Skee Wee: 31 Notable Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorors and the Chapters That Shaped Them
In honor of Founder’s Day, here’s a roll call of AKA’s most famous members — political leaders, scientists, artists, and honorary inductees.
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Cynthia Erivo became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in July 2021, joining a group of the "Elite 8" honorary members that year.
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Kamala Harris became an AKA in 1986 while she was an undergraduate student at Howard University, joining her line sisters in the "38 Jewels of Iridescent Splendor" (38 J.O.I.S.) during the spring semester.
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Michelle Obama became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 2008, at the organization's centennial celebration, after being invited by the sorority which had no active chapter at her undergraduate alma mater, Princeton University.
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Dr. Maya Angelou became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1983, with the organization recognizing her profound contributions to literature, civil rights, and activism, solidifying her place among the sorority's distinguished members.
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Toni Morrison became an AKA in 1950, joining the Alpha Chapter as an undergraduate student studying English at Howard University. She was a proud member throughout her life, a significant detail often highlighted by the sorority and in literary circles.
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Yolanda Adams became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in July 2018, during the sorority's 68th Boule (biennial conference) in Houston, Texas, alongside four other distinguished women.
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Filmmaker Ava DuVernay became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in July 2014, She joined during the sorority's Boule (national convention) in Chicago, recognized for her significant contributions to film and culture.
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Phylicia Rashad became an AKA in 1968 while attending Howard University at the Alpha Chapter, one of the sorority's founding chapters. She was initiated as a college student and later graduated from Howard in 1970, becoming known as a distinguished actress and director.
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Alicia Keys became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 2004, during the sorority's centennial year.
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Vanessa Bell Calloway became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on April 24, 1976, at Ohio University with her line, the "Sexy Seven," a significant date she often celebrates as her "AKAversary" for the lasting sisterhood it brought her.
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Katherine G. Johnson is a Diamond member of the Lambda Omega Chapter (Newport News, VA) of Alpha Kappa Alpha. In 1953, the NASA mathematician was known as the "human computer."
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Loretta Devine crossed through the Epsilon Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc. at the University of Houston. She graduated in 1971.
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Star Jones became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. while attending American University, joining the Lambda Zeta chapter, and was involved in sorority leadership as Vice President of Undergraduate Affairs during her college years. She graduated in 1986.
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Beverly Johnson became an honorary AKA in July 2025, inducted at the sorority's Leadership Seminar in Anaheim, California, alongside other trailblazing women like Karine Jean-Pierre and Gabby Thomas. This induction recognized her groundbreaking career as the first Black woman to appear on the cover of American Vogue and her continued influence in beauty, fashion, and empowerment.
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Dr. Bernice A. King is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., initiated into the Kappa Omega Chapter in Atlanta.
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Wanda Sykes was initiated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in the spring of 1986, joining the Gamma Theta Chapter at Hampton University, where she studied Marketing before her successful career in entertainment.
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Coretta Scott King became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in 1964, an honor bestowed upon women who have made significant global contributions, recognizing her powerful role in the Civil Rights Movement. She was celebrated as an honorary AKA member, with her involvement highlighted at events like the sorority's 70th anniversary celebration in 1978.
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Rosa Parks became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in 1988, years after her famous act of civil disobedience on the bus, being recognized by the sorority for her immense contributions as a civil rights icon and "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement."
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Actress Nichelle Nichols became an honorary member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in June 2002, though she had a long history with the organization, having joined an undergraduate chapter earlier in her life (Morgan State University), and was celebrated by AKA after her passing in 2022.
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Mary Jackson became an AKA when she was initiated into the Gamma Theta chapter at Hampton University (then Hampton Institute) in 1942 after graduating with degrees in Math and Physical Sciences. She was a member of this influential organization, alongside fellow "Hidden Figures" Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Johnson, during her time at Hampton and throughout her career.
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Poet Sonia Sanchez became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., a significant recognition that often happens later in a distinguished career, with her affiliation highlighted around 2024. She is associated with the Lambda Chapter.
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Actress Roxie Roker became an AKA by pledging the Alpha Chapter at Howard University, where she studied in the early 1950s. She was an active member in college, participating in the drama club and Howard Players.
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Jazz singer Cassandra Wilson became an AKA after pledging the Beta Delta Omega Chapter.
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Althea Gibson became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in December 1951, when she was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter while attending Florida A&M University (FAMU) on a basketball scholarship, joining the historic Black sorority as a trailblazer in sports and beyond.
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Costume designer Ruth E. Carter became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) in July 2021, announced alongside a distinguished class of other prominent Black women, including Tracee Ellis Ross, and Robin Roberts, solidifying her place in the esteemed sisterhood.
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Tracee Ellis Ross became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in July 2021, when the sorority announced its class of eight new honorary members, recognizing her significant accomplishments in entertainment and media.
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Emmy Award-winning actress Lynn Whitfield is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
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Lisa Leslie became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in July 2021, as part of the sorority's annual class of distinguished women, joining figures like Tracee Ellis Ross and Robin Roberts.
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Robin Roberts became an honorary AKA in July 2021, when the sorority announced its class of eight new honorary members, which also included Tracee Ellis Ross, Cynthia Erivo, and Alice Walker.
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Alice Walker became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in July 2021.
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