Leaders of the coalition told reporters on Thursday that the type of hazing to which Florida A&M drum major Robert Champion Jr. was subjected before he died has persisted as a rite of passage despite the various actions their individual groups previously have taken to address the problem.
"We no longer can treat it as a series of isolated and unrelated sets of unfortunate incidences," said Jimmy Hammock, president of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., which heads up the coalition.
"It's almost as if someone has tattooed in their brain this is the way to be accepted," said Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., who said her anti-hazing efforts earned her the nickname "Haze Buster" when she served as a regional director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., of which she also is a member.
