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Ethnography essay Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority has humble beginnings that started in 1908 when nine college students studying at Howard University came up with the idea to start the association. Since its establishment, the sorority has flourished to become a globally-impactful association of around 300,000 college-trained members hold together by sisterhood bonds. The founders of this organization stood uniquely among others in the society because they were driven by the commitment to assist women through servant leadership both at domestic and international level. AKA has grown over the years, but the core mission of the organization has not changed as the central goal of AKA being to promote, uphold, and extend policies and programs that promote women’s welfare. Thus, the paper offers brief information about AKA, explains how the group has presented itself in the society since its establishment and the social ties that have held the group together for the long period that the organization has existed in the society.
The 20 pearls of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA)
The 20 pearls of Alpha Kappa Alpha, famously known as AKA, describes the first twenty women who came together and formed the organization to push for women’s agenda in the society. Therefore, 20 pearls describe the nine original founders, seven sophomores invited a month later, and four women who incorporated the sorority and promoted the influence of the group to colleges. The group was established by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle but supported by other members who, at the time, were concerned with the kind of life young girls were going through in the society. After graduation of the first group, the group has maintained its continuity as new members join each year without initiation.
How the Members of the Group Present Themselves
How the group presents themselves in the society can be traced from the mission statement of the association that defines the purpose of the group. AKA was incorporated in 1908 on a mission based on five tenets that have remained unchanged since the inception of the sorority. Throughout the years, Alpha Kappa Alpha has stood out on one principle of cultivating and encouraging high scholastic and ethical standards among the members, and promote unity and friendship among the college women and help alleviate problems that the group face. Since the inception of AKA, the members have worked closely with one another to improve social stature and maintain the progressive interest of young at a critical stage of life (college life).
For those who have followed the group closely, AKA has a good history of working together with other organizations that have the same mission to push the agenda of the girls to the next level. A good example is a move by four incorporators to push the agenda of the organization in the early days when the organization was established.
History of the Association
Since the first senior members came together in 1908 to form AKA, the members have always strived add to uphold the values of the founding members. AKA philosophy has always been to support the growth and success of the Greek Community, and the only way to do so is offer members array of opportunities to foster good leadership skills by working closely with the local communities to find solutions to some of the problems that women face in the society. Within the group, there are members of the council, and each council has a different focus, operational structure, and recruitment history that keep them distinctive from the other group. The fraternities and sororities range in size, starting from 3 to 471 members, but the group is robust with the kind of services that they offer. As such, the group offers training and training programs to women and young girls as one way of encouraging women empowerment. However, in all the activities that they perform, the group has been successful in promoting the welfare of young girls during their campus life to strive hard and achieve success academically in a society that has been predominantly dominated by males.
How the group is affected by the world at large
The global changes have affected the organization positively. In the past, there were fewer organizations that supported or advocated for women’s rights at times. As a result, the organization faced a lot of problems in the past as compared to recent times. Most of the problems faced at the time stemmed from societal settings that devalued women as believed that they did not have equal rights as men. This was so because the population of girls who joined the college at the time was fewer as compared to boys. Again at the time, they were fewer sources of support as society devalued girls’ education.
In modern society, a lot of changes have taken place, and these changes have impacted the institution positively. The members do not have to use a lot of resources to create awareness about women’s empowerment. Today, there are many organizations that are willing to assist or corporate with AKA to promote girls’ education or advocate for equality for all in the society. The general acceptance among many is that the organization has expanded over the areas to not only promote young black girls in the college but to promote the general wellbeing of the entire women. Therefore, it is true that the world has positively impact AKA. Apart from the global changes that have impacted the organization, the organization has also worked hard to contribute positively to the general wellbeing of society. For instance, some of the graduate beneficiaries of the institution has left a positive mark in the society in pushing for gender equality in society. An example of personalities that benefited from the institution and left a mark in the entire world is the late Dr. Maya Angelou, who stood tall to defend the Negroes and protect their rights in society.
In conclusion, for the entire women fraternity, AKA is a popular organization for a number of reasons that range from supporting girls’ education to promoting the general welfare of society. The majority of the girls that have passed through the institutions have gone on to become better people in society. Since its establishment, the institution has stood out as an integral institution in promoting the general wellbeing of the society, and they deserve a lot of appreciation for the good work they have done so far in promoting girls’ education. The institution has deserved a lot of praise in the manner it has carried itself over the years. It has a good working relationship with the other organizations, and this has helped AKA build its name not only locally but in the global arena.
Works Cited
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – Service to All Mankind Since 1908. Aka1908.com. https://aka1908.com/about. Published in 2020. Accessed April 28, 2020.
What Are the 20 Pearls of Alpha Kappa Alpha?. Reference. https://www.reference.com/world-view/20-pearls-alpha-kappa-alpha-7db63c2abdf085aa. Published in 2020. Accessed April 28, 2020.
The Bridge. Thebridge.cmu.edu.
https://thebridge.cmu.edu/organization/alphakappaalphasororityinc. Published in 2020. Accessed April 28, 2020.