Ricky Smily cried on the radio because he had talked to Caleb Wilson’s father.
DL Hughley, who is member of Omega Psi Phi, said on his radio show this is not representative of the fraternity. There are four families or more in distress who sent their sons to college to get an education and to have a good future – Wilson’s family and the three families of those arrested.
Pledging a fraternity process is to build and teach teamwork and how to work with others. It is to train the pledgees egos to work with other egos and not to be only self-centered. It’s about brotherhood and having passion for the brothers in the brotherhood. Each fraternity has its own ritual; when the ritual is over it’s called crossing the burning sands. The Brothers then learns secret handshakes, secret words, and secret sayings.
While pledging, a brother learns the history of the fraternity, certain poems, and frat songs. None of the national fraternity offices allow hazing anymore. If a pledgee or pledge line feel they are being abused in the wrong way or hazed, they can contact the fraternity’s national office, and the national office will investigate the complaint.
When I pledged, there was hard paddling taking place. At that time schools were also paddling kids for bad behavior. Times have changed and hard paddling is now considered hazing in frats; just like paddling is no longer allowed in schools.
There is always a fraternity brother (Pledge Master) in charge of pledging and that brother is supposed to protect the pledgees from hazing by other fraternity members.
Fraternities and sororities in 2025 are involved in their communities working with youth projects and programs, creating scholarship programs and mentioning programs. Some are involved in the schools in many ways.
Omega Psi Phi members, known as the Qs, have a health fair every summer. Alpha Phi Alpha sponsors the annual Martin Luther King Day Breakfast every year that attracts hundreds.
There is an organization created called “The Devine 9” which includes the nine major Greek college African American fraternities and sororities. The Devine 9 enjoys social events and also contribute to community efforts. Fraternities and sororities also have a positive effect on the lives of their brothers and Sisters though interaction, networking and socializing.
I am a brother in Alpha Phi Alpha Sigma Psi Phi Boule, also a 33 Degree Mason and a Shriner and I get personal satisfaction from them all. I had a wife that is a Delta and one that is an AKA, and they love the sisterhood.
I hope the death of Caleb Wilson pledging Q and the arrest of the three students who were Qs will not be forgotten. I hope it will help stop fraternity hazing (which is prevalent also in the white fraternities) and motivate fraternities to keep supporting our African American communities and youth.