By Von Howard and Bobby R. Henry, Sr.
For more than seven decades, the Zeta Chi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. has been woven into the history of Black Broward County. Its members have served as attorneys, judges, educators, ministers, businessmen, journalists, public officials, mentors, and community leaders.
The opening of the Omegas In Broward Center at 1108 Sistrunk Boulevard represents the latest chapter in that history moving from service in the community to establishing a permanent community asset in the heart of historic Black Fort Lauderdale.
1954 — ZETA CHI IS BORN
On April 26, 1954, seven Omega men, chartered Zeta Chi Chapter in Fort Lauderdale:
Thomas James Reddick Jr.
Henry Robinson
Clarence Russell Andrew Bank
Dr. Henry Brown
Joseph Alphonso Smith
Dewitt H. Allen
William Jefferson Howard
They organized during segregation, when Black residents of Broward County faced racial barriers in education, employment, housing, recreation, and public accommodations.
The new chapter embraced Omega Psi Phi’s Cardinal Principles:
MANHOOD • SCHOLARSHIP • PERSEVERANCE • UPLIFT
1961 — STANDING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS
Zeta Chi’s history places members of the chapter alongside community leaders during the 1961 Fort Lauderdale beach wade-ins, part of the struggle to end racial segregation at Broward County’s beaches.
The involvement demonstrated something that would characterize Zeta Chi for generations:
Brotherhood required community responsibility.
BREAKING BARRIERS IN LAW AND JUSTICE
Charter member Thomas J. Reddick Jr. became the first Black attorney to establish a law practice in Broward County.
His pioneering work helped open doors within Broward’s legal community, and his legacy continues through the T.J. Reddick Bar Association.
In 1982, Gov. Bob Graham appointed Zeta Chi Brother Zebedee Wright as Broward County’s first Black County Court judge another historic barrier broken.
LEADERSHIP BEYOND BROWARD
Zeta Chi’s influence eventually reached the highest levels of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Brother Dr. Dorsey C. Miller Jr. rose to serve as the fraternity’s 35th Grand Basileus, demonstrating that a chapter rooted in Fort Lauderdale could produce leadership with national impact.
BROTHER REV. LEVI HENRY JR. — BUILDING A VOICE
Among the proud Brothers who carried Zeta Chi’s tradition of service was Rev. Levi Henry Jr.
A U.S. Army Korean War-era veteran, businessman, community servant and man of faith, Brother Henry’s life became intertwined with the development of Black Fort Lauderdale.
Together with his wife, Yvonne Henry, he helped establish the Westside Gazette, creating an institution dedicated to telling the stories, recording the history and advocating for the interests of Broward County’s Black community.
His life demonstrated how Omega’s principles could extend far beyond fraternity meetings.
Through business, radio, public service, the church and the Black Press, Brother Henry helped strengthen the community in which he lived.
His legacy represents an important part of the Zeta Chi story:
Omega men did not simply belong to the community. They helped build its institutions.
SCHOLARSHIP AND THE NEXT GENERATION
Education and youth development became central components of Zeta Chi’s community mission.
Through its educational and benevolent efforts, the chapter has awarded more than $150,000 in college scholarships to graduating Broward County high school students.
The chapter also developed mentoring initiatives, including the Lamplighters Male Mentorship Program, providing young men with guidance, encouragement and positive male role models.
2001 — THE DREAM OF OWNERSHIP
A major turning point came when Brothers began pursuing something that would change Zeta Chi’s future:
Property ownership.
Under the direction and guidance of Brothers Anthony Wright and Cyrus Pettis, with Robert McKinzie and other Brothers playing critical roles, the property at:
1108 NW 6TH STREET
SISTRUNK BOULEVARD
was purchased.
The acquisition planted the seed for what would eventually become the Omegas In Broward Center.
BUILDING FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE
Owning the property was only the beginning.
The Brothers still faced a mortgage, maintenance costs and the responsibility of protecting the investment for future generations.
Brother Johnnie Smith helped establish a life-membership structure and business strategy that gave Brothers another means of investing in Omegas In Broward and accelerating the effort to eliminate the mortgage.
Successive generations of Zeta Chi leadership continued the work.
Brothers contributed.
Leadership changed.
Years passed.
But the commitment remained.
MORTGAGE PAID — THE NEXT QUESTION
Eventually, the mortgage was paid in full.
That accomplishment transformed the conversation.
The question was no longer:
“Can we keep this building?”
It became:
“What can this building become?”
A NEW VISION FOR SISTRUNK
Zeta Chi and Omegas In Broward began envisioning something larger than a traditional fraternity facility.
They saw the potential for a modern community gathering place along one of Broward County’s most historically significant Black corridors.
With support from the City of Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency, the vision began taking physical form.
The property was reimagined and renovated to become a quality rental and community event facility capable of accommodating:
Community meetings • Workshops • Receptions • Educational programs • Civic forums • Organizational gatherings • Family celebrations • Youth programs • Community events
2026 — THE DOORS OPEN
Seventy-two years after Zeta Chi Chapter was chartered in Fort Lauderdale, the Omegas In Broward Center begins a new chapter.
The building belongs to an Omega institution.
But its purpose reaches beyond Omega.
The Center gives the Sistrunk community something increasingly important a place where residents, organizations, families, businesses, and community leaders can gather.
In a changing Sistrunk Corridor, its presence also represents something deeper:
Black institutional ownership.
A permanent stake in the future of the community.
FROM ACCESS TO OWNERSHIP
The journey carries remarkable symbolism.
In 1961, Omega men stood with a Black community fighting for access to public spaces.
In 2026, Omega men are opening the doors of a space their institution owns and inviting the community inside.
From fighting for access…to creating access.
From searching for places to gather…to owning a gathering place.
From one generation’s vision…to another generation’s responsibility.
That may be the most important lesson contained within the walls of 1108 Sistrunk Boulevard.
The Brothers who started this journey did not all live to see every result of what they helped build.
But they planted. Others watered. Others carried the work forward.
And now another generation has inherited both the building and the responsibility that comes with it.
THE LEGACY CONTINUES
72 Years. One Brotherhood. Four Cardinal Principles. Generations of Service. A Permanent Home. Doors Open to the Community.
MANHOOD • SCHOLARSHIP • PERSEVERANCE • UPLIFT
OMEGAS IN BROWARD CENTER
1108 Sistrunk Boulevard | Fort Lauderdale
Building Community. Empowering Excellence. Uplifting Broward.