Published in the St. Louis American Newspaper
Despite the sizeable parameters of the Washington Convention Center’s expansive corridors, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority permeated every recess of the venue in a flurry of cotton-candy-colored pink and green attire. While attending the Centennial Public Meeting on July 13, some laughed lightheartedly among friends with thick, southern drawls, while others conversed with lilting Caribbean inflections.
However, one word uttered fondly among these women, who ranged from second year college students to seniors in wheelchairs adorned with the sorority’s insignias, cemented the bond between what was a seemingly disparate assemblage – “soror,” the Greek word for sister.
Yet, little did the sisters know that a new member would be introduced to the traditions of service and friendship that have sustained Alpha Kappa Alpha for the past 100 years.
Rounds of whispers inundated the audience of nearly 1,000 people as AKA President Barbara McKinzie read a congratulatory letter from the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, in honor of the centennial.
“Your strength is clear,” Obama wrote. “I am confident that there are even better days ahead for Alpha Kappa Alpha. We thank you for selecting Michelle as an honorary member.”
With those words, a collective gasp unfolded throughout the throng as members stood and clapped, danced in the aisles and pointed their pinky fingers skyward.
“I was inspired…,” said Dorothy Wigglesworth, a Northern Virginia resident who has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha for more than 25 years, after the announcement. “It’s wonderful. [Michelle Obama] is the epitome of what the sorority stands for.”
If Sen. Obama is elected president in November, his wife will be the second first lady inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha’s sisterhood. The organization also added Eleanor Roosevelt to their roster for her civil rights and humanitarian efforts assisting the Black community. Other honorary inductees include Alicia Keys, Coretta Scott King, Cathy Hughes and author Iyanla Vanzant.
Also initiated this year was Dr. Zoanne Clack, a physician and medical consultant for the TV show “Grey’s Anatomy”; Deborah-Stewart-Parker, president and CEO of International Business Solutions; C. Vivian Stringer, Rutgers University head coach; Carol H. Williams, CEO and president of the Carol H. Williams Advertising Agency; and Dr. Wangari Muta Mathaai, who was unable to attend the ceremonial induction. These women are among hundreds who have been inducted into the organization based on their outstanding achievements in numerous vocational areas.
“We are filled with pride to have five outstanding women of such great stature join our great society,” said McKinzie. “They represent the best in their fields and the best in character. On the occasion of our centennial celebration, we look forward to embracing them as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.”
The evening continued with great fanfare as Mattel’s Alpha Kappa Alpha Barbie doll was unveiled. This is the first doll Mattel has created in its flagship brand that honors a sorority or any predominately Black institution. The collectible doll, which will be sold at Wal-mart stores nationwide for $50, is also a significant business and financial plume for the sorority which will receive a percentage profit from each toy sold.
However, McKinzie noted that she had received negative backlash from some questioning the relevance of an AKA Barbie doll in today’s society. She said the African-American doll, a product that ironically did not exist during Alpha Kappa Alpha’s founding in 1908, would help combat the infamous findings of the 1954 and 2005 doll studies which concluded that many African-American youngsters preferred White toys. She said the doll would teach children that “it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is, but your value to society.”
The event ended as the women held hands and sang the sorority’s 100-year-old hymn accompanied by a full orchestra and choir. Yet, also ringing in their ears was an earlier proclamation from D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, who augmented the momentum of the day for Alpha Kappa Alpha members while also creating history in the District.
“The country is better off for all of you and your sisters who preceded you,” Fenty said to thunderous applause. “As a testimony to the vibrancy of the sorority, July 13, 2008 is officially AKA Sorority Day in Washington, D.C.”