DR’s Labor Day Message 2020

Greetings Brothers of the Mighty Third District,

While there is less to celebrate this Labor Day due to the economic havoc wrecked by COVID-19, we need to focus on what is required to bring a more positive reform into the lives of the Brotherhood.

Though Labor Day was officially declared a national holiday on June 28, 1894, celebrations of the holiday began more than a decade before. It’s a day to honor the deep commitment each of us has to serve the children we teach, the families we heal and the communities we love. It’s a day to reflect on the values we hold dear that every Brother should have access to a good job that can support a family, with access to affordable healthcare; that every child should be able to attend a high-quality public school in their neighborhood; that college should not be a luxury for the few but should be affordable for all; and that we should be able to retire with dignity after a lifetime of hard work, without worrying that we’ll be a burden to our loved ones.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc across countries and businesses, one segment that is among the most affected is the labor workforce. Job security has gained huge importance in times where nothing is certain. We, the working people built this country. We did it together, brick by brick, school by school, town by town. Through these collective efforts, we built the middle class, each generation did a little better than the one before, we advanced the ideals of equality and justice, and we expanded opportunity for all. Dr. King stated that, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence”.

The work you do builds on this foundation. Your work has value. It should be respected and honored, not just on Labor Day but every day. Each Brother contributes to the collective success of our organization. Although it may seem strange to celebrate the value of labor by taking time off from work, these leisurely pursuits have long been regarded as fitting for a holiday meant to honor the “contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

Our families have history of fighting for worker’s rights, so I understand it’s your labor that has built this country and that continues to make it great. Our ancestors journeyed far for the economic opportunity. On this Labor Day weekend, I want you to know that you are in my family’s thoughts and prayers. We are thankful for each and every one of you and we appreciate all that you do. Thank you, Third District, for your work, your dedication and your commitment to the community and people you serve.

In Friendship,

Brother Conrado B. Morgan
District Representative
Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
www.3rddistrictques.org / 3rddistrictdr@oppf.org

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DR’s 4th of July Message 2020

Brothers,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not be by spending time with good brothers, friends, & family at cookouts, going to parades, and watching fireworks. Regardless of how we spend the day, it is more important to reflect on the significance of this day, when we declared Independence and stood up for the Dignity & Freedom of Man. This is a day for us to relax, but it’s also a day to reflect on those brave Americans that helped shape our nation…it’s a day for us to reflect on how we can best uphold the same ideals of life, liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness that drove the gentlemen to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776.

On July 5,1852, the great orator and abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered an electrifying speech where he posed what was possibly the most significant question of his time; “What to the slave is the Fourth of July?” He received a thunderous round of applause. I posed a similar question, “Why do African Americans celebrate Independence Day anyway?” The issue of whether African Americans should celebrate the Fourth of July is one of those eternal questions that is often asked this time of year but never receives a valid answer. Why do African Americans feel obligated to dress up in red, white and blue top hats and sing the Star-Spangled Banner to commemorate a day when our ancestors were picking tobacco in the hot Carolina sun? This may come as a shock for some, but African Americans weren’t free in 1776. Matter of fact, it was not until four score and five years later that President Abe Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation. Just a thought I wanted to share.

Independence Day is, most of all, an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of our citizenship. The Declaration of Independence makes it clear. To be American, is about much more than the place we call home. To be an Omega Man, it’s a deeply felt commitment to higher principles: liberty, equality, opportunity, and self-governance. I am honored and humbled to serve with you all. Your service allows us to uphold the values we cherish to ensure all Americans enjoy the freedoms envisioned by all.

The Third District Council wishes you all a happy and safe Fourth of July. Remember your traditions, let us remind ourselves that we must cherish and protect our freedom. And let us thank and remember those who have sacrificed to defend our liberty and our rights as human beings—our veterans and service members! A special thanks to our first responders and all medical personnel as well as we fight and deal with COVID-19.

That essence has permeated our land and inspired generations of Americans to explore, discover, and redefine the outer reaches of our infinite potential. It has become the foundation of the Omega Dream!

