Due to the needs of the national Black community and the organizations commitment to positive social change, Alpha Phi Alpha began early on to involve itself deeply in social change and education. The "Go to High School - Go to College" campaigns of the 1920's and 30's established Alpha Phi Alpha as a scholarship oriented organization. The ongoing campaigns of "A Voteless People is a  Hopeless People" help to illustrate the fraternity's involvement in civil an human rights.

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Through the able leadership and involvement of brothers such as W.E.B Dubois, Thurgood Marshall, Paul Robeson, and Martin Luther King, Jr., the struggle for equality, levels of consciousness and mobility was heightened. Furthermore, in the 21st century, Alpha Phi Alpha has made it's commitment to senior citizen community and emphasizing "Respect Your Roots" through the Charles A. Haston "Brothers Keeper" Program.