Alpha Phi Alpha
ΑΦΑ
Founded	December 4, 1906; 118 years ago (1906-12-04) Cornell University
Type	Social
Affiliation	NPHC NIC
Status	Active
Emphasis	African American
Scope	International
Motto	"First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All"
Pillars	Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love For All Mankind
Colors	Old Gold and  Black
Symbol	Sphinx
Flower	Yellow rose
Publication	The Sphinx[1]
Chapters	900+
Members	290,000+ lifetime
Nicknames	Alphas, Ice Cold Brothas, The Oldest & The Coldest, Men of Distinction
Headquarters	2313 Saint Paul Street Baltimore,Maryland 21218 United States
Website	apa1906.net

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (ΑΦΑ) is the oldest intercollegiatehistorically African Americanfraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the 1905–1906 school year atCornell University but later evolved into a fraternity with a founding date of December 4, 1906. It employs an icon from Ancient Egypt, theGreat Sphinx of Giza, as its symbol. Its aims or pillars are "Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love For All Mankind," and its motto is "First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All." Its archives are preserved at theMoorland-Spingarn Research Center.

Chapters were chartered atHoward University andVirginia Union University in 1907. The fraternity has over 290,000 members and has been open to men of all races since 1945. Currently, there are more than 730 active chapters in the Americas, Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and Asia. It is the largest predominantly African-American intercollegiate fraternity and one of the ten largest intercollegiate fraternities in the United States.^[2]

Alpha Phi Alpha is a social organization with a service organization mission and provided leadership and service during theGreat Depression,World Wars, andCivil Rights Movement. The fraternity addresses social issues such as apartheid, AIDS, urban housing, and other economic, cultural, and political issues of interest to people of color. National programs and initiatives of the fraternity include A Voteless People Is a Hopeless People, My Brother's Keeper, Go To High School, Go To College, Project Alpha, and theWorld Policy Council. It also conducts philanthropic programming initiatives with theMarch of Dimes,Head Start, theBoy Scouts of America, andBig Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Members of this fraternity include many historical civil rights leaders such asMartin Luther King Jr.,NAACP founderW. E. B. Du Bois,John Mack,Rev. Joseph E. Lowery,Rev. C.T. Vivian, andDick Gregory. Other members include political activistCornel West, musiciansDuke Ellington,Donny Hathaway, andLionel Richie,NBA playerWalt Frazier,NFL playerCharles Haley,JamaicanPrime MinisterNorman Manley, Olympic gold medalistJesse Owens,JusticeThurgood Marshall, businessmanRobert F. Smith, United Nations AmbassadorAndrew Young, and film directorBarry Jenkins.

Alpha Phi Alpha was directly responsible for the conception, funding, and construction of theMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial next to theNational Mall inWashington, D.C.

At the start of the 20th century, African-American students at American universities were often excluded from fraternal organizations enjoyed by the predominantlywhite student population at non-black colleges.^[3]Charles Cardoza Poindexter organized a group of students for literary discussion and social functions at Cornell University.^[4] The group initially consisted of 15 students and included women.^[5] The initial study group consisted of 14 students. These students included four from Washington, D.C. – Robert Ogle, Fred Morgan Phillip, Fannie Holland, and Flaxie Holcosbe. There were also four men and a woman from New York State: George Kelley, Henry A. Callis, James Thomas, Gordon Jones, and Paul Ray. From West Virginia cameEugene Kinckle Jones and Mary Vassar.Vertner Tandy came from Kentucky, and C.H. Chapman was from Florida.^[6]

The group met every two weeks at 421 North Albany Street, where Poindexter roomed.^[5] Poindexter was stated to have a relationship with the other students of the group that was more faculty-to-student than peer-to-peer, given that he was the secretary of a professor at Cornell.^[4] In December 1905, Poindexter organized a meeting of students which included Murray, Ogle, Phillips, Chapman, Kelley, Callis, Tandy, and George Tompkins.^[7]

Robert Ogle had seen an article in theChicago Defender magazine about a Negro fraternity at Ohio State University calledPi Gamma Omicron, which the university did not know.^[8][9] Pi Gamma Omicron inspired Ogle to try to transform the literary society into a fraternity.^[8] There was disagreement about the group's purpose: some wanted a social and literary club where everyone could participate; others wanted a traditional fraternal organization. Poindexter felt the group should serve the cultural and social needs of the black community and not be an elite secret society.^[10] The society decided to work to provide a literary, study, social, and support group for all minority students who encountered social and academic racial prejudice.^[3] On October 23, 1906, George Kelley proposed that the organization be officially known by theGreek letters Alpha Phi Alpha, and Robert Ogle proposed the colors black andold gold. Poindexter became the first President of Alpha Phi Alpha; under his leadership, the first banquet, initiation procedures, and policies were introduced.^[4][10]

The divisive issue of whether the terms "club" or "fraternity" should be used was still debated.^[11] A vote again confirmed the name Alpha Phi Alpha with the colors of old gold and black.^[10] The initiation of new members Eugene Kinckle Jones, Lemuel Graves, and Gordon Jones took place on October 30, 1906, at a Masonic Hall including^[10] James Morton was considered and selected, but at the time he was not registered at the university.^[5] Two founding members learned about fraternity rituals from other fraternal organizations: Henry A. Callis worked in theSigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity House, and Kelly worked atBeta Theta Pi fraternity house.^[4] Coincidentally, an article about a Negro fraternity Pi Gamma Omicron's ambitions to become a national fraternity was noted by a Beta Theta Pi correspondent at Ohio State University.^[12] Callis said that these fraternities, SAE and BTP, were the source of the fraternity rituals.^[4] The other members of the group felt that Poindexter, as a graduate student, dominated the meetings of Alpha Phi Alpha.^[13] In his absence in the meeting in November 1906, the fraternity idea was pushed for a vote by Murray and was seconded by Robert H Ogle.^[5] In December 1906, George Tompkins' resignation was accepted. Seven of the original 12 men from the initial meeting in December 1905 would continue as members of the fraternity.^[5]

By December 4, 1906, the decision on a name was made: "fraternity". The earlier terms "club", "organization", and "society" were permanently removed.^[11] Before the December 4, 1906, meeting, Poindexter had submitted his letter of resignation from the Alpha Phi Alpha club/society, as he took a new job inHampton University in Virginia.^[4] 11 members were present during the date of the founding of the fraternity on December 4, 1906.^[4] Despite Poindexter's role in the formation of Alpha Phi Alpha, it was agreed that his name would not be linked to the early formation of the fraternity by its founders.^[13] Murray was emphatic in his belief that Poindexter should not be considered to be a founder despite his role.^[14] As Charles Wesley stated in the fraternity's history book, "C.C. Poindexter deserves special mention. Without his serious and eager leadership, the fraternal organization would probably have advanced more slowly. He was the moving spirit in the literary organization, which served as the predecessor of the fraternity.^[4] He acted as president of the group and continued in office during the formation of the early policies and also through the first initiation in Alpha Phi Alpha society." According to his wife, Poindexter did not oppose the idea of a fraternity.^[15]

The original fraternal founding members are now stated to beHenry Arthur Callis,Charles Henry Chapman,Eugene Kinckle Jones (who replaced James Morton),George Biddle Kelley,Nathaniel Allison Murray,Robert Harold Ogle, andVertner Woodson Tandy.^[16] Eugene Kinkle Jones who joined the group in October 1906 was given the title of a founder in 1952, while James Morton was removed because of his lack of enrollment at Cornell.^[14] The founders are collectively known as the Seven Jewels.

