Alpha Phi Alpha

by Parks, Gregory S.; Bradley, Stefan M.; Blake, Michael Alexander

• ISBN13: 9780813134215
• ISBN10: 0813134218
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-12-19
• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky

Summary

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.

Table of Contents

Editors' Note	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Organizational Identity: Framework, Construction, and Projection
What We Mean by Organizational Identity	p. 9
Defining the "Alpha" Identity	p. 23
The Complexities of Alpha Phi Alphas Contemporary Image Projection	p. 51
Men Who Shaped the Identity
Progenitors of Progress: A Brief History of the Jewels of Alpha Phi Alpha	p. 67
Those Who Carried the Torch: The General Presidents of Alpha Phi Alpha	p. 93
Internal Mechanisms that Define the Identity
The Quest for Excellence: Reviewing Alpha's Legacy of Academic Achievement	p. 189
"Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" Authenticating the Racial, Religious, and Masculine Dimensions of Brotherhood within Alpha Phi Alpha	p. 207
External Mechanisms that Define the Identity
Alpha Phi Alpha, the Fight for Civil Rights, and the Shaping of Public Policy	p. 233
Setting an Example: The Philanthropic Contributions of Alpha Phi Alpha	p. 263
The Processes that Shape the Identity: Constraining and Enabling Factors
The Harms and Hazards of Hazing: Medical, Socio cultural, and Legal Perspectives	p. 279
Hazing and Pledging in Alpha Phi Alpha: An Organizational Behavior Perspective	p. 313
Conclusion	p. 351
Acknowledgments	p. 357
Alpha Phi Alpha General Secretaries and Executive Directors	p. 359
Editors in Chief of The Sphinx	p. 360
Prominent Alpha Phi Alpha Members	p. 361
List of Contributors	p. 377
Index	p. 385
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