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| {{Infobox Fraternity | | {{Infobox Fraternity | | ||
| letters = |
letters = ΑΦA | | ||
| name = Alpha Phi Alpha | | name = Alpha Phi Alpha | | ||
| motto = ''First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All'' | | motto = ''First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All'' | | ||
| Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
| birthplace = ] | | birthplace = ] | | ||
| flower = ] ] | | flower = ] ] | | ||
| symbol = |
symbol = ], ], ] | | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Alpha Phi Alpha''' ('''ΑΦΑ''') Fraternity (known as A-Phi-A, but also Alphas) <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> is the ] intercollegiate ] ] established by ]s, founded on December 4, 1906, on the campus of ] in ], ]. Since its founding, the fraternity has initiated over 125,000 men into the organization; it has been interracial since 1945. The fraternity archives are preserved at ] and it has declared 2006 the beginning of its "Centennial Era" to celebrate its ]. | |||
| '''Alpha Phi Alpha''' ('''ΑΦΑ'''), Fraternity (known as A-Phi-A, but also Alphas and A-PHI) is the second oldest ] ] established for ]s when established in 1906 (today Alpha Phi Alpha accepts all men regardless of race or orientation). Alpha Phi Alpha is amongst the first to accept homosexuals, but has struggled with these members . | |||
| The founders, known as the ''],'' were swift in the expansion of the fraternity when a second chapter was chartered at ] in 1907. This chapter would become the ] for five ], which were founded at Howard University beginning in 1908. Today, there are over 700 chapters in the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on December 4, 1906 on the campus of ] in ]. The fraternity is a member of the ] (NPHC), composed of nine (9) International Greek-letter sororities and fraternities, and the only one founded at an ] school. | |||
| Throughout its history, Alpha Phi Alpha has established programs and aligned its resources with other organizations on projects that benefit humanity. Programs within the fraternity include ], ''Go To High School, Go To College'' and ''Voteless People Is a Hopeless People''. The fraternity supports initiatives with ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| The founders, known as the ''Seven Jewels,'' were ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. | |||
| From the ranks of Alpha Phi Alpha's membership have emerged ], a ] winner, a ] and a ]. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, Maynard Jackson, Jesse Owens, and a ] "who's who list" of African American society are among the multitude of ] who have dedicated their lives to the fraternity’s motto--''manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind''.<ref> April 4, 2006</ref> | |||
| ==History== | ==History== | ||
| The fraternity was born of a desire to promote close association and mutual support among African Americans at the turn of the twentieth century. Initially it provided a literary, study, social and support group at the founders' university, Cornell, for all minority students who faced racial prejudice, sexual orientation issues both educational and social. | |||
| ] | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha was infamous for utilizing a test known as the paper bag test, which essentially stated that if you were darker than a paper bag you couldn't get membership. | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha was born of a desire to promote close association and mutual support among African Americans at Cornell University. Black students were cut off from the many opportunities which come to groups of students through personal and close association.<ref name=Wesley15-16> Wesley 1981, p. 15</ref> | |||
| During the school year 1905-06, a ] existed within the group on desires to organize a social and literary club, or a fraternity similar in type to some of the college fraternities where some of the students were working. The group supporting the fraternal organization were dissatisfied with the the narrowed limits of a literary society and proposed to enlarge the functions of the group. The fraternal supporters were in the minority, so the society would initially provide a literary, study, social and support group for all minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educational and social. <ref name=Wesley15-16 /> | |||
| ''The Sphinx'' is the fraternity's journal, printed quarterly since ]. It is among America's oldest periodicals serving as the official publication of an African American organization. The first, founded by fraternity member ] in ] is ]'s '']''. | |||
| ] | |||
| The first meetings of the school year 1906-07 revealed the presence in embryo of the idea of a fraternity, for the "society", which at this time had not been named. On ], 1906, Callis and Jones, acquainted with ], proposed that the "society" be known by the Greek letters, <b>Alpha Phi Alpha</b> and Ogle proposed the colors to be old gold and black. The fraternity was still in process of formation as the divisive issue regarding the terms "club" and "fraternity" were debated among the group. <ref name=Wesley19-27> Wesley 1981, pp. 19-27 </ref> | |||
| Since its founding, the fraternity has initiated over 150,000 men into the organization; it has been interracial since ]. | |||
| On December 4, 1906, the decison was made to become a "fraternity", and that the designtations "club", "organization", "society", which preceeded the term "fraternity", should be removed. <ref name=Wesley19-27 /> The visionary founders of Americas first collegiate greek letter organization for ] males were ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> | |||
| The organization's status as a fraternity was an evolution, through trial and struggle. Since its founding, the Fraternity has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world.<ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> Alpha Phi Alpha will celebrate a century of service in 2006 as the ''first national Greek letter fraternity''. | |||
