= Alpha Phi Alpha =

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= Alpha Phi Alpha =
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Introduction
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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (�Φ�) is the first African-American,
intercollegiate Greek-lettered fraternity. It was initially a
literary and social studies club organized in the 1905-1906 school
year at Cornell University but later evolved into a fraternity with a
founding date of December 4, 1906, at Cornell. It employs an icon from
Ancient Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza, as its symbol. Its aims 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 the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center.

Chapters were chartered at Howard University and Virginia 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 predominately African-American
intercollegiate fraternity and one of the ten largest intercollegiate
fraternities in the nation.

Alpha Phi Alpha is a social organization with a service organization
mission and provided leadership and service during the Great
Depression, World Wars, and Civil 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 the World Policy
Council. It also conducts philanthropic programming initiatives with
the March of Dimes, Head Start, the Boy Scouts of America, and Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Members of this fraternity include many historical civil rights
leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., NAACP founder W. E. B. Du
Bois, John Mack (civic leader) and Dick Gregory. Other world
renowned-members include political activist Cornel West, musicians
Duke Ellington and Lionel Richie, NBA legend Walt Frazier, Jamaican
Prime Minister Norman Manley, Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens,
Justice Thurgood Marshall, Investor and founder of Vista Equity
Partners Robert F. Smith, United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young,
Academy Award-winning director Barry Jenkins, six time MTV Video Music
Awards - winning director/choreographer Frank Gatson Jr., hero of the
Nashville Waffle House shooting, James Shaw Jr., and ESPN
sportscasters Stuart Scott, Stan Verrett and Jay Harris.

Alpha Phi Alpha was directly responsible for the conception, funding,
and construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial next to the
National Mall in Washington D.C.

Founding
==========
The group met every two weeks at 421 North Albany Street, where
Poindexter roomed. 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. In December 1905, Poindexter organized a meeting of students
which included Murray, Ogle, Phillips, Chapman, Kelley, Callis, Tandy,
and George Tompkins.

Robert Ogle had seen an article in the 'Chicago Defender' magazine
about a Negro fraternity at Ohio State University called Pi Gamma
Omicron, of which the university had no knowledge. Pi Gamma Omicron
inspired Ogle to try to transform the literary society into a
fraternity. 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. 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. On October 23, 1906, George Kelley proposed that the
organization be officially known by the Greek letters Alpha Phi Alpha,
and Robert Ogle proposed the colors black and old gold. Poindexter
became the first President of Alpha Phi Alpha; under his leadership,
the first banquet, initiation procedures, and policies were
introduced.

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

By December 4, 1906, the decision on a name was made: "fraternity".
The earlier terms "club", "organization", and "society" were
permanently removed. One month later, Poindexter resigned from the
fraternity, as he took a new job in Hampton University in Virginia.
11 members were present during the date of the founding of the
fraternity on December 4, 1906. 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.
Murray was emphatic in his belief that Poindexter should not be
considered to be a founder despite his role. As Charles Wesley stated
in the fraternity's history book, "C.C. Poindexter deserves special
mention. Without his serious and eager leadership, it is probable that
the fraternal organization would have advanced more slowly. He was the
moving spirit in the literary organization which served as the
predecessor of the fraternity. 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.

The original fraternal founding members are now stated to be Henry
Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones (who
replaced James Morton), George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison
Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy. 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 in the Cornell. 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.

Consolidation and expansion
=============================
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. The preamble
states the purpose of Alpha Phi Alpha:

Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha are given Greek-letter names in order of
installation into the fraternity. No chapter is designated Omega, the
last letter of the Greek alphabet and traditionally used for "the
end". Deceased brothers are considered by brothers to have joined
Omega Chapter.

Founders Eugene Kinckle Jones and Nathaniel Allison Murray chartered
the second and third chapters, at Howard University and Virginia Union
University, respectively, in December 1907. The charter at Howard made
it the site of the organization of the first black Greek letter
organization among historically black colleges. The establishment of
chapters at what was not considered to be grade A universities was the
source of debate among the founders. The non grade A universities
included Negro universities, particularly other than Howard
University.

