In
July, brothers of the Kappa Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi fraternity
Inc. were treated to a chapter sponsored trip to the home of Col.
Charles Young. Leaving Friday night, brothers piled into a 15
passenger van and made their way to Columbus, Ohio for overnight
accommodations. In the morning, the group made the half hour drive
from Columbus to Central State University to meet with Dr. Floyd
Thomas, curator of the university’s African-American History
Museum. Upon arrival, Dr. Thomas greeted the brothers and proceeded
to give an hour long power point presentation on the life of the
Colonel. After the presentation we were treated to a surprise as Dr.
Thomas had retrieved several items including writings, pictures,
awards, and other memorabilia belonging to Col. Young. After another
hour of describing the history of the items before us we were then
headed to the actual home of Col. Young for the second half of our
trip.
When
we arrived, Dr. Thomas took us around and gave us a brief lesson on
the history and architecture of the home. Upon entering we were
amazed at the many items and fixtures that had been in the home since
the Colonel’s death. We were given a tour of the upstairs and
downstairs and even went into the locked basement under the house
that is reputed to have been a stop on the underground railroad.
During
the tour Dr. Thomas gave continuous information on the life, death,
and accomplishments of Colonel Young. After the tour, he was gracious
enough to take all of our cameras and snap photos of the brothers as
we posed on the steps, wall, and porch of the house as well as in
front of the sign designating it as fraternity property and a
national landmark.
When
the tour was over Dr. Thomas directed us to a diner that was owned
and operated by a fraternity brother. At the diner we ate, met
brothers from Central State, and wound staying all night to watch the
fight that was being shown on pay per view. In all, the trip served
to give life and meaning to Col. Young, the man we’ve only read and
heard about. In addition, the road trip was an opportunity for
brothers to have fun, fraternize and benefit from the hard work we
have done over the course of the past year.