| ==Consolidation and expansion== | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "Our race suffers largely because its leaders have been unselfish with axes of their own to grind together with limited intelligence and twisted mental habits. Need I say I think that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the most promising orgnization among Negroes in existence". <ref> Mason 1999, p. 219 </ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA General President <br>Frederick H. Miller, December, 1916 | |||
| |} | |||
| The constitution, adopted on ], 1907, limited membership to "any Negro male" and provided that following the establishment of the fourth chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the General Convention of the Fraternity would be set up. The certificate of incorporation for the organization was filed and recorded in the office of the Secretary of the State of New York as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. on ], 1908. The Fraternity was again incorporated on ], ], under the laws of the District of Columbia. The purpose and object of the Fraternity was declared to be "educational and for the mutual uplift of its members."<ref> April 14, 2006 </ref> | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha chapters were developed at other colleges and universities, many of them ], soon after the founding at Cornell. In 1908, the fraternity became international when it chartered a chapter at the ]; shortly thereafter, the chapter became defunct. While continuing to stress academic excellence among its members, Alpha also recognized the need to help correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African-Americans.<ref> </ref> | |||
| In 1908, the first general convention assembled at Howard University in ] which produced the first ritual, and the first General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Moses A. Morrison. The convention expressed the hope that the influence of Alpha Phi Alpha would reach every (African American) college and university in the land, to bring together under one band and with one bond of fraternal love, all the worthy leading college men wherever found, to form, as it were, a link to join them together. <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| In 1914, ''The Sphinx®'', the fraternity's official journal, was published and continues to be printed quarterly. The Sphinx® is America's second oldest African American pubication; the first, founded by fraternity member ] in 1910 is ]'s '']''. The Sphinx® has a proud tradition of being one of the world's preeminent fraternal magazine, publishing cutting-edge, authoritative thinking on the key issues facing today's communities. The Sphinx® articles cover a wide range of topics that are relevant to different industries, sectors, leadership functions, and geographic locations. They focus on such areas as strategy, leadership, teams, entrepreneurship, career management, community & economic growth, and the war for talent. While the topics may vary, all The Sphinx® articles share certain characteristics. They are written for current & future senior executives by experts whose authority comes from careful analysis, study, and experience. The publishers' goal is to present articles with ideas that have been tested in the real world and can be translated into action.<ref> April 5, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ==Social programs== | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "We are counting on Alpha men to show their true colors" <ref> Mason 1999, p. 299 </ref>. | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA General President <br>A. Maceo Smith,1952 | |||
| |} | |||
| The Fraternity's ] date back to 1919, when Alpha Phi Alpha introduced it's ] campaign to increase the education level of the African-American community. Alpha Phi Alpha later took the lead in the ] struggle for African-Americans and coined the nationally famous phrase, ''A Voteless People is a Hopeless People'' as part of its effort to register black voters. The slogan remains the battle cry today for Alpha ] efforts. <ref> April 4, 2006 </ref> | |||
| During the ], the fraternity continued its advancement in leadership, service and ideas when needed in the black community. The Committee on Public Policy was established at the 1933 General Convention. This committe would voice the views of the national organization on the issues of the national life in which the interests of blacks were involved. The first investigation of the committee was of the national government ] agencies with a two-fold agenda; to determine the status of the black population, both as to employees in the agencies and as to the services rendered which were affecting its place in American life. <ref name=Wesley204-205> Wesley 1981, pp. 204-205</ref> At the ], a triad of brothers represented the United States, ], ] and ]. <ref name=Wesley476> Wesley 1981, pp. 476</ref> In 1938, Alpha Phi Alpha once again became an international organization as it extended its roster of chapters to ]. <ref name=Wesley239> Wesley 1981, pp. 239</ref> | |||
| The 1940s were significant years for the fraternity as it sought to clean its own house on discrimination to race limitations, and the affect on the fraternity and its membership after the nation's entry into ]. The use of the word "Negro" in the membership clause of the constitution which referred to "any Negro male student" should be changed to read "any male student". This historical milestone was the first official action by a fraternity established for black college men for the admission of men of all colors and races.<ref> Wesley 1981, p. 244</ref> The fraternity has been interracial since 1945.<ref> </ref> After the ] in 1941, Alpha men served in practically every branch of the ] and civilian defense programs during World War II. Modern ] of that time revealed the close relationship between education and war as illiteracy was found to decrease one's usefulness in the Army. This made possible for the inclusion of a large number of college educated men among the ranks of officers. The leadership of the fraternity encouraged Alpha men to buy ], and the membership responded by purchasing thousands of dollars in bonds.<ref> Wesley 1981, p. 248</ref> | |||
