OUR LEGACY

While continuing to stress academic excellence and pursuit among its members, the Fraternity also recognized the need to help correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans. The Fraternity's national programs date back to 1919, when Alpha Phi Alpha introduced its Go-to-High School, Go-to-College campaign to increase the education level of the African American community. Alpha Phi Alpha later took the lead in the voting rights struggle for African Americans and coined the nationally famous phrase, "A Voteless People is a Hopeless People," as part of its effort to register black voters. The slogan remains the battle cry today for Alpha voter registration efforts.

Alpha Phi Alpha has long stood at the forefront of the African American community's fight for civil rights and human dignity. From the Fraternity's ranks have come outstanding civil rights leader such as: W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Edward Brooke, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, William Gray, Paul Robeson, Julius Chambers, Maynard Jackson, and many, many others.

The Fraternity's leadership development and community service training for young men has made Alpha Phi Alpha the most prestigious organization of its kind today. Today, Alpha Phi Alpha continues its commitment to the African American community through the Fraternity's Education and Building foundations, which provide scholarships to outstanding students and shelter to underprivileged families. The Fraternity also has dedicated itself to training a new generation of leaders with national mentoring programs and partnerships designed to ensure the success of our children and youth.