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About AKA |
In 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority became America's first Greek-letter organization established by
Black college women. Her roots date back to Howard University, Washington,
D.C., where the idea for formation was conceived by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle of
St. Louis, Missouri. She viewed the Sorority as an instrument for
enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing
mental stimulation through interaction with friends and associates.
Through the years, however,
Alpha Kappa Alpha's function has become more complex. After her
incorporation as a perpetual body in 1913, Alpha Kappa Alpha gradually
branched out and became the channel through which selected college-trained
women improved the socioeconomic conditions in their city, state, nation,
and the world.
In a world in which
materialism is pervasive, and technology and competition have decreased
the need for collaboration and cooperation, it is critical to have an
association that cuts across racial, international, physical, and social
barriers to help individuals and communities develop and maintain
constructive relationships with others. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is that
vital organization.
Alpha Kappa Alpha is a
sisterhood composed of women who have consciously chosen this affiliation
as a means of self-fulfillment through volunteer service. Alpha Kappa
Alpha cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards;
promotes unity and friendship among college women; alleviates problems
concerning girls and women; maintains a progressive interest in college
life; and serves all mankind through a nucleus of more than 170,000 women
in the United States, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.
Candidacy for membership
into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is open to women of high ethical and
scholastic standards who are pursuing or have completed courses leading to
a degree in an accredited college or university. Our official headquarters
is in Chicago, Illinois.
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