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Founders (Left to Right): Anna Easter Brown, Beulah Elizabeth Burke, Lillie Burke, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe, Marie Woolfolk Taylor. Sophomores (Left to Right): Joanna Mary Berry Shields, Norma Elizabeth Boyd, Ethel Jones Mowbray, Sarah Meriweather-Nutter, Alice P. Murray, Carrie Snowden, Josephine Terry.

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Founded on the campus of Howard University, Washington, DC, 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-trained women. To trace its history is to tell a story of changing patterns of human relations in America in the 20th century.

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A small group of like minded women organized the Sorority and remained conscious of the privilege as college-trained women of color just one generation removed from slavery. They were resolute, their college experiences, would committed to academics, service and community empowerment. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded with this determination and commitment.

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As the Sorority grew, it forged the importance of empowering women, unity, strength and courage. As the world became more complex, there was a need for associations that cut across racial, geographical, political, physical and social barriers.

Alpha Kappa Alpha’s influence extends beyond campus quads and student interests. It is a legacy of service that deepens, rather than ends, with college graduation. The goals of its program activities center on family and community. Its efforts constitute service, sisterhood and the global legacy extending into the 21st century.

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For more information about the sorority, visit Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated online.