The purpose and objective of the fraternity within the articles of
incorporation were declared "educational and for the mutual uplift of
its members." The fraternity has established the Alpha Phi Alpha
Archives at Howard University's Moorland-Spingarn Research Center to
preserve the history of the organization.

The fraternity chartered its first international chapter at the
University of Toronto in 1908. Chapters have been chartered in London,
Frankfurt, Monrovia, the Caribbean and South Korea.

The first general convention 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. Each newly elected General President is automatically
considered one of the "100 most influential Black Americans."

The fraternity established its first alumni chapter Alpha Lambda in
1911 in Louisville, Kentucky. It was again incorporated as a national
organization on April 3, 1912, under the laws of Congress within the
District of Columbia, under the name and title of The Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity.

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

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 to individual to serve two terms as
president. He served as two terms as president, between 1912-1914.
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.
As president, Garvin wrote the fraternity's Esprit De Fraternite. In
it he dictated:

The Training Camp at Fort Des Moines during World War I was the result
of the fraternity's advocacy in lobbying the government to create an
Officers' training camp for black troops. Thirty-two Alpha men were
granted commissions (four were made captains and many were first
lieutenants). First Lieutenant Victor Daly was decorated with the for
his service in France. Today, the fort is a museum and education
center which honors the U.S. Army's first officer candidate class for
African-American men in 1917.

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. 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.

History: 1919�1949
====================
The fraternity's national 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.

The 1920s witnessed the birth of the Harlem Renaissance-a flowering of
African-American art, literature, music, and culture which began to be
absorbed into mainstream American 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
in Harlem, 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.

During the Great 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 of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal agencies to assess the
status of the black population, both as to treatment of agencies'
employees and in the quality of services rendered to American blacks.
Alpha men Rayford Logan and Eugene K. Jones were members of
Roosevelt's unofficial Black Cabinet, an informal group of
African-American public policy advisors to the President.

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 brother John Hope Franklin was an early beneficiary of the
publishing company and was the 2006 Kluge Prize recipient for lifetime
achievement in the study of humanity.

In 1933 fraternity brother Belford Lawson Jr. founded the New Negro
Alliance (NNA) in Washington D.C. to combat white-run business 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 threatened boycotts against white-owned business. In
response, some businesses arranged for an injunction to stop the
picketing. NNA lawyers, including Lawson and Thurgood Marshall, fought
back - all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States in 'New
Negro Alliance v. Sanitary Grocery Co.' This ruling in favor of the
NAACP became a landmark case in the struggle by African Americans
against discriminatory hiring practices. "Don't Buy Where You Can't
Work" groups multiplied throughout the nation. 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.

The fraternity began to participate in voting 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 the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student 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. Alpha Phi Alpha member and former Washington,
D.C., mayor Marion Barry was the first chairman of the SNCC.

Seven Alpha men represented the United States at the politically
charged 1936 Summer Olympics: Jesse Owens, Ralph Metcalfe, Fritz
Pollard Jr., Cornelius Johnson, Archie Williams, Dave Albritton, and
John Woodruff. In 1938, Alpha Phi Alpha continued to expand and
became an international organization when a chapter was chartered in
London, England.

Alpha Phi Alpha supported legal battles against segregation. Some of
its members who were trial lawyers argued many of the nation's major
court cases involving civil rights and civil liberties. The case
styled 'Murray 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 brother Lloyd Gaines. In 'Gaines v. Canada',
the most important segregation case since 'Plessy v. Ferguson', Gaines
was denied admission to the Law School at the University of Missouri
because he was black. Alpha men Houston and Sidney Redmon successfully
argued "States that provide only one educational institution must
allow blacks and whites to attend if there is no separate school for
blacks."

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. Bernard Levin became the first
non-black member in 1946, and Roger Youmans became the first non-black
member to address the fraternity at the 1954 general convention.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the nation's entry into
World War II, the fraternity fought to secure rights for its
membership within the ranks of officers in the armed forces. The types
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 the military and civilian defense programs
during World War II. The leadership of the fraternity encouraged Alpha
men to buy war bonds, and the membership responded with their
purchases. The fraternity's long tradition of military service has
remained strong. Alpha's military leaders Samuel Gravely and Benjamin
Hacker were followed by other fraternity members who lead and serve in
the armed forces.

