News Article - 3 minute read

On September 22, 2024, Sigma Mu Mu Chapter, Third District of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., attended a lecture by author and multi-generational Washingtonian, Brother Rohulamin Quander.  The event, hosted by the Thomas Balch Library in Leesburg, VA, was a discussion of Brother Quander’s book, "The Quanders - Since 1684, an Enduring African American Legacy."  Brother Derrick Clarke, a charter member of Sigma Mu Mu and an active member of the Loudoun Black History Committee, was instrumental in coordinating this program.  Sigma Mu Mu Basileus Brother Duane Keye, Brother Leroy Ross and Brother Joseph Smith joined Brother Clarke for the event along with more than thirty (30) other attendees.  Through this and similar events, Sigma Mu Mu continues to ensure Loudoun County residents are made aware of African American contributions to local and United States history.  Attendees left the lecture better informed about the Quander family’s perseverance, success and positive impact in the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) area despite racial barriers.

In Brother Quander’s presentation entitled, “The Quander Story: Preserving an American Legacy”, his stated aim was to draw a line of continuity from colonial time to the present using his family’s story as a framework.  Tracing the legacy of Henry Quando, Margrett Pugg (Quando’s wife), and their progeny from 1684 to the present, Brother Quander recounted a journey of triumph and sustained accomplishment over 350 years of the Quander Family’s American lineage in the Maryland and Virginia areas, including involuntary servitude to George Washington at his Mount Vernon plantation.  This presentation highlighted significant historical figures, including Henry Adams (direct ancestor of John Adams and John Quincy Adams), George and Martha Washington, and Francis Scott Key (attorney for Henry Quando).  Due to their involuntary servitude at Mount Vernon, the Quander Family was instrumental in the establishment of the League of the Descendants of the Mount Vernon Enslaved, and contributed greatly to the exhibit “Lives Bound Together - Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.”  Four streets in northern Virginia are named after the Quander family, and the Quanders are closely tied to the founding and history of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA. The storied family also includes four generals and two Tuskegee Airmen.

Brother Quander was initiated into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. through Alpha Chapter in 1964. He earned both his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Howard University in Washington, D.C. Brother Quander is a retired Senior Administrative Judge for the District of Columbia. He is married to Carmen Torruella Quander, a well-known representational artist. They have three adult children and one grandchild.