Альфа Каппа Альфа: Тарих, мәдениет және жетістіктер жолы

International historically African American collegiate sorority

The sorority responded to the call for help in the fall of 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, by raising money for a disaster relief fund. In addition to educational programs, Alpha Kappa Alpha contributed to drawing awareness to health related issues, such as AIDS, sickle cell anemia, breast cancer, and the importance of staying in shape. Recently, the sorority has supported the efforts of justice for the Jena Six. Also, the sorority connects to the past by partnering with African Ancestry. Sorority members may use African Ancestry's DNA testing to find genealogical data for themselves and their families. The purpose of the partnership is to help members trace family connections through the world as well as in Africa, to embrace African American culture and the larger community.

Alpha Kappa Alpha celebrated its centenary with a year long commemoration in 2008. The celebration coincided with the sorority's biennial Boulé. The activities included sorority members financially donating $1 million in scholarship funds to Howard University, contributing libraries for Middle School for Mathematics and Science and Asbury Dwelling for Senior Citizens, and unveiling a digital version of the entire Ivy Leaf publication. In addition, sorority undergraduate and graduate members who were not available to attend ceremonies in Washington, D. C., held celebrations in local cities. On July 11 to July 18, 2008, Alpha Kappa Alpha held their 63rd Boulé. A town hall meeting with the public, a unity march in conjunction with other NPHC members, and a concert featuring R&B Grammy Award winning singer and Honorary Member Patti LaBelle were some of the events which occurred at the centennial Boulé. On July 17, 2008, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority set a Guinness World Record when 16,206 members set a record by having the largest ever silver service sit down dinner in a convention. Alpha Kappa Alpha's accomplishments were heralded by the United States Congress, with U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton and sorority member U. S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who both agreed to pass legislation in both houses of the United States Congress to commemorate the sorority's founding. In addition, the toy company Mattel designed a Barbie collectible doll fashioned with a pink and green evening gown.

The sororities motto is "By Culture and By Merit". Alpha Kappa Alpha members are called AKAs, Alpha Women, Pretty Girls, and Ivies. Alpha Kappa Alpha has over 1000 chapters, located in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and South Africa. The term soror, derived from the Latin for "sister", is used between members of the sorority. Membership of the Directorate includes the board of directors. For graduate chapters, "Omega" is added to distinguish those that consist of college graduates from undergraduate chapters. "Supreme," as a term, is proposed to the title of an international officeholder, such as Supreme Basileus. Deceased members are referred to as "Ivies Beyond the Wall". is Alpha Kappa Alpha's highest honor. Eleanor Roosevelt, a former First Lady and wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was made an honorary member. United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Senator and First Lady, and wife of President Bill Clinton, accepted honorary membership into Alpha Kappa Alpha. However, Clinton later declined initiation into the organization due to the sorority's exclusive requirement preventing acceptance into other Pan Hellenic organizations, and desired her membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha to be "non exclusive."

The leadership of the sorority in the early years was derived from three separate groups—the original group, the sophomores, and the incorporators, who together are known as "The Twenty Pearls". The executive director position has been held by twelve members since the office's creation on October 9, 1949.

Listed below are the thirty International Presidents since the 1913 institution of the office.

The BouléThe word boulé, derived from ancient Greek [[Boule (ancient Greece) is the regulating institution of the sorority and currently meets every two years.]] After the establishment of 32 graduate and undergraduate chapters in 1924, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority organized chapters according to their regions in the United States and abroad. The Boulé determines the boundaries of the regions. The ten regions are each led by a Regional Director, where she serves a member of the sorority's board of directors. In addition to serving on the sorority's Board of Directors, the Regional Director also follows guidelines, and program targets set by the International President, as well as procedures. Barbara K. Phillips, former vice president and Project Coordinator for Senior Residences, Incorporated, explains the purpose of Ivy Acres, "We determined that there is a need out there, but this will be open to all. We want to be diverse; we want to be multicultural. Anyone who wants to come will be welcome." The gated community will be located on a site. The planning for Ivy Acres cost approximately US$32 million. The program initially was planned in 1978. In the following year, the first program was held in Indiana with twenty nine students. Various cities around the United States have held the Leadership Fellows Program. In the past, Alpha Kappa Alpha has sponsored the event through the Educational Advancement Foundation. Also, the program has been financed by Pillsbury, Tyson Foods, Johnson & Johnson, and most recently General Electric.

Partnerships in Mathematics and Science (PIMS) began in Eva Evans's administration in 1994 and was a part of the SPIRIT program during the Linda White administration. Evans mentioned the need for a math and science program, "As a college sorority, we've always advanced an educational agenda. We always had high GPA requirements. And more than ever, we're pushing the importance of math and science for our girls. We need more black women in those fields." The program's purpose is to increase the success of youth in mathematics and science, as well as technology. Campaigns to highlight the program's importance were sponsored by the National Science Foundation and historically black colleges from across the country. Also, a national P. I. M. S. Olympiad, deriving from knowledge of math and science, in conjunction with the PIMS Community Parade was held at the 58th Boulé in Dallas, Texas. The authors were recognized and performed book signings in the 2004 and 2006 Boulés.

