Famous Women of Alpha Kappa Alpha: 10 Celebrities Who Are Members of the Prestigious Sorority

Actress Phylicia Rashad
Please share and follow us:
Facebook
Twitter
Linked In
Pinterest
Follow by Email

These are famous women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. you should know, but… first, the backstory on what it means for these famous AKAs.

If anything, Black women are everything… literally. For centuries, their excellence has been unraveling before the world in more ways than one. From breaking societal barriers to building businesses for generational wealth, they’ve innovatively created magic far beyond the books.

Particularly, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the epitome of the greatness that African-American women have done historically, showing us that there is strength in numbers. A true depiction of brilliance personified, the esteemed, Greek-letter organization has been known for merging poise with power for decades.

Advertisement

It is recognized as the first intercollegiate, lady-led group for African Americans.

famous akas you should know
SOURCE: Nonvue/Pexels

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was founded by Black women in 1908.

Spearheaded by then-student Ethel Hedgemon Lyle, the visionary, along with Anna Easter Brown, Beulah Burke, Lillie Burke, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slow, and Marie Woolfolk Taylor, originally formed Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (also known as AKA) at Howard University (Washington, D.C.) in 1908.

Per their website, Lyle was the principal founder, with the other individuals helping officially establish the now-international movement. According to the committee, to date, AKA holds 360,000+ initiated sisters (graduate + undergraduate) across the globe (United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).

Advertisement

Reportedly, Lyle grew inspired after hearing the stories of a Howard faculty member who was part of a sorority at Brown University and started recruiting her classmates in 1907. Now run by International President and CEO Danette Anthony Reed, AKA strives for the social and educational betterment of girls and women.

SOURCE: www.aka1908.com

A List of Famous AKAs You Should Know

Kamala Harris

famous akas you should know
SOURCE: Julia Beverly/Getty Images

Aside from being the first Black-and-female vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris has had many other boss achievements. The now-presidential candidate received a political science and economics degree from Howard University in 1986. During her time there, she became an AKA.

Lynn Whitfield

famous akas you should know
SOURCE: Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Emmy-winning actress Lynn Whitfield is an AKA. Whitfield earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Howard University. However, it appears that her honorary pink-and-green stripes came later. The 71-year-old celebrated her membership in a 2022 Ivy Leaf Magazine digital issue.

Advertisement

Phylicia Rashad

The Cosby Show icon Phylicia Rashad (main image) graduated Magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Howard University in 1970. Per reports, she was initiated into the Alpha Chapter of AKA while at the college. Decades later, she would become the dean of Howard University’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts in 2021. Unfortunately, the Houston native announced last year that she would be stepping down from the position.

Jada Pinkett Smith

famous akas you should know
SOURCE: @jadapinkettsmith/Instagram

Jada Pinkett Smith attended the Baltimore School for the Arts for acting and dance. The Jason’s Lyric actress graduated in 1989. Reportedly, she then went on to spend a year at the University of North Carolina School of Arts but dropped out to pursue her dreams. Smith is also an honorary AKA member.

Yolanda Adams

SOURCE: @yolandaadams/Instagram

Yolanda Adams graduated from Texas Southern University in her hometown, Houston, Texas. After receiving her degree, she entered a school-teaching career, but little did she know… she would later find global success as a Gospel songstress. In 2018, AKA honorarily initiated Yolanda Adams into AKA.

Advertisement

Brandy Norwood

SOURCE: @brandy/Instagram

Celebrated singer/actress Brandy Norwood is rumored to have attended Pepperdine University in 1996 at the height of her worldwide stardom. Allegedly, she majored in psychology and music. Years later, she would be inducted into AKA in 2014. The move was honorary and mirrored her mother, Sonja, who became an AKA in college.

Ava DuVernay

SOURCE: @ava/Instagram

Ava DuVernay double majored in English literature and African-American studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. The award-winning filmmaker/producer was granted an honorary spot as an AKA in 2014. In 2021, she received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Yale University.

Loretta Devine

SOURCE: Leon Bennett/Getty Images

Hollywood heavy-hitter Loretta Devine graduated from the University of Houston in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama. She also has a Master of Fine Arts in Theater (1976) from Brandeis University in Massachusetts. While at the University of Houston, the Waiting to Exhale legend crossed through the Epsilon Lambda Chapter of AKA.

Advertisement

Gladys Knight

SOURCE: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Grammy winner Gladys Knight is a graduate of Shaw University, one of the oldest HBCUs in the nation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and an honorary doctorate from the school. The multi-Grammy winner became an honorary AKA member in 1984.

Erica Campbell

SOURCE: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

Fresh out of Inglewood High, Erica Campbell reportedly attended Los Angeles City College, majoring in drama and minoring in music. Last January, the Gospel phenomenon announced that she’d joined AKA as an honorary member.

“Thank you to everyone who [has] welcomed me into this amazing sisterhood and Divine 9,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “I am excited to do my part in continuing the mission of being of service to all mankind!”

Advertisement

Other fallen figures of AKA include Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Roxie Roker, Donda West, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Which of these ladies on the Famous Women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority did you NOT know of? Let us know in the comments below!


Readers May Also Like:

Advertisement

Actress Lynn Whitfield 2024Lynn Whitfield’s Best Movie Roles Ranked: Characters We’ll Always Remember the Actress ForThe Best Black Characters On Grey's Anatomy We LoveThe Best Black Characters To Appear On Grey’s AnatomySo, This Is Love: Did Brandy And Paolo Montalban Date?

Cinderella Magic: Did Brandy Date Her ‘Prince Charming,’ Paolo Montalban?Tyler Perry Movies That Serve as a Staple in Many Black Households Today


Ashley Blackwell
Ashley Blackwell is a multifaceted journalist, independent author, book publisher, and graphic designer from Alabama. With nearly ten years of experience in Entertainment/Lifestyle writing, the Southern belle has an extensive résumé that flaunts 60+ celebrity interviews (Tank, Ledisi, Lynn Whitfield, Chrisette Michele). Her bylines can be seen in a number of today's top publications, such as Baller Alert, Kontrol Girl—a sister brand to Kontrol Magazine, The Jasmine Brand, Parlé Magazine, The Curvy Fashionista, and LoveBScott, among others. When she's not penning her next article, creating for a client, or putting together a new storyline, Ashley enjoys music, reading, all things beauty, trying new foods, traveling, and spending time with her family.