More than 1,000 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority from all over the world will journey to Little Rock, Ark. next month to celebrate the organization’s 103rd anniversary. Led by International President Attorney Carolyn House Stewart, members will salute the nine women who founded the organization on Jan. 15, 1908 on the campus of Howard University. They will also pay tribute to Alpha Kappa Alpha’s history and the Founders. The celebration will be inspired by the theme: “Reflections and Remembrance of Timeless Service.”
Members from all ten regions where the Sorority has chapters – including from as far away as the US Virgin Islands and the Bahamas — will come to Little Rock for the commemorative event. They will be clad in their signature pink and green colors.
Little Rock was selected for this celebration because of its historical significance to African American history and the struggle to achieve educational equality. It is the site where nine courageous students made history by enforcing their right and access to equal education after the US Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The case ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional. The remaining eight of the original nine – Ernest Green, Elizabeth Eckford, Dr. Terrence Roberts, Carlotta Walls Lanier, Minnijean Brown Trickey, Gloria Ray Karlmark, Thelma Mothershed-Wair and Melba Pattillo Beals – will be honored during the celebration. Each has been invited to attend the festivities. The Sorority will also pay tribute to the late Jefferson Thomas, a member of the original nine.
To underscore Alpha Kappa Alpha’s commitment to the community and as a show of reverence to the Little Rock Nine, members will engage in nine service projects.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha is honored and humbled to come to historic Little Rock for our Founders’ Day celebration,” declared International President Stewart. “We will pay tribute to our outstanding founders whose vision of service has endured for 103 years. We will also join the Little Rock chapters to engage in nine community outreach activities in honor of the Little Rock Nine. In essence, this weekend will showcase Alpha Kappa Alpha’s core mission: ‘Service to all mankind.’”
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American college women. It is comprised of 260,000 members in 958 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U. S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea and on the continent of Africa. Its membership includes distinguished women who boast excellent academic records, proven leadership skills, and are involved in the global community through advocacy and service.
For more info, visit www.aka1908.com.
