By Val Thomas-Matson
Edited by Phyllis Scott Lowe
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is very excited to contribute to the Seattle Medium’s Editorial Series. This forum provides a great opportunity to share important information about the historic significance of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) and engage Seattle Medium readers in talking about what is going on with local community service endeavors. To begin, I must say that I have a deep and abiding love for AKA? “Why, you ask?” It is our history, the work, and the commitment of amazing women that make up our membership.
Over 106 years ago, In 1908, on the campus of Howard University, in Washington D.C., just one generation from slavery, a group of nine women established and incorporated the first African American college-trained, Greek-letter sorority. The legacy of AKA is founded on two themes: the possibilities and importance of change that may be impacted by an individual, and the collective strength of an organization comprised of Black women of ability and courage. Our program goals center on health, educational achievements, social justice, and human rights.
Today, AKA is an international service organization with influence that extends beyond college and university campuses, political and social barriers, and the borders of the United States. From our meager beginning of 9 members, the organization is internationally strong with over 260,000 members across the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, Korea, and the continent of Africa.
And yet, my love is in the day to day work of our local AKA efforts, with Seattle’s Graduate Chapter (founded in 1948). It’s the two, even three nights of weekly meetings required to prepare for our first Community Youth Summit on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), of over 100 children and parents, this past March. My love is for the phenomenal women I’m blessed to call sisters gathering to feed the hungry at Mary’s Place, and re-package goods for food bank distribution at FoodLifeline. It’s in the impeccable strides we take to find cures for Sickle Cell Disease, Lupus and cancer. It’s our monthly chapter meeting where we gather to plan and care for the business to be of service. It’s in the thousands of hours of volunteer work and dollars we contribute to scholarships. It’s in our advocacy work and recognition of our community leaders with shared values.
Last, and not least, I love the AKA tradition of naming honorary members such as our beloved Dr. Maya Angelou, who’s physical form left us last month, and who will live eternally in our hearts. It is women of high esteem such as her who exemplify AKA excellence in advocacy for the uplift of our people and service to all mankind. These ideals are well stated in Dr. Angelou’s own words, “One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”
To learn more on the oldest black women’s Greek letter organization, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated like us on Facebook or visit www.akaduo.org
