ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA
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'Alpha Kappa Alpha' '(ΑΚΑ)' Sorority, Incorporated, is America's first Greek-letter organization established and incorporated by African-American college women. The organization remains a predominantly African-American sorority. The sorority's membership, however, includes women of Caucasian, Asian, and Hispanic descent. The sorority serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 200,000 women in over 950 chapters. Alpha Kappa Alpha women can be found on every continent in the world. Historical Overview Alpha Kappa Alpha has responded to the world’s increasing complexity and continues to empower communities through service initiatives and progressive programs which have a direct impact for the African-American community. Alpha Kappa Alpha, A Legacy of Sisterhood and Service
Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in January 15, 1908, at Howard University by twenty college students known as "The Twenty Pearls." The sorority gives back to the community through service projects primarily relating to education, family, health, and business. Members can join through undergraduate chapters at a college or university, or after acquiring a degree through a graduate chapter. The current International President is Barbara McKinzie. The sorority is a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).
History
Beginnings: 1907–1912
Miner Hall at Howard University, where Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded and organized in 1908 Alpha Kappa Alpha Important Facts
The efforts into creating the sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha was led by Ethel Hedgeman in 1908 at Howard University. Hedgeman was persuaded by Ethel Robinson, a faculty member at Howard who also shared her sorority experiences with Lyle at Brown University in 1907.[1][2] Hedgeman was also inspired by her then high school and college sweetheart George Lyle, a charter member the Beta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at Howard in 1907. The ties that bind In order to proliferate her idea in forming a sorority, Hedgeman began recruiting interested classmates.
Eventually nine women, along with Hedgeman, Beulah Burke, Lillie Burke, Lucy Diggs Slowe, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Marie Woolfolk Taylor, Anna Easter Brown, and Lavinia Norman were involved in the instrumental phases in organizing the sorority. As the main founder, Hedgeman also was the temporary chairperson of the sorority in the organizational phases. In addition, Lucy Diggs Slowe was influential in writing the organization's constitution and, later, was elected as the sorority's president. The nine also organized the sorority's motto, colors, as well as the name. The first initiation was held in Miner Hall of Howard University on February 11, 1909, and consisted of Ella Albert Brown, Mary Clifford, Lena Jenkins, Mabel Gibson, Ruth Gilbert, and Nellie Pratt Russell. History of AKA Alpha Kappa Alpha Timeline Later, seven other sophomores expressed interest in the sorority. These women, Norma Elizabeth Boyd, Alice P. Murray, Ethel Jones Mowbray, Sarah Meriweather Nutter, Joanna Mary Berry Shields, Carrie Snowden, and Harriett Josephine Terry were accepted without initiation.
"Twenty Pearls," representative of the founders and the incorporators of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated AKA Quick Facts
Cession and formation of Delta Sigma Theta: 1912–1913
To expand the sorority at Howard, new members were initiated. On October 11, 1912, seven officers were chosen for the sorority: Myra Hemmings, president; Ethel Black, vice-president, Edith Young, secretary; Jessie Dent, corresponding secretary, Winona Alexander, custodian; Frederica Dodd, sergeant-at-arms, and Pauline Minor was the treasurer.[3][4] The group began to be dismayed at the progress of the sorority and wanted to nationalize. The ΑΦΑ/ΔΣΘ Connection [5] According to Giddings, the group wanted to "establish a national organization, enlarge the scope of activities of the sorority, change its name and symbols, and be more politically oriented." When the word was spread to Nellie Quander, a graduate member, about changing the sorority namesake, she was said to be "horrified" at the proposal and gave the women who disagreed with her a deadline to terminate the efforts of reorganizing the sorority.[6]
However, the seven women declined the offer, and formed Delta Sigma Theta with fifteen other women on January 13, 1913.[7] Later, Quander led the group which incorporated Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority as a perpetual body on January 29, 1913. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority History Quander, along with Nellie Pratt Russell, Julia Evangeline Brooks, Norma Elizabeth Boyd, Ethel Jones Mowbray, and Minnie B. Smith incorporated the sorority.