Mrs. Annie C Singleton played a pivotal part in helping the organization in its early years. She became the Mother of the fraternity as a result.^[17]

The fraternity's constitution was adopted on December 4, 1906, limiting membership to "Negro male" students and providing that the General Convention of the Fraternity would be created following the establishment of the fourth chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha.^[18] Thepreamble states the purpose of Alpha Phi Alpha:

To promote a perfect union among college men; to aid in and insist upon the personal progress of its members; to further brotherly love and a fraternal spirit within the organization; to discountenance evil; to destroy all prejudices; to preserve the sanctity of the home, the personification of virtue and the chastity of woman.^[19]

Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha are givenGreek-letter names in order of installation into the fraternity. No chapter is designatedOmega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet and traditionally used for "the end".^[20] Deceased brothers are considered by brothers to have joined Omega chapter.^[21]

Founders Eugene Kinckle Jones and Nathaniel Allison Murray chartered the second, third, and fourth chapters atHoward University,Virginia Union University, and theUniversity of Toronto, respectively, in December 1907 and January 1908. The charter at Howard made it the site of the organization of the first black Greek letter organization for men amonghistorically black colleges.^[22] The first black Greek letter organization among historically black colleges was Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, as it was established early in November 1907.^[23]

The purpose and objective of the fraternity within thearticles of incorporation were declared "educational and for the mutual uplift of its members."^[18] The fraternity has established the Alpha Phi Alpha Archives at Howard University'sMoorland-Spingarn Research Center to preserve the history of the organization.^[24]

The fraternity chartered its first international chapter at theUniversity of Toronto in 1908. Chapters have been chartered inLondon,Frankfurt,Monrovia, theCaribbean,South Africa, andSouth Korea.^[25]

The first general convention was assembled in December 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., producing the first ritual and the election of the first General President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Moses A. Morrison.^[26] Each newly elected General President is automatically considered one of the "100 most influential Black Americans".^[27][28]

The fraternity established its firstalumni chapter, Alpha Lambda, in 1911 inLouisville, Kentucky. It was again incorporated as a national organization on April 3, 1912, under the laws ofCongress within the District of Columbia, under the name and title ofThe Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.^[29]

For more than 100 years, Alpha Phi Alpha and its members have had a voice and influence on politics and current affairs.^[30][31]The Crisis, the magazine of theNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), was started by fraternity memberW. E. B. Du Bois in 1910.^[30] In 1914,The Sphinx, named after the Egyptian landmark, began publication as the fraternity's journal.^[31]The Crisis andThe Sphinx are respectively the first and second oldest continuously published black journals in the United States.^[31] TheNational Urban League's (NUL)Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life was first published in 1923 under the leadership of Alpha founder Eugene K. Jones andCharles Johnson as its executive editor.^[32]

In 1912,Charles H. Garvin was elected as the fourth annual president of Alpha Phi Alpha at the fourth annual convention in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was the first individual to serve two terms as president.^[33] He served two terms as president, between 1912 and 1914.^[34] While in office he helped secure a chapter house, appointed a special committee to consult with the president of Howard, and asked members to 'use every means possible to raise the moral and scholastic tone of the Fraternity". Garvin saw that it was vital that the Fraternity establish a mindful image and perception for future generations. One of the most notable contributions made by Garvin was the national incorporation of the fraternity under the laws of Congress.^[35]As president, Garvin wrote the fraternity's Esprit De Fraternite. In it, he dictated:

An Alpha Phi Alpha man's attitude should not be 'how much can I derive from the Fraternity' but 'how much can I do for the Fraternity?' In proportion to what he does for his Chapter and Alpha Phi Alpha, will a member receive lasting benefits from the Fraternity himself in the way of self-development by duty well done and the respect of the Brothers served?
        A member's duties should be:
        1. Prompt payment of all financial obligations, the prime requisite for a successful fraternal life
        2. The doing of good scholastic work in his chosen vocation, thereby accomplishing the real end of a college course
        3. The reasonable endeavor to participate in general college activities and social service and to excel therein
        4. The proper consideration of all things with appropriate attention to the high moral standard of Alpha Phi Alpha.^[36]

The Training Camp at Fort Des Moines duringWorld War I was the result of the fraternity's advocacy in lobbying the government to create anOfficers' training camp forblack troops. Thirty-two Alpha men were granted commissions (four were madecaptains and many werefirst lieutenants). First LieutenantVictor Daly was decorated with theCroix de Guerre for his service in France.^[37] Today, the fort is a museum and education center which honors theU.S. Army's first officer candidate class for African-American men in 1917.^[38]

While continuing to stress academic excellence among its members, Alpha's leaders recognized the need to correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans and the world community.^[39] Alpha Phi Alpha has a long history of providing scholarships for needy students and initiating various other charitable and service projects. It evolved from a social fraternity to a primarily community service organization.^[40]

The fraternity'snational programs date back to 1919, with its "Go-To-High School, Go-to-College" campaign to promote academic achievement within the African-American community as its first initiative.^[25]

The 1920s witnessed the birth of theHarlem Renaissance–a flowering of African-Americanart,literature,music, andculture which began to be absorbed into the mainstreamAmerican culture. Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers Charles Johnson, W. E. B. Du Bois,Noble Sissle,Countee Cullen, and other members were entrepreneurs and participants in this creative upsurge led primarily by the African-American community based inHarlem, New York City. By the end of the 1920s, the fraternity had chartered 85 chapters throughout the United States and initiated over 3,000 members.^[27]

