"Explore the planning and founding of the literary society that would one day become Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. This is a fascinating novel about seven of the greatest contributors to African American collegiate and graduate life..."-- P. [4] of cover.
On December 4, 1906, on Cornell University's campus, seven black men founded one of the greatest and most enduring organizations in American history. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. has brought together and shaped such esteemed men as Martin Luther King Jr., Cornel West, Thurgood Marshall, Wes Moore, W. E. B. DuBois, Roland Martin, and Paul Robeson. "Born in the shadow of slavery and on the lap of disenfranchisement," Alpha Phi Alpha—like other black Greek-letter organizations—was founded to instill a spirit of high academic achievement and intellectualism, foster meaningful and lifelong ties, and racially uplift those brothers who would be initiated into its ranks. In Alpha Phi Alpha, Gregory S. Parks, Stefan M. Bradley, and other contributing authors analyze the fraternity and its members' fidelity to the founding precepts set forth in 1906. They discuss the identity established by the fraternity at its inception, the challenges of protecting the image and brand, and how the organization can identify and train future Alpha men to uphold the standards of an outstanding African American fraternity. Drawing on organizational identity theory and a diverse array of methodologies, the authors raise and answer questions that are relevant not only to Alpha Phi Alpha but to all black Greek-letter organizations.
Warm, feisty, and intelligent, the Delany sisters speak their mind in a book that is at once a vital historical record and a moving portrait of two remarkable women who continued to love, laugh, and embrace life after over a hundred years of living side by side. Their sharp memories tell us about the post-Reconstruction South and Booker T. Washington, Harlem’s Golden Age and Langston Hughes, W. E. B. Du Bois and Paul Robeson. Bessie Delany breaks barriers to become a dentist; Sadie Delany quietly integrates the New York City system as a high school teacher. Their extraordinary story makes an important contribution to our nation’s heritage—and an indelible impression on our lives.
On an ice cold Monday in February of 1910, six men would continue a tradition begun in Ithaca, New York and brought Alpha Phi Alpha to the state of Illinois.This volume seeks to shed a light on the accomplishments of the brothers, chapters and structure that has helped Alpha Phi Alpha continue to be one of the most influential African American organizations in the world.
From the creation of the first black fraternity at Cornell in 1906 to the present day, a fascinating history of America's nine black fraternities and sororities explores the roles of these organizations in shaping generations of African-American leaders. Reissue.
The wisdom acquired during C. T. Vivian's lifetime is generously shared in It's In the Action, the civil rights legend's memoir of his early life and time in the civil rights movement. Vivian worked hand-in-hand with the movement's most famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, and his contributions were no less vital to the successes of nonviolent resistance. Bearing a foreword from Andrew Young, It's In the Action is an important addition to civil rights history from Vivian and co-author Steve Fiffer. C. T. Vivian’s life was never defined by the discrimination and hardship he faced, although there were many instances of both throughout his lifetime. The late civil rights leader instead focused on his faith in God and his steadfast belief in nonviolence, extending these principles nationwide as a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. It's In the Action contains Vivian’s recollections, ranging from finding religion at the young age of five to his imprisonment as part of the Freedom Rides. The late civil rights leader’s heart wrenching and inspiring stories from a lifetime of nonviolent activism come just in time for a new generation of activists, similarly responding to systems of injustice, violence, and oppression. It's In the Action is a record of a life dedicated to selflessness and morality, qualities achieved by Vivian that we can all aspire to.
This book features years of research on both the competition between and the member-collaboration of Omega Psi Phi and Alpha Phi Alpha. These two storied Black Greek fraternities have contributed mightily to society through its respective organizational thrusts and the achievements of their members. This work highlights both and provides detailed and interesting research on the many personalities that have been initiated through both fraternities and the ways in which they have particularly impacted the struggles and challenges of African Americans.