MISGUIDED MAGAZINE SPRING 2020

the mind-set of all the atrocities that happen in the world like
people being burned by the stake or just being burned period
because of dumb stuff people did then.”
When asked if he had any second thoughts before the brand
was placed on his skin he said, “I was like, why the heck am
I doing the dumb s@&#, but I was thinking this is actually
something I want. It’s just like with anything in life, you’re going
to do some stupid stuff to get what you want but at the end of
the day you’ve got to think is it worth it, and to me it is.”
After getting the brand, many persons try to intensify the scar
by itching it lightly or gently rubbing it with a loofah sponge
as it begins to heal. Our interviewee said he used to hit them
despite the excruciating pain that it caused to intensify the
scar. Healing isn’t easy either. The brands on his hip forced him
to sleep sitting down for a month and even interfered with his
ability to have intercourse.
wearing the shirts and doing everything I was supposed to, but
it just didn’t feel real to me until I made it legit. The brand to me
signified, OK; you’re really an Omega now.”
Students pledging Greek organizations gain not just
membership, but a new family which they often refer to as
brothers or sisters. This bond is something he says he has
never experienced.
“Before I pledged, I knew a lot of people, but I never really
had any close friends. Omegas are about friendship. When
two Omegas see each other, we’re just ecstatic, the way we
greet each other and we just saw each other yesterday. It has
also enabled me to become friends with people that I would
probably have never talked to.”
Branding is a second degree burn inflicted by a heated iron.
In this case, it is a clothes hanger twisted in the form of an
Omega that is pressed on the skin for about five seconds. The
person inflicting the burn is often called a Hit Master and many
fraternity members even have parties where branding is done.
“My first brand was on my chest,” he explained. “This one
actually hurt and right before he branded me I could see the
hair on my chest burn and then I saw all the smoke from my skin
come up to my face and I smelled my skin burning. It puts you in
Critics of the procedure are not limited to non Greeks.
According to the book “African American Fraternities and
Sororities: The Legacy and the Vision” by Clarenda M. Phillips,
members are often confronted by other members with the idea
that branding is associated with cattle and slavery. The author
cites the Black code of 1685 which states that slaves were
punished by branding for unlawful assembly or escape. A few
fraternity members including one who emphatically stated
that he disagrees with the practice, were interviewed in this
book. “These guys take it on themselves,” he said. “They think
that that’s the only way you can be a real Q which is asinine…I
just don’t believe that you need to disfigure your body. But if it’s
something that people get a kick out of, fine.”
Men are not the only Greek members who engage in branding,
while it is more taboo, there has been a marked increase in
women being branded after the 1990’s, with the upper thigh
and bikini line being the more popular locations.
Despite the criticism, branding has a history of its own in the
Omega culture. According to one member, during World War I,
members could not be identified when their bodies came back
from war. As such he said, many were not given the Omega
funeral as is customary. As a result, “brothers” were branded
on their torsos in case their limbs were blown off. It was
also pointed out that branding was a ritual done in Africa to
symbolize manhood.
To avoid discrimination in professional settings, his 19 brands
which coincide with his line number, are not visible in a long
sleeved shirt. He acknowledges that his brands could cause
discrimination from potential employers and also deter other
people from approaching him.
“If you look back in history, we as human beings, what we don’t
understand we fear, but if you have an understanding of Greek
life you will know; we love what we love.”
ABOUT THE WRITER: DERVEDIA THOMAS
Dervedia Thomas is a financial journalist covering mutual fund trends, strategy and the
latest news. She is a graduate of South Carolina State University and was a regular
contributor to The College World Reporter student empowerment magazine.
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