During theGreat Depression, Alpha Phi Alpha and its members continued to implement programs to support the black community. The Committee on Public Policy, the Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, and "The Foundation Publishers" were established at the 1933 general convention. The Committee on Public Policy took positions on numerous issues important to the black community. It investigated the performance ofFranklin D. Roosevelt'sNew Deal agencies to assess the status of the black population, both in the treatment of agencies' employees and in the quality of services rendered to American blacks.^[42] Alpha menRayford Logan and Eugene K. Jones were members of Roosevelt's unofficialBlack Cabinet, an informal group of African-American public policy advisors to the President.^[43]

The Education Foundation was created in recognition of the educational, economic, and social needs of African Americans in the United States. The foundation, led by Rayford Logan, was structured to provide scholarships and grants to African-American students. The Foundation Publishers would provide financial support and fellowship for writers addressing African-American issues. Historian and fraternity brotherJohn Hope Franklin was an early beneficiary of the publishing company^[27] and was the 2006Kluge Prize recipient for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity.^[44]

In 1933 fraternity brotherBelford Lawson Jr. founded the New Negro Alliance (NNA) in Washington D.C. to combat white-run businesses in black neighborhoods that would not hire black employees. The NNA instituted a then-radical "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" campaign and organized or threatenedboycotts against white-owned businesses. In response, some businesses arranged for an injunction to stop the picketing. NNA lawyers, including Lawson and Thurgood Marshall, fought back – to theSupreme Court of the United States inNew Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.^[45] This ruling in favor of the NAACP became alandmark case in the struggle by African Americans againstdiscriminatory hiring practices. "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work" groups multiplied throughout the nation.^[a][46] The fraternity sponsors an annual Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest in which collegiate members demonstrate their oratorical skills first at the chapter level, with the winner competing at the District, Regional and General Convention.^[47]

The fraternity began to participate invoting rights issues, coining the well-known phrase "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" as part of its effort to register black voters. This term was coined by the Alpha Omicron Chapter located at Johnson C. Smith University in 1936. The Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy said, "Alpha Phi Alpha...developed citizenship schools in the urban South and with its slogan "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" registered hundreds of blacks during the 1930s, decades before theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and theStudent Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) launched their citizenship schools in the 1960s." The slogan is still used in Alpha Phi Alpha's continuing voter registration campaign.^[25][48] Alpha Phi Alpha member and former Washington, D.C., mayorMarion Barry was the first chairman of the SNCC.^[49]

Seven Alpha men represented the United States at the politically charged1936 Summer Olympics:Jesse Owens,Ralph Metcalfe,Fritz Pollard Jr.,Cornelius Johnson,Archie Williams,Dave Albritton, andJohn Woodruff.^[50] In 1938, Alpha Phi Alpha continued to expand and became an international organization when a chapter was chartered in London, England.^[51]

Alpha Phi Alpha supported legal battles againstsegregation. Some of its members who were trial lawyers argued many of the nation's major court cases involvingcivil rights andcivil liberties. The case styledMurray v. Pearson (1935) was initiated by the fraternity and successfully argued by Alpha men Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston to challenge biases at the university, which had no laws requiring segregation in its colleges. The fraternity assisted in a similar case that involved fraternity brotherLloyd Gaines. InGaines v. Canada, the most important segregation case sincePlessy v. Ferguson, Gaines was denied admission to the Law School at theUniversity of Missouri because he was black.^[52] Alpha men Houston and Sidney Redmon successfully argued that "States that provide only one educational institution must allow blacks and whites to attend if there is no separate school for blacks."^[52]

In 1940, true to its form as the "first of first", Alpha Phi Alpha sought to end racial discrimination within its membership. The use of the word "Negro" in the membership clause of the constitution, which referred to "any Negro male student," would be changed to read "any male student." The unanimous decision to change the constitution happened in 1945 and was the first official action by a BGLO to allow the admission of all colors and races.^[53] Bernard Levin became the first non-black member in 1946,^[54] and Roger Youmans became the first non-black member to address the fraternity at the 1954 general convention.^[55]

After theattack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the nation's entry intoWorld War II, the fraternity fought to secure rights for its members within the ranks of officers in thearmed forces. Thetypes of warfare encountered evidenced the nexus between education and war, with illiteracy decreasing a soldier's usefulness to the Army that could only be addressed with the inclusion of a large number of college-educated men among the ranks of officers. Alpha men served in almost every branch of themilitary and civilian defense programs during World War II. The leadership of the fraternity encouraged Alpha men to buywar bonds, and the membership responded with their purchases.^[56] The fraternity's long tradition of military service has remained strong. Alpha's military leadersSamuel Gravely andBenjamin Hacker were followed by other fraternity members who lead and serve in the armed forces.

In 1946, fraternity brotherPaul Robeson, in aletter to the editor published inThe New York Times, referring to apartheid and South Africa's impending request to annex South-West Africa, aLeague of Nations mandate, appealed:

to my fellow Americans to make known their protest against such conditions to the South African Ministry in Washington; to send to the Council on African Affairs an expression of support for these grievously oppressed workers in South Africa; to keep the South African situation in mind against the time when GeneralSmuts will come to theUnited Nations Assembly to demand the annexation of South West Africa, which means more Africans for him to exploit.^[57]

In 1947, Alpha Phi Alpha awarded Robeson the Alpha Medallion for his "outstanding role as a champion of freedom."^[b][57]

The general convention in 1952 was the venue for a significant historical action taken regarding the Seventh Jewel Founder. The decision "of placing Brother [Eugene] Jones in his true historical setting resulting from the leading role which he had played in the origin and development of the early years of the fraternity history" was made by a special committee consisting of Jewels Callis, Kelley and Murray, and fraternity historianCharles H. Wesley. James Morton was removed as a founder, yet continues to be listed as one of the first initiates. This convention created the Alpha Award of Merit and the Alpha Award of Honor for appreciation of the tireless efforts on behalf of African Americans, and was awarded to Thurgood Marshall and Eugene K. Jones.^[58][59]

In 1956, the fraternity made a "pilgrimage"^[c] to Cornell in celebration of itsGolden Jubilee, which drew about 1,000 members who traveled by chartered train fromBuffalo, New York, to Ithaca. Fraternity brother Martin Luther King Jr. delivered thekeynote speech at the 50th-anniversary banquet, in which he spoke on the "Injustices of Segregation". There were three living Jewels present for the occasion: Kelley, Callis, and Murray.^[61]

Alpha men were at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1950s.^[39] InMontgomery, Martin Luther King Jr. led the people in theMontgomery bus boycott as a minister and later as head of the SCLC.Birmingham sawArthur Shores organize for civil rights inLucy v. Adams. Thurgood Marshall managed the landmark US Supreme Court caseBrown v. Board of Education, in which the Court decided against segregation in public schools. Marshall employed mentor and fraternity brother Charles Houston's plan to use thede facto inequality of"separate but equal" education in the United States to attack and defeat theJim Crow laws.^[62] The actions by Alpha activists provoked death threats to them and their families and exposed their homes as targets forfirebombing.^[63]

In 1961,Whitney Young became the executive director of the National Urban League. In 1963, the NUL hosted the planning meetings of civil rights leaders for theMarch on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The Alpha Phi Alpha delegation was one of the largest to participate in the March on Washington.^[64]

In 1968, after theassassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Alpha Phi Alpha proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington, D.C. The efforts of the fraternity gained momentum in 1986 after King's birthday was designated anational holiday. They collected $100 million for construction.^[65]

Beginning in the 1970s, new goals were being introduced to address the current environment. The older social programs and policies were still supported; however, under the direction of General PresidentErnest Morial, the fraternity turned its attention to new social needs. This included the campaign to eliminate theghetto-goal on numerous fronts with housing development and entrepreneurship initiatives.