World War II and the Great Depression: 1920–1950
A 1921 Certificate of Membership from the Gamma Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
During the Great Migration, members assisted the Travelers Aid Society, helping Southern Blacks adjust to life in the North, and volunteered at the Freedman's Hospital. Alpha Kappa Alpha worked with the Mississippi Health Project providing education and books to rural areas, and began a Summer School for Rural Teachers offering courses for self-improvement. The National Non-Partisan Council on Public Affairs was created as a means to lobby politicians. The onset of World War II inspired the council to institute the Direct War Services/Complete Victory/Post War Reconstruction program.
In the 1950s, Alpha Kappa Alpha joined the American Council of Human Rights and National Health Office, implemented programs on health, social action, scholarship, and undergraduate housing as while continuing the direction into public service.
Civil rights, technology and educational training: 1960–1980
''Alpha Kappa Alpha: In the Eye of the Beholder'' by 15th International President Marjorie Parker. The book was published in 1979. The cover shows a picture of the founders' memorial window in Rankin Chapel at Howard University.
Throughout the 1960s to 1980s eras paved the path for members to sponsor job training, reading enrichment, heritage, and youth programs. By encouraging youth to improve math, science, and reading skills, the sorority continued its legacy of community service and its pledge to enrich the lives of others. Alpha Kappa Alpha's high standards of excellence allows students in need, and those who chose to study abroad, to benefit from a fund created by the sorority. Those same standards stand today as evident in the sorority's current programs.
Bridging Towards the Twenty-first Century: 1990–2007
In 1999, the sorority adopted a strict anti-hazing policy which is against "underground hazing, financial hazing, pre-pledging, post-pledging and post-initiation pledging."[8] However, on September 9, 2002, after undergoing a ceremony at Dockweiler State Beach (Pacific Ocean), twenty-two year old Kristin High and twenty-four year old Kenitha Saafir were swept into a ten foot surf, killing them. The Los Angeles Police Department determined that the deaths were accidental.[9] The two California State University students were interested in joining Alpha Kappa Alpha through an unauthorized chapter which was not recognized by the national organization nor the university.
As a result of the incident, Kristin High's family filed a US$100 million wrongful death lawsuit on September 23 in Los Angeles District Court.[10] The suit claimed that the two women lost sleep while performing tasks for the members of the underground sorority, carried out physical exercises on the beach, wore jogging clothes and tennis shoes.[11] According the lawsuit, which was reported by CNN, the two women were "blindfolded and tied by their hands and their bodies and led into the rip tide conditions of the ocean."
In 2007, Alpha Kappa Alpha supported NPHC member Alpha Phi Alpha in the denunciation of the film, ''Stomp the Yard'' for unauthorized use of the Fraternity’s symbols and trademarks. The support from the sorority aided in a resolution to the satisfaction of the Fraternity, producers Rainforest Productions, Sony Pictures and Screen Gems. Sorority support of Alpha Phi Alpha aids successful resolution
The sorority continues to assist the community by contributing to education through the "Ivy Reading AKAdemy" as well as service related projects. With the assistance of Habitat for Humanity, the sorority helped build a house for a family that survived Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. New Orleanian Credits Alpha Kappa Alpha's Kindness for New Hope and New Home
===Centennial Celebration: January 15, 2008===
Alpha Kappa Alpha will celebrate their centennial anniversary of founding with a yearlong commemoration, will consist of a week of recognizing accolades in Washington, D.C. The celebration will also concur with the sorority's biennial Boulè. In addition, the organization will be celebrating their centennial by making a pilgrimage to Howard University from January 12 to January 15, 2008. Celebrating 100 Years of Service AKA Returns to Its Roots
The sorority has connected to the past by associating with African Ancestry[12] African Ancestry's DNA testing will be used to find genealogical chronology for families of sorority members. The purpose of the partnership is to trace familiar relativity throughout the world as well as Africa in order to fully embrace the self recognition of the African-American culture and the community. Sorority Partners with African Ancestry to Trace Ancestral Roots
Membership
Alpha Kappa Alpha's National Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois
Alpha Kappa Alpha asserts that membership is "comprised of over 200,000 college-trained women from around the world. The sorority has an active membership of over 49,000 members who represent a diverse constituency of women, from educators to heads of state, politicians, lawyers, medical professionals, media personalities, and decision-makers of major corporations. Graduate members constitute the largest percentage of membership." AKA Membership Profile Alpha Kappa Alpha has 950 chapters located in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, Germany, Korea and Japan.
