From left: Coretta Scott King; Kamala Harris; Maya Angelou. Images: Bettman/Getty Images: courtesy of the White House; courtesy of Dwight Carter.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority—the oldest Black Greek sorority in the Divine Nine—was founded on January 15, 1908 on the campus of Howard University by nine collegiate women: Anna Easter Brown, Beulah Burke, Lillie Burke, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Ethel Hedgemon (Lyle), Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe and Marie Woolfolk (Taylor). The forming of this sorority brought visibility to young Black women who sought to better themselves during a time when they were looked down upon. For 114 years, the organization, which has has graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries, has been committed to the uplift of Black women.
In honor of its114th Founders Day, here are 6 quotes from notable members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Kamala Harris
“We must together. Work together. To see where we are. Where we are headed, where we are going and our vision for where we should be. But also see it as a moment to, yes. Together, address the challenges and to work on the opportunities that are presented by this moment.”
– Kamala Harris
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
– Maya Angelou
“It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are, indeed, part of the problem.”
– Coretta Scott King
“Beauty was not simply something to behold; it was something one could do.”
– Toni Morrison
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations…If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won’t exist because you’ll have already shut it out…You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.”
– Mae Jemison
“Not to let anyone convince you that your dream, your vision to be an entrepreneur is something that you shouldn’t do. What often happens is that people who are well meaning, who really care for us are afraid for us and talk us out of it.”
– Cathy Hughes