In 1963, theFederal Housing Administration requested non-profit organizations to get involved with providing housing forlow-income families, individuals, and senior citizens. Alpha Phi Alpha was poised to take advantage of this program with the government in improving urban housing living conditions. The Eta Tau Lambda chapter created Alpha Phi Alpha Homes Inc. withJames R. Williams as the chairman to address these needs inAkron, Ohio. In 1971, Alpha Homes received an $11.5 million grant fromHUD to begin groundbreaking on Channelwood Village with the Henry Arthur Callis Tower as its centerpiece. Channelwood contains additional structures named after General Presidents James R. Williams and Charles Wesley and streets named for fraternity founders Tandy and Ogle. The Alpha Towers in Chicago and three other urban housing developments inSt. Louis, Missouri — the Alpha Gardens, Alpha Towne, and Alpha Village saw completion through Alpha Phi Alpha leadership.^[66]

In 1976, the fraternity celebrated its 70th anniversary with dual convention locations: New York City and Monrovia. The fraternity launched the Million Dollar Fund Drive with three prime beneficiaries — theUnited Negro College Fund, the National Urban League, and the NAACP. The executive director of the NAACP stated, "Alpha Phi Alpha provided the largest single gift ever received by the civil rights group."^[40]

In 1981, the fraternity celebrated itsDiamond Jubilee inDallas, Texas, featuring a presentation of the New Thrust Program consisting of the Million Dollar Fund Drive, the Leadership Development and Citizenship Institutes, and the quest to obtain a national holiday for fraternity brother Martin Luther King Jr.^[67]

We will go to great lengths to lend our voices, our time, our expertise, and our money to solve the problems that humankind must solve as we move into the 21st century.

As the 21st century approached, Alpha Phi Alpha's long-term commitment to the social and economic improvement of humanity remained at the top of its agenda. The fraternity's 28th General President,Henry Ponder, said, "We would like the public to perceive Alpha Phi Alpha as a group of college-trained, professional men who are very much concerned and sensitive to the needs of humankind. We will go to great lengths to lend our voices, our time, our expertise, and our money to solve the problems that humankind must solve as we move into the 21st century."^[40]

In 1996, the World Policy Council (WPC) was created as athink tank to expand the fraternity's involvement in politics and social and current policy to encompass important global and world issues.^[27] The United States Congress authorized theSecretary of the Interior to permit Alpha Phi Alpha to establish a memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King on Department of Interior lands in the District of Columbia.^[68]

In 2006, more than 10,000 Alpha Phi Alpha members gathered in Washington, D.C., to participate in the fraternity'scentennial convention to lay the groundwork for another 100 years of service. The fraternity developed a national strategic plan that outlines the processes that Alpha Phi Alpha will utilize in its continuing efforts to develop tomorrow's leaders and promote brotherhood and academic excellence.^[69] The Centenary Report of the World Policy Council was published in connection with the centenary of Alpha Phi Alpha.^[70]

In 2007, General President Darryl Matthews addressed demonstrators at a protest rally touted as the new civil rights struggle of the 21st century. The rally for sixblack teenagers, the "Jena 6", was a poignant reminder of incidents that punctuated the civil rights struggles begun in the 1950s.^[71]

On the eve of theInauguration of Barack Obama, the fraternity under the new leadership of 33rd General President Herman "Skip" Mason hosted a Martin Luther King Holiday program at theNational Press Club "to honor yesterday's 'firsts'—those in history who paved the way for the nation to be able to celebrate the first African-American president."^[72] Alpha CongressmanChaka Fattah said "The life and legacy of Dr. King [was] a predicate for the election of Barack Obama," "The two are inextricably linked."^[73] Alpha Phi Alpha responded to PresidentObama's clarion call to Americans to remake America by implementing a public policy program to focus on saving America's black boys.^[74] General President Mason on behalf of the fraternity appealed to President Obama to create a "White House Council on Men and Boys" and partner with Alpha Phi Alpha to specifically address the needs of this group on a national level.^[75]

Alpha Phi Alpha responded to the2010 Haiti earthquake by sending a humanitarian delegation of Alpha men led by President Mason toHaiti on a fact-finding mission to assess the situation and develop a long-term support plan for the Haitian people. The organization views its plan to 'adopt' a school in Haiti as "a great opportunity for the first black intercollegiate fraternity to stand in solidarity with the firstindependent black Republic."^[76]

The fraternity protested the passage ofArizona Senate Bill 1070, which it believes may lead toracial profiling by relocating its 2010 national convention fromPhoenix, Arizona, toLas Vegas, Nevada.^[77] The bill makes it amisdemeanor state crime for analien to be inArizona without carrying legal documents, steps up state and local law enforcement offederalimmigration laws, and cracks down on those sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal immigrants.^[78][79] The bill has been called the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration measure in decades.^[80]

With global expansion as a platform, the fraternity chartered new chapters in the eastern hemisphere at the 2010 National Convention in Las Vegas, NV. The two new chapters are in London, England, and Johannesburg, South Africa, further expanding the fraternity's global footprint.

In 2012, Herman "Skip" Mason was suspended from the fraternity amid allegations of financial improprieties and was summarily removed as General President. Mason filed a lawsuit that contended theboard of directors violated the fraternity's constitution and by-laws when it suspended him.^[81] The lawsuit requested atemporary restraining order that would have, in effect, reinstated him as general president. This was denied.^[82]

Alpha Phi Alpha asserts that through its community outreach initiatives, the fraternity supplies voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans, theAfrican diaspora, and the countless special problems that affect Black men.^[40][83]

The fraternity provides for charitable endeavors through its Education and Building Foundations, providing academic scholarships and shelter to underprivileged families these projects are managed by fraternity brothers; Broderick McKinney, Kenneth Burnside, and Gregory Anderson.^[18] The fraternity combines its efforts in conjunction with other philanthropic organizations such asHead Start, Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America,^[85] Project Alpha with theMarch of Dimes, NAACP,Habitat for Humanity, andFortune 500 companies.

