Alpha Phi Alpha was the first African American intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, by seven visionary young men known as the "Seven Jewels." These men, Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy, came together with the purpose of creating an organization that would provide leadership and advocacy for African Americans.

Alpha Phi Alpha played a significant role in Black history by promoting racial equality, educational advancement, and social justice. The fraternity has a rich history of activism, with members such as civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was initiated into the Alpha chapter at Morehouse College in 1952. Alpha Phi Alpha has been at the forefront of many important historical movements, including the civil rights movement and the fight for voting rights.

Today, Alpha Phi Alpha continues to uphold its founding principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of the African American community. The fraternity has over 290,000 members and more than 730 chapters worldwide, making it one of the largest and most influential Black Greek-letter organizations.