Beulah Burke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beulah Elizabeth Burke
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Beulah Burke, original founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha and home economics teacher
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| Born | July 20, 1885 |
| Died | April 8, 1975 (age 89) |
Beulah Elizabeth Burke (1885–1975) was a very important person. She helped start the first sorority for African-American women. A sorority is like a club for women in college. It helps them make friends and do good things for their community.
Beulah Burke was one of nine women who founded Alpha Kappa Alpha in 1908. She was a leader, a teacher, and an activist. This means she worked to make positive changes in society. Her work with Alpha Kappa Alpha has helped many people for over 100 years.
She helped create new chapters of the sorority at colleges. This was especially important in the Midwest. Many African-American families were moving there during the Great Migration. This was a time when many Black families moved from the Southern U.S. to Northern and Midwestern cities. They were looking for better jobs and education. Beulah Burke's sorority chapters helped young women in college. They prepared them to become leaders and help future generations.
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Early Life and Education
Beulah Burke was born in Hertford, North Carolina. She had a sister named Lillie. Her family later moved to Washington, D.C. There, Beulah and Lillie went to Howard Preparatory School for high school.
Beulah finished high school in 1904. She then went to Howard University. This was a top college for Black students. At that time, very few people went to college. Beulah Burke was one of the few African Americans to attend.
Founding Alpha Kappa Alpha
On January 15, 1908, Beulah Burke and eight other women started Alpha Kappa Alpha. Beulah suggested the name Alpha Kappa Alpha for the sorority. She also helped choose the sorority's motto. She knew a lot about Greek and symbols.
Beulah also picked the sorority's colors: salmon pink and apple green. These colors are still used today.
While in college, Beulah studied many subjects. These included Latin, German, political science, chemistry, and physics. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University in 1908.
Beulah Burke's Career
After college, Beulah Burke continued her studies. She did graduate work at the University of Chicago. She then earned her Masters of Arts degree in home economics from Columbia University. Home economics was a new field back then. It taught skills for managing a home and family.
Beulah Burke became a teacher. She taught many subjects in high school. These included Latin, German, and English. She also taught home economics. She taught in schools in Kansas City, Georgia, and Atlantic City in New Jersey. She also taught at Delaware State University.
Later, Beulah Burke managed a housing project in New Jersey. After she retired from teaching, she returned to Washington, D.C. in the 1940s. There, she directed Lucy Diggs Slowe Hall at Howard University. This hall was built to house African-American women working for the government during World War II. It later became a dorm for women at Howard University. The hall was named after Lucy Diggs Slowe, another founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Besides her sorority work, Beulah Burke was active in other groups. She was part of the National Education Association. This group supports teachers. She also joined the NAACP and the YMCA. These groups work for civil rights and community well-being.
Expanding Alpha Kappa Alpha
Beulah Burke played a big part in helping Alpha Kappa Alpha grow. She helped start new chapters at colleges. These included the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. She also helped start the first chapter in the Midwest at the University of Kansas in 1915.
She also helped establish graduate chapters for women who had finished college. She started the second graduate chapter in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1920. She was its president for two years. She also started the third graduate chapter in 1922. Three years later, she became the first Regional Director for the Midwest.
Beulah Burke's work helped the sorority grow as more African Americans moved to cities like Chicago. This meant more Black women had the chance to go to college. Her leadership helped them succeed. The sorority chapters encouraged students. They helped them feel proud of their heritage and work to improve their communities.
Beulah Burke held many leadership roles in the sorority. In 1958, she spoke about Alpha Kappa Alpha's 50th anniversary:
I think fundamentally we should regard our fiftieth anniversary as just another milestone in our history - as another opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the high purposes which have been emphasized and reemphasized throughout the history of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
In 1968, Beulah Burke and other founders, Lavinia Norman and Norma Boyd, were honored. Beulah Burke was active in the sorority for 67 years. She passed away in 1975 in Washington, D.C.
