Alvesta Robertson, Andrea Allen, and Romona Gaither
Forty Years of Sisterhood
Three lovely ladies met up with me at Beaufort Waterfront Park yesterday, and I must admit, I envy them. They are part of a sisterhood that has been active in Beaufort for 40 years, and have made friendships and connections that reach all over the country and beyond our borders. They are members of the Nu Delta Omega chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. It’s a sorority for black women either in college, or after graduation, and it’s all about service and friendship.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) began with a dream in the heart of a young Howard University student, Ethel Hedgeman. Along with eight other students, in 1908 she started the first black sorority that has grown to nearly 300,000 members world-wide. Through the years the membership has addressed issues such as women's suffrage, segregation and inequality, poverty and poor health care and educational inequity. The organization emphasizes service: whether in Africa, or to people next door, and always strives to lift women up by creating bonds of friendship.