Brenda Wills Otis

Brenda Wills Otis, affectionately known as Tiny, made her grand entrance into this world on April 17, 1946. She was a beautiful bundle of joy born to Luther and Beulah Wills making their second girl and last to complete the immediate family. Brenda had the good fortune of growing up in her large extended family of her parents, loving aunts, and cousins. This community in which she lived was full of rich history including Condoleezza Rice living up the street, and walking past her home to attend the church where her father was pastor. Dr. Martin Luther King, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and Rev. Fred Shuttleworth frequently visited and sometimes stayed a couple of doors down the street at a freedom marchers’ home when in Birmingham for the 1960’s walks and sit ins. At this time, hotels were not always safe for African Americans, therefore, the civil rights activist made safe places for them. As you know, Birmingham was one of the major cities that was prominent for the Civil Rights Movement, so growing up there was always history in the making.

Brenda was a keen student who performed well in school. She graduated from Center Street Elementary School where her mother was school librarian. Then, she matriculated at Ullman High School and graduated at age 16. During these high school years, she participated in the protest led by Rev Martin Luther King in Kelly Ingram Park when Police Commissioner “Bull” Connor sanctioned the use of police dogs and fire hoses. For her college years, she attended Tennessee State University where she studied English and her love for writing and journalism were already in the making. This university was where many of her family members attended and one was on staff. While at TSU, she was selected as a majorette in the famous Aristocrat of Bands. This band was the first historically black college and university band to appear on national television during a 1955 game between the Chicago Bears and the L.A. Rams just years before Brenda arrived on campus. This school is also where Brenda met the love of her life, Amos Leon Otis, affectionately known as Roscoe. She got his attention after majorette practice by doing a little pose and he stopped his sports car and that was the beginning of their dating and the rest is history.

Although Brenda shows much love for TSU, she left after three years when she and Roscoe secretly married and moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he was stationed as a Missile Combat Crew Commander in the Air Force. On a side note, getting married at 19 was not in her parents’ plan. In Tucson, Brenda completed her degree at the University of Arizona and pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She was determined to prove to her parents and family that she was going to graduate and do well in life, especially since she married at an early age.

After graduation became the start of her professional life first teaching senior high and middle school students English. She had to be stern in the classroom since some of the kids thought she was their age. Her next profession was an eighteen-year career in television as an on-air public affairs moderator, an Associated Press-winning producer, a six-year stretch as a news producer at two Washington, DC network-affiliate stations, a co-creator and debut senior producer of ACE-nominated Black Entertainment TV News, and an award-winning Programming executive in the PBS system. Brenda was appointed to the PBS National Programming Service Advisory Committee (NPSAC) for two years while the Director of Programming and Production at Howard University’s PBS television station, WHUT. While she was at Howard University, Amos was on faculty there as well as Air Science and Commander of Cadets at AFROTC, Detachment 130, and Brandon tagged alone in the daycare that most of the physicians and medical staff had their kids attending. At this point, Soma was the only immediate family member not on the Howard University campus.

After early retirement from television news production and programming, Brenda’s focus turned to supporting her husband, Amos Otis, in building a family-owned corporation. She subsequently became a member of the Board of Directors of So-Bran, Incorporated. According to her husband, there would not be a SoBran without Brenda’s influence and business savvy. Also, on the startup of the company, she assisted Amos, took care of the children, and still worked a full-time job. So, in this case, the phrase “behind a successful man is a strong woman” is definitely true.

Brenda contributed to many causes and was always there to assist in any way. A few of the major ones were in 2011, she was one of the early contributors to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture with an eventual six figure contribution. As for her alma mater, Tennessee State University, she started with an endowed $100,000 scholarship and a donation of a million dollars plus for the construction of an alumni welcome center on the Nashville campus just to name some of her donations. The university often called on Brenda and Roscoe and in recent years had their pictures displayed on campus as distinguished alumni. Another honor was when they were featured on the cover of the TSUs Alumni Magazine named, A True Power Couple.

She was a member of many organizations, but the main ones were Links, Incorporated where she had progressed to alumna status. Even in this status, she still loved to visit and assist with her chapter namely the Potomac (VA) Chapter of the Links. Another organization that she loved was her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha and was excited to become a Golden Soror in 2018, which means she has been in the sorority for over 50 years, at this time. She was proud of this milestone and celebrated it with various events at the convention in Houston, TX, with family and friends. Another organization was Jack and Jill of America in which she worked to enrich the

betterment of children. Her grandkids are still enjoying the benefits of the organization now. The next organization was the James Madison Council committee of the Library of Congress where she often attended various events including concerts. This organization was comprised of public-minded philanthropists who provided critical support for our nation’s library. She was also an Archousai, who are the wives of the Archons, in Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, (Boule’) which is the oldest Black Greek-letter organization in the United States.

In Brenda’s spare time, she was proud of publishing her book, The Debt – War on Two Fronts and started on the second one. She was excited since many of her family and friends had given her book signings. Her granddaughter, Sydney, who is following her, will be finishing this book. To expound on family, Brenda loved her family and especially spending time with her husband, children, and grandchildren. They would often have sleep overs at her house to enjoy the whole holiday or event. The most recent one was New Years when Brandon and Soma’ and family were there. She also loved her Johnson Family members and had coordinated a couple memorable reunions.

Brenda and Amos, who eloped at the Nashville City Hall on March 1, 1966, would have celebrated their 60-wedding anniversary on March 1st. They were just a little short of this anniversary but spent others celebrating on cruises, trips, or with friends. They loved life to the fullest and frequently traveled to visit family and friends as well as abroad. Their legacy will not be forgotten since they touched so many lives.

Brenda went to be with the Lord and join her husband Amos of 59 years on February 22, 2026. She is also joining her daughter Taj Ieesha Otis, parents, sister, Sandra Wills Scales, and others. Amos died on November 14, 2025. Their reunion in heaven should be grand since they are meeting again to form their power couple mode in heaven through the prairie gates.

Brenda leaves many heartbroken family members to cherish her memory: Children, Soma’ Otis (Tony) Martin, Gainesville Virginia, Taj Ieesha Otis who preceded her in death and Noel Brandon Otis, Brooklyn New York. Grandchildren Sydney Marie Bee Martin, Seth Otis Oscar Martin, and little cousin Mariah Lee.

She leaves numerous family members along the closest are Lia Scales Prince, Franklin, TN, Jerome (Lakeisha) Scales III, Hoover AL, Marc Scales, Hoover AL, Karena Prince, Franklin, TN, Gabriel Prince, Franklin TN, Skylar Scales, Hoover AL, Terri Howard Gardner (Dr. Ross) Hoover AL, Debbi Howard, Nashville, TN, Lindsay Gardner, Auburn AL, Lauren Gardner, Nashville, TN, Alvin Nall, Washington, DC, Jay Johnson (Marissa), Freeport, NY, Karen Johnson Bobo, Camarillo, California, and Edith Nelson, Muskegon Heights, MI.