Black fraternity celebrates 100th anniversary

When Frank Motley first set foot on Columbia University's campus in 1966, he was one of only 32 black students in a class of more than 600. Joining Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically black fraternity, helped him feel more at home in his new environment. \nFew appreciate the tension of being a black student on a predominantly white campus, said Motley, IU associate vice chancellor for academic support. Motley was one of the first black students admitted to an Ivy League school at a time when many did not believe they belonged there. \n"Brotherhood helped deal with the tension," Motley said. "Not everyone had the same politics, but there was always a sense of shared experience." \nAlpha Phi Alpha -- recognized as the first black fraternity in the nation -- was formed by seven black men, known as the seven "Jewels" at Cornell University in 1906, according to the Alpha Phi Alpha Web site. This year, the fraternity celebrates its 100th anniversary.\n"The 100-year celebration of the fraternity means 100 years of black men in college," Motley said. "That might not seem like such a big deal now, but back then a black man in college might as well have been a black man on the moon." \nAll black fraternities started as support groups for black students, said Eric Love, director of diversity education at IU. They were allowed to attend classes, but they could not participate in contact sports, extracurricular activities or enter the student center. Starting fraternities allowed black students a social outlet of their own on predominantly white campuses. \nThe Gamma Eta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was started at IU in 1947, according to the Alpha Phi Alpha Web site. It became the first black organization to participate in the Little 500 bicycle race, fielding teams in races during the early 1960s. \nCurrently, there are five undergraduate and about 15 graduate student members of Alpha Phi Alpha, one of five predominantly black fraternities at IU, said Ellis Dumas III, the secretary of the IU chapter of the fraternity. \nThe fraternity has a reputation of being focused on academics, Dumas said. People join the brotherhood because of this reputation, as well as for the social aspects of being involved in the fraternity, he said. \n"I personally joined because two of my mentors, teachers who directed me towards college, were both Alphas," Dumas said. "Also, when I did some research I found that Martin Luther King Jr. was in (Alpha Phi Alpha) and that inspired me." \nBeing part of a small black organization on a predominantly white campus can also make members more comfortable, Dumas said. \n"When you are sometimes the only African-American in a classroom, going and talking to other members of the fraternity can help make you feel at home," Dumas said. \nHowever, Dumas emphasized that the fraternity is not limited to black men. More recently, members of other cultures have joined the fraternity nationwide, he said. As time goes on, he expects the fraternities to become even more integrated. \n"I think that this is what the founders wanted us to do," Dumas said. "We are building a bridge between the black and white communities." \nTo celebrate the 100th anniversary of the fraternity, all the undergraduate members will attend the Alpha Phi Alpha National Convention in July. Dumas said the trip is about celebrating brotherhood.