Alpha's "Designated Charity" benefits from the approximately $10,000, one-time contribution to fund-raising efforts at the fraternity's annual general convention.^[40] The fraternity also has made commitments to train leaders with national mentoring programs.^[18]

The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha to construct theMartin Luther King Jr. Memorial on theNational Mall in Washington D.C.^[86]

Established in 1922, the Go-To-High School program is intended to afford Alpha men the opportunity to provide young participants with role models. The program concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a path to advancement and provides information and strategies to facilitate success.^[87] Much of the fundraising for the program is done by the graduate and undergraduate chapters at the local level via fraternity specific philanthropic events or collaborations like "The Official Four Way: World Tour" with other fraternal Greek-lettered organizations likeLambda Upsilon Lambda,Iota Nu Delta, andPi Delta Psi.^[88][89]

The Fraternity's voter education/registration program was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930s by the Alpha Omicron chapter (Johnson C. Smith University) 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 have since remained a dominant focus in the fraternity's planning. In the 1990s, the focus shifted to the promotion of political awareness and empowerment, delivered most often through the use of town meetings and candidate forums.^[87] Members are required to be registered voters and to participate in the national voter registration program.^[90]

The fraternity's Nu Mu Lambda, chapter ofDecatur, Georgia, held a voter registration drive inDeKalb County, Georgia in 2004, from whichGeorgia Secretary of StateCathy Cox rejected all 63 voter registration applications on the basis that the fraternity did not follow correct procedures, including obtaining specific pre-clearance from the state to conduct their drive.

The Court finds and herebyDECLARES that the rejection of voter registration applications because they were submitted in a bundle, or by someone who was not a registrar or deputy registrar, violates theNVRA.

Nu Mu Lambda filedCharles H. Wesley Education Foundation v. Cathy Cox on the basis that the Georgia Secretary of State's long-standing policy and practice of rejecting mail-in voter registration applications that were submitted in bundles and/or by persons other than registrars, deputy registrars, or the individual applicants, violated the requirements of theNational Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) by undermining voter registration drives. A SeniorU.S. District Judge upheld earlier federal court decisions in the case, which also found private entities have a right under the NVRA to engage in organized voter registration activity in Georgia at times and locations of their choosing, without the presence or permission of state or local election officials.^[92]

Alpha Phi Alpha, Iota Delta Lambda Chapter (Chicago), and the March of Dimes began a collaborative program called Project Alpha in 1980. The project 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 aboutteen pregnancy prevention. Alpha Phi Alpha also participated in the March of Dimes' WalkAmerica and raised over $181,000 in 2006.^[93]

The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is a Fraternity special project that was a result of an early effort of Alpha Phi Alphafraternity to erect a monument to Dr. King.^[64] King was initiated into the organization via Sigma Chapter on June 22, 1952,^[94] while he was attendingBoston University.^[95] King remained involved with the fraternity after the completion of his studies, including delivering thekeynote speech at the fraternity's 50th-anniversary banquet in 1956.^[95] In 1968, afterKing's assassination, Alpha Phi Alpha proposed erecting a permanent memorial to King in Washington, D.C. The fraternity's efforts gained momentum in 1986 after King's birthday was designated a national holiday.^[65]

In 1996, theUnited States Congress authorized theSecretary of the Interior to permit Alpha Phi Alpha to establish a memorial on Department of Interior lands in the District of Columbia, giving the fraternity until November 2003 to raise $100 million and break ground. In 1998, Congress authorized the fraternity to establish afoundation—the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation—to manage the memorial's fundraising and design, and approved the building of the memorial on the National Mall. In 1999, theUnited States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and theNational Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the site location for the memorial.

The memorial's design, byROMA Design Group, a San Francisco-based architecture firm, was selected out of 900 candidates from 52 countries. On December 4, 2000, a marble and bronze plaque was laid by Alpha Phi Alpha to dedicate the site where the memorial was to be built.^[96] Soon thereafter, a full-timefundraising team began the fundraising and promotional campaign for the memorial. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the memorial was held on November 13, 2006, inWest Potomac Park.

In August 2008, the foundation's leaders estimated the memorial would take 20 months to complete with a total cost of US$120 million.^[97] As of December 2008, the foundation had raised approximately $108 million,^[98] including substantial contributions from such donors as theBill and Melinda Gates Foundation,^[97]The Walt Disney Company Foundation, theNational Association of Realtors,^[99] and filmmakerGeorge Lucas. The figure also includes $10 million inmatching funds provided by the United States Congress. The memorial opened to the public on August 22, 2011, after more than two decades of planning, fund-raising, and construction.

General PresidentMilton C. Davis established the World Policy Council in 1996 as anonprofit andnonpartisanthink tank with a mission as stated in its centenary report "to address issues of concern to our brotherhood, our communities, our Nation, and the world."^[27][70]

The council is headed byAmbassadorHorace Dawson and communicates its position throughwhite papers which is disseminated to policymakers, politicians, scholars, journalists, and chapters of the fraternity. Since its founding the council has issued five reports on topics such as theAIDS crisis,Middle East conflict, andNigerian politics.^[27][100] The fifth report was published in 2006 and examines theMillennium Challenge,Hurricane Katrina andextraordinary rendition.^[70]

As of 2023, Alpha Phi Alpha has chartered 979 alumni and college chapters; 686 chapters are active in the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Liberia, Korea, South Africa, and the Virgin Islands.

Alpha Phi Alpha's membership is predominantly African-American in composition with brothers in over 680 college and graduate chapters in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Since its founding in 1906, more than 290,000 men have joined the membership of Alpha Phi Alpha, and a large percentage of leadership within the African-American community in the 20th century originated from the ranks of the fraternity.^[102][103]

John A. Williams wrote in his bookThe King that God Did Not Save, which was a commentary on the life of Alpha Phi Alpha member Martin Luther King Jr., "a man clawing out his status does not stop at education. There are attendant titles he must earn. A fraternity is one of them."^[64][70] The mystique of belonging to a Greek letter group still attracts college students in large numbers despite lawsuits that have threatened the very existence of some fraternities and sororities.^[70]

The period in which a candidate for membership in the fraternity enes before applying and being initiated as a member. This period is the time the candidate learns the organization's history, objectives, aims, and the tenacity of brotherhood.^[104]

