Tylanna Stewart Engl 1102 Alpha Kappa Alpha The Divine AKAs The discourse community that I am exploring

is the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. I am interested in pledging to this sorority in the near future so I thought it would be a good topic of research. In my family there are two AKAs and although my fathers side of the family does not especially like Alphas I am still rebelling and pledging with them. I feel as though I would be a great member of their sorority. The beliefs that they have as well as their legacy intrigue me, They believe in furthering women , as well as empowering them and I believe that I would be able to mesh with the other females well. The sorority AKA or Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek organization made for and by African American women. It was established January 15, 1908 at Howard University. The leader of this new formed group was Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Her main purpose of creating a sorority was to break the barriers for Black women. Her view was to use the sorority as an instrument for enriching the social and intellectual aspects of college life by providing mental simulation through interaction with friends and associates, through service to all mankind as stated on the main Alpha Kappa Alpha website. There was a lack of opportunities for them African-American women at the time, as well as authority. Women during that time werent able to do many of the same things that men were able to do, such as voting. This sorority was used to progress the women to be able to act in the same manner and fashion that was socially accepted.
Formatted: Centered

Although the sorority was started by and for African-American women it is not limited to them. There are Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic and other ethnicities. AKA aids more than 250,000 women in over 900 chapters. Most of the members are graduate members. As the sorority continues to grow two themes are still kept: the importance of the individual and the strength of an organization of women of ability and courage. These themes especially catch my attention because growing as an individual is very important to them. Being able to self-reflect and find that a major amount of growth has taken place is one of the things that AKAs keep in mind. I can see that this sinceas well as being a tight-knit sisterhood they are also aware of self-growth. The many sisters in this sorority help each other with to empower one another and build each other up. With so many members in this community communication is key. There are many forms that are used to communicate with one another as well as people not in this community. One of the easiest and fastest ways that they use is Twitter. The first thing when a person is interested in the sorority is to share your Twitter names that way different events, meetings, etc. can be shared quickly and effectively. Another way that AKAs communicated is through their meetings. Many different meetings are held throughout the year to discuss interested members, upcoming events, or just miscellaneous items that need to be discussed. When speaking to one another there are certain terms used. The term soror meaning sister is used between sorority sisters. Some other ways thatAlso the AKAs communicate that I observed was through a high pitched noise called Skee-Wee. It is used as an informal gesture or greeting. The noise is usually done before and after performances. Also if someone outside of the sororities were to do the Skee-Wee it is seen as disrespectful from the members. The sound should only be used by real members of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Thus meaning if you are not an official Alpha Kappa

Alpha that has been inducted it is disrespectful to do the Skee-Wee. Another way that the members greet each other is by doing a hand gesture. The gesture is done by putting their pinky finger in the air, or by putting their palm in front of their face as if their hand was a mirror. The last gesture which involves placing their hand in front of their face is associated with some of the stereotypes of AKAs. Some of these are those that AKAs are superficial and materialistic. The general stigma placed with them is that they are solely concerned about their looks and being superior;. hHowever, after my interview with AKA member Tiyana Brown this was dismissed. The women are very involved in community service and helping others. According to Tiyana, We are very hard workers who strive to keep up our GPAs while still contributing to our community. Alpha Kappa Alpha does many events and fundraising events to help others. Tiyana stated that some of her reasons for joining AKA were because of the way they present themselves as well as they have potential to make the community as a whole a better place. This interests me because we share some of the same ideas. One of the main resons I would like to join Alpha Kappa Alpha is becauase of the amount of work they do outside of the sorority, They are a big community service partner and I am very interested in helping others. At The University of North Carolina at Charlotte the Kappa Kappa chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha resides. It was established on March 18, 1976. Their main goal is to excel in academics, service and sisterhood. At all of their events they collect can foods. This is one of their main goals, to end world hunger. One of the events that I attended was the stroll competition, this is where all of the NPHC sororities and fraternities stroll or do a step. This was one of the events showcasing the talent that comes out of AKAs. It also shows that although they strive for nothing but good community work and academics, they also know how to step out of the serious role and have fun.

To join this chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha you have to begin with Rush. This is a weeks worth of events and social events before, or at the beginning of fall semester where a person can go if interested in joining a sorority or fraternity. Every day is an elimination process of the interested person. At the end of the week you may or may not receive an invitation to join the sorority. The women of AKA, which include the Basileus to the Assistant Membership chair have a say in who is accepted into this community. To be considered for AKA you must have a C+ average and be involved in the community. Also you must attend a four year college/university. There is a definite hierarchy in the sorority. There is a Board of Directors; they are the highest of the directorate. The rankings go from Basileus, Anti-Basileus, Grammateus, Parlimentarian, Assistant Membership chair, etc. All of these titles hold different weight and have different duties. There are also the Omega, Supreme and Honorary Members. Some of the honorary members include Hilary Clinton and Eleanor Roosevelt. I was told by Brandi that even though some members hold these titles, they still treat everyone equally and with the same respect. Alpha Kappa Alphas are all about good grades and community service. Their goals are to produce well-mannered, groomed women who will succeed in the world while still taking care of their surroundings and community.