In 1946, fraternity brother Paul Robeson, in a letter to the editor
published in 'The New York Times', referring to apartheid and South
Africa's impending request to annex South-West Africa, a League of
Nations mandate, appealed:

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

History: 1950�1969
====================
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 historian Charles 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 were awarded to Thurgood Marshall and
Eugene K. Jones.

In 1956, the fraternity made a "pilgrimage" to Cornell in celebration
of its Golden Jubilee which drew about 1,000 members who traveled by
chartered train from Buffalo, New York, to Ithaca. Fraternity brother
Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the keynote 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.

Alpha men were pioneers and at the forefront of the Civil Rights
Movement during the 1950s. In Montgomery, Martin Luther King Jr. led
the people in the Montgomery Bus Boycott as a minister, and later as
head of the SCLC. Birmingham saw Arthur Shores organize for civil
rights in 'Lucy v. Adams'. Thurgood Marshall managed the landmark US
Supreme Court case 'Brown 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 the 'de
facto' inequality of "separate but equal" education in the United
States to attack and defeat the Jim Crow laws. The actions by Alpha
activists provoked death threats to them and their families, and
exposed their homes as targets for firebombing.

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 the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The
Alpha Phi Alpha delegation was one of the largest to participate in
the March on Washington.
In 1968, after the assassination of fraternity brother 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 a national holiday. They
created the Washington D. C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
Project Foundation, Inc. to collect funds of $100 million for
construction.

History: 1970�2000
====================
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 President Ernest
Morial the fraternity turned its attention to new social needs. This
included the campaign to eliminate the ghetto-goal on numerous fronts
with housing development and entrepreneurship initiatives.

The Federal Housing Act (of 1963) requested non-profit organizations
to get involved with providing housing for low-income families,
individuals and senior citizens. Alpha Phi Alpha was poised to take
advantage of this program with government in improving urban housing
living conditions. The Eta Tau Lambda chapter created Alpha Phi Alpha
Homes Inc. with James R. Williams as the chairman to address these
needs in Akron, Ohio. In 1971, Alpha Homes received an $11.5 million
grant from HUD 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 in St. Louis, Missouri � the Alpha Gardens, Alpha Towne
and Alpha Village saw completion through Alpha Phi Alpha leadership.

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
�
*the United Negro College Fund (UNCF),
*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."

In 1981, the fraternity celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in Dallas,
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.

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."

In 1996, the World Policy Council (WPC) was created as a think tank to
expand the fraternity's involvement in politics, and social and
current policy to encompass important global and world issues. The
United States Congress authorized the Secretary 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.

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

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 six black teenagers, the "Jena 6", was a
poignant reminder of incidents which punctuated the civil rights
struggles begun in the 1950s.

On the eve of the Inauguration of Barack Obama, the fraternity under
the new leadership of 33rd General President Herman "Skip" Mason
hosted a Martin Luther King Holiday program at the National 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." Alpha Congressman Chaka Fattah said "The life and legacy
of Dr. King [was] a predicate for the election of Barack Obama," "The
two are inextricably linked." Alpha Phi Alpha responded to President
Obama's clarion call to Americans to remake America by implementing a
public policy program to focus on saving America's black boys.
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.

Alpha Phi Alpha responded to the 2010 Haiti earthquake by sending a
humanitarian delegation of Alpha men led by President Mason to Haiti
on a fact-finding mission to assess the situation and develop a
long-term support plan for the Haitian people. The organization views
its future plan to 'adopt' a school in Haiti as "a great opportunity
for the first black intercollegiate fraternity to stand in solidarity
with the first independent black Republic."

The fraternity protested the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070 which
it believes may lead to racial profiling by relocating its 2010
national convention from Phoenix, Arizona, to Las Vegas, Nevada. The
bill makes it a misdemeanor state crime for an alien to be in Arizona
without carrying legal documents, steps up state and local law
enforcement of federal immigration laws, and cracks down on those
sheltering, hiring and transporting illegal immigrants. The bill has
been called the broadest and strictest anti-illegal immigration
measure in decades.

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 the board of
directors violated the fraternity's constitution and by-laws when it
suspended him. The lawsuit requested a temporary restraining order
that would have, in effect, reinstated him as general president. This
was denied.