The term "soror," which is Latin for "sister," is used between members of the sorority. Membership of the Directorate includes the Board of Directors. The word "Omega" is amended to graduate chapters (chapters which consist of college graduates). "Ivy Beyond the Wall" refers to a deceased member of the sorority. "Supreme" is referenced to international officeholder. AKA Quick Facts
| Αlpha Kappa Alpha Officer Titles AKA Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| "Basileus" | President |
| "Anti-Basileus" | Vice-President |
| "Grammateus" | Recording Secretary |
| "Anti-Grammateus" | Assistant Secretary |
| "Pecunious Grammateus" | Financial Secretary |
| "Tamiouchos" | Treasurer |
| "Epistoleus" | Corresponding Secretary |
| "Hodegos" | Hostess |
| "Philacter" | Sergeant at Arms |
Honorary membership is the highest honor that the sorority presents to prospective members. AKA Membership Profile For example, Jane Addams, was the first honorary member.Parker 1999, ''op. cit.'', p. 272. Eleanor Roosevelt, a former First Lady and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was a honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Senator Hillary Clinton, a former First Lady and wife of President Bill Clinton, initially accepted honorary membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha, but later declined due to the sorority's exclusive requirements which would prevent her from accepting honorary membership in other NPHC organizations. Senator Hillary Clinton (archive)
Membership interest and intake
An "Ivy Leaf Pledge Club" located at Wilberforce University in 1922
The Ivy Leaf Pledge Club was the official pledge club of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.[13] The club consisted of potential candidates who were interested in joining the sorority. For example, at Wilberforce University, the Ivy Leaf Pledge Club's motto was "nothing but the highest" and their colors were pink and blue.[14] Interested members would join the pledge club before being inducted into the sorority. Prospective Members In ''Our Kind of People: Inside America's Upper Class,'' Lawrence Otis Graham tells of his aunt's experience in joining the Ivy Pledge Club:
An Ivy Leaf Pledge Club from 1932
Ivy Leaf Pledge Club pin from Alpha Chapter of Howard University
Leadership: Founders and Executive Directors
The leadership of the sorority in the early years was derived from three separate groups—the original group, the sophomores and the incorporators, whose combination is well known as "The Twenty Pearls". AKA Leadership The Executive Director position has been held by nine members since the office's creation in 1948.
| Original Group of 1908 | Sophomores of 1910 | Incorporators of 1912 | Executive Directors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Easter Brown | Norma Elizabeth Boyd | Nellie M. Quander | Carey B. Maddox-Preston 1948–1974 |
| Beulah Elizabeth Burke | Ethel Jones Mowbray | Norma Elizabeth Boyd | Anne Mitchem-Davis 1974–1980 |
| Lillie Burke | Alice P. Murray | Julia Evangeline Brooks | Earnestine G. McNealey 1980–1985 |
| Marjorie Hill | Sarah Meriweather Nutter | Ethel Jones Mowbray | Barbara A. McKinzie 1985–1987 |
| Margaret Flagg Holmes | Joanna Mary Berry Shields | Nellie Pratt Russell | Nan D. Johnson 1987–1988 |
| Ethel Hedgeman Lyle | Carrie Snowden | Minnie B. Smith | Alison Harris Alexander 1989–1996 |
| Lavinia Norman | Harriett Josephine Terry | Emma Lilly Henderson 1997–1998 | |
| Lucy Diggs Slowe | Carey B. Maddox-Preston 1998–1999 | ||
| Marie Woolfolk Taylor | Betty N. James 1999–Present |
International Presidents
The Boulè
The Boulè is the regulating institution of the sorority and currently meets every two years. AKA Quick Facts Throughout the years at the Boulè conferences, notable individuals such as civil rights activists Martin Luther King, Jr. and Roy Wilkins, former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, Johnnie Cochran, First Lady Laura Bush, former U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were notable speakers. The following are the list of Boulè conferences which were held by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated: Alpha Kappa Alpha Timeline