In Friendship,

Brother Conrado B. Morgan
District Representative
Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
www.3rddistrictques.org / 3rddistrictdr@oppf.org

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DR’s Father's Day 2020 Message

Happy Father’s Day Brothers,

As we approach Father’s Day, I ask that you all continue to be the strong Head of the Household and be a great role model for your children. I’m greatly concerned that too many of the younger generation are “caught in the fell clutch of circumstance” due to our current climate in society. We as Black Men, continue to suffer disproportionately from health issues, violence, racism, and injustice. Because of our “trials & tribulations”, our rightful roles as parents, protectors, and providers are heavily affected.

It’s important to not confuse our children’s ability to survive in your absence with their need to thrive in your presence. You must reject the commonly accepted notion that while motherhood is necessary, fatherhood is optional, superfluous; a luxury reserved only for a fortunate few children. My task to my Brothers is to continue to “Show UP and Show Owt!”

After all, time is rare and the demands on your agenda and attention can seem never-ending. When all is said and done, neither you nor your children will remember that big business deal you closed. What they will remember is whether you showed love and appreciation for them and made the sacrifices to be involved in their lives, both for special occasions and on a day-to-day basis. It’s about you being present. Love is all about showing up.

In June of 2009, President Barack H. Obama held a Fatherhood Town Hall meeting in the White House to address his Administration’s concerns and commitment towards the crisis on fatherhood and mentoring responsibilities plaguing the country. Omega Man, Brother Thabiti Boone, as a result of being a part of that town hall meeting, brought the idea of to the fraternity to support and partner with the President’s administration concerning the fatherhood and mentoring initiatives. Ultimately, this became an initiative Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated charged each of its chapters to enact on a local level. We must not forget our commitment and stay determined that this mission would be to strengthen the effectiveness of fathers in the fraternity and community by providing enrichment programs and opportunities that increase the quality and quantity of time invested in our roles as fathers, mentors and facilitators.

I would like to say Happy Father’s Day to my dad Mr. Robert C. Morgan, United States Navy Retired. He served three tours in Vietnam on gunboats.

Please enjoy your Father’s Day!

My Brothers, we celebrate you. Not just on Father’s Day, but every day. I remind you of our mission, our call, OUR GOAL!

In Friendship,

Brother Conrado B. Morgan
District Representative
Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
www.3rddistrictques.org / 3rddistrictdr@oppf.org

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DR’s Juneteeth 2020 Message

Brothers,

As the nation suffers from the police brutality, the COVID-19 outbreak, and political injustice, we must remember today is Juneteenth (The word is a portmanteau of “June” and “nineteenth”) which commemorates the announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas and the nation’s ”second” Independence Day. This day now more widely represents the emancipation of enslaved African Americans across the US following the civil-war and its violent aftermath.

On 19 June 1865, roughly 2,000 Union Army soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that enslaved people were now free. In his order, Union Army Major General Gordon Granger announced that “the people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free”.
“This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor,” he continued.

But the announcement arrived more than two years following then-president, Abraham Lincoln ‘s Emancipation Proclamation, which signaled the end of slavery in the United States but did not end the enslavement of all people in the nation at the time, contrary to its legacy and evocative language.

For African Americans communities in America, justice has often been delayed. Whether it’s waiting almost 90 years for the promise of the Fourth of July to be fulfilled, or a year and a half for the Emancipation Proclamation to have the force of law. It’s this very history that makes it so important to celebrate Juneteenth. Slavery was an abomination and it took a war to end it, but it did end. Jim Crow enshrined racism and prejudice in our laws, but the Civil Rights movement put an end to Jim Crow. Today, Black and Brown people still experience racism every day at every level of American life and face violence at the hands of the police.

My Brothers, I ask you remember the past to understand our FUTURE!

In Friendship,

Brother Conrado B. Morgan
District Representative
Third District, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
(e-mail) 3rdDistrictDR@OPPF.Org