Manhood, the first of these cardinal principles is fundamental and is cultivated and refined through the assiduous application of the later three. It is an accurate, yet complex truism that a non-problematic conception of manhood is often illusive yet the acquisition of a coherent perspective in this regard is nonetheless invaluable. However, a clarification of manhood has been impoverished by structures that have assailed any such accomplishment. It would not be profanation to subsume a thoroughgoing notion of personhood within an explication of the meaning and substance of our cardinal principle of manhood. Socially conscious and politically responsible men who embody these virtues of personhood within the structure of manhood in their daily lives have represented to me a coherent and plausible rendering of the content of what one may understand by the manhood principle. Manhood so understood in this vein exemplifies the rich tradition of men of Omega who have propounded these core virtues with integrity. Although a substantial presentation of what is meant by manhood is not free of the encumbrances of social conditioning, one must nevertheless consistently massage this principle with the hope of an ever yielding presentation that uplifts and builds bridges of support. An attempt at a progressive articulation of manhood is not a uniquely African American quandary; it is indeed rendered a more complex excursion into self-discovery primarily because such self-making has been historically denied to African Americans. A thorough going view of what manhood can be is possibly more interesting than what it has been.  It has been my privilege to experience Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s commitment to aspire to present an exemplary human being before the world who embraces both his human frailties as well as the fecundity of a critical self-analysis that enhances the cardinal principle of manhood both existentially and communally. This openness to re-calibrate the notion of manhood to comply with the needs of community and society are primary.

By Illya E. Davis, Ωφεληµα Ψυχι Φιλια