National programs
======================================================================
Alpha Phi Alpha asserts that through its community outreach
initiatives, the fraternity supplies voice and vision to the struggle
of African Americans, the African diaspora, and the countless special
problems that affect Black men.

�Φ� National Programs
Mentoring World and National Affairs
Education Continuing the Legacy
Project Alpha Leadership Training Institute
Alpha Academy Go To High School, Go To College
Commission on Business A Voteless People is a Hopeless People
Alpha and the NAACP Alpha Head Start Academy
Cooperative Programs and Economic Development

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.
The fraternity combines its efforts in conjunction with other
philanthropic organizations such as Head Start, Boy Scouts of America,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Project Alpha with the March of
Dimes, NAACP, Habitat for Humanity, and Fortune 500 companies.

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

The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project
Foundation is a project of Alpha Phi Alpha to construct the Martin
Luther King Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington
D.C.

Go-To-High School, Go-To-College
==================================
Established in 1922, the Go-To-High School, Go-To-College program is
intended to afford Alpha men, with 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 to provide information and strategies to facilitate
success.

Voter education/registration program
======================================
"A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" 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 has shifted to
promotion of political awareness and empowerment, delivered most often
through use of town meetings and candidate forums. Members are
required to be registered voters, and to participate in the national
voter registration program.

The fraternity's Nu Mu Lambda chapter of Decatur, Georgia, held a
voter registration drive in DeKalb County, Georgia, in 2004, from
which Georgia Secretary of State Cathy 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.

Nu Mu Lambda filed 'Charles 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 the National Voter Registration Act of
1993 (NVRA) by undermining voter registration drives. A Senior U.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.

Project Alpha
===============
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 about teen pregnancy prevention.
Alpha Phi Alpha also participates in the March of Dimes' WalkAmerica
and raised over $181,000 in 2006.

Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial
==========================================
The memorial is a result of an early effort of Alpha Phi Alpha
fraternity to erect a monument to King. King was a member of the
fraternity, initiated into the organization via Sigma Chapter on June
22, 1952, while he was attending Boston University. King remained
involved with the fraternity after the completion of his studies,
including delivering the keynote speech at the fraternity's 50th
anniversary banquet in 1956. In 1968, after King'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.

In 1996, the United States Congress authorized the Secretary 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 a
foundation�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, the United States Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and the
National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the site location
for the memorial.

The memorial's design, by ROMA 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. Soon thereafter, a full-time fundraising team began the
fundraising and promotional campaign for the memorial. A ceremonial
groundbreaking for the memorial was held on November 13, 2006, in West
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. , the
foundation had raised approximately $108 million, including
substantial contributions from such donors as the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, The Walt Disney Company Foundation, the National
Association of Realtors, and filmmaker George Lucas. The figure also
includes $10 million in matching funds provided by the United States
Congress.

World Policy Council
======================
General President Milton C. Davis established the World Policy Council
in 1996 as a nonprofit and nonpartisan think 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."

The Council is headed by Ambassador Horace Dawson and communicates its
position through white papers which are disseminated to policymakers,
politicians, scholars, journalists, and chapters of the fraternity.
Since its founding the Council has issued five reports on topics such
as the AIDS crisis, Middle East conflict, and Nigerian politics. The
fifth report was published in 2006 and examines the Millennium
Challenge, Hurricane Katrina and extraordinary rendition.

Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, Inc.
============================================
The Alpha Phi Alpha Education Foundation, Inc. is the non-profit
charitable arm of the fraternity, which focuses on scholarship,
programs, and training and development of the membership. The
Education Foundation encompasses the implementation of Go-to-High
School, Go-to-College, Project Alpha, voter education / registration
efforts, The Belford V. Lawson Oratorical Contest, The John Hope
Franklin Collegiate Scholars Bowl, The Hobart Jarrett Debate
Competition, Leadership Development Institutes, and the professional
and personal development thrusts of the fraternity via Alpha
University.

Pan-Hellenic membership
=========================
The fraternity maintains dual membership in the National Pan-Hellenic
Council (NPHC) and the North-American Interfraternity Conference
(NIC). The NPHC is composed of nine international black Greek-letter
sororities and fraternities, and Alpha Phi Alpha is the only member
founded at an Ivy League 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.

