Members of Kappa Omega and youth program participants
There have been plenty of discussions recently about how to address youth gun violence in the city. Community activists and local and state officials have weighed in, hosting forums and presentations.
Lance Freeman and Michael Elby were in the room for one of those conversations recently, hosted by state Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. At the meeting, participants fleshed out root causes of the violence and suggested possible solutions. Freeman and Elby mentioned a recent successful gun buyback hosted by their Harrisburg fraternity, Kappa Omega, a chapter of the national Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a historically Black organization.
And while sometimes addressing gun violence issues can be confined to just “talk,” the men of Kappa Omega don’t see their role in that way. They’ll participate in those conversations, yes, but then they’ll walk out of them and do something in response.
One of their organizational phrases: “Don’t talk about it, be about it,” Elby said.
In July, Kappa Omega started its “Fatherhood and Mentoring Program,” welcoming about a dozen young men into their State Street fraternity house for education and relationship building. Twice a month, through March, Kappa Omega men and guest speakers will host activities and sessions on gun violence prevention, financial growth, drug and alcohol use and career planning, among other topics. Students will be grouped according to their age, whether that’s as young as 10 years old or a high school student.
Kappa Omega has no shortage of expertise within their walls. The group’s many members include men from most professions you could think of—doctors, lawyers, educators, etc. They have a wealth of knowledge to help guide the young participants, while also often being able to relate to the youth.
“We are made up of professional, educated men, but we are also made up of men with their own life experiences that, no matter where you came from or how you grew up, look at where we are now,” Freeman said.
Making Waves
Community service is baked into the fraternity’s mission, and this isn’t the first time the Kappa Omega men have offered mentorship. Years ago, the fraternity stepped up to mentor young Black boys in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which, at the time, struggled to find people willing to mentor them.
“Our hands have always been in this community because we know, with the resources we have, that we can make a difference here,” Elby said. “It would be a shame if we just sat here and did nothing.”
This program will be one of the most involved youth initiatives that they’ve held in a while. Even after the program ends in March, they plan to restart it again the following summer.
From Elby’s vantage point, kids need activities—sports, clubs, after-school programs—to keep them occupied and out of trouble. Currently, he feels there aren’t enough of those opportunities for Harrisburg youth.
Often, it’s when kids don’t have activities to keep them busy, with people like coaches and mentors to help them grow, that they can become involved in negative and risky behaviors, Elby and Freeman explained.
“I worked for 45 years with juveniles, and the same problems I saw for 45 years are still out there,” Elby said. “Kids need something to do. Our goal is to give kids choices.”
And while the educational aspect is crucial, maybe more important is the chance for young men to form relationships with older, wiser men from the community.
“In some of these cases, we might be the most positive role model these kids have,” Elby said. “They say it takes a village, so we are going to bring the whole village in.”
While the program is just twice a month, Freeman emphasized that all the Kappa Omega men are also community members. The mentorship and interaction don’t stop at the fraternity’s doors. For example, the Harrisburg School District is full of educators, coaches and administrators from the fraternity.
Freeman is hopeful that the financial literacy, career and gun violence discussions sink in, even if it’s only to plant a seed for some of the younger boys to return to as they mature. And beyond the students that participate, he’s hoping the men can at least start to make a larger impact in the culture of the community at large.
“We are looking to give these young people the self-confidence, the ability to recognize that they have a strong part in determining their own destiny and future,” he said. “And once they get ahold of these things […] they can begin to share what they’ve gotten out of this program. It’s going to have an impact. Not just a ripple, but a wave.”
The fraternity house of the Kappa Omega Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity is located at 2020 State St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.kappaomegaques.org.
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