ABOUT
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded January 15, 1908, at Howard University’s Miner Hall in Washington, D.C. by Ethel Hedgemon Lyle and 8 other collegiate women. “By merit and by culture” embodies the ideals for Negro progress with the official colors as salmon pink and apple green.
Nellie M. Quander led the effort to incorporate Alpha Kappa Alpha to maintain perpetuity on January 29, 1913, alongside Norma E. Boyd and Minnie B. Smith. This incorporation gave AKA license to broaden its service concept and multiply its offerings through subordinate chapters.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 355,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries including the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas.
Source: aka1908.com
HISTORY
In 1992, a small group of visionaries who were members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. came together at the University of Iowa with interest in forming a graduate chapter. The first formal organizational meeting occurred on January 21, 1993 at the home of Felicia Hall. The resultant interest group, Essence of Pink and Green, was formed with 21 official members, several who had been members of the undergraduate chapter, Epsilon Theta, at the University of Iowa.
On February 6, 1993, the Regional Director, Nettie B. Fisher, met with members of Essence of Pink and Green at the Iowa Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Iowa and commended them for their efforts in wanting to charter a chapter. Recognizing the transient nature of most of the members as graduate students, an additional group of 12 potential members were also identified with Sherrie Roberts serving as Membership Chair. On November 20, 1993, the 12 non-members were initiated into the sisterhood of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and the 21 members of Essence of Pink and Green became charter members of Tau Psi Omega chapter. Those members were Evelyn Danielle Abram, Cherie A. Bagley, Alfreda Burnett, Hursie Davis, La Trece Fisher, Crisse M. Frye, Stacey Gray, Elaine F. Greene, Felecia D. Hall, Denise R. Hooks, Donna J. Jordan, Afrique Kilimanjaro, Donna Laddy, Pamela Malone, Sylvia J. Mills, Burtine W. Motley, Grayson A. Pierson, Sherie M. Roberts, Danielle K. Sharp, Toya Tinette Spearon, and Tanya Washington.
As many of the members of Tau Psi Omega moved from the area, the chapter became inactive. In order to have a visible presence in the community, Sherrie Roberts and Barbara Osgood, previous members of the chapter, sought to reactivate the chapter. With the gracious assistance of the Regional Director Brenda A. Lewis and International President Norma Solomon White, Tau Psi Omega was reactivated in the Eastern Iowa area in 1999.
Over the years, Tau Psi Omega chapter implemented programs promoting the sorority platforms encompassing entrepreneurship, economics, black family, health and HBCUs, to name a few. Members annually celebrate Founders' Day and prominently attend and are recognized at Boules, Regional Conferences, Round-ups and Cluster Meetings.
Tau Psi Omega Chapter