| ==Civil rights campaign== | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "God grant from this noble assembly, this noble assembly of fraternity men some of the leaders of our nation will emerge." <ref name=Wesley204-205 /> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |Martin Luther King Jr.<br>in address to the 50th Anniversary Convention, August 1956 | |||
| |} | |||
| The ] began when the black leadership of America was being tested and as Alpha Phi Alpha approached its 50th anniversary. The fraternity's first ] to Cornell was held in 1956 to celebrate the ] and drew about 1,000 members who traveled by chartered train from ] to Ithaca. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the ] speech at the anniversary banquet, ]d in the documentary, ''Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership''. There were three living Jewels present for the occassion, Kelly, Callis and Murray.<ref> Wesley 1981, pp. 381-386 </ref> The history of Alpha men in the history of America, and their place as ] of the civil rights struggle is ostensible, as Alpha men were at the forefront of these activities: | |||
| ] | |||
| *at ], ] was leading the people in a program of non-violence, and leader of the ] | |||
| *at ], Arthur Shores was leading the endeavor to help blacks obtain first class citzenship | |||
| *] was engaging in the fight for ] and integration in the ] of the ], ]. Marshall employed mentor and fratenity brother ]'s brilliant plan to use the inequality of ] to attack and defeat the ], <ref> Wesley 1981, pp. 366-369 </ref> | |||
| *] became executive director of the ] (NUL) in 1961 amidst the explosion of the civil rights movement. Young made the League a full partner in the civil rights movement, and in 1963, the NUL hosted the planning meetings of civil rights leaders for the ]. | |||
| ]" speech, given in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington.]] | |||
| In 1968, after the ] of fraternity brother Martin Luther King, Jr., Alpha Phi Alpha proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington D.C. Their efforts gathered strength in 1986, after King's birthday became a ] and led to the creation of ''The Washington D. C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc'' to collect funds of $100 million and construct a Memorial to Dr. King. <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ==New goals== | |||
| Beginning in the 1970s, the fraternity entered a period where new goals were being introduced to augment the solutions of problems on the basis of older tenets. The older social programs and policies were still supported, however; the fraternity turned its attention to the new phases of need for humanity. This included the campaign to eliminate the ] with the completion of three urban housing developments through Alpha Phi Alpha leadership in ]— the ''Alpha Gardens'', ''Alpha Towne'' and ''Alpha Village''.<ref> Wesley 1981, pp. 472-476 </ref> | |||
| In the 1980s, the fraternity celebrated its ] in 1981 in ], and continued the ''New Thrust Program'' which consisted of the ''Million Dollar Fund Drive'' which contributed funds to the NAACP, the ], and the ]. <ref> Mason 1999, p. 352 </ref> | |||
| In 1996, the ] authorized the ] to permit Alpha Phi Alpha to establish a memorial on Department of Interior lands in the District of Columbia. <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> King will be the first African American honored with his own memorial in the ] area and the second non-] to be commemorated in such a way. The ], scheduled for completion in 2008, will be located on a 4-acre site that borders the ] and within the sightline of the ] and ]. The King Memorial will be administered by the ]. | |||
| The fraternity will celebrate a ] of service in ]. | |||
| Today, Alpha Phi Alpha continues its commitment to the African American community through the Fraternity's Education and Building foundations which provide scholarships to outstanding students and shelter to underprivileged families. The Fraternity also has dedicated itself to training a new generation of leaders with national mentoring programs and partnerships designed to ensure the success of our children and youth. <ref> April 5, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ==Mission== | |||
| The objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Inc.) are to stimulate the ambition of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of ]; and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status. The first two objectives | The objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Inc.) are to stimulate the ambition of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of ]; and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status. The first two objectives | ||
| #to stimulate the ambition of its members, and | #to stimulate the ambition of its members, and | ||
| #to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual | #to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual | ||
| provide the basis for the establishment of ''Alpha University''. | provide the basis for the establishment of ''Alpha University''. | ||
| The fraternity has established an ''Alpha Phi Alpha Archives'' at Howard University in Washington, D.C. to preserve the history of the organization. <ref> </ref> | |||
| ==Chapters== | ==Chapters== | ||
| The first chapter established at Cornell University is named '']'' chapter. Chapters were developed at other ], many of them ]; the second chapter '']'' was established at ]. The fraternity established ''Alpha ]'' its first graduate ] chapter in ] at ]. | |||
