Living a Lifetime of Service

On Monday, we will all celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. There is no need to detail the great accomplishments of Dr. King. I just hope that we use the day to actually celebrate his life and his legacy. My sons and I will be at MLK high school here in Philly for a service project. If you are in the area and looking to volunteer. Please come on out. The event will last all day.

On a more personal note, my beloved Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha will celebrate 99 years on January 15th as well. Ninety-Nine years of sisterhood and service. I am so proud to be a part of this organization founded by these dynamic women.



With the new movie "Stomp. The. Yard" coming out, I just want to let you all know that being in a Step Show is not what any of the Divine Nine, Black Greek Organizations is about. These organizations were founded at a time when it was a privilege for black people to attend college.



Education was not taken lightly. The original founders created our sisterhood as a means to promote service to mankind while encouraging high scholastic and ethical standards among African American women and to forge lifetime friendships. To still be doing that 99 years later is a great feat. You don't have to agree with the ideals of sororities or fraternities to know that any Black organization that can stand the test of time and still make a difference almost a century later, should be applauded.

Most of the Organizations are on the verge of reaching the Century mark. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will celebrate our Centennial next year at Howard University in Washington DC. It will be our homecoming and I can't wait.

So to all the Greeks out there....stay active and continue to strive for your organization's ideals. Keep making a difference.

To my Sorors...I know people call us many names. They tend to generalize and sterotype us for the way we stride, our confidence, the AKAtude.

However, I see you building villages in Africa and not getting media attention, like Oprah.

I see you cleaning up those schools in your communities, reading and tutoring children, visiting incarcerated women and not even making the highlight film on CNN.

I see you donating clothing, money and toys for the battered women's shelters and not winning any Nobel Peace Prizes.

I see you choosing to support Black Dollar Days and African American business while not being heralded in the Wall Street Journal or even Black Enterprise.

I see you leading the way in the Arts like Sorors Maya Angelou and Ntozake Shange, in History like Sorors Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, in Science and Space like Soror Mae Jemison (first African American woman in space who carried an AKA flag along with her), in entertainment like Soror Phylicia Rashad, Soror Alicia Keys and Soror Gladys Knight and in the Government like Soror Jewell Jackson McCabe and Soror Constance Baker Motley.



Keep striving for the next 100 years ladies. Happy Founders Day. I will be proud in my pink and green when I see you next year under our Founders window at Rankin Chapel at HU!!!!!