Alpha Kappa Alpha's Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF) is a separate and tax exempt branch of the sorority, which "provide[s] financial support to individuals and organizations engaged in lifelong learning." The foundation awards academic scholarships (for undergraduate members of the sorority, as well as non members), fellowships, and grants for community service. The foundation was the brainchild of Constance Holland, the sister of former Alpha Kappa Alpha International President Dr. Barbara Phillips, in 1978. The foundation had official beginnings in 1980 and the sorority donated US$10,000 for the project. Eight years later, the organization first awarded $10,000 to fourteen students. In 1991, EAF first awarded mini grants to community organizations. In 1998, EAF provided the first Youth Partners Accessing Capital (PAC) award to an undergraduate member. At the organization's twentieth anniversary in 2000, EAF published Perpetuating Our Posterity: A Blueprint for Excellence. The book served as a comprehensive history of the organization and as a source of advice for other beginning philanthropies. EAF went online with a website in 2003. The organization celebrated a silver anniversary in Nassau, Bahamas, in 2005. EAF is incorporated into the International President's centennial program for funding under Excellent Scholarly Performance. Overall, EAF has donated more than $200,000 in grants and awarded scholarships to 1,400 students. Other major donors to EAF include Continental Airlines and Northern Trust.

Advocates for Black Colleges – The purpose of Advocates for Black Colleges is to raise $100,000 for a selected historically black college and university, to support the institution's scholarships and program grants. Corporations as well as minority graduates of historically black colleges are encouraged to donate funds as well. The first college receiving aid is Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Depending on the size of the contributions by the chapter, the scholarships generally range from $100 to $500. For a chapter to donate under the EAF's Endowment Fund, a chapter needs to raise $20,000. Alpha Kappa Alpha Exhibit – chronicle achievements of Alpha Kappa Alpha members through the organization's 100 years. The exhibit appeared in several cities across the nation from 2006 to 2008.

Many members of Alpha Kappa Alpha have become civil rights activists, educators, entertainers, and politicians.

The sorority is featured on the documentary series Profiles of African American Success.

On June 20, 2009, eight Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority members filed a complaint in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia demanding that international president Barbara McKinzie be fired for improper use of sorority funds and the money be returned to the sorority. The lawsuit claimed that the sorority's executive board approved the spending of substantial amounts on McKinzie's costs of living, including the commissioning an expensive wax model of McKinzie that cost $900,000. McKinzie denied the allegations, describing them as "without merit." The memberships of the eight members who filed the complaint were revoked by the sorority in retaliation for the lawsuit but were later forced to be reinstated by a judge. In February 2010, the Superior Court for the District of Columbia dismissed the lawsuit. On August 18, 2011, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals reversed that decision. On March 22, 2012, a forensic audit of Alpha Kappa Alpha's 2010 financial records revealed concerns with past president McKinzie's development and access to a "secret" bank account. The findings of the audit supported the claims in the previous lawsuit. The audit also found that two former officials had continued to use sorority credit cards after their service ended, failing to appropriately document charges. Another lawsuit against the organization, McKinzie, and other officials contained similar allegations. The audit found that McKinzie and the other officials secretly created a second set of financial books to get around the sorority's accounting policies. According to the audit, "(n)early $1.7 million in payments were made to the former president, Barbara McKinzie, without authorization. Approximately $282,000 in credit card charges on a second set of books appear to be fraudulent, including personal charges the sorority wasn't reimbursed for." The sorority later expelled McKinzie and won an arbitration award of $1.6 million against her. McKinzie challenged the award. but the appeals court affirmed the award in favor of the sorority.

On September 9, 2002, Kristin High (age 22) and Kenitha Saafir (age 24) from California State University – Los Angeles (CSULA), died following an illegal hazing activity. The women were instructed by members of Alpha Kappa Alpha to perform a series of activities blindfolded on Dockweiler State Beach when a high tide came and eventually drowned both of them. The next day when the woman brought Kristin's car and cellphone to her mother, she noticed her pledge journal missing from the car and numbers deleted from her cellphone. Before Kristin's death, Kristin's mother encouraged her to fully disassociate herself from the sorority after Kristin discussed inappropriate behavior by members of AKA. A year after the incident, the families of the deceased settled with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated after filing a $100 million civil wrongful death lawsuit. The sorority denied having an active chapter at CSULA but this was dismissed by the court which found the sorority accountable for the deaths. No criminal charges were filed. The CSULA chapter had previously been sanctioned for hazing, and the sorority permanently expelled all members involved with this lawsuit.

In May 2018, the Alpha Beta Chapter at Fort Valley State University (FVSU) was placed under investigation by the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations due to compelling allegations that the executive assistant to FVSU's president and graduate advisor of the chapter, Alecia Johnson, suggested low income prospective members have sex with affluent men in Georgia to cover approximately $1,500 in required membership intake fees. Johnson resigned from her position at the university and hired legal representation to contest the allegations. In June 2019, Johnson plead guilty to prostituting herself and one FVSU student. Also as part of her plea deal, she testified against the men charged in the prostitution ring. Her plea deal resulted in her getting five years of probation, 180 days of house arrest, and a $1,000 fine. GBI investigations led to indictments that included no members of the AKA chapter. AKA's internal investigation into the matter was completed with the chapter remaining in good standing with the sorority's highest leadership.

In a 2019 lawsuit filed in the U. S. District Court of Illinois, the family of Jordan Hankins blamed Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. for her 2017 suicide. Hankins was a sophomore basketball player at Northwestern University who decided to pledge to the sorority after receiving official membership. While backward pledging to gain respect from chapter members who went through a similar process, Hankins "was subjected to physical abuse including paddling, verbal abuse, mental abuse, financial exploitation, sleep deprivation, items being thrown and dumped on her, and other forms of hazing intended to humiliate and demean her," according to the lawsuit. An official statement from Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. says the sorority is “deeply saddened” by Hankins’ death and declined to comment on the details of the complaint and her suicide due to the “sensitive nature” of the incident and “the ongoing grief her family is experiencing.”