Welcome Brothers of Alpha, Community Partners, and Friends:
I bring you warm greetings on behalf of the 618th House of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter, where we strive daily to meet our Fraternal aims of manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind in the District of Columbia and beyond.
Since 1985, the Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter has provided service and advocacy to neighbors in Southwest DC. We pay tribute to our 18 Charter Brothers who dared to do something different—men who rose to meet the moment. We continue to hold the light of Alpha high because of their vision, guidance, and continued support.
To uplift scholarship and develop leaders, we have awarded thousands of dollars in scholarships to DC high school students with high academic achievement and a substantial commitment to community service in conjunction with the Omicron Eta Lambda Charitable Foundation.
We enter our 39th Fraternal year and march toward our 40th with a more substantial presence and greater responsibility. We face a time when our communities need the men of Alpha the most. Each day, they face a greater sense of violence, hatred, disenfranchisement, and disinvestment. Now, we must rise to meet this moment.
According to Jewel Charles Henry Chapman at the 25th General Convention in 1931:
“We must build, not for today, but for tomorrow, and our plans must be as wide as the horizon opening before us daily. A new world is being born, and into this new world, Alpha Phi Alpha must march triumphantly to the advanced place that has always been conceded to it in the present and the past.”
Jewel Chapman’s words remain true today as our call to action to “Inspire Brotherhood and Strengthen our Business.”
This year, we will be relentless in our pursuit of modernizing our Chapter operations, expanding the reach of our National Programs, positioning our Chapter for success in the next 40 years, and inspiring brotherhood amongst all. We also remain steadfastly committed to our National Programs, as we serve as our Brother’s Keeper, promote A Voteless People, Is a Hopeless People in this crucial election, motivate students to Go to High School, Go to College, and promote health education through Project Alpha.
We have also expanded our impact through partnerships with the Friends of Southwest, the Hip Hop Caucus, the DC Board of Elections, DC NPHC, March of Dimes, Food and Friends, and the National Alzheimer's Association, to name a few.
I invite you to browse our website to learn the rich and growing history of the Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter and how you can support our efforts. If you are a Brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., in search of a Chapter, know that we have room for you and look forward to seeing you soon.
Fraternally,
Bro. L. KeShawn Harris, MPS
President, 2024-2025
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Omicron Eta Lambda Chapter