Alpha Kappa Alpha 106 years of excellence, sisterhood & service
This past January 15 the First African -American sorority to ever be charted into existence alpha kappa alpha national service sorority incorporated celebrated 106 years of sisterhood scholarship and service to the black community and to America January fifteen was met with the skee-wee heard around the world as the members of AKA greeted each other from across the globe . Ethel Hedgeman Lyle was a Founder of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority at Howard University in 1908. It was the first sorority founded by African-American college women. Lyle is often referred to as the "Guiding Light" for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. The motto of alpha kappa alpha is “by culture and by merit” they have strong ties to african american culture and they do service in the name of personal merit and the culture cultivating scholarship and excellence for 106 years. I had the pleasure of interviewing several of the alpha theta AKAS at none other than the grambling state university most of them had nothing negative to say about “finding the guiding light” i also got the chance to observe of the alpha theta members doing service at a nursing home after speaking to the staff they were so excited to have them their “most of these patients don't have families here so when anyone donates as much as as alpha kappa alpha does annually it really brightens even the gloomiest of our patients’ Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded on January 15 1908 at the illustrious howard state university and was the first African american sorority to be chartered into existence .In spring 1907, Ethel Hedgeman led efforts to create a sisterhood at Howard University. Howard faculty member Ethel Robinson encouraged Hedgeman by relating her own observances of sorority life at the Women's College at Brown University, even though she was not a member of any sorority while a student at Brown. Hedgeman was also inspired by her mentors at Howard. To implement her idea, Hedgeman began recruiting interested classmates during the summer of 1907.
Eventually, nine women including Hedgeman were instrumental in organizing Alpha Kappa Alpha in the fall of 1907.With Hedgeman serving as the temporary chairperson,the women wrote the sorority's constitution, devised the motto, chose the favorite colors, and named the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Later in 1908, seven sophomore honor students expressed interest in joining and were accepted without initiation. The first initiation was held in a wing of Miner Hall on Howard University on February 11, 1909. On May 25, 1909, Alpha Kappa Alpha held its first "Ivy Week," a celebration that included planting ivy at Miner Hall.
Alpha kappa alpha has forever been instrumental in the newly formed NPHC as the first its safe to say they paved the way for the other sororities who came after them and we wish the wonderful protea women of AKA a happy 106 and here's to many more