★ '1st' – Howard University - Washington, D.C. (December 1918) ★ '2nd' – WWI Camp/Community Center Chicago, Illinois (December 1919) ★ '3rd' – Phyllis Wheatley House - Cleveland, Ohio (December 1920) ★ '4th' – YWCA Community Center - Indianapolis, Indiana (December 1921) ★ '5th' – Lincoln High School - Kansas City, Missouri (December 1922) ★ '6th' – Community Center - Baltimore, Maryland (December 1923) ★ '7th' – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (December 1924) ★ '8th' – Howard University - Washington, D.C. (December 1925) ★ '9th' – St. Paul A.M.E. Church - Columbus, Ohio (December 1926) ★ '10th' – St. James A.M.E. Church - Cleveland, Ohio (December 1927) ★ '11th' – Fisk University - Nashville, Tennessee (December 1928) ★ '12th' – People's Finance Building - St. Louis, Missouri (December 1929) ★ '13th' – Wiley College - Marshall, Texas (December 1930) ★ '14th' – University of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio (December 1931) ★ '15th' – Los Angeles, California (August 1932) ★ '16th' – Chicago, Illinois - Metropolitan Community Center (Summer 1933 - 'Silver' 'Jubilee') ★ '17th' – Emma Ransom House - New York, New York (December 1934) ★ '18th' – Virginia Union University - Richmond, Virginia (December 1935) ★ '19th' – Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church - Louisville, Kentucky (December 1936) ★ '20th' – Dillard University - New Orleans, Louisiana (December 1937) ★ '21st' – Lucy Therman YWCA - Detroit, Michigan (December 1938) ★ '22nd' – Robert Gould Shaw House - Boston, Massachusetts (December 1939) ★ '23rd' – Municipal Auditorium - Kansas City, Kansas (December 1940) ★ '24th' – University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (December 1941) ★ '25th' – Bethesda Baptist Church - Chicago, Illinois (December 1944) ★ '26th' – Unitarian Center - Los Angeles, California (December 1946) ★ '27th' – Cory Methodist Church - Cleveland, Ohio (December 1947) ★ '28th' – Banneker Junior High School - Washington, D.C. (December 1948) ★ '29th' – Texas State University - Houston, Texas (December 1949) ★ '30th' – City Auditorium - Kansas City, Missouri (December 1950) ★ '31st' – Morgan State University - Baltimore, Maryland (December 1951) | ★ '32nd' – Hotel Allerton - Cleveland, Ohio (December 1952) ★ '33rd' – Kiel Auditorium - St. Louis, Missouri (December 1953) ★ '34th' – Tennessee A & I State University - Nashville, Tennessee (December 1954) ★ '35th' – Fairmont Hotel - San Francisco, California (December 1955) ★ '36th' – Clark University - Atlanta, Georgia (December 1956) ★ '37th' – Howard University - Washington, D.C. (December 1958 - 'Golden' 'Jubilee') ★ '38th' – Sinton Hotel - Cincinnati, Ohio (December 1959) ★ '39th' – Sheraton Chicago Hotel - Chicago, Illinois (August 1961) ★ '40th' – Sheridan Cadillac Hotel - Detroit, Michigan (December 1962) ★ '41st' – Sheraton Hotel - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (August 1964) ★ '42nd' – Statler Hilton Hotel - Los Angeles, California (August 1966) ★ '43rd' – Sheraton Dallas Hotel - Dallas, Texas (August 1968) ★ '44th' – Hotel Muehlebach - Kansas City, Kansas (August 1970) ★ '45th' – Denver Hilton Hotel - Denver, Colorado (August 1972) ★ '46th' – Fountainbleau Hotel - Miami Beach, Florida (August 1974) ★ '47th' – Waldorf Astoria Hotel - New York, New York (August 1976) ★ '48th' – Albert Thomas Convention Center - Houston, Texas (July 1978) ★ '49th' – World Congress Center - Atlanta, Georgia (July 1980) ★ '50th' – Hynes Auditorium - Boston, Massachusetts (July 1982) ★ '51st' – Washington Convention Center - Washington, D.C. (July 1984 - 'Diamond Jubilee') ★ '52nd' – Cobo Hall - Detroit, Michigan (July 1986) ★ '53rd' – Los Angeles Convention Center - Los Angeles, California (July 1988) ★ '54th' – Richmond Coliseum - Richmond, Virginia (July 1990) ★ '55th' – New Orleans Convention Center - New Orleans, Louisiana (July 1992) ★ '56th' – Indiana Convention Center - Indianapolis, Indiana (July 1994) ★ '57th' – Baltimore Convention Center - Baltimore, Maryland (July 1996) ★ '58th' – McCormick Convention Center – Chicago, Illinois (July 1998) ★ '59th' – Dallas Convention Center - Dallas, Texas (July 2000) ★ '60th' – Orlando Convention Center - Orlando, Florida (July 2002) ★ '61st' – Opryland - Nashville, Tennessee (July 2004) ★ '62nd' – Cobo Hall - Detroit, Michigan (July 2006) ★ '63rd' – Howard University - Washington, D.C. (July 2008 - 'Centennial Jubilee') |
''Notes'': No Boulè occurred in 1942 due to World War II. The 41st Boulè was the last meeting which was scheduled around the Christmas holiday. After the 41st Boulè, Boulè meetings were held every two years.
