List of Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters facts for kids

Members of Congress, all of whom are Alpha Kappa Alpha sisters, including former Senator Kamala Harris, who became the first female Vice President of the United States

This article lists many amazing women who are members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority. AKA is a special group, the very first Greek-letter sorority created for Black college women. It was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Nine women started the group, known as 'The Original Group of 1908'. Seven more sophomores, who were also excellent students, joined later and are also considered founders.

Today, Alpha Kappa Alpha has over 200,000 members in more than 950 chapters around the world. Women can join while in college or after they graduate. The sorority also gives honorary memberships to very special women as its highest award.

Who are the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sisters?

This list highlights notable Alpha Kappa Alpha women. They include the founders, international presidents, and members who have achieved great things. These women work in many fields, like arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, health, law, politics, science, literature, and sports.

Amazing Women in Arts and Entertainment

Talented Artists and Illustrators

Name Original chapter Notability References Elmer Lucille Allen Beta Epsilon A ceramic artist and one of the first African-American female chemists in the US. Barbara Chase-Riboud Delta Mu A talented sculptor and author. Jan Spivey Gilchrist Honorary A well-known illustrator. Laura Wheeler Waring Honorary An artist, painter, and writer. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller Honorary A famous artist and sculptor.

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller

Actresses You Might Know

Name Original chapter Notability References Yvette Nicole Brown Delta Pi An actress in film and television, also a host and voice actor. Vanessa Bell Calloway Delta Phi An actress known for Coming to America. Olivia Cole Honorary The first African-American actress to win an Emmy award. Loretta Devine Epsilon Lambda An actress in Waiting to Exhale and This Christmas. Marla Gibbs Honorary An actress from 227 and The Jeffersons. Nichelle Nichols Honorary An actress from Star Trek and a NASA recruiter. Brandy Norwood Honorary A Grammy Award-winning singer and actress. Phylicia Rashad Alpha An actress from The Cosby Show. She was the first African-American woman to win a Tony Award for Lead Actress. Jada Pinkett Smith Honorary A well-known actress and singer. Wanda Sykes Gamma Theta A popular actress and comedian.

Nichelle Nichols Jada Pinkett Smith Phylicia Rashad

Authors and Writers

Name Original chapter Notability References Maya Angelou Honorary A famous poet, dancer, producer, playwright, film director, and author. Anna Julia Cooper Alpha Author of A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South and a feminist. Edwidge Danticat Theta Psi Omega Author of Breath, Eyes, Memory and Krik? Krak!. Germany Kent Lambda Eta An award-winning author, celebrity journalist, actress, and social activist. Toni Morrison Alpha A Nobel Prize-winning author. Alice Walker Honorary A Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Donda West Alpha Eta Author of Raising Kanye and mother of Kanye West.

Maya Angelou Anna Julia Cooper Edwidge Danticat Alice Walker Donda West

Dancers and Choreographers

Name Original chapter Notability References Lauren Anderson Honorary The first African-American principal ballerina of a major company (the Houston Ballet). Virginia Johnson Honorary A talented ballerina. Carmen de Lavallade-Holder Honorary A renowned dancer and choreographer.

Carmen de Lavallade-Holder

Filmmakers and Producers

Pageant Queens and Titleholders

Singers and Musicians

Name Original chapter Notability References Yolanda Adams Honorary A celebrated gospel singer. Etta Moten Barnett Delta The first African-American woman invited to sing at the White House. Erica Campbell Honorary A gospel and R&B singer and songwriter. Ella Fitzgerald Honorary A legendary jazz singer. Antoinette Garnes Honorary A talented concert performer. Alicia Keys Honorary A Grammy Award-winning R&B singer. Gladys Knight Honorary Lead singer of Gladys Knight and the Pips. Patti LaBelle Honorary A legendary singer and songwriter. Jessye Norman Honorary A world-renowned opera singer. Cassandra Wilson Beta Delta Omega A Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist and producer.

Antoinette Garnes Marian Anderson Ella Fitzgerald Alicia Keys

Television Personalities and Journalists

Making a Difference: Civil Rights Leaders

Name Original chapter Notability References Septima Poinsette Clark Gamma Xi Omega An education activist who trained Rosa Parks. Bernice King Kappa Omega A civil rights leader and daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Coretta Scott King Honorary A civil rights leader and wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rosa Parks Honorary A civil rights leader famous for the Montgomery bus boycott. Minnijean Brown-Trickey Delta Beta One of the Little Rock Nine who helped integrate Central High School in Arkansas. Gloria Richardson Alpha A leader of the Cambridge movement.

Bernice King Rosa Parks Coretta Scott King

Leaders in Education and Business

Name Original chapter Notability References Roslyn Brock Alpha Eta Former Chairman of the NAACP. Margaret Burroughs Honorary Founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, Illinois. Margaret Busby Honorary The first African book publisher in the United Kingdom. Emma C. Chappell Honorary The first African-American woman to start a commercial bank in the US. Marva Collins Alpha Pi Founder of Westside Preparatory School in Chicago. Catherine L. Hughes Honorary Founder and owner of Radio One. Enolia McMillan Honorary The first female national president of NAACP. Hilda Pinnix-Ragland Alpha Phi The first woman and first African American to chair the State Board of Community Colleges in North Carolina. Debra Saunders-White Theta Kappa The first female Chancellor of North Carolina Central University. Frederica Wilson Pi Founder and Executive Director of 5000 Role Models of Excellence, Incorporated.