| ]]] | |||
| The first chapter established at Cornell University is named '']'' chapter. The second, '']'', established at ] in 1907 made Alpha Phi Alpha the first ] fraternity to charter a chapter on a historically black college or university. The fraternity established ''Alpha ]'' its first graduate ] chapter in 1911 in ]. | |||
| The fraternity's international scope was established early. In 1908 it chartered undergraduate chapter '']'' at University of Toronto; shortly thereafter, the chapter became defunct. Its seat was transferred to what is now ] in ] in 1939. In 1938 the fraternity chartered ''Beta ]'' college chapter in ]. The ''] Theta Lambda'' alumni chapter was chartered 1963 at ]. Other chapters have been chartered in ], |
The fraternity's international scope was established early. In ] it chartered undergraduate chapter '']'' at ]; shortly thereafter, the chapter became defunct. Its seat was transferred to what is now ] in ] in ]. In ] the fraternity chartered ''Beta ]'' college chapter in ]. The ''] Theta Lambda'' alumni chapter was chartered ] at ]. Other chapters have been chartered in ], ], ], ] and ]. | ||
| '']'' chapter was distinguished to contain the names of deceased fraternity members. |
'']'' chapter was distinguished to contain the names of deceased fraternity members. Some individuals have been made "members" without their consent after their death, including Frederick Douglas who died (1895) before the fraternity was founded (1906) . | ||
| ==National programs== | |||
| ===Pledging=== | |||
| The Washington, D.C. Dr. ] is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Inc.) of which King was a member. In ], the fraternity was authorized by ] to establish a foundation to manage fundraising and design of a memorial to Dr. King . | |||
| The pledge period is the time that a potential new member of the fraternity engages in before being duly initiated as a brother. This period enlightens the ] of the organization's history, principles, tenancity of brotherhood, and sometimes involves ]. | |||
| The fraternity sponsors in conjunction with ]. Other programs of the fraternity are ''Go To High School, Go To College'' and ''Voteless People Is a Hopeless People''. The fraternity combines its efforts with ], ] and ]. | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "These cruel beatings which, in many instances, have left men marked and scarred for life is driving men way from Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Many men are outside the thinking of this". <ref> Mason 1999, p. 295 </ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA General President <br>Belford Lawson | |||
| |} | |||
| The organization is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC); an umbrella organization established in ] of nine international collegiate ]. | |||
| The fraternity has never condoned hazing, but has been aware of problems with "rushing" and "initiations as far back as the 1934 General Convention when a '''''memorial'' was received from the founders of the fraternity''' concerning physical violence in initiation ceremonies. <ref> Wesley 1981, p. 214</ref> At the 1940 General Convention, a pledge manual was discussed that would contain a brief general history, the list of chapters and locations, the achievements of Alpha men, outstanding Alpha men, and pledge procedures.<ref> Wesley 1981, p. 242.</ref> | |||
| ===Centennial Celebration=== | |||
| In 2001, the chapter at ] was suspended for at least two years by both the university and the national Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity for hazing and other violations. The incident involved two prospective members injured seriously enough to require medical care.<ref>Chapter Sanctioned for Hazing </ref> Some high-profile cases resulted in much worse than a pulled charter. An increasingly litigious atmosphere has landed many hazing incidents in court and one that prompted Alpha Phi Alpha to | |||
| ] | |||
| implement its current policy on pledging (''remove pledge line from local chapters''), but also because of complaints from fraternity alumni, school officials, pledges and parents. | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha's official ''2006 Centennial (Celebration)'' will occur ] - ], ] in ]. The ''2006 Centennial Celebration Kickoff'' was a ] to Cornell University on ], ] which united over 700 fraternity brothers. During the daylong pilgrimage, members marched across campus and unveiled a new ] to Alpha Phi Alpha. The memorial, a wall in the form of a "'''J'''" in recognition of the ], has a bench and a plaque and is in front of Barnes Hall. | |||
| The first pilgrimage was held in ] to celebrate the 50th anniversary and drew about 1,000 members who traveled by chartered train from ] to Ithaca. | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "Let there be no complaints about brutality. The emphasis should be upon history and purposes of the Fraternity rather than upon physical punishment". <ref> Mason 1999, p. 285 </ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA General President <br>Rayford Logan, <br>The Sphinx, February 1946 | |||
| |} | |||
| ==Notable Alphas== | |||
| Today, the ''Pledge Program'' has been officially abolished as a means of obtaining membership in Alpha Phi Alpha and pledge “lines” have been officially abolished by the Fraternity. The fraternity's official official policy is that it is against the purposes and goals of the Fraternity and has been discontinued as a condition or manner of initiation into the membership of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. It is no longer legal within Alpha Phi Alpha for members to establish a “pledge line” or to require aspirants to the organization to submit to “hazing”. All membership intake activities for the Fraternity are conducted by the National Intake Office and occur in the presence of a National Intake Officer. <ref> April 16, 2006</ref> | |||