Regions
The nine regions of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority within the United States Chapter Locator
Beginning in 1924, after the establishment of 32 graduate and undergraduate chapters, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority organized chapters according to their regions in the United States and abroad. The Boulé determines the boundaries of the regions. Regional Tributes The ten regions are each led by a regional director, where she serves a member of the sorority's Board of Directors. In addition to serving on the sorority's Board of Directors, the regional director also follows guidelines, program targets set by the International President, as well as procedures. Almost two-thirds of the sorority's regional directors have been elected international presidents. A comprehensive list of regions is shown below:
★ Far-Western ★ Mid-Western ★ South Central ★ Central ★ South Eastern | ★ South Atlantic ★ Mid-Atlantic ★ North Atlantic ★ Great Lakes ★ International |
Current platform
Alpha Kappa Alpha's 'ESP' logo for Barbara A. McKinzie's 2006-2010 administration
The National Program theme for 2006-2010 administration, led under Alpha Kappa Alpha's International President Barbara A. McKinzie, is "The Heart of ESP: An Extraordinary Service Program." 'ESP' is an acronym for 'E'conomics, 'S'isterhood, and 'P'artnerships. 2006 - 2010 Program The purpose of ESP is to energize and strengthen service to the community and sisterhood within Alpha Kappa Alpha. The five platforms included in the International Program and implemented in the Ivy Reading AKAdemy are:
:
★ Platform I - Non-Traditional Entrepreneur
:
★ Platform II - Economic Keys to Success
:
★ Platform III - The Economic Growth of the Black Family
:
★ Platform IV - Undergraduate Signature Program:'' Economic Educational Advancement Through Technology''
:
★ Platform V - Health Resource Management and Economics
On April 21, 2007, Centennial International President Barbara McKinzie announced at North Carolina A&T that the Undergraduate Signature Program, ''Economic Educational Advancement through Technology'', would provide free technology training at ten universities, (five are HBCUs), which include the following: Alpha Kappa Alpha to Provide Free Computer Training to Community Residents of Ten Colleges Nationwide
National programs
Ivy Reading AKAdemy
The ivy is a symbol of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. AKA Quick Facts
The Ivy Reading AKAdemy provides programs that encourage the entire community to become involved and serves as an educational and human resource center for programs provided by Alpha Kappa Alpha. Working with No Child Left Behind in mind, "The Ivy Reading AKAdemy", a reading initiative, focuses on early learning and mastery of basic reading skills for by the end of third grade. A $1.5 million dollar proposal is currently pending with the United States Department of Education to fund a three-year nationwide after-school demonstration project in low-performing, economically deprived inner city schools in 16 sites within the continental United States.