The NIC serves to advocate the needs of its member fraternities
through enrichment of the fraternity experience; advancement and
growth of the fraternity community; and enhancement of the educational
mission of the host institutions.

Membership
======================================================================
Alpha Phi Alpha's membership is predominantly African-American in
composition with brothers in over 680 college and graduate chapters in
the United States, 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.

John A. Williams wrote in his book 'The 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." 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.

Initial Membership Development Process (IMDP)
===============================================
The period in which a candidate for membership in the fraternity
engages in 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.

, 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. Pledging
has been officially abolished as a means of obtaining membership in
Alpha Phi Alpha and pledge "lines" have been officially abolished by
the fraternity. 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.

There are periods in the history of the fraternity where hazing 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. 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.

In 2001 and 2007, the chapters at Ohio State University and Oklahoma
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. In 2010, the
fraternity suspended new membership intake indefinitely in response to
hazing activities in 2009 that again caused pledges to be
hospitalized. In 2012, the University 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.

In the selection of candidates for membership, certain chapters had
not escaped challenges of racial stereotyping and allegations of
colorism. 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. 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 would blackball Him because He was not 'hot
enough'."

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

Notable members
=================
colspan=2|url=http://www.flyetapi.org/famous.html |title=Notable Men
of Alpha |publisher=Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Eta Pi chapter
|accessdate=April 14, 2006
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927090204/http://www.flyetapi.org/f
amous.html
|archivedate=September 27, 2007}}
Dennis Archer President - American Bar Association
Richard Arrington Mayor - Birmingham, Alabama
Edward Brooke State Attorney General, U.S. Senator since
Reconstruction
Willie Brown Mayor - San Francisco, California
Emanuel Cleaver Mayor - Kansas City, Missouri
E. Franklin Frazier President - American Sociological Association
Malvin Goode Reporter - American Broadcasting Company
Samuel Gravely Commandant of a U.S. Fleet
Charles Houston Editor - 'Harvard Law Review'
David Dinkins Mayor - New York, N.Y.
Maynard Jackson Mayor - Atlanta, Georgia
Ted Berry Mayor - Cincinnati, Ohio
John Johnson Forbes 400
|Ernest Morial Mayor - New Orleans, Louisiana
|Thurgood Marshall Justice - U.S. Supreme Court
Samuel Pierce Board member of Fortune 500 company
Fritz Pollard Head coach - National Football League
|Chuck Stone President - National Association of Black Journalists
Otha E. Thornton Jr. President - National Parent Teacher Association

The fraternity's membership roster includes activist Dick Gregory,
Princeton Professor Cornel West, Congressman Charles B. Rangel,
Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Samuel Pierce,
celebrity physician Corey Hébert, entrepreneur John Johnson, athlete
Mike Powell, musician Donny Hathaway, United Nations Ambassador Andrew
Young, the first Premier of Bermuda Sir Edward T. Richards, and
Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson.

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

Alpha men were instrumental in the founding and leadership of the
NAACP (Du Bois), People's National Party (PNP) Norman Manley,
Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)
(Jesse E. Moorland), UNCF (Frederick D. Patterson), and the SCLC
(King, Walker and Jemison). 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 and Marc Morial.

From the ranks of the fraternity have come a number of pioneers in
various fields. Honorary member Kelly Miller was the first African
American to be admitted to Johns Hopkins University. Todd Duncan was
the first actor to play "Porgy" in 'Porgy and Bess'. During the
Washington run of 'Porgy 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 which barred him from purchasing
tickets to certain seats because of his race." Eventually management
would give into the demands and allow for the first integrated
performance at the National Theatre.

Charles Houston, a Harvard 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 with 'Plessy v. Ferguson' and culminated in
a unanimous Supreme Court decision in 'Brown v. Board of Education'.

Ron Dellums' campaign to end the racist, apartheid policies of South
Africa succeeded when the House of Representatives passed Dellums'
anti-apartheid Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act calling for a trade
embargo against South Africa and immediate divestment by American
corporations.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a Nobel 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 for the holding and promotion of peace
congresses." The Presidential 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 and William Coleman.
The Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award of the United
States Congress, was awarded to Jesse Owens and Vice President Hubert
Humphrey. The Spingarn 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 a Rhodes Scholar (1914), awarded annually by
the Oxford-based Rhodes Trust on the basis of academic achievement and
character. Randal Pinkett, Andrew Zawacki, and Westley Moore are other
Rhodes Scholar recipients.

