A Once-in-a-Century Celebration
Over 20,000 members to assemble for historic gathering
More than 20,000 members of the Sorority will converge upon Washington D.C. from July 11-18 for its Centennial international convention.
The biennial event, which will be held at the Washington Convention Center, represents the culminationof a journey that began on January 15, 1908, when nine visionary women at Howard University founded the first sorority of college-educated primarily African-American women. Driven by its commitment to service and sisterhood, Alpha Kappa Alpha has evolved into one of the world’s leading service organizations with 200,000 members in 975 chapters worldwide.
The weeklong celebration will be driven by the theme: “Centennial Commitment to Leadership,” This is in recognition of the current administration’s focus on leadership, which is embraced by the ESP theme—Economics, Service and Partnerships. Cultivating leaders is international president Barbara McKinzie’s major thrust, and many of the seminars and forums will center on giving those from within AKA’s ranks the tools, knowledge and resources to guide the country and the world into the future.
The Sorority will host town hall society forums on entrepreneurship, wealth building and homeownership. Other topics that will dominate the sessions are voter registration and voter education, health, service and bridging the generational gap.
Other highlights of the convention include:
• ESP Walk for Emotional, Spiritual and Physical Health – Members will walk 1908 steps to the Convention Center as a show of their commitment to raise awareness about the importance of staying fit for health’s sake.
• Induction of five outstanding women into the Sorority as Honorary members:
Dr. Zoanne Clack – MD, writer and medical consultant for the popular TV show, Grey’s Anatomy
Deborah S. Coleman – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Urban League
Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai – Environmental and political activist from Kenya and thefirst African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace"
C. Vivian Stringer – Rutgers University Women’s Head Basketball Coach
Carol H. Williams – Founder, CEO, President and Chief Creative Officer of the Carol H. Williams Advertising Agency
The high point of the convention will be a Unity March where 30,000 members from the nine predominantly Black Greek fraternities and sororities will link arms as a unified force and march to the Capitol. The march will send a “powerful message” to the outgoing administration and a declaration to the next U.S. president about important issues of their constituencies.
McKinzie noted that the convention is the second of two Centennial milestone events. The first was held in January 2008, when over 2,000 members returned to Howard University for the Founders’ Day salute to Alpha Chapter, which was Alpha Kappa Alpha’s first chapter.The solemn and celebratory event, held on January 15, 2008—on the exact 100-year-milestone day of its founding—featured a pilgrimage across the campus to points of historic significance to the Sorority.
In January 2007, the Sorority launched its two-year Centennial Celebration with a series of events at each of the ten regional conferences. This year's convention represents the high point of the festivities, which continue through December 31, 2008.
[Click here to read the complete press release.]