TAMPA, Fla. — The historic Omega Psi Phi Fraternity kicked off its 84th international grand conclave on Wednesday at the Tampa Convention Center, and members say they will be giving away numerous books that have been banned in Florida schools.

What You Need To Know

  • The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity's 84th conclave began on Wednesday in Tampa 

  • Members of the fraternity say their goal is to give away 8,400 books during the convention  

  • The organization is buying books from the Black English Bookstore in Tampa 

  • About a quarter of the books that will be given away have been banned in Florida schools

“Our theme here is ‘Conclave with a Purpose,’” said local member Rick Kinsey. “Omega Psi Phi is at the tip of the spear and we’re taking on the issues that affect our community.”

He said the goal is to give away 8,400 books for the 84th conclave. The fraternity has collected more than 7,000 books, and Kinsey said he expects the fraternity to reach its goal by the end of the convention.

“The men of Omega Psi Phi have found it very important that the history is not forgotten,” he said. “We think it’s so very important to take this on.”

The fraternity has purchased nearly 1,300 books from the Black English Bookstore in Tampa, according to owner Gwendolyn Henderson, who’s also a member of the Tampa City Council for District 5. She said she has personally donated 200 books to the organization.

“I just want to be able to provide the Omegas, as well as the children, with an opportunity to have a vast amount of books,” she said. “That provides them with an opportunity, not only to enjoy reading, but to have great story telling.”

Henderson is an accomplished Hillsborough Public Schools educator and curated each bundle of 25 books from a variety of categories, which include six books that have been banned in Florida schools.

“The tough stuff that would be considered banned, what we here at Black English Bookstore call ‘liberated’ books,” she said. “Curating these books to talk about how racism hurts everyone.”

The purchased and donated books are transported to the Walton Academy For The Performing Arts in Tampa where co-founder and principal Tanika Walton helped to sort and store the books.

“We are going to be giving away these books with the brothers of Omega Psi Phi,” she said. “So each family can begin to create their home library.”

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity convention is expected to draw nearly 30,000 visitors to Tampa and have an economic impact of $20 million, according to Visit Tampa Bay President and CEO Santiago Corrada.

Kinsey said they’re making sure to spread some of that money around to locally owned Black businesses.

“We have listed the Black organizations that we are patronizing and that have supported us,” he said. “We want to make sure that they get a piece of this pie.”

Last year, the NAACP issued a formal travel advisory for Florida that said the state was openly hostile towards African Americans. A number of groups and organizations have been boycotting the state, but Kinsey said the fraternity decided not to cancel their conclave because they want to confront the issue head on.

“We wanted to come and address those issues,” he said. “To address those issues that the state of Florida is having here.”     

The books will be given away throughout the convention, which ends on July 2.