Shut It Down
The Reality of Black Greek Life & Hazing
Introduction
In this piece, we’re breaking down the tragic hazing murder of Caleb Wilson, a 20-year-old Southern University student, and exposing the larger reality: hazing in Black Greek life is not an exception—it is the rule.
The Baton Rouge Police Department held a press conference today about this tragic loss, which I’ll link in the bibliography. This piece is being published while the investigation is still unfolding. As more details emerge, the bibliography will reflect updates.
We’ll walk through:
What happened to Caleb Wilson and the attempts to cover it up.
The long history of hazing deaths in Omega Psi Phi and other Divine Nine organizations.
The culture of secrecy, collusion, and “earning” membership through endurance.
Why the justifications for these organizations don’t hold up.
Who succeeds in these organizations—and what that says about their purpose.
And ultimately, why we need to shut it down.
Caleb Wilson
On February 26th, 2025, Caleb Wilson, a junior at Southern University and a member of Southern University’s renowned marching band, The Human Jukebox, participated in an off-campus pledging ritual for Omega Psi Phi, a Black fraternity within the Divine Nine.
What we know:
Caleb Wilson was dropped off at Baton Rouge General Hospital emergency room at 2:40 AM on February 26th by a group of males who told medical staff he collapsed playing basketball at a park. This was the story that was initially shared with the police.
Investigations revealed that he was at a warehouse owned by an Omega Psi Phi alumnus.
Pledges were subjected to physical blows as part of the process. Wilson was reportedly punched in the chest, had a seizure, and later died at Baton Rouge General Hospital.
Members of the fraternity actively misled police to cover up what happened.
Caleb McCray, a Southern University alum and fraternity member, turned himself in to authorities and is facing hazing and manslaughter charges under Louisiana law; the manslaughter charges alone carry up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
Baton Rouge Police have announced that they are drawing up two more warrants, and the investigation is ongoing. Some may be charged with obstruction of justice for misleading police.
It is also possible that students facing these charges will face expulsion, putting their degrees at risk.
Omega Psi Phi may also be at risk of campus expulsion.
This is exponentially tragic. Multiple lives lost, with more at stake, and for what? And let’s be clear—this is not an accident. This is not new.
Hazing Deaths in Black Greek Life
Omega Psi Phi has a long history of violent hazing:
1977: Robert Brazile, University of Pennsylvania, died from injuries during pledging.
1983: Vann Watts, Tennessee State University, died of alcohol poisoning after an initiation event.
2019: Georgia Tech football player Brandon Adams died during a fraternity event, leading Omega Psi Phi to suspend all new initiations.
But this is not just Omega Psi Phi. Other Divine Nine organizations have similar histories:
1989: Joel Harris, Alpha Phi Alpha, Morehouse College, died after intense physical stress during pledging.
2001: Michael Davis, Kappa Alpha Psi, was beaten so severely that his kidneys failed.
2009: Doyin’ Smart, Delta Sigma Theta, Stanford University, drowned during a hazing ritual.
And let’s be honest—this isn’t just a Black Greek problem.
Pi Kappa Alpha (2021): Stone Foltz, Bowling Green State University, died from alcohol poisoning after being forced to drink.
Pi Delta Psi (2013): Michael Deng, Baruch College, died from brain trauma during a hazing event.
This is what Greek life is. It is a system of secrecy, abuse, and power.
Radical Acceptance: This Is Not Exceptional, It’s Inherent
Every time a hazing death happens, we hear the same lines:
“This isn’t what our fraternity stands for.”
“These were just bad apples.”
“Hazing is against our rules.”
But let’s be honest:
This is not an accident.
This is not an exception.
This is how these organizations function.
They break laws and institutional rules, using PR to pacify public outrage. Everyone—campuses, organizations, and members—knows it.
The Culture of Legitimacy: You’re Only Real If You Pledged
In Divine Nine culture, you’re not considered a “real” member unless you “really” pledged.
If you followed the official, non-hazing process, you’re called “paper.”
Paper members are mocked, excluded, and disrespected because everyone knows the real process happens behind closed doors.
This isn’t about official membership. It’s about the trauma bond created through deliberately inflicted suffering.
If pledging weren’t inherently abusive, there would be no pride in enduring it and no shame in skipping it.
This is why laws and regulations change nothing.
Laws & Regulations Are Performative, Not Preventative
Every few years, a new law gets passed. A university suspends a chapter. A national fraternity bans hazing.
And nothing changes.
The only thing these rules do is push hazing deeper underground, making it even more secretive.
The only thing that stops hazing is radical honesty about what these organizations are.
Unraveling the Thread of Justification: Ending the “Well, But”
1. “Well, But… You’re Not a Member, So You Can’t Have an Opinion”
Caleb Wilson wasn’t a member, either. He died trying to join.
Most people who suffer in these processes are civilians.
And members? They’re biased—too invested in their status to be objective. Many endure the process only to enforce the same abuse, unwilling to confront the truth or their own complicity.