P.I.M.S. (Partnerships in Mathematics and Science)
Partnerships in Mathematics and Science (P.I.M.S.) began as a part of the S.P.I.R.I.T. program during the Linda White administration. The program's purpose is to increase the successes of youth in mathematics, science, as well as technology. Several chapters provided summer camps which consisted of on hand learning through laboratory interactions, field trips to important sites, and speeches from influential experts in specific areas of studies. For example, a P.I.M.S. program at Park Street Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia, consisted of third through fifth grade girls, and provided educational field trips in order to stimulate involvement in math and science. Park Street Elementary School-Our Programs
Young Authors Program
The Pink Tea Rose is the official flower of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. AKA Quick Facts
In Linda White's administration, the Young Authors Program was born. The purpose of the program is to encourage and raise involvement in reading and writing in kindergarten through third grade school children. Each of the ten regions in the sorority had the opportunity to choose a child's story to be published in a two volume anthology entitled, ''The Spirit Within: Voices of Young Authors''. In 2004, twenty children were honored in the first anthology. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority focuses on early childhood literacy at 61st AKA National Convention The authors were recognized and performed book signings in the 2004 and 2006 Boulés. At the 2004 Boulé in Nashville, Tennessee, First Lady Laura Bush spoke on the importance of reading, and former Department of Education Secretary Rod Paige attended.
Leadership Fellows Program
The Leadership Fellows Program is a fully funded event in which sophomore and junior undergraduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority from across the nation and overseas are individually training for professional leadership roles as well as are contributing to community service for one week. Thirty are selected for the program annually. One of the selection criteria is that members must have at least a 3.0 GPA. Leadership Fellows Program The program initially was planned in 1978. In the following year, the first program was held in Indiana with twenty-nine students. Alpha Kappa Alpha National Programs Various cities around the United States have held the Leadership Fellows Program. In the past, Alpha Kappa Alpha has sponsored the event through the Educational Advancement Foundation. The event has also been sponsored by corporations such as Pillsbury, Tyson Foods, and Johnson & Johnson. 2007 Leadership Fellows Program Application
Ivy Acres
Ivy Acres is a retirement center located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and sponsored by Senior Residences, Incorporated, a subsidiary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Ivy Acres is the first retirement center founded by African-Americans and minorities in the United States and offers assisted or individual living for individuals who are over fifty-five, regardless of background, ethnicity or religion.[15]
The site is located on forty-eight acres and is a gated community. Planning for Ivy Acres cost approximately thirty-two million dollars. In addition, according to ''Business Wire'', Ivy Acres will ultimately comprise of "178 residential apartments, a full-featured community center, forty assisted living apartments and twenty accommodations for skilled nursing. However, residents are expected to pay $1,890 to $2,890 per month for services. In addition to housing, meals will be provided for residents.
Educational Advancement Foundation
Alpha Kappa Alpha's Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) is a separate and tax-exempt branch of the sorority, which "provide[s] financial support to individuals and organizations engaged in lifelong learning." About Educational Advancement Foundation The foundation awards academic scholarships (for undergraduate members of the sorority, as well as non-members), fellowships, and grants for community service. AKA Educational Advancement Foundation Programs In awarding the grants, the sorority does not discriminate against candidates based on gender, sexual preference, race, disability, or religion. AKA Educational Advancement Foundation Frequently Asked Questions
History and donations
Official logo of the Educational Advancement Foundation
The foundation was the brainchild of Constance Holland, the sister of former Alpha Kappa Alpha International President Dr. Barbara Phillips, in 1978. The foundation had official beginnings in 1980 and the sorority donated US$10,000 for the project. Eight years later, the organization first awarded $10,000 to fourteen students. In 1991, EAF first awarded mini-grants to community organizations. In 1998, EAF provided the first
Youth Partners Accessing Capital (P.A.C.) award to an undergraduate member. After twenty years of the organization's founding in 2000, EAF published ''Perpetuating Our Posterity: A Blueprint for Excellence.'' The book served as a comprehensive history of the organization and as a source of advisement for other beginning philanthropic groups to follow. Taking advantage of the digital age, EAF first went online with a website in 2003. The organization celebrated a silver anniversary in Nassau, Bahamas in 2005. Currently, EAF is incorporated into International President Barbara A. MacKenzie's centennial program for funding under 'E'xcellent 'S'cholarly 'P'erformance. Overall, EAF has donated more than $200,000 in grants and awarded 1,400 students scholarships. Making a Difference - Educational Advancement Foundation
Along with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, some main donors to the organization include Continental Airlines and Northern Trust. Several other organizations have contributed to the foundation via matching donations. Donors - Educational Advancement Foundation
Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated assisting Delaware's Department of Highway Safety in distributing booster seats to low income children.