A number of buildings and monuments have been named after Alpha men
such as the Eddie 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 the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. The United 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 a commemorative stamp in their Black Heritage Stamp series.

General Presidents of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
========================================================
*Moses A. Morrison, 1908-1909
*Roscoe C. Giles, 1910
*Frederick H. Miller, 1911
*Charles H. Garvin, 1912-1914
*Henry L. Dickason, 1914-1915
*Henry A. Callis, 1915
*Howard H. Long, 1916-1917
*William A. Pollard, 1917-1918
*Daniel D. Fowler, 1919
*Lucius L. McGee, 1920
*Simeon S. Booker, 1921-1923
*Raymond W. Cannon, 1924-1927
*Bert A. Rose, 1928-1931
*Charles H. Wesley, 1932-1940
*Rayford W. Logan, 1941-1945
*Belford V. Lawson Jr., 1946-1951
*Antonio M. Smith, 1952-1954
*Frank L. Stanley, 1955-1957
*Myles A. Paige, 1957-1960
*William H. Hale, 1961-1962
*T. Winston Cole Sr., 1963-1964
*Lionel H. Newsom, 1965-1968
*Ernest N. Morial, 1968-1972
*Walter Washington, 1973-1976
*James R. Williams, 1977-1980
*Ozell Sutton, 1981-1984
*Charles C. Teamer, 1985-1988
*Henry Ponder, 1989-1992
*Milton C. Davis, 1993-1996
*Adrian L. Wallace, 1997-2000
*Harry E. Johnson, 2001-2004
*Darryl R. Matthews Sr. 2005-2008
*Herman "Skip" Mason Jr., 2009 - April 2012
*Aaron Crutison Sr. (acting), April 2012 - December 2012
*Mark S. Tillman, 2013-2016
*Everett B. Ward, 2017-present

Egyptian symbolism
======================================================================
Alpha Phi Alpha utilizes motifs from Ancient Egypt and uses images and
songs depicting the Her-em-akhet (Great Sphinx of Giza), pharaohs, and
other Egyptian 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
of Ancient Greece. Alpha's constant reference to Ethiopia 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." The Great Pyramids of
Giza, symbols of foundation, sacred geometry and more, are other
African images chosen by Alpha Phi Alpha as fraternity icons.

The fraternity's 21st General President, Thomas W. Cole once said,
"Alpha Phi Alpha must go back to her ultimate roots; only then can she
be nurtured to full bloom." Fraternity members make pilgrimages 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 to Ethiopia.

Centennial celebration
======================================================================
Alpha Phi Alpha declared 2006 the beginning of its "Centennial Era" as
it readied for its Centenary, 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.

'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 on PBS as part of the 2006 Black
History Month theme, "Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black
Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions." In 2009, the fraternity
donated its repository of interviews with prominent Alpha members that
were collected for the documentary to Cornell University Library.

The Centennial Convention, called "Reflects on Rich Past, Looks Toward
Bright Future", began on Capitol 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 passed 'House Concurrent Resolution 384', approved
422-0, which recognized and honored Alpha Phi Alpha as the first
intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African
Americans, its accomplishments and its historic milestone.

The resolution was co-sponsored by the eight members of the House of
Representatives who are members of Alpha Phi Alpha which included
Emanuel Cleaver, Robert Scott and Chaka Fattah. While in Washington,
fraternity members such as National Urban League head Marc Morial and
Congressman Gregory Meeks witnessed the renewal of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965 by President George 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 singer Lionel Richie gave a
performance for his fraternity at the John F. Kennedy Center.

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

Black college Greek movement
======================================================================
Blacks 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 journalist and Alpha member Tony
Brown.

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. 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. Four other BGLOs were in quick succession founded
at Howard: Omega Psi Phi (1911), Delta Sigma Theta (1913), Phi Beta
Sigma (1914) and Zeta Phi Beta (1920). Kappa Alpha Psi was founded at
Indiana University in 1911. Sigma Gamma Rho (1922) and Iota Phi Theta
(1963) were founded at Butler University and Morgan State University,
respectively.