| ==Membership== | |||
| ] | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "The chief significance of Alpha Phi Alpha lies in its purpose to stimulate, develop, and cement an intelligent, trained leadership in the unending fight for freedom, equality and fraternity. Our task is endless". <ref> Mason 1999, p. 3 </ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA Founder & General President <br>Henry Arthur Callis, May 1946 | |||
| |} | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha does not create great men, but it does instill its principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character and the uplifting of humanity, thereby, infusing in each Alpha man, the qualities and potential to become an ] person. As Alpha Phi Alpha expanded to over 125,000 members, the ranks of its prestigious membership include ], educators, politicians, businessmen, ] entertainers and athletes. The fraternity is rich with notable members such as ], ], ], ], ] and ]. <ref name=famousalphas> April 4, 2006</ref> | |||
| The fraternity provides classifications for honorary and exalted honorary membership; one of the highest honors that Alpha Phi Alpha can bestow upon a person who has not obtained membership through the traditional plege program. Honorary members include Vice President ], jazz musician ], and ] Frederick Douglass. <ref> Wesley 1981, p. 116, 135-136, 453 </ref> | |||
| Alpha men were instrumental in the founding and leadership of the NAACP (]), the ] (]), the ] (]), and the National Urban League (Eugene Jones). | |||
| From the ranks of the fraternity have come men who have emulated its status as first, by becoming the first African Americans in many arenas such as ], first to be admitted to ], and ], first actor to play "Porgy" in ]. During the Washington run of Porgy and Bess in 1936, the cast—as led by Todd Duncan—protested segregation among the audience. Duncan stated that he ''would never play in a theater which barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race''. Eventually management gave into the demands and allowed for the first integrated performance at ]. <ref> , the Library of Congress American Memory project, Today in History, ] </ref> | |||
| {{Template:Alpha Men First Accomplishments}} | |||
| The ] has been awarded to multiple members which incude ] and ]. ] and ] are two of the numerous fraternity members to received the ]. The ] was awarded to Jesse Owens and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and Robert Zawacki is a Rhodes Scholar. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the recipient of the ], the Spingarn Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously by President ]. | |||
| Charles Houston, a ] graduate and a law professor at Howard University, was first to began the campaign in the 1930s to challenge racial discrimination in the federal courts. Houston's campaign to fight Jim Crow Laws began with ] and culminated in a unanimous Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. | |||
| Notable Alphas include fraternity members civil rights activist ] (honorary), musician ] (honorary; did not attend college ), civil rights activist ], U.S. Supreme Court Justice ], athlete ], mayor of ] Marrion Barry (Mayor of Washington DC and arrested for smoking crack), Ambassador ], mayor of ] ], and civil rights activist ]. Some have been honored by the United States Postal Service with a ] in their popular series of famous African Americans. | |||
| ] have been named after extraordinary Alpha men such as the ], ] and the main library at the ] for W.E.B. DuBois. | |||
| In the professional ranks, Alpha claims 60% of all Black doctors, 75% of Black lawyers, 65% of all Black dentists, and close to 90% of all Black college presidents with Brothers in over 700 college and graduate chapters in the United States, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. <ref> April 4, 2006 </ref> | |||
| The ] has honored fraternity members W.E.B. Dubois, Duke Ellington, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, ] and Jesse Owens with a ] in their popular Black Heritage Stamp series. <ref>USPS Black Heritage Stamps April 5, 2005 </ref> | |||
| ==Heritage== | |||
| {{seealso|http://www.brown.edu/Students/Alpha_Phi_Alpha/icons.html Alpha Phi Alpha Iconography}} | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha gains its heritage from ] and uses images and songs depicting the ], pharaohs, and other Egyptian heritage to depict the organization. Other fraternities traditionally resemble and take their ideas from the golden age of ]. <ref name=AfricanHeritage> April 4, 2006 </ref> | |||
| <gallery> | |||
| Image:Egypt.Giza.Sphinx.01.jpg|''The ] with ] in the background.'' | |||
| Image:Pyramids_of_Egypt1.jpg|''The Giza Pyramids, part of the ]''. | |||
| Image:Pharaoh Akhenaten.jpg|Bust of Pharaoh ]. ], ]. | |||
| Image:LowlandGorilla.PD.jpg|''The ], "Ape"—symbol of pledge during "hell week"'' | |||
| </gallery> | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; font-size: 75%; background:#CFB53B; width:20em;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| | style="text-align: left;" | "I have stood beside the Sphinx in Egypt in Africa in July on my third visit there, and I brought greetings to this silent historical figure in the name of Alpha Phi Alpha and I crossed the continent to Ethiopa". <ref> Mason 1999, p. 273 </ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | style="text-align: right;" |ΑΦA Historian & General President <br>Charles H. Wesley, August 1973 | |||
| |} | |||
| A Sphinx, invented by the Egyptians of the Old Kingdom is an iconic image of a ] lion with a human head, a symbol representing power, mysticism and the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and order over chaos.The pyramid, another African image of Alpha Phi Alpha, is a symbol of foundation, sacred geometry and more. Pharoah is a title used to refer to the kings (of godly status) in ancient Egypt. The gorilla is the largest of the ]s, a ground-dwelling ] that inhabits the ]s of ]. | |||
