A VOTELESS PEOPLE IS A HOPELESS PEOPLE 

 

"A Voteless People is a Hopeless People" 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 has 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.

 

  A CHARLES HASTON BROTHER'S KEEPER  
 

Brother’s Keeper is a service program developed with the mission of advocating for 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.

 

   GO-TO-HIGH SCHOOL, GO-TO-COLLEGE   

 

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.

 

     PROJECT ALPHA    

 

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.

 

The three goals of Project Alpha programs are:

• Sharing Knowledge by combating ignorance and fear with factual information.

• Changing Attitudes by providing motivation toward positive changes in sexual behavior.

• Providing Skills by creating a sense of empowerment and self-esteem.

 

Project Alpha week, which started in 2000, targets the second week of October every year. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. chapters all across the country execute the program with their local March of Dimes to implement Project Alpha programs.

 

Program Highlights

• Provides education for young males 12-15 years old on sexuality, fatherhood and the role of males in relationships.

• Motivates young men to make decisions about their goals and values, and act in ways that support their decisions.

• Builds young men's skills through role-playing. Utilizes appropriate male role models and mentors.

 

Project Alpha Curriculum

 

The Project Alpha curriculum focuses on five key topics:

• Responsibility, Respect and the Role of Males in Relationships

• Adolescent Pregnancy and Fatherhood

• Protecting Yourself and Your Partner

• Sexually Transmitted Diseases

• Intimate Violence in Relationships

 

A 20-year Collaboration

 

For more than 20 years, the men of Alpha Phi Alpha have been working with the staff and volunteers of the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, taking Project Alpha to hundreds of communities and thousands of teen males. Alpha Phi Alpha and the initiation of Project Alpha began in the late 70s in Chicago by the Brothers of Iota Delta Lambda. The relationship with the MOD came later in 1982, which led to the program becoming a national program.

WalkAmerica

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has been a national WalkAmerica team since 1998.