As of June 2013, the fraternity only inducts members through the Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP), and all membership development activities for the fraternity are overseen by the National Membership Services Director and conducted by regionally appointed Chief Deans. The fraternity has abolished pledging and pledge "lines" as a means of obtaining membership in Alpha Phi Alpha. Aspirants must not submit themselves, or agree to submit themselves, to any membership activities that are prohibited by the fraternity. Individuals involved in hazing face severe disciplinary action by the fraternity and are referred to the local legal authorities.^[105]

There are periods in the history of the fraternity wherehazing was involved in certain pledge lines. The fraternity has never condoned hazing but has been aware of problems with "rushing" and "initiations" dated as far back as the 1934 General Convention when the fraternity founders communicated their concern with physical violence during initiation ceremonies.^[106] 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.^[107]

In 2001 and 2007, the chapters atOhio State University andOklahoma State University–Stillwater were suspended for two and five years, respectively, for hazing and incidents involving prospective members injured seriously enough to require medical care.^[108][109] In 2010, the fraternity suspended new membership intake indefinitely in response to hazing activities in 2009 that again caused pledges to be hospitalized.^[110] In 2012, theUniversity of Florida chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was also accused of hazing. The allegations claimed that members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity repeatedly struck and paddled pledges hard enough to cause bruises, and one pledge was paddled so hard that he was unable to sleep on his back for several nights.^[111]

In the selection of candidates for membership, certain chapters had not escaped challenges of racial stereotyping and allegations ofcolorism. In a biography of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the authors recounted how certain chapters of the fraternity used a "brown paper bag test" and would not consider students whose skin color was darker than the bag.^[112] General President Belford Lawson Jr. lamented this attitude and condemned initiation practices of snobbery and exclusivity, and said "Jesus Christ could not make Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity today; they wouldblackball Him because He was nothot enough."^[113]

The fraternity once provided classifications for honorary and exalted honorary membership. Honorary members include Vice President Hubert Humphrey (who is Caucasian), jazz musicianDuke Ellington, and activist W. E. B. Du Bois.^[114]Frederick Douglass is distinguished as the only member initiatedposthumously when he became anexalted honorary member of the fraternity's Omega chapter in 1921. The Fraternity no longer has honorary membership, a practice that stopped in the 1960s.^[115]

The fraternity's membership roster includes activistDick Gregory,Princeton ProfessorCornel West,CongressmanCharles B. Rangel,Department of Housing and Urban Development SecretarySamuel Pierce, celebrity physicianCorey Hébert, entrepreneurJohn Johnson, athleteMike Powell, musicianDonny Hathaway, United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young, the firstPremier of BermudaSir Edward T. Richards, and Atlanta MayorMaynard Jackson.^[117]

Roland Burris became the only black member of the 2009U.S. Senate when he assumed the seat vacated by President Barack Obama.^[118]

Alpha men were instrumental in the founding and leadership of the NAACP (Du Bois),^[119]People's National Party (PNP) Norman Manley,^[120]Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) (Jesse E. Moorland),^[121] UNCF (Frederick D. Patterson),^[122] and the SCLC (King,Walker andJemison). The National Urban League has had eight leaders in its more than 100 years of existence; six of its leaders are Alpha men: George Haynes, Eugene K. Jones,Lester Granger,Whitney Young,Hugh Price andMarc Morial.

From the ranks of the fraternity have come several pioneers in various fields. Honorary memberKelly Miller was the first African American to be admitted toJohns Hopkins University.Todd Duncan was the first actor to play "Porgy" inPorgy and Bess. During the Washington run ofPorgy and Bess in 1936, the cast — as led by Todd Duncan — protested the audience's segregation. Duncan stated that he "would never play in a theater that barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race." Eventually, management would give in to the demands and allow for the first integrated performance at theNational Theatre.^[123]

Charles Hamilton Houston, aHarvard Law School graduate and a law professor at Howard University, first began a campaign in the 1930s to challenge racial discrimination in the federal courts. Houston's campaign to fight Jim Crow Laws began withPlessy v. Ferguson and culminated in a unanimous Supreme Court decision inBrown v. Board of Education.

Norris B. Herndon, Charles Hamilton Houston's fellow 1921 initiate at Alpha Phi Alpha's Sigma Chapter, became the second President of the historicAtlanta Life Insurance Company. Herndon's father, honorary AlphaAlonzo Herndon, founded Atlanta Life in 1905, becomingAtlanta, Georgia's first African-American millionaire. Atlanta Life is notable for both its financial support of the Civil Rights Movement and owning the first insurance policy for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.^[124]

Ron Dellums's campaign to end the racist,apartheid policies of South Africa succeeded when theHouse of Representatives passed Dellums's anti-apartheidComprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act calling for a tradeembargo against South Africa and immediate divestment by American corporations.^[d][125]

Martin Luther King Jr. was aNobel Peace Prize laureate, awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the holding and promotion of peace congresses." ThePresidential Medal of Freedom, designed to recognize individuals who have made "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors", has been awarded to many members including Edward Brooke andWilliam Coleman. TheCongressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award of the United States Congress, was awarded to Jesse Owens and Vice President Hubert Humphrey. TheSpingarn Medal, awarded annually by the NAACP for outstanding achievement by a Black American, has been awarded to brothers John Hope Franklin, Rayford Logan, and numerous fraternity members.

Premier Norman Manley was aRhodes Scholar (1914), awarded annually by the Oxford-based Rhodes Trust based on academic achievement and character.Randal Pinkett, Andrew Zawacki, andWestley Moore are other Rhodes Scholar recipients.

Several buildings and monuments have been named after Alpha men, such as theEddie Robinson Stadium,Ernest N. Morial Convention Center,Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport,Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport,Whitney Young Memorial Bridge, and the W. E. B. Du Bois Library at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst. TheUnited States Postal Service has honored fraternity members W. E. B. Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, and Whitney Young with acommemorative stamp in their Black Heritage Stamp series.^[126]

Alpha Phi Alpha divides its chapters into regions across the United States and internationally. There are five major regions currently: Eastern, Midwestern, Southern, Southwestern, and Western. Every U.S. state in a region is further designated as a "district" of that region. Each region comprises both collegiate and alumni chapters, with the latter designated by the Greek letterLambda. Since its inception, Alpha Phi Alpha has chartered 414 college chapters and 369 alumni chapters.^[129]

Alpha Phi Alpha utilizes motifs from Ancient Egypt and uses images and songs depicting the Her-em-akhet (Great Sphinx of Giza),pharaohs, and otherEgyptian artifacts to represent the organization. The Great Sphinx of Giza was made out of one unified body of stone which represents the fraternity and its members. This is in contrast to other fraternities that traditionally echo themes from the golden age ofAncient Greece. Alpha's constant reference toEthiopia in hymns and poems are further examples of Alpha's mission to imbue itself with an African cultural heritage. Fraternity brother Charles H. Wesley wrote, "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." TheGreat Pyramids of Giza, symbols of foundation, sacred geometry, and more, are other African images chosen by Alpha Phi Alpha as fraternity icons.^[131]