| The Heremakhet and Alpha's constant reference to ] in hymns and poems are further examples of Alpha's mission to imbue itself with an African cultural heritage. Charles H. Wesley would write, "To the Alpha Phi Alpha brotherhood African history and civilization, the Sphinx, and Ethiopian tradition bring new meanings and these are interpreted with new significance to others.<ref name=AfricanHeritage /> | |||
| ==National programs== | |||
| {| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; font-size: 75%;" cellspacing="1" | |||
| ! colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background:#CFB53B;" | ΑΦA National Programs<ref>National Programs. April 5, 2006.</ref> | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Mentoring | |||
| | | World and National Affairs | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Education | |||
| | | Continuing the Legacy | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Project Alpha | |||
| | | Leadership Training Institute | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Alpha Academy | |||
| | | Go To High School, Go To College | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Alpha Head Start Academy | |||
| | | A Voteless People is a Hopeless People | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Alpha and the NAACP | |||
| | | Commission on Business | |||
| |- | |||
| | | Cooperative Programs and | |||
| | | Economic Development | |||
| |- | |||
| |} | |||
| The fraternity serves more than its immediate membership, it combines its efforts in conjunction with other organizations to benefit humanity throuth its national programs. National Programs are programs/projects which have been adopted by the General Convention and mandated for implementation by all chapters such as Head Start, Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America<ref> April 3, 2006 </ref>, ''Project Alpha'' with the March of Dimes, the NAACP, and ] companies. The campagin to erect a permanent memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. is one the most ] and ambitious projects in the history of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. | |||
| ===Go - To - High School, Go - To - College=== | |||
| The "Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College" program, established in 1922, concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Through the Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College educational initiative, young men receive information and learn strategies that facilitate success. Alpha men provide youth participants with excellent role models to emulate. <ref> April 5, 2005 </ref> | |||
| ===Voter Education/Registration Program=== | |||
| "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930s when many African-Americans had the right to vote but were prevented from voting because of poll taxes, threats of reprisal, and lack of education about the voting process. Voter education and registration has remained a dominant focus of this outreach activity for over 65 years. In the 1990s the focus has shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town meetings and candidate forums. <ref> April 5, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ===Project Alpha=== | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha and the March of Dimes began collaboratively implementing Project Alpha in 1980. Project Alpha consists of a series of workshops and informational sessions conducted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers to provide young men with current and accurate information about ] prevention. | |||
| The three goals of Project Alpha programs are: | |||
| #sharing Knowledge by combating ignorance and fear with factual information, | |||
| #changing Attitudes by providing motivation toward positive changes in sexual behavior | |||
| #providing Skills by creating a sense of empowerment and self-esteem. | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha also participates in the March of Dimes ''WalkAmerica'', and in 2004, raised over $95,000 for the March of Dimes. <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> | |||
| ===Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial=== | |||
| ] | |||
| The ''Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation'' is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha, in which the fraternity leads the efforts to build the ] National Memorial. The United States Congress, in 1998, authorized the fraternity to establish a foundation to manage fundraising and design of a memorial to fraternity brother Martin Luther King, Jr. <ref name=mlkalphanews> </ref> On ], ], the fraternity laid a marble and bronze plaque to dedicate the site where the memorial will be built. The ] is scheduled for November 2006 with a goal of dedicating the Memorial in 2008. King is one of ten 20th-century Christian ]s from across the world depicted in statues above the Great West Door of ]. The completion of the memorial will enlighten the world of King and Alpha Phi Alpha more than ever before, as it will come to know the men who built a national memorial to the most celebrated African-American in history. <ref name=mlkalphanews /> | |||
| ===National Pan-Hellenic Council=== | |||
| The fraternity is a member of the ] (NPHC), composed of nine (9) International Greek-letter sororities and fraternities, and the only one founded at an ] school. | |||
| The council promotes interaction through forums, meetings and other mediums for the exchange of information and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions. | |||
| ==Centennial celebration== | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha has declared 2006, the beginning of its "Centennial Era" to celebrate its ]. This period of preparation and mobilization will lead up to the Centennial Convention, consisting of nation-wide activities and events; the commissioning of intellectual and scholarly works; the presentation of exhibits, lectures, artwork and musical expositions, and the production of film and video presentations. | |||
