The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Offers $15k Reward for Information on Jelani Day’s Death
FBI Joint Task Force asks anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI
Decatur, GA (December 20, 2021) –– Historically renowned African American Fraternity, The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., announced today that upon seeing the FBI’s $10,000 reward for relevant information on the death of Illinois State University graduate student and Omega Psi Phi brother, Jelani Day, they were initially going to match it but have instead increased their reward to $15,000. Several of Jelani’s family members and the family’s counsel, nationally renowned civil rights attorney and the organization’s Grand Counselor, Ben Crump, are members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The Fraternity’s International President, Grand Basileus Dr. David Marion, and the Fraternity’s Supreme Council are particularly resolute in their pursuit of justice for their fallen Brother and answers for his family. “Omega Psi Phi has been heartbroken by the tragic death of our brother Jelani Day — he was a model Omega man and is deeply missed by us all. I hope that through our efforts along with the FBI’s full involvement, we can continue to keep Jelani Day’s mysterious death in the minds of all Americans and move this investigation forward through our committed action which shall always go far beyond rhetoric,” said Dr. Marion. “We ask anyone who may have any information to please call the FBI. Jelani’s family deserves answers.”
Attorney Crump added “Jelani Day did everything right in life to break America’s skewed stereotypes about Black men. Jelani reflected Omega Psi Phi’s high ideals in his accomplishments and pure aspirations. His death demands the same caliber of investigation that any other accomplished American would receive. We must refuse to stop saying his name until there are concrete answers on what happened to this young man.”
The FBI’s Jelani Day Joint Task Force announced on Monday, December 13, 2021, that it will enhance efforts aimed at identifying new leads related to the investigation into the 25-year-old aspiring doctor’s death last fall. Day, an Illinois State University graduate student, went missing on August 24th and was found dead in the Illinois State River a month later. Jelani’s family, his beloved Fraternity, and activists across the nation have demanded a national focus on the case.
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ABOUT THE OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY, INC
The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. was founded November 17, 1911, by Dr. Oscar J. Cooper, Bishop Edgar A. Love, Professor Frank Coleman and Dr. Ernest E. Just. It is comprised of more than 200,000 initiated men, in 750 chapters, in 17 countries, including the United States. Its members conduct fatherhood and mentoring initiatives, voter registration, education, and mobilization drives, social action projects, and community service projects. Additionally, members support HBCUs and provide scholarships to students all over the world. Its cardinal principles are: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance and Uplift. Its motto is: Friendship is essential to the soul. For more information, visit oppf.org.
ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
