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T&D Staff Report
On Jan. 15, nearly 300 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. from across the Midlands attended a members-only ceremony at Mount Pisgah Baptist Church to celebrate the sorority's 100th anniversary.
Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded in 1908 and marked a pivotal moment in black history that influenced education and civil rights advancements.
During a period when blacks were only a few generations removed from slavery and opportunities to pursue higher education were limited, a group of nine honor students, led by Ethel Hedgeman, established AKA as the first black Greek-letter organization for college-trained black women in the United States.
The sorority, which began at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, 1908, established strong relationships among like-minded women, promoted high moral and ethical standards, encouraged scholastic achievement and advocated social responsibility.
Locally, members of the Beta Zeta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. have worked to implement the sorority's national goals in the greater Orangeburg area since being chartered on Dec. 19, 1934.
The chapter, first established for graduate members of the sorority in the state of South Carolina, is the second oldest graduate chapter in the South Atlantic Region of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
"We work with the community in terms of providing scholarships for students," said Beta Zeta Omega Chapter President Debra Norman. "We have a Calendar Doll Benefit Program, and all the funds that we raise from the benefit program goes directly back to the community in terms of scholarship.
"We give funds to Cooperative Church Ministries of Orangeburg, Edisto Habitat for Humanity, American Red Cross, Special Olympics -- you name it. Whatever our community needs, we try to answer the call."
The Calendar Doll Benefit Program began 24 years ago and features girls in sixth through eighth grades, Norman said.
"We have that benefit program with those girls; however, we don't just have a pageant and leave them," Norman said. "It's a yearlong program, where we work with them on social graces, etiquette, money management, education -- a variety of things."
Among its distinctions, the chapter's membership includes Irene McCollom, who recently concluded her term of service as 15th South Atlantic Regional director, and the chapter's only living charter member, Geraldyne Zimmerman, was recognized in 2007 as a Diamond Member for 75 years of leadership and service.
McCollom, a member of AKA since 1951, has served as president of the Beta Zeta Omega Chapter four times and cluster coordinator for Georgia and South Carolina. Additionally, she has served on several of the sorority's international committees.
"I joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. because of what the sorority stands for," McCollum said. "Our motto is 'Service to Mankind.' I also thought it was a good way of meeting young women on campus who were like me, having high moral character."
The Beta Zeta Omega Chapter carries out the AKA motto in Orangeburg through its work with black families, senior citizens, high school and college students, homeless shelters and mentoring, McCollum said.
AKA's Beta Sigma Chapter was chartered at South Carolina State University on April 18, 1938. Known for leadership and scholastic achievement not only on campus but across the region, the chapter's initiates have included a number of prominent sorority leaders, including current and 16th South Atlantic Regional director, Ella Springs Jones of Augusta; ninth South Atlantic Regional director, Delores Oliver of Spartanburg; and former SCSU first lady, Abbiegail Hugine.
The undergraduate target program for S.C. State's Beta Sigma Chapter is "Technology for the 21st Century," which focuses on teaching elderly and underprivileged children how to use technology, said Jennifer Saxon, chapter vice president. The Beta Sigma Chapter released 100 balloons during an on-campus ceremony Jan. 15 in recognition of the sorority's anniversary and balloons in honor of the founders of AKA.
The Gamma Nu Chapter, established at Claflin University on March 13, 1949, has enjoyed a long history of service, achievement and leadership. The chapter is consistently recognized for the academic performance of its members and received the 2006 award for the highest cumulative grade point average among all undergraduate chapters in the South Atlantic Region. Notable initiates in the local area include Rowena Loadholt, current Cluster VI coordinator, and Geraldine Henderson, a charter member.
Keyona Madry, a member of the Gamma Nu Chapter, said she joined AKA because of its influence in her native Kansas City, Mo.
"The women I came in contact with at home had such a positive outlook on life, and they were always active in the community," she said. "When I got to college, I realized it wasn't just the AKAs at home. The Gamma Nu Chapter also had a positive role on the campus."
A member for two years, Madry said she's experienced the sisterhood that comes with being a part of AKA. At a time when her father was ill, members of the sorority showed concern for her and her family.
"They were there with me like it was their father," Madry said. "That really shows that it's not all about the 'party walking' and all that."
Madry said she also enjoys networking and meeting sorority members from around the world.
"You can be on the other side of the world with an AKA T-shirt on, and someone will come up to you," she said.
The Gamma Nu Chapter of AKA participates in annual blood drives, the Adopt-a-Highway program and nursing home visits, Madry said. The chapter also hosts forums on campus, including those about black families and money management.
Legally incorporated as a national body in 1913, AKA has maintained its focus on service to others by addressing issues affecting families, communities, the nation and the world. The organization boasts a membership of more than 200,000 college-educated women today in more than 900 graduate and undergraduate chapters around the world, including the Bahamas, Bermuda, England, Germany, Korea, Japan, England, Canada, Liberia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
"That we have gone from nine founders and one chapter on the campus of Howard University in 1908, to 200,000 members in 975 chapters worldwide is because of their lofty mission and resolve to remain true to their vision," said the sorority's international president, Barbara A. McKinzie, in a recent press release.
Focusing on the theme, "The Heart of ESP: An Extraordinary Service Program," from 2006 to 2010, AKA has reached out to the black community with non-traditional programs, including training and supporting women as non-traditional entrepreneurs, developing partnerships for community economic development, fostering economic growth of the black family, promoting health resource management, and the signature program for undergraduate members -- economic educational advancement through technology.
The sorority's influence extends beyond the college campus, as members share a sisterhood that deepens over time and cuts across racial, geographical, political, physical and social barriers.
During its 100-year history, AKA has provided millions of global service hours. Through programs for young women and reading and math tutorials, the sorority has fostered generations of well-rounded individuals. Its presence on college campuses has helped create activities, seminars and events highlighting topics such as health, the arts, and black families and economic concerns.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. will celebrate its history and 100th anniversary with a series of activities leading up to the Centennial International Conference, July 12-18, in Washington, D.C. More than 20,000 members are expected to gather at the conference to honor the sorority's founders and participate in the weeklong gala.