TENTH D
Meet Derrick “Deek” Ivory,
the 37th Tenth District Representative of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. A beloved brother throughout the Tenth District, Bro. Ivory has built his name and reputation on hard work. His drive and work ethic started a long time ago in East St. Louis, Illinois, “a crime filled city that forces you to make choices” as Bro. Ivory describes it. He often states “life is filled with choices, you have to decide which road to travel”, and he’s obviously made some good choices through the years as he now governs all Omega activity for the Tenth District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. East St. Louis was filled with powerful Black role models, many who were men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. These men had a profound impact on Bro. Ivory’s life; Brother Danny Mosely, Brother Frederick Birth, Brother Tiger Jones all stood strong for Omega in the East St. Louis community. These men were educators and leaders in the community that were revered for making black lives better. East St. Louis was known for athletics not academics, but Omega men made it important for young black kids to realize it meant more to achieve great heights in academia. Brother Ivory personally played team sports in every grade from 7 years of age. When he entered high school, an Omega man gave a speech about how many star athletes make it to the NFL (less than 1%). Brother Ivory went home the next day, after playing football his entire life and quit. He made the choice that day that academics far outweighed sports. Bro. Ivory stated that “had it not been for an Omega man instilling this in me, I’d still be chasing the dream”.
Derrick “Deek” Ivory 10th District Representative PAGE 16
Ms. Edith Tobler, his 7th through 9th grade teacher, was another person who had a significant impact on his life. “She pushed me to strive for excellence and not to accept anything less” Bro. Ivory said. According to Bro. Ivory, Ms. Tobler, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, had a unique and very persuasive style of discipline. “She actually hazed me” Bro. Ivory recalls, but he didn’t realize it until later in life. “She took our class and made us a family”. It was during these early years Bro. Ivory began to emerge as a leader amongst his peers, serving as the president of Martin Luther King Jr. High School and the Vice President of East St. Louis Sr. High School.