What I'm saying is that we don't focus on a certain community because of color (meaning actual pigmentation) nor race. Race is a socially constructed system which doesn't really exist except in our own minds. Our organizations were founded to address the specific needs of people of African descent
who are labeled in western society as Black. We are historically "Black" as a result of the institution of race. Nowhere in any of our constitutions do we mention race, but we do make reference to being people of African descent.
For example the ancient civilizations of Kush, Egypt, etc., holds meaning for us because these are ancient
African kingdoms. You might then ask, "why use Greek letters?" Well if you think about it, if we used Swahili, Arabic, or some other African language in the early 20th century, no one would understand nor accept our organizations. Futhermore lynching was very much an overt reality and a "Black" person could be hung from a tree at any moment.
Is it racist or anti-white? No. Alpha Phi Alpha was founded specifically for the reason that people of African descent, called black, colored or negro then, were being persecuted on a very regular basis. One of our founders said the quote in my signature, "Society offered us narrowly circumscribed opportunity and no security. Out of our need, our Fraternity brought social purpose and social action."
We were integrated in the 1940's nearly 20 years before Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society" rocked U.S. history.
So, in short, we don't focus on race. I went on a little longer than I meant to, but I guess that's the Alpha in me.
