WELCOME TO ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC.
The fraternity founded by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated is the first historically 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.
The Sphinx is the official publication of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. ® and the second oldest African American publication in America. It not only serves as a fraternal archive, but a platform for thought leaders on issues relevant to our community.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. develops leaders, promotes brotherhood and academic excellence, while providing service and advocacy for our communities.
MANLY DEEDS
Quality
SCHOLARSHIP
Education
LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND
Responsibility
Our National Programs
The fraternity’s national programs are community outreach mentoring initiatives that have been adopted by the organization’s governing body and mandated for implementation by all of its chapters.
Brother’s Keeper is a service program developed with the mission of advocating and improving the quality of life for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. brothers, their spouses, and widows who are retired, are elders, have disabilities and are ailing. Upon identification of need, the Brother’s Keeper Program also provides assistance to mature and ailing members of its communities. Limitations caused by advanced age place demands on family members, caregivers, and the larger community to ensure that elders remain independently functional. The goal of the Brother’s Keeper Program is to promote dignity and independence among Alpha family and community members who need help in keeping their lives and homes functional.
“A Voteless People is a Hopeless People” (aka VPHP) was initiated as a National Program of Alpha during the 1930’s 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 remained a dominant focus of this outreach activity for over 65 years. In the 1990’s, the focus has shifted to include political awareness and empowerment, delivered most frequently through town meetings and candidate forums.
The “Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College” program, established in 1922, concentrates on the importance of completing secondary and collegiate education as a road to advancement. Statistics prove the value of this extra impetus in making the difference in the success of young African-American men, given that school completion is the single best predictor of future economic success. Through the Go-to-High-School, Go-to-College educational initiative, young men receive information and learn strategies that facilitate success. Alpha men provide youth participants with excellent role models to emulate.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation began collaboratively implementing Project Alpha in 1980. This collaborative project is designed to provide education, motivation and skill-building on issues of responsibility, relationships, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for young males ages 12-15 years. Designed to provide young men with current and accurate information about teen pregnancy prevention, Project Alpha consists of a series of workshops and informational sessions conducted by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity brothers.
Some of Our Partners
Our Chapter Officers
ΣΤΛ Inaugural Chapter Officers