Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. joins forces with NAACP to recognize Service and Leadership

The oldest sorority founded for African American women will be celebrating 106 years of sisterhood and service on January 15, 2014, Founders Day.
Fifteen metro Detroit and Ann Arbor chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., community leaders and guests are gearing up to celebrate this landmark with “The Gift of Sisterhood: Reflecting on 106 Years of Leadership and Service,” the 2014 Joint Founders’ Day Luncheon.
The luncheon will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014, 11:30 AM, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. This multi-chapter event is open to the public and will serve as the Detroit-area commemoration of over a century of impacting the world.
The story of the AKA sorority includes a trailblazing, rich legacy that has not only influenced Black history, but also women’s history and world history.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is an international service organization that 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, comprised nationally of a nucleus of 260,000 members in graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the United States Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany and Korea and Africa.
The keynote speaker for the Detroit celebration is Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.   An NAACP member for over 27 years, Brock is the youngest person and fourth woman to hold the chairman position in the organization’s history.
Her advocacy for quality, accessible and affordable health care for vulnerable communities resulted in the National Board’s mandate of a health committee for all units in its Constitution. In 2012, Brock initiated and led the Board’s historic policy decision to support marriage equality and to implement The Black Church and HIV: The Social Justice Imperative.   She also has Michigan ties, having worked 10 years in health programs at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan.
“My conscience is the conscience of this nation,” she said. “As a nation, we must put aside individual differences and work diligently to develop new partnerships, break new ground, and chart new pathways to impact the public debate.”
The NAACP is similar to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., in the sense that was the first of its kind. Founded over a century ago, the NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. One hundred seven years after its inception, the NAACP remains at the forefront and continues “to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination.”
The alumni chapters hosting the Joint Founders’ Day Luncheon reside in the cities of Detroit, Redford, Southfield, Pontiac, Inkster and Ann Arbor. The college chapters reside at the University of Detroit Mercy, Wayne State University, Lawrence Technological University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Michigan-Dearborn, Albion College, Marygrove College, Oakland University and Eastern Michigan University.
Being of service to all mankind is the national motto of Alpha Kappa Alpha, so included in the Founders Day celebration will be a local Detroit NAACP membership drive spearheaded by the all the chapters involved.  Tickets for the Founders Day Luncheon are on sale now.  The price is $60 and can be purchased by calling  248-373-4067 or 248-797-7744.
The sorority’s national service programs include the signature program of Emerging Young Leaders that will impact the lives of 10,000 young girls from 6th to 8th grade by providing leadership development, civic engagement, and academic preparation;  Health Initiatives that encourage healthy lifestyles, advance access to treatment and coordinate awareness and advocacy campaigns to reduce health disparities;  Global Poverty Initiatives to end hunger and preserve the environment; Economic Security initiatives that promote wealth building and the empowerment of female business owners; Social Injustice and Human Rights Initiatives that address gender equality , domestic violence, and human trafficking; and Internal Leadership Training for External Service that provides training for Alpha Kappa Alpha women leadership training at all levels within the organization.