Promising Howard University student Omar Sykes, 22, was gunned down during a robbery near campus. (Google Images)
Promising Howard University student Omar Sykes, 22, was gunned down during a robbery near campus. (Google Images)

A memorial service was held in the memory of Howard University student Omar Sykes, who was shot and killed during a robbery while walking home from campus last week. The senseless act cut short the life of a promising rising Senior who was known for his big smile, hugs and attentive ear.

According to Stefanie Dazio and Dana Hedgpeth of The Washington Post:

“Friends and family were shocked by the death of the community service-oriented young man, who was a leader of Howard’s chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a coed service fraternity. He was also a member of the Noble Black Society, an organization founded at Howard that defines itself on its Web site as a ‘family oriented entertainment collective focused on the purpose of Redefining Black.’”

Sykes was involved in the Am I Suspicious video that examined the realities of being young, black and racially profiled produced by Howard University students. Sykes was 22.

Read more about the memorial service at WJLA. Read more about Omar Sykes NBC Washington.

Like The Burton Wire on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.

Previous articleDonyale Luna: The First Black Supermodel
Next articleMeet the Sheltons: Couple Helped to Desegregate Atlanta’s Restaurants
TheBurtonWire.com is the premiere online destination for people who think for themselves. This blog offers news from the African Diaspora, culture that is produced by often overlooked populations and opinion that is informed and based on fact. Tired of the onslaught of websites and talking heads that regurgitate what people want to hear, TheBurtonWire.com is a publication that elevates news and perspectives that people need to hear. TheBurtonWire.com is for individual thinkers who understand that they are part of a larger collective. What is this collective? Free thinking people that care about the world, who will not be categorized or boxed in by society or culture and are interested in issues and topics that defy stereotypes and conventional wisdom.