Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

(A gallery of photos follows the story below. Photos submitted by Frank A. Davis.)

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. celebrated 117 years of existence on Jan. 15. 

To commemorate the occasion, sorority chapters all over the country held events to honor the founders, and the local Lambda Psi Omega Chapter in Franklin, under the leadership of Chapter President Karen Walker Lee, held its event on Feb. 8 at the Hayden Village Center in Franklin. 

A news release from the local chapter stated that during the celebration, not only did the chapter members pay homage to their founders, but also to their charter members who, led by the late Pauline Morton, chartered the Lambda Psi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority on March 19, 1978. The surviving charter members include Sylvia Claud, the Honorable Dr. Carolyn Carey and Angelee Godbold. 

Sylvia Claud reached a milestone in sorority membership for 65 years of service as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Other chapter awards were given for outstanding dedication and service to the local community and Lambda Psi Omega Chapter: 

• Retired Honorable Judge Alfreda Talton-Harris received the Tea Rose Member of the Year award; 
• Margorie Peete received the Community Humanitarian Award; and 
• Renna Ebron received the Leadership Award for her service as chapter president from 2021-24.

The guest speaker for the event was the 18th Mid-Atlantic regional director (Virginia & North Carolina) of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Joyce Henderson, who honored the founders of AKA Sorority and the charter members of Lambda Psi Omega Chapter. She emphasized the need for those in attendance to continue to be committed to service, following the example set by those who have come before and paved the way. She noted that all present, too, must work to be of “service to all mankind.” 

“Commitment is the difference between the dreamers and the doers,” Henderson stated.

She reminded the audience that there is still so much work to be done in the fight for equality, but she acknowledged that the way forward will not always be easy, stating, “Integrity is the difference between doing what’s convenient and what’s right.” 

In addition to celebrating the successes of AKA Sorority and Lambda Psi Omega Chapter, the chapter members recognized several community and chapter member African-American women entrepreneurs for their entrepreneurial spirit and the services they provide the community. These entrepreneurs included the following: 

• Theresa Hatch (H & H Catering);
• Samantha Urquhart (The Lighthouse Project);
• Angela Vick (Angie’s Catering); 
• Tonya Claud Williams (Nu Image Hair Salon);
• Michelle Covington (Covingtons & Co.);
• Diane Lenoir Giles (Travel in Style);
• Vonsia Sanders (Pea in a Pod Doula Services); and 
• Melanie Bradshaw (SLB & Associates).

“Lambda Psi Omega Chapter would like to thank everyone who made the Founders’ Day and Charter Day event a great success,” chapter officials stated. “Thank you to the guest speaker, Ms. Joyce Henderson, and to the following vendors/organizations for providing the following services: Covingtons & Co. (music), Shiloh Baptist Church (building use), Ms. Paula Dozier (decor), Mr. Frank Davis (photography) and Hayden Village Center (venue).”

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-lettered organization established by African-American, college-educated women. AKA is comprised of nearly 360,000 members in 1,074 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the U.S., Liberia, the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Germany, South Korea, Bermuda, Japan, Canada, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. 

Led by International President Danette Anthony Reed, Alpha Kappa Alpha is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African-American women.” 

For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit www.aka1908.com.