| The Centennial Era will be hallmarked by the fraternity’s principles, ''First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All''; as again, 100 years later, Alpha Phi Alpha creates the nucleus that other National Pan-Hellenic Council members will follow in the years 2008 – 2022. | |||
| ===Centennial era=== | |||
| *The ''2006 Centennial Celebration Kickoff'' was launched with a pilgrimage to Cornell University on ], ]. The celebration united over 700 fraternity members, an ] number since the fraternity has over 700 undergraduate and graduate chapters. During the daylong pilgrimage, members marched across campus and unveiled a new ] to Alpha Phi Alpha. The memorial, a wall in the form of a "'''J'''" in recognition of the ''Jewels'', has a bench and a plaque and is situated in front of . <ref> April 3, 2006 </ref> | |||
| *''Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership'', is a historical ] on Alpha Phi Alpha's century of leadership and service. The film premiered February 2006 on ] <ref> </ref> as part of the ] 2006 theme, ''Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions''.<ref> April 8, 2006 </ref> | |||
| *Alpha Phi Alpha's official ''2006 Centennial (Celebration)'' will occur ] - ], 2006 in Washington, D.C. | |||
| ==Controversy== | |||
| Black-sponsored Greek letter organizations may have begun in 1903 on the ] campus, but there were too few registrants to assure continuing organization. In that year a club was formed called ], but the club expired after a short time. There is no record of any similar organization at Indiana University until Kappa Alpha Nu was issued a charter in 1911.<ref name=munualphas> </ref> <ref></ref> | |||
| The first successful attempt was accomplished in 1906 by 7 college students on the white college campus of Cornell University. These figures, called the ''Seven Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha'', were given the nucleus as the first national Greek letter fraternity for the remaining black college Greek-letter organizations to follow. <ref name=munualphas /> | |||
| The first black college fraternity is often rumored to be Sigma Pi Phi, founded in 1904. But this is a ]. Sigma Pi Phi was founded in 1904 as an organization for professionals and college graduates and '''NOT''' for black college students. In this sense it was rather much like the other more established ] such as the ], ], etal. <ref name=munualphas /> ], an acclaimed historian and a member of both Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi, is the author of ''The History of Alpha Phi Alpha, A Development in College Life'' and ''The History of Sigma Pi Phi''. In ''The History of Alpha Phi Alpha'', Wesley makes several references that Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Greek-letter organization among black college men. | |||
| ==Documentary films== | |||
| *''Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership'' , 2006, Producer/Directors: Alamerica Bank/Rubicon Productions | |||
| ==References== | |||
| *{{cite book | author=Wesley, Charles H.| title=The History of Alpha Phi Alpha, A Development in College Life | publisher=Foundation Publishers | year=1981 | id=ISBN }} | |||
| *{{cite book | author=Mason, Herman "Skip"| title=The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha | publisher=Four-G Publishers, Inc.| year=1999| id=ISBN 1885066635}} | |||
| *Ross, Lawrence, Jr., "The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities", 2000 | |||
| ==Hazing + Pledging== | |||
| ==Footnotes== | |||
| Alpha Phi Alpha has had a long history of ] as well as pledging. Pledging has been abolished since the early 1990's. The issue with hazing has embroiling the fraternity in numerous deaths, arrests, injuries, and resulting lawsuits against the fraternity. Although officially prohibited, the problem nevertheless persists. ''See for more info'' . | |||
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| <references/> | |||
| </div> | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
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| ==References== | |||
| {{Alpha Phi Alpha General Presidents}} | |||
| *Wesley, Charles H., ''The History of Alpha Phi Alpha, A Development in College Life'', Chicago, Foundation Publishers, 1981 | |||
| {{National Pan-Hellenic Council}} | |||
| *Mason, Herman "Skip", Jr., ''The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha '', 1991, 2005 | |||
| *Ross, Lawrence C. Ross, Jr., "The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities", 2000 | |||
| ] | |||
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Revision as of 22:22, 24 April 2006
| Alpha Phi Alpha | |
|---|---|
| ΑΦA | |
| Founded | December 4, 1906 Cornell University |
| Type | Service |
| Scope | International |
| Motto | First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All |
| Colors | Black and Old Gold |
| Symbol | Sphinx, Ape, Pharaoh |
| Flower | Yellow Rose |
| Chapters | 700+ |
| Cardinal Principles | Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind |
| Headquarters | 2313 St. Paul Street Baltimore, Maryland USA |
| Website | Alpha Phi Alpha website |
Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ), Fraternity (known as A-Phi-A, but also Alphas and A-PHI) is the second oldest Greek letter fraternity established for African Americans when established in 1906 (today Alpha Phi Alpha accepts all men regardless of race or orientation). Alpha Phi Alpha is amongst the first to accept homosexuals, but has struggled with these members .
Alpha Phi Alpha was founded on December 4, 1906 on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The fraternity is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), composed of nine (9) International Greek-letter sororities and fraternities, and the only one founded at an Ivy League school.