Frederica S. Wilson

Innovators in Health and Science

Name Original chapter Notability References Patricia E. Bath Lambda The first African-American woman to get a patent for a medical procedure (Cataract Laserphaco Probe). Dorothy Boulding Ferebee Epsilon A strong supporter of women's health who started health clinics. Marilyn Hughes Gaston Honorary A pediatrician and Assistant Surgeon General. Mae Jemison Honorary The first African-American female astronaut in space. Katherine Johnson Nu A computer pioneer who helped calculate the path for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon. Dorothy Vaughan Wilberforce The first African-American woman to supervise a group of staff at NASA. Mary Jackson (engineer) Hampton University NASA's first Black female engineer. Jewel Plummer Cobb Chi A cancer researcher and former President of California State University, Fullerton. Gladys West Alpha Epsilon Crucial in developing models for GPS.

Patricia E. Bath Dorothy Boulding Ferebee

Fair Judges and Legal Minds

Name Original chapter Notability References Constance Baker Motley Honorary An African-American civil rights activist, judge, and state senator. Ada E. Brown Mu Pi The first African-American woman federal judge in the Northern District of Texas. Joyce London Alexander Honorary Chief Judge in Massachusetts State Court. Vicki Miles-LaGrange Beta Sigma Omega The first African-American Federal District Judge in Western District of Oklahoma. Peggy Quince Alpha The first African-American female Supreme Court Justice on the Florida Supreme Court. Leah Ward Sears Mu Upsilon The first African-American woman Chief Supreme Court Justice on the Georgia Supreme Court.

Vicki Miles-LaGrange Peggy Quince

Important Political Figures

Helping Others: Humanitarians

Name Original chapter Notability References Jane Addams Honorary Founder of Hull House in Chicago and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Ann Sunsteen Kheel Honorary A generous philanthropist. Dr. Wangari Muta Maathai Honorary The first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Eleanor Roosevelt Honorary First Lady of the United States and a humanitarian.

Jane Addams Wangari Maathai Eleanor Roosevelt

Government Officials

Name Original chapter Notability References Kimberly A. McClain Xi Omega The first African-American female United States Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Gayleatha B. Brown Honorary US Ambassador to the Republic of Benin. Azie Taylor Morton Beta Kappa The first and only African-American to serve as United States Treasurer. Hazel O'Leary Pi The first African-American and first female United States Secretary of Energy.

Gayleatha Brown Hazel O'Leary

US Politicians and Lawmakers

Name Original chapter Notability References Alma Adams Beta Iota Omega A Democratic Congresswoman from North Carolina. Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Alpha Gamma A Democratic Congresswoman from California. Eva M. Clayton Gamma Delta A Democratic Congresswoman from North Carolina. Bonnie Watson Coleman Epsilon Upsilon Omega A Democratic Congresswoman from New Jersey. Cardiss Collins Honorary A Democratic Congresswoman from Illinois. Kamala Harris Alpha The first female, first African-American, and first Asian-American Vice President of the United States. Sheila Jackson-Lee Alpha Kappa Omega A Democratic Congresswoman from Texas. Eddie Bernice Johnson Alpha Xi Omega A Democratic Congresswoman from Texas. Sharon Pratt Kelly Alpha The first African-American female mayor of Washington, D.C.. Terri Sewell Zeta Eta Omega A Democratic Congresswoman from Alabama. Diane Watson Alpha Gamma A Democratic Congresswoman from California. Frederica Wilson Pi A Democratic Congresswoman from Florida.

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke Eva L. Clayton Cardiss Collins Katie Hall Kamala Harris Sheila Jackson-Lee Eddie Bernice Johnson Diane Watson

World Leaders and Diplomats

Name Original chapter Notability References Diane Abbott Boule A British Labour Party Member of Parliament. Dame Nita Barrow Honorary Governor-general from Barbados and Permanent representative to the United Nations. Angie Elisabeth Brooks Eta Beta Omega The first African female President of the United Nations General Assembly from Liberia. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Eta Beta Omega The first female president of Liberia. Allyson Maynard Gibson Honorary Attorney-General of the Bahamas. Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit Honorary The first female President of the United Nations General Assembly and an Indian diplomat.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Inspiring Religious Leaders

Sports Stars and Athletes

Name Original chapter Notability References Lisa Borders Iota Mu President of the WNBA. Jade Cargill Omicron Delta A Professional Wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment. Alice Coachman Davis Honorary The first African-American woman to win an Olympic Gold Medal in track and field (1948). Vonetta Flowers Honorary A gold medal winner in bobsledding at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Zina Garrison Honorary The first African-American to win a tennis medal. Althea Gibson Beta Alpha The first African-American to win a Grand Slam in tennis. Chamique Holdsclaw Honorary A top WNBA draft pick and basketball player. Lucy Diggs Slowe Alpha The first African-American to win a national championship in any sport (tennis). C. Vivian Stringer Honorary Rutgers University head basketball coach. Debi Thomas unknown The first African-American figure skater to win an Olympic medal (bronze). A'ja Wilson Theta Gamma A top 2018 WNBA draft pick and 2017 NCAA Champion.

Vonetta Flowers Althea Gibson C. Vivian Stringer

Other Notable Achievements