2. “Well, But… These Organizations Foster Brotherhood & Sisterhood”
These organizations don’t foster unity; they fracture campuses. Anyone who’s been around Greek life has seen how it fuels division, benefiting a select few while disrupting social cohesion.
They create and thrive on elitism, secrecy, and hierarchies.
They let alumni come back to haze new students, reinforcing abuse cycles.
3. “Well, But… They Promote Professionalism”
What does Greek life actually look like on campus?
Parties. Drinking. Drugs. Sexual assault. Violence.
Alumni returning to haze new pledges.
Rigid gendered power structures that go unchallenged.
Many of these organizations have actively shielded members from accountability for sexual assault, hazing deaths, and abuse, as in this case with Caleb Wilson.
How professional is that?
What does it say about ‘professionalism’ when the first instinct of these organizations is to cover up harm instead of addressing it? We normalize this toxic culture and pretend to be shocked when someone dies.
We don’t care about preventing hazing.
We only care when the toxic culture turns deadly.
Everything leading up to the death? The violence, the abuse, the secrecy?
We’ve normalized that.
The Shining Examples: Who Succeeds in These Organizations?
People love to say, “Look at all the successful members!” Of course, these organizations have been a staple of Black collegiate culture, and higher education is such a gatekeeper to broader success that they all have notable members. Many are honorary, but we’ll put that aside for now.
But who are the shining examples? Often, liberals at best. Disrespectfully.
The people who rise to the top in these organizations are rarely the radicals, the truth-tellers, or the disruptors. Most of those types are filtered out long before membership because of the culture of which I speak.
They are more often the people who learn how to play the game, enforce hierarchy, and assimilate into systems of power. All of which is evidenced by their conformity with morally questionable behavior to cross.
Let’s look at a classic contemporary example.
Kamala Harris: The Divine Nine’s Ultimate Success Story
AKA, member of the first Black sorority.
Prosecutor → Helped keep people in prison longer.
Politician → Advanced the U.S.-backed genocide in Palestine.
Weaponized identity politics to climb the political ladder without pushing for radical change.
Kamala Harris is one example, but she is far from the only one. Time and time again, the people who rise through Greek life’s ranks are those who reinforce power—not those who challenge it. And this is who Black Greek life uplifts.
Not the rebels. Not the challengers.
They uplift the career prosecutors, the corporate executives, the scientific elite, and the law enforcement officers.
They don’t produce revolutionaries. They produce people who protect the system.
Final Closing: Shut It Down.
At this point, shut it down.
Why are we holding onto this?
What are we preserving?
The violence? The trauma? The toxic culture? The hierarchies? The politics of secrecy and abuse?
These organizations are not about brotherhood. They are not about professionalism. They are not about community.
They are not worth what they cost and are too far gone to reform.
It’s time to let it go.
Let’s say the silent part out loud.
Critiques like this are rare because people know what’s at stake if they speak up.
1. Black Greek Life Holds Institutional Power
These organizations don’t just exist in college—they extend into every layer of Black professional life.
D9 connections help if you want to move up in corporate America, law, politics, media, academia, etc.
The very structure of these organizations ensures that power remains within the network.
And that means if you go against it, you’re not just critiquing a fraternity—you’re challenging a pipeline to power.
2. The PR Machine of Black Greek Life
Because these organizations are deeply embedded in Black professional success, their image must be protected at all costs.
The narrative is carefully controlled:
“We uplift the community.”
“We create leaders.”
“This is our history and legacy.”
And the reality of hazing, secrecy, and abuse is minimized, denied, or covered up.
Black media outlets, institutions, and public figures are invested in protecting this system—because it serves their individual interests and professional aspirations.
3. Silence Is the Safe Option
Plenty of Black creators, journalists, and public figures see these contradictions.
But speaking out comes at a cost.
If you challenge Greek life, you’re challenging an institution that has the power to impact your career, your access, your deals, and your mobility.
Many people choose silence—not because they don’t see it—but because they know the backlash will be swift, organized, and relentless.
I already know what the arguments against this will be—and I’ve already addressed them. If you want a real conversation, bring something better than ‘but tradition’ or ‘but success stories.’ But the reality is, you don’t have it, so just enjoy the read and move along. Wrong audience, trust me because I don’t give a fuck.
If You’re Mad, Stay Mad.
It’s proof I hit the nerve I was aiming for.
My condolences go out to Caleb Wilson’s family, his extended community, and all those impacted by his untimely death.
Bibliography
Baton Rouge Police: Southern Hazing Update
Caleb Wilson & Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
New Arrest Made in the Caleb Wilson Case! SU Alum and member of Omega Psi Phi? Manslaughter?
EXPOSING THE DEADLY TRUTH BEHIND PLEDGING! | CALEB WILSON DEATH | OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY (Heads up, this is a Christian perspective from ex-members. I don’t share this to promote Christianity, but rather for the value of their perspectives and insights.)