Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 390,000 initiated members in more than 1,105 graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 14 nations and territories including the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, South Korea, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American 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. By 1921, AKA had established the first ten undergraduate chapters.