The founders, known as the Seven Jewels, were Henry A. Callis, Charles H. Chapman, Eugene K. Jones, George B. Kelley, Nathaniel A. Murray, Robert H. Ogle and Vertner W. Tandy.
History
The fraternity was born of a desire to promote close association and mutual support among African Americans at the turn of the twentieth century. Initially it provided a literary, study, social and support group at the founders' university, Cornell, for all minority students who faced racial prejudice, sexual orientation issues both educational and social.
Alpha Phi Alpha was infamous for utilizing a test known as the paper bag test, which essentially stated that if you were darker than a paper bag you couldn't get membership.
The Sphinx is the fraternity's journal, printed quarterly since 1914. It is among America's oldest periodicals serving as the official publication of an African American organization. The first, founded by fraternity member W.E.B. DuBois in 1910 is NAACP's The Crisis.
Since its founding, the fraternity has initiated over 150,000 men into the organization; it has been interracial since 1945.
The fraternity will celebrate a century of service in 2006.
Mission
The objectives of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Inc.) are to stimulate the ambition of its members; to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual; to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and to aid downtrodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status. The first two objectives
- to stimulate the ambition of its members, and
- to prepare them for the greatest usefulness in the cause of humanity, freedom, and dignity of the individual
provide the basis for the establishment of Alpha University.
Chapters
The first chapter established at Cornell University is named Alpha chapter. Chapters were developed at other colleges and universities, many of them historically black; the second chapter Beta was established at Howard University. The fraternity established Alpha Lambda its first graduate alumni chapter in 1911 at Louisville, Kentucky.
The fraternity's international scope was established early. In 1908 it chartered undergraduate chapter Delta at University of Toronto; shortly thereafter, the chapter became defunct. Its seat was transferred to what is now Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas in 1939. In 1938 the fraternity chartered Beta Psi college chapter in London, England. The Theta Theta Lambda alumni chapter was chartered 1963 at Frankfurt, Germany. Other chapters have been chartered in Monrovia, Liberia, Caribbean islands, Vietnam and South Korea.
Omega chapter was distinguished to contain the names of deceased fraternity members. Some individuals have been made "members" without their consent after their death, including Frederick Douglas who died (1895) before the fraternity was founded (1906) .
National programs
The Washington, D.C. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Foundation is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (Inc.) of which King was a member. In 1998, the fraternity was authorized by United States Congress to establish a foundation to manage fundraising and design of a memorial to Dr. King .
The fraternity sponsors Project Alpha in conjunction with March of Dimes. Other programs of the fraternity are Go To High School, Go To College and Voteless People Is a Hopeless People. The fraternity combines its efforts with Head Start, Boy Scouts of America and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
The organization is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC); an umbrella organization established in 1930 of nine international collegiate fraternities and sororities.
Centennial Celebration
Alpha Phi Alpha's official 2006 Centennial (Celebration) will occur July 25 - 30, 2006 in Washington, D.C.. The 2006 Centennial Celebration Kickoff was a pilgrimage to Cornell University on November 19, 2005 which united over 700 fraternity brothers. During the daylong pilgrimage, members marched across campus and unveiled a new centennial memorial to Alpha Phi Alpha. The memorial, a wall in the form of a "J" in recognition of the Jewels, has a bench and a plaque and is in front of Barnes Hall.
The first pilgrimage was held in 1956 to celebrate the 50th anniversary and drew about 1,000 members who traveled by chartered train from Buffalo to Ithaca.
Notable Alphas
List of Alpha Phi Alpha members
Notable Alphas include fraternity members civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois (honorary), musician Duke Ellington (honorary; did not attend college ), civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, athlete Paul Robeson, mayor of Washington, D.C. Marrion Barry (Mayor of Washington DC and arrested for smoking crack), Ambassador Andrew Young, mayor of Atlanta Maynard Jackson, and civil rights activist Whitney M. Young. Some have been honored by the United States Postal Service with a commemorative stamp in their popular Black Heritage Stamp series of famous African Americans.
Hazing + Pledging
Alpha Phi Alpha has had a long history of hazing as well as pledging. Pledging has been abolished since the early 1990's. The issue with hazing has embroiling the fraternity in numerous deaths, arrests, injuries, and resulting lawsuits against the fraternity. Although officially prohibited, the problem nevertheless persists. See for more info .
External links
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity website
- Alpha Phi Alpha iconography
- 2006 Centennial (Celebration) Pilgrimage photos
- National Pan-Hellenic Council
References
- Wesley, Charles H., The History of Alpha Phi Alpha, A Development in College Life, Chicago, Foundation Publishers, 1981
- Mason, Herman "Skip", Jr., The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha , 1991, 2005
- Ross, Lawrence C. Ross, Jr., "The Divine Nine: The History of African American Fraternities and Sororities", 2000