In 1940, Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, and Kappa Alpha Psi
hosted conventions in the Municipal Auditorium of Kansas City,
Missouri, and held a historic joint BGLO session.

Some notable controversies
======================================================================
In 1989, Joel Harris an Alpha Phi Alpha aspirant, age 18, a student at
Morehouse College died following suspected hazing. The Cobb 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

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.

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.

In 2003, a 21-year-old pledge at Southern Methodist University (SMU)
went into a coma after being coerced to drink 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 felony aggravated assault charges. 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.

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," 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 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.

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.

In 2010, the fraternity was banned from the campus of Mercer
University for three years for hazing. Pledges were sleep deprived,
paddled, and forced on a strict diet.

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."

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

In 2013, 15 Alpha Phi Alpha members pleaded guilty to reckless
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 a civil suit against the fraternity.

In 2013, four Alpha Phi Alpha members were arrested and plead guilty
to severely beating pledges (misdemeanor charge) and violating
Virginia State University's code of conduct.

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 on a consistent
basis.

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.

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.

On January 29, 2016, Bradley Doyley, a senior and basketball player at
Buffalo State College was pronounced dead allegedly of a hazing
related pledging ritual. 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 according to a
close family friend. Doyley was taken to a local hospital for an
emergency surgery where he eventually died. The chapter connected with
the death of Doyley was suspended by the college and members of the
fraternity while under investigation for homicide charges. 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."

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.

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 to Mount Rubidoux where the
ambulance was called to pick him up and take him to the hospital
before his death. Authorities found convincing evidence hazing was
the reason for his death and will likely be pressing charges on
several members of the fraternity following the investigation.

Publications
======================================================================
The history, leadership, membership, activities, and continued
progress of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated has been
documented in a number of publications.
|**Publication Year**
|**Title**
|**Author**
|1997 |'The Talented Tenth: Biographical Sketches of the Seven
"jewels" of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc' ' ' |Mason, Herman
|1999 |'The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha' '
' |Mason, Herman
|2006 |'Jewels: The Story of the Founding of Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity' ' ' |Gourdine, Darrius J.
|2012 |'Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, The Demands of
Transcendence' ' ' |Parks, Gregory and Stefan M. Bradley
|2016 |'Jewels: Town Hall Meeting' |Gourdine, Darrius
|'Centennial Book of Essays and Letters: Excerpts from the
Brotherhood of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc' ' ' |Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity
|'The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Development in College Life
(History Book, Volume I)' |Wesley, Charles H.
|'The History of Alpha Phi Alpha: A Tradition of Leadership and
Service (History Book, Volume II)' |Harris, Robert L.
|'Henry Arthur Callis: Life & Legacy' |Wesley, Charles H.

Documentary films
======================================================================
*'Alpha Phi Alpha Men: A Century of Leadership', 2006,
producer/directors: Alamerica Bank/Rubicon Productions

See also
======================================================================
*List of African-American Greek and fraternal organizations
*List of Alpha Phi Alpha national conventions
*Hancock House (Bluefield, West Virginia)
*List of social fraternities and sororities
*List of hazing deaths

Notes
======================================================================
* 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.
* b. South Africa formally excluded Walvis Bay from the mandate and
annexed it as a South African enclave. It took until after the date
for the first fully democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 had
been set, before sovereignty over Walvis Bay was formally transferred
to Namibia 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."
* d. President Ronald Reagan vetoed 'The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid
Act of 1986'; however, Congress' override of his veto was the first
presidential foreign policy veto in the 20th century.

External links
======================================================================
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160403212400/http://www.apa1906.net/
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160423163006/http://howard.university/alpha-phi-
alpha/
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity - Howard Archive]
*
*[http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/alpha/ Alpha Phi Alpha: A Centennial
Celebration, Cornell University]
*

'A Century of Leadership' PBS video
* (16:03 mins)
* (17:25 mins)
* (17:52 mins)
* (17:56 mins)
* (18:25 mins)
* (15:21 mins)
* (7:06 mins)

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=========
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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Phi_Alpha