Picture it - Washington, DC, 1908 on the campus of Howard University; just one generation removed from slavery, among a majority-Black student population, the graduating undergraduate class of 54 consists of 41 men and 13 women. Among those students are a group of women who decide to establish the first Black Greek lettered sorority on their respective campus to give back to their community and serve as a support system for an already underrepresented and marginalized population within the greater society. The sorority has made great strides since those young women chartered the organization in Ethel Hedgemon’s dormitory more than a century ago, essentially doing the work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) before the concept of DEI existed. However, will our descendants be able to say the same about diversity initiatives 116 years from now? Current Anti-DEI efforts are actively rolling back years of work at the local and federal levels. What could this mean for the future of our beloved sorority and other similarly aligned organizations?

What is DEI? “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are three closely linked values held by many organizations that are working to be supportive of different groups of individuals, including people of different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations.” DEI efforts are critical to breaking down the barriers that systemic racism built.

A World Without Alpha Kappa Alpha

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® was established for African- American college trained women, with a mission to study and alleviate problems for women and girls as one of its basic tenets. Due to systemic racism and societal inequities, Black women’s experiences, specifically, are more likely to be overlooked and/or disregarded from healthcare to the workforce, and education at all levels. That is why an organization of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s size, influence, and diversity, plays a critical role in helping to address those injustices.

In the most extreme of cases, if left unchecked, laws like those passed in Texas and Florida could potentially impact the presence of all Divine Nine organizations and others within the National Panhellenic Conference on a campus near you. There are 429 active undergraduate chapters, at least half of those are on public campuses. If 215 chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha were eliminated based upon the criteria outlined in existing legislation, there would be one less organization on those respective campuses to advocate for the timely and unique experiences of Black women and girls. The effects would be gut-wrenching.

In Conclusion

A diverse society is good for everyone. It not only ensures that policies, procedures, and legislation are beneficial for historically underrepresented and underserved populations, but it also enriches the lived experiences of those that are outside of those groups. As many of our regions move towards and through the primary election season, it is important that your chapter does what they can to bring awareness to residents and the local and state levels. Host a virtual or in-person forum for candidates to share their platforms and goals for the community at large. Bring in guest speakers to talk about the impact that DEI programs have in their respective fields. Partner with majority-organizations to bolster the advocacy efforts. Help your undergraduate chapters organize letter-writing campaigns on their campuses. Alpha Kappa Alpha has always served as a megaphone for the silenced. Keep going!