17 Mar 2025 Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity hosts 79th Annual Southwestern Regional Convention March 19 – 23
LITTLE ROCK — Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., will bring its 79th Annual Southwestern Regional Convention to the Little Rock Marriott Hotel and the Statehouse Convention Center March 19 – 23. The theme for the convention is “United in Alpha: Transforming Our Community by Investing in Our Brotherhood.”
The convention will bring together more than 1,500 members of the fraternity from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas for a weekend of business meetings, networking, fellowship and celebration led by 24th Southwestern Region Vice President Jeramaine O. Netherly. This year’s convention promises to be a momentous occasion, celebrating the rich history and enduring legacy of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., apa1906.net/.
The local chapters hosting the event are Pi Lambda Chapter of Greater Little Rock facebook.com/apapilambda/, Beta Chi Chapter at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, and Kappa Psi Chapter at the University of Arkansas – Little Rock. The chapters are collaborating to ensure an unforgettable experience for all attendees.Convention planners have scheduled a host of events throughout Little Rock.
The Public is invited to Participate in several Programs among this list of activities during the convention:
7 a.m. Wednesday, March 19: Group Bike Ride along the Arkansas River and the Big Dam Bridge. Start and Finish: Little Rock Marriott. Register at forms.gle/9gXXTaJcE8VLoMvj6
11 a.m., Alpha Phi Alpha Day at the Arkansas State Capitol 2025.
7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 20: Southwest Region Golf Tournament at Eagle Hill Golf & Athletic Club, 3A Eagle Hill Court, Little Rock, AR. 8:30 a.m. Shotgun Start
Sponsorship Packages are available. There will be Prizes for 1st – 3rd Place, Longest Drive, Putting Contest and Closest to Pin. Contact: Kevin Howard 501.940.4203 or Howardace1@gmail.com. Register at donorbox.org/alpha-phi-alpha-casf-2025-swr-golf-tournament.
9 a.m.-12 p.m. HBCU Fair: Little Rock Marriott Arkansas Ballroom – 3 Statehouse Plaza, Little Rock, AR. There will be a showcase of several Historically Black Colleges and Universities. High school juniors and seniors can earn application fee waivers, on-the-spot admissions, scholarships and career counseling.
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PUBLIC PROGRAM: Panel discussion on Food Insecurity in Arkansas. Little Rock Marriott Hotel Ballroom. Access to food is essential for maintaining good health. Unfortunately, Arkansas is the state with the highest percentage of people going hungry, with 18.9 percent of households experiencing either low or very low food insecurity between 2021 and 2023.
Leaders from businesses, not-for-profit organizations, government, and philanthropists who are dedicated to improving food access in Arkansas will participate on a panel. Guest panelists include Brian Burton, CEO of the Arkansas Food Bank; Sylvia Blain, Executive Director of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance; Chris Wyman, Executive Director, Potluck Food Rescue for Arkansas; Phillip J. “PJ” Haynie, a fifth-generation farmer who owns Arkansas River Rice Mill in Pine Bluff; Dr. Pebbles Fagan, Professor of Health Behavior, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Dr. Henry English, Small Farm Program Director, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Dr. Ron Rainey, Professor and Assistant Vice President, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service; and Keesa Smith-Brantley, Executive Director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.
The event is free. Member organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Divine Nine are also invited.
2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, March 21: Southwest Region Community Service Project at the Arkansas Foodbank, 4301 W 65th Street, Little Rock. Members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas will participate in the Southwest Regional Community Service Project at the Arkansas Food Bank Volunteer Center. Fraternity members will be sorting, inspecting and packing food boxes for distribution to a network of agency partners in the 33-county service area.
7:30 p.m. Miss Old Gold & Black Scholarship Pageant: Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom. College women who won the title of Miss Old Gold & Blackin Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas will compete for the crown of Southwest Region Miss Old Gold & Black.
9 p.m. Southwest Region Step Show and After Party: Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom. Alpha Phi Alpha District Step Team champions from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas will showcase some of the most creative steps and routines as they battle it out to be named Champions of the Southwest Region. The College Step Show “After Party” will follow immediately after.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., was founded on December 4, 1906, at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. It is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men in the United States. The motto is “First of All, Servants of All, We Shall Transcend All.” The fraternity has initiated over 275,000 men in college and alumni chapters throughout the world.
Pi Lambda Chapter was chartered in Little Rock on May 3, 1926. The chapter will be celebrating its Centennial Anniversary in 2026. Beta Chi Chapter was established at Philander Smith University on May 21, 1938, and Kappa Psi Chapter was established on April 30, 1976, at the University of Arkansas – Little Rock. ‘Men of Distinction’ has long been the moniker of The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and embodies the history, accomplishments and aims of the fraternity.
For additional information about the convention, contact Reginald L. Jackson, Pi Lambda Host Chapter convention chairman at areljay06@gmail.com or call 501.952.9076; Ardren Jones, Pi Lambda Chapter president at aj06styles@yahoo.com; or Michael McKnight, director of conventions, at mmcknight11@gmail.com.