The fraternity's 21st General President, Thomas W. Cole said, "Alpha Phi Alpha must go back to her ultimate roots; only then can she be nurtured to full bloom."^[132] Fraternity members makepilgrimages to its spiritual birthplaces of Egypt to walk across the sands of the Giza Plateau to the Great Sphinx of Giza and the Great Pyramids of Giza, and Ethiopia.^[133]

Alpha Phi Alpha declared 2006 the beginning of its "Centennial Era" as it readied for itsCentenary, framed by the slogan "First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All". These preparations consisted of nationwide activities and events, including the commissioning of intellectual and scholarly works, presentation of exhibits, lectures, artwork, and musical expositions, the production of film and video presentations, and a Centennial Convention July 25–30, 2006, in Washington, D.C.

The 2006 Centennial Celebration Kickoff launched with a "pilgrimage" to Cornell University on November 19, 2005. That event brought over 700 fraternity members who gathered for a day-long program. Members journeyed 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 — features a bench and a plaque and is situated in front of the university's Barnes Hall.^[134]

Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership is a historical documentary on Alpha Phi Alpha's century of leadership and service. The film premiered in February 2006 onPBS^[39] as part of the 2006Black History Month theme, "Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions."^[135] In 2009, the fraternity donated its repository of interviews with prominent Alpha members that were collected for the documentary to Cornell University Library.^[136]

The centennial convention began onCapitol Hill with Congressman and fraternity member David Scott stating to the House of Representatives, "This week men from every discipline and geographic location convene to chart and plan for the fraternity's future, celebrate its 100th anniversary, and reinvigorate its founding principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity." The House of Representatives passedHouse Concurrent Resolution 384, approved 422–0,^[137] which recognized and honored Alpha Phi Alpha as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans, its accomplishments and its historic milestone.^[138]

Theresolution was co-sponsored by the eight members of the House of Representatives who are members of Alpha Phi Alpha, which includedEmanuel Cleaver,Robert Scott andChaka Fattah. While in Washington, fraternity members such as National Urban League head Marc Morial and CongressmanGregory Meeks witnessed the renewal of theVoting Rights Act of 1965 by PresidentGeorge W. Bush in a signing ceremony at the White House. A tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. with an hour-long reflection at the site of the King Memorial was witnessed by Alpha's General President(s) and a host of the fraternity members assembled for the convention.Grammy Award winning singerLionel Richie gave a performance for his fraternity at theJohn F. Kennedy Center.^[139]

TheHouse of Alpha, the Centennial Exhibit of Alpha Phi Alpha, opened its doors at the convention. Herman "Skip" Mason served ascurator of the exhibit, which has been described as a "fraternal masterpiece." The featured materials are part of the records of Alpha Phi Alpha, local chapters, and the personal collections of fraternity members.^[140] Mason was inaugurated as the fraternity's 33rd General President in January 2009.^[141]

Members of black fraternities and sororities call themselves Greek because "Greece was a culturally diverse pluralistic society of various ethnic and racial groups—much like the United States of today. However, the citizens were mostly dark-skinned black and brown people" according to journalists and Alpha Phi Alpha brotherTony Brown.^[142]

Alpha Phi Alpha is the first intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity in the United States established for people of African descent, and the paragon for the Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) that followed.^[131]Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in 1908 at Howard University as both the first African-American sorority and the first BGLO founded at a black college.^[143] Four other BGLOs were in quick succession founded at Howard:Omega Psi Phi (1911),Delta Sigma Theta (1913),Phi Beta Sigma (1914) andZeta Phi Beta (1920).Kappa Alpha Psi was founded atIndiana University in 1911.Sigma Gamma Rho (1922) andIota Phi Theta (1963) were founded atButler University andMorgan State University, respectively.^[144]

In 1940, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Kappa Alpha Psi hosted conventions in the Municipal Auditorium ofKansas City, Missori and held a historic joint BGLO session.^[145]

In 2020, Guy Bell, fraternity member and treasurer of the Baltimore City-Wide graduate chapter, was sentenced for stealing $56,678.93 from the chapter between 2013 and 2016 to help cover personal debts. The chapter was behind on rent payments and other important financial obligations. Bell was sentenced to six months of home detention, five years of probation, and must pay back $51,834 in restitution.^[146]

In 2012, the 33rd General President of the fraternity, Reverend Herman '"Skip" Mason, admitted to misappropriating fraternity funds, resulting in his immediate removal by the board of the fraternity. He admitted using unsanctioned fraternity funds to cover personal expenses, including paying for his children's private school tuition. Mason sued the board of the fraternity for violating organization by-laws and harming his reputation. Mason's lawsuit was denied.^[147]

In 2012, fraternity member Curtiss Stanford was arrested and charged with three counts of embezzlement. He illegally wrote 10 checks totaling about $1,200 from the Appalachian State University chapter's bank account.^[148]

In 1989, Joel Harris, an eighteen-year-old Alpha Phi Alpha aspirant and student at Morehouse College, died following suspected hazing. TheCobb County medical examiners report "didn't declare the hazing to be a "direct cause" of Joel's death, but it stated that he was "under an intensive amount of anxiety and stress" that night. It was reported that Harris had been punched in the chest and slapped in the face multiple times as part of a so-called "thunder and lightning" ritual hours before his death.^[149]

In 1992, Gregory R. Batipps, age 20, a student at the University of Virginia, died in a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel. Hazing was investigated as a factor in his death as he was pledging Alpha Phi Alpha.^[150]

In 1995, a pledge seeking to join the fraternity's founding chapter, the Alpha chapter at Cornell University, developed a "life-threatening infection in his buttocks" after being paddled repeatedly. He sued the fraternity for $2 million, and the fraternity was banned from campus for several years for violating the school's code of conduct.^[151]

In 2003, a 21-year-old pledge at Southern Methodist University (SMU) went into a coma after being coerced todrink large amounts of water in an Alpha Phi Alpha initiation ritual. The chapter was temporarily expelled from campus, and eight Alpha Phi Alpha members were indicted on felonyaggravated assault charges.^[152] In 2006, the first trial in the case, of Raymond Lee (SMU fraternity member), resulted in a conviction and a sentence to 180 days in jail, ten years of probation, and a $10,000 fine.^[153]

