What Is The Formation Of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

Many people believe the first Black-Greek Lettered organization was Alpha Phi Alpha because most of the literature available to the masses is limited. For many Alpha Phi Alpha marks the beginning of the Black Greek movement in the United States. Looking deeper into the history of Black Greek one would find that there were several attempts at forming a Black fraternal organization before the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity formation at Cornell University beginning in fall 1905. Some of these early formations of Black Greek organizations were fated to fail because of the challenges that black students faced on college campuses. At least one of those Black Greek-lettered organizations was able to progress and perpetuate its existence today. It is the
The history goes back to the issue of the appearance of Freemasonry. Freemasonry was organized in the fourteenth century by actual masons – itinerant profession of skilled laborers. The Masons established lodges in areas where they worked and as meeting places. The original Masons are known as Operative Masons, honorary members were known as Speculative Masons. Masonry began to expand in the 17th and 18th centuries and the issue of race became important to determining membership. Prince Hall, a black Methodist minister born in Barbados along with 14 others was initiated into the Military Lodge Number 441, experienced racism upon entry. In 1787, Prince Hall founded African Lodge No. 459, inaugurating an era of Black Lodges. The second black lodge was established in 1797, and a third in 1798 by Absalom Jones and Richard Allen. By 1977 40 grand lodges made up of fifty five hundred lodges and over half a million members. According to Frederick Rudolph, disclosure of practices and terminology of Freemasonry; fraternities incorporated much of the Masonic spirit into their movement. Masons also founded some college fraternal organizations, such as the Acacia
The Black fraternal movement for collegians began in Bloomington, Indiana. It would become the birth place of Kappa Alpha Psi. The original name was Kappa Alpha Nu. Thomas Clark describes their existence to goes back to 1903. Clark also indicated that the organization had formed chapters in a couple states. Kappa Alpha Nu changed its name on April 15 1915 to Kappa Alpha Psi. The first Black Greek-lettered organization Sigma Pi Phi began under Henry M. Minton. Minton had been considered for membership into many fraternities, but had not been successful in being approved. Like Prince Hall, Minton had been rejected by fraternal organizations; he decided to create organization that would provide the benefits of a fraternity for black men. In a meeting with Dr. E.C. Howard, Dr. A.B. Jackson, Dr. R.J. Warwick, Dr. E.T. Hinson and Dr. Robert J. Abele, they decided to form the Sigma Pi Phi (aka Boule). The organization was established as a graduate fraternity. For many years the Boule remained secretive in its existence. Only within the last couple years have the general public become aware of the