Projects
★ 'The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Traveling Exhibit' chronologies the advancements of Alpha Kappa Alpha members throughout the organization's ninety-nine years of existence. The exhibit appears in several cities across the nation from 2006 to 2008. Travelling Exhibit
★ 'Advocates for Black Colleges' - The purpose of the Advocates for Black Colleges is to financially support $100,000 for selected historically black college and university, in order to support the institution's scholarships and program grants. Corporations as well as minority graduates of historically black colleges are encouraged to donate funds as well. The first college receiving aid is Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. New Initiatives
★ 'Howard University Fund' - Alpha Kappa Alpha is celebrating the centennial of the sorority's founding by donating two million dollars to Howard University though two facets. First, the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center houses the historical artifacts, photographs, documents, and recordings of Alpha Kappa Alpha's contributions to community service. One million dollars will be used to improve Alpha Kappa Alpha's archives from the donations provided by members of the sorority as well as external donors. In addition, one million dollars will be donated to the Nellie M. Quander Scholarship Fund. The fund will be used to finance partial or full scholarships for Howard University women in their junior and senior years.
★ 'Chapter Scholarships' - Undergraduate and graduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's chapters send separate dues to the Educational Advancement Foundation in order to fund local scholarships. Chapter Remittance Guidelines - Steps To "ESP...Excellent Scholarly Performance" Depending on the size of the contributions by the chapter, the scholarships generally range from $100 to $500. In order for a chapter to donate under the EAF's Endowment Fund, a chapter needs to raise $20,000. Chapter Endowment Memorandum of Understanding Afterwards, the chapter can award scholarships to individuals in the local arena under EAF's namesake. "ESP...Excellent Scholarly Performance" - Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation, Incorporated Chapter Scholarship Endowment Fact Sheet
National Pan-Hellenic Council
The sorority is a founder and member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC). The NPHC is composed of nine international predominantly black Greek-letter sororities and fraternities. The NPHC promotes interaction through forums, meetings, and other mediums for the exchange of information, and engages in cooperative programming and initiatives through various activities and functions. National Pan-Hellenic Council Aboutpage
References
★ Pearls of Service: The Legacy of America’s First Black Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, , Earnestine G., McNealey, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 2004,
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha: 1908-1958, , Marjorie H., Parker, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 1958,
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha: Sixty Years of Service, , Marjorie H., Parker, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 1966,
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha: In the Eye of the Beholder, , Marjorie H., Parker, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 1979,
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha Through the Years: 1908-1988, , Marjorie H., Parker, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 1990,
★ Past is Prologue: The History of Alpha Kappa Alpha 1908-1999, , Marjorie H., Parker, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, 1999,
★ The Divine Nine: The History of African-American Fraternities and Sororities in America, , Lawrence, Ross, Jr., Kensington, 2000,
Footnotes
1. Ross 2000, op. cit., p. 166.
2. In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement, , Paula, Giddings, HarperCollins Publishers, , 0688135099
3. Giddings ''op. ed.'' pp. 48.
4. Parker 1979, op. cit., p. 30.
5. Giddings ''op. ed.'' pp. 49.
6. Giddings ''op. ed.'' pp. 50-51.
7. Giddings ''op. ed.'' pp. 53.
8. Risk Management
9. 0M Lawsuit Names AKA Sorority in Woman's Death
10. Family sues sorority over death of AKA pledge
11. Sorority accused of hazing in 0 million suit
12. African Ancestry Retrieved on August 24, 2007.
13. Parker 1979, op. cit., pp. 2.
14. Chapter Ivy Leaf Club of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated New York Public Library Digital Gallery. Accessed on May 26, 2007.
15. Frequently Asked Questions
External links
★ Official Website
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Centennial Celebration
★ Alpha Kappa Alpha - Educational Advancement Foundation, Incorporated
★ Ivy Acres
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