In 2008, Mcandy Douarin, age 26, a student at the University of Central Florida (UCF), died from "heart-related failure less than 12 hours after a punch to his chest".^[154] Douarin shared with his family that he was frequently punched in the chest by members of Alpha Phi Alpha as part of the pledging process, and his family released photos of bruises on his chest to validate that was the reason why he died. UCF students released photos and statements substantiating that Douarin was pledging to the fraternity, but the university refused to launch an investigation on any allegations against them after the fraternity stated Douarin had not officially applied for membership. The family hired an attorney to help hold the fraternity accountable for his death.^[155][156]

In 2009, a fraternity member at Fort Valley State University was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery for hospitalizing a pledge with acute renal failure.^[157]

In 2010, the fraternity was banned from the campus of Mercer University for three years for hazing. Pledges were sleep-deprived, paddled, and forced into a strict diet.^[157]

In 2010, Alpha Phi Alpha suspended membership intake "after decades of hazing-related controversies plaguing Black Greek Letter Organizations despite their anti-hazing/anti-pledging policies."^[158]

In 2011, Emory University suspended the fraternity for four years due to several hazing violations.^[159]

In 2013, 15 Alpha Phi Alpha members pleaded guilty toreckless endangerment charges arising from off-campus hazing at Jacksonville State University in 2011, in which pledges were beaten, humiliated, hospitalized, and forced to drink toxic drinks until they vomited. The members involved were all sentenced to 365 days in jail. One of the pledges filed acivil suit against the fraternity.^[160]

In 2013, four Alpha Phi Alpha members were arrested and pleaded guilty to severely beating pledges (a misdemeanor charge) and violating Virginia State University's code of conduct.^[161][162]

In 2014, a $3 million lawsuit was filed against the fraternity by a former pledge who was subject to humiliation and abuse. While pledging at Bowie State University, it was reported that he endured verbal assaults, punches, slaps, paddling, and body slams consistently.^[163]

In 2014, six Alpha Phi Alpha men at the University of Akron were arrested and charged with assault for severely beating pledges. One known pledge was hospitalized due to excessive bleeding.^[164]

In 2014, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville suspended the fraternity for paddling and pouring hot sauce on the genitals of pledges. The fraternity was placed on suspension until August 2016.^[165]

Bradley Doyley, a senior and basketball player at Buffalo State College, was pronounced dead allegedly of a hazing-related pledging ritual on January 29, 2016. Family and friends reported that Doyley was asked to drink an unidentified toxic cocktail off campus by members of Alpha Phi Alpha that caused him to suddenly vomit blood. Doyley was taken to a local hospital for emergency surgery, and he later died. The college suspended the chapter connected with the death of Doyley. A report published, citing a preliminary autopsy and unnamed police sources, stated that "there is no evidence of hazing in the death last week of a student at Buffalo State College in New York."^[166] The family's attorney dismissed the claim hazing was not involved in Doyley's death.^[167]

In 2016, Virginia Tech University banned the fraternity until 2026 for misconduct and severely abusing pledges. One known pledge was hospitalized due to beatings he endured, although this decision was later reversed, and the fraternity was allowed to return to campus in 2021.^[168]

In 2018, Tyler Hillard, a student at the University of California at Riverside, died while pledging the fraternity. Tyler went with other pledges and members of the fraternity toMount Rubidoux, where the ambulance was called to pick him up and take him to the hospital before his death. Authorities found convincing evidence that hazing was the reason for his death. Charges were expected to be filed against several members of the fraternity following an investigation.^[169][170]

In 2018, the chapter at the University of Mississippi was suspended for three years due to university-wide investigations on Greek hazing.^[171]

In 2021, the chapter at Southern University - Baton Rouge was placed on suspension after two students were hospitalized due to hazing.^[172]

The history, leadership, membership, activities, and continued progress of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated has been documented in several publications.

• Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership, 2006, producer/directors: Alamerica Bank/Rubicon Productions

• Hancock House (Bluefield, West Virginia)
• List of African-American Greek and fraternal organizations
• List of Alpha Phi Alpha national conventions
• List of social fraternities
• List of hazing deaths
• Sphinx

• a.^{^} The NNA estimated that by 1940, the group had secured 5,106 jobs for blacks because businesses could not afford to lose sales during the Depression.^[46]
• b.^{^} South Africa formally excludedWalvis Bay from the mandate and annexed it as a South Africanenclave. It took until after the date for the first fully democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 had been set beforesovereignty over Walvis Bay was formally transferred toNamibia at midnight on February 28, 1994.
• c.^{^} Darryl R. Matthews Sr., 32nd General President of the fraternity, defined a pilgrimage as "a personal, spiritual, historic and significant journey, which one takes to a place and for a purpose that has profound meaning to that individual."^[134]
• d.^{^} PresidentRonald Reaganvetoed The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986; however, Congress' override of his veto was the first presidentialforeign policy veto in the 20th century.^[125]

• Davis, Michael D.; Clark, Hunter R. (2001).Thurgood Marshall: Warrior of the Bar, Rebel on the Bench (Updated and rev. ed.). Bridgewater, NJ: Replica Books.ISBN 0-7351-0097-7.OCLC 50800603.
• Wesley, Charles H. (1981).The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life (14th ed.). Chicago: Foundation Publishers. ASIN: B000ESQ14W.

• Gourdine, Darrius Jerome (July 2006).Jewels: The Story of the Founding of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.?: Artisan House Publishing.ISBN 0-9755660-0-8.OCLC 1312011767.
• Mason, Herman (1999).The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha (2nd ed.). Winter Park, FL: Four-G.ISBN 1-885066-63-5.
• Wesley, Charles H. (1950).The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in Negro College Life (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Foundation Publishers.

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAlpha Phi Alpha.

• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity website
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity - Howard Archive
• "The Centenary Report of the World Policy Council"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on February 25, 2009. (806 KB)
• Alpha Phi Alpha: A Centennial Celebration, Cornell University
• "H. Con. Res. 384: Recognizing and honoring the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity"(PDF). Archived fromthe original(PDF) on February 28, 2008. (31.2 KB)

A Century of Leadership PBS video

• A Century of Leadership—Part 1 of 7 onYouTube (16:03 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 2 of 7 onYouTube (17:25 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 3 of 7 onYouTube (17:52 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 4 of 7 onYouTube (17:56 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 5 of 7 onYouTube (18:25 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 6 of 7 onYouTube (15:21 mins)
• A Century of Leadership—Part 7 of 7 onYouTube (7:06 mins)

• Alpha Phi Alpha
• Alpha Phi Alpha founders
• Cornell University
• International student societies
• National Pan-Hellenic Council
• North American Interfraternity Conference
• Student organizations established in 1906
• Student societies in the United States
• 1906 establishments in New York (state)
• African-American fraternities and sororities

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