Alpha Phi Alpha

Alpha Phi Alpha
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Name	Alpha Phi Alpha
Founded	December 4, 1906
Birthplace	Cornell University
Type	Social
Scope	International
Motto	First of All
Colors	Black and Old Gold
Flower	Lily of the Valley
Address	2133 Ward Court NW
City	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha is a historically African American collegiate fraternity founded at Cornell University in 1906. It formed during the Progressive Era with ties to the Niagara Movement and later engaged with leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement, and organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the United Negro College Fund. The fraternity established chapters across the United States, the Caribbean, and West Africa, and has been associated with figures from Howard University to the United States Congress.

History

Alpha Phi Alpha traces origins to meetings at Ithaca, where students from institutions including Howard University and Fisk University attended Cornell University. Early members corresponded with activists in the Niagara Movement and read works by W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and Ida B. Wells. During the Harlem Renaissance, members associated with writers and artists from Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alain Locke. The fraternity broadened during the interwar period, interacting with organizations such as the National Urban League and participating in initiatives related to Marcus Garvey and the Universal Negro Improvement Association. In the mid-20th century, Alpha Phi Alpha members were prominent in the Civil Rights Movement, including connections to leaders of Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and legal efforts before the United States Supreme Court. Postwar expansion included chapters near Howard University Hospital, chapters in Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, and collaborations with United Negro College Fund and Sigma Pi Phi on leadership development.

Organization and Structure

The fraternity is organized into undergraduate and alumni chapters, chartered regions often corresponding to areas near New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.. Governance includes a General Convention, a board akin to a national executive body with officers who have worked with institutions such as Howard University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and municipal governments like New York City and Philadelphia. Chapters liaise with campus administrations at schools such as Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, Dartmouth College, and Xavier University of Louisiana. The organization has partnered with agencies including the United States Congress for civic initiatives and collaborated with fraternities such as Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi on joint programs.

Programs and Initiatives

Alpha Phi Alpha runs scholarships and mentoring tied to universities like Howard University, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Michigan. National programs have included voter registration drives collaborating with NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and civic outreach during elections involving offices like the Federal Election Commission and campaigns in cities such as Detroit and Baltimore. The fraternity launched initiatives addressing health disparities via partnerships with institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, medical centers like Johns Hopkins Hospital, and advocacy groups including the American Heart Association. Educational programs have linked to historically Black colleges like Fisk University, Morehouse College, and Clark Atlanta University through scholarship funds and pipeline efforts with corporations headquartered in New York City and Atlanta.

Membership and Notable Members

Membership has included students and professionals from universities such as Cornell University, Howard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and Princeton University. Notable alumni have held offices in the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, state governorships, and municipal leadership in New York City and Chicago. Prominent members have been associated with the Civil Rights Movement—including organizers of the Montgomery Bus Boycott and speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom—and with cultural movements exemplified by connections to Langston Hughes and Paul Robeson. Members have included recipients of awards such as the Nobel Prize and the Pulitzer Prize, as well as leaders at corporations like AT&T and IBM, judges on the United States Supreme Court and federal benches, and officials in administrations from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack Obama.

Symbols and Traditions

The fraternity uses colors Black and Old Gold and the flower Lily of the Valley, with rituals and regalia displayed at chapter houses near campuses such as Cornell University and Howard University. Ceremonial elements reference historical figures like Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. in commemorations, and the organization observes Founders' Day events often held alongside programs with institutions such as Smithsonian Institution and cultural centers in Harlem. Traditions include scholarship banquets hosted at venues in Washington, D.C., alumni gatherings in Atlanta and New York City, and service events coordinated with organizations like the United Negro College Fund.

Controversies and Criticism

The fraternity has faced controversies including allegations of hazing leading to investigations by university administrations at Cornell University and other campuses such as University of Pennsylvania and Howard University, and legal actions in jurisdictions including New Jersey and Florida. Debates have arisen over membership practices and statements involving public figures in United States politics, conflicts with other Greek-letter organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi and Omega Psi Phi, and scrutiny by media outlets in The New York Times and The Washington Post. Some chapters have been criticized over financial transparency and governance, prompting reviews by nonprofit regulators and collaboration with legal counsel experienced with the Internal Revenue Service and state attorneys general.

Category:Fraternities and sororities