2025 Founders' Day Observance Weekend Program Booklet (1)
The Honorable Tiffany Moore Russell, Esquire South Atlantic Regional Director
Table of Contents Table of Contents
Our History 3
Our Founders 4
Greetings from the International President and CEO 5
Greetings from the South Atlantic Regional Director 6
Greetings from the Graduate Cluster I Coordinator 7
Greetings from the Undergraduate Cluster I Coordinator 8
Greetings from the 2025 Cluster I Founders’ Day Weekend Chairman 9
Greetings from the 2025 Cluster I Founders’ Day Weekend Co-Chairmen 10-11
Cluster I Chapters 12
Founders’ Day Brunch Program 14-15
Ecumenical Worship Service Program 16-17
Sunny Hostin, Esquire Bio 19
REv. Dr. Frederick Haynes, III Bio 20
Sponsors 22-26
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® 27
Alpha Kappa alpha Sorority, Incorporated® International Programs 28
United United
Unstoppable Unstoppable
for 117 years for 117 years
Our Our History History
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University by nine pioneering collegiate women: Ethel Hedgemon Lyle, Anna Easter Brown, Beulah Burke, Lillie Burke, Marjorie Hill, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Lavinia Norman, Lucy Diggs Slowe, and Marie Woolfolk Taylor. Ethel Hedgemon Lyle played a crucial role in its establishment, conceptualizing the idea of fostering sisterhood at Howard University, which laid the groundwork for the sorority.
To ensure the sorority's continuity, seven sophomores from the Class of 1910, Joanna Berry Shields, Norma Boyd, Ethel Jones Mowbray, Alice Murray, Sarah Merriwether Nutter, Carrie Snowden, and Harriet Terry, were invited to join Alpha Kappa Alpha, granting them founder status.
A significant milestone was reached on January 29, 1913, when the sorority was incorporated, marking it as the first Black Greek letter organization to achieve national incorporation. This achievement was made possible through the dedicated efforts of members led by Nellie May Quander, Norma E. Boyd, and Minnie Beatrice Smith.
Founders’ Day stands as a poignant commemoration of the sorority's lasting legacy and its dedication to driving positive change and fostering a sense of community among like-minded individuals. From its modest origins, Alpha Kappa Alpha has transformed into an influential organization that continues to motivate and empower individuals globally.
Our founders Our founders
The Original 9 The Original 9
the sophomores the sophomores
vice to all vice to all nkind” nkind”
Anna Easter Brown
Lillie Burke
Marjorie Hill Margaret Flagg Holmes
Beulah Elizabeth Burke
Ethel Hedgemon Lyle
Lavinia Norman
Lucy Diggs Slowe
Marie Woolfolk Taylor
Sarah Meriwether Nutter
Norma Elizabeth Boyd
Joanna Berry Shields
Ethel Jones Mowbray
Alice Porter Murray
Carrie Snowden Harriet Josephine Terry
Greetings from the Greetings from the Graduate Cluster I Coordinator Graduate Cluster I Coordinator
Yernique Y. Williams
Greetings from the Greetings from the I Coordinator I Coordinator
Asia Blocker
tthe he Unde Coordinator Under Coordinator Cluster I Cluster I FFo o d Chairman d Chairman
Nikki Austin-Shipp
Greetings from the Cluster I Greetings from the Cluster I Founders’ Day Weekend Co-Chairman Founders’ Day Weekend Co-Chairman
President, Eta Eta Omega Chapter
Greetings from the Cluster I Greetings from the Cluster I
Founders’ Day Weekend Co-Chairman Founders’ Day Weekend Co-Chairman
N f R b
President, Alpha Gamma Delta Omega Chapter
Gamma Zeta Omega
Zeta Tau Omega
Zeta Rho Omega
Eta Eta Omega
Kappa Kappa Omega
Mu Rho Omega
Xi Pi Omega
Pi Delta Omega
Upsilon Xi Omega
Chi Psi Omega
Psi Pi Omega
Alpha Alpha Beta Omega
Alpha Alpha Upsilon Omega
Alpha Gamma Delta Omega
Cluster I Chapters Graduate Undergraduate
Delta Eta
Iota Nu
Sigma Chi
Sigma Iota
Sigma Pi
Miami-Dade
West Palm Beach
Fort Lauderdale
St. Lucie and Indian River
Pompano Beach
Belle Glade
Delray Beach
South Miami-Dade Plantation
Coral Springs Stuart Miramar Wellington Central Miami
Cluster 1 2025 Ecumenical Worship Service Chairman
MusicalPrelude
EntranceoftheDais EntranceoftheDais
CalltoWorship CalltoWorship
Ms. Monica McCoy
Cluster 1 2025 Ecumenical Worship Service Chairman
Scripture
Ms. Asia Blocker
Undergraduate Cluster 1 Coordinator
Invocation/Meditation
Dr Norma Solomon White
25th International President and 8th South Atlantic Regional Director
WelcomeandOccasion
Ms. Vernique Y. Williams
Graduate Cluster I Coordinator
MusicalSelection MusicalSelection
AltarCall AltarCall
Dr Todra Anderson-Rhodes
Cluster 1 2025 Ecumenical Worship Service Co-Chairman
Scripture
Ms. Fercella Davis Panier
Cluster 1 2025 Ecumenical Worship Service Co-Chairman
EcumenicalWorshipServiceProgram
IntroductionofGuestPreacher
Ms. Nikki Austin-Shipp, MBA
Cluster 1 2025 Founders’ Day Weekend Chairman
MusicalSelection
ProclamationoftheWord ProclamationoftheWord
Dr Frederick Douglas Haynes, III
Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church
CalltoDiscipleship CalltoDiscipleship
Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes, III Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church
MusicalSelection
ClosingRemarks
Ms Monica McCoy
Cluster 1 2025 Ecumenical Worship Service Chairman
The Honorable Rosalind Osgood State Senator, District 32
Ms. Nikki Austin-Shipp, MBA
Cluster 1 2025 Founders’ Day Weekend Chairman
Ms. Vernique Y. Williams
Graduate Cluster I Coordinator
Benediction
Dr. Frederick Douglas Haynes, III
Senior Pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church
South Atlantic Region - Cluster I South Atlantic Region - Cluster I
Founders’ Day Brunch speaker
Founders’ Day Brunch speaker
SunnyHostin
South Atlantic Region - Cluster I South Atlantic Region - Cluster I
Ecumenical Worship Service speaker
Ecumenical Worship Service speaker
Rev.Dr.FrederickD.Haynes,III
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is comprised of more than 360,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries and territories, including the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President and CEO, Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women. ”
We conduct year-round programming that positively impacts our communities. Currently, our International Programs are Empower Our Families, Enhance Our Environment, Advocate for Social Justice, Build Our Economic Wealth, and Uplift Our Local Community. We always strive to Strengthen Our Sisterhood as we bond in this service. Between 2022-2024, we have: worked with over 10,000 youth leaders in our Youth Leadership Institute; spent over $30 million dollars during our Black Dollar Days; planted 40,921 trees; registered 161,155 voters; and volunteered over 1,069,079 hours.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM INITIATIVES
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated consistently focuses its service programs on addressing significant societal issues. This tradition of service and social activism continues to be the hallmark of the sorority and its members in our respective communities and around the globe for over 116 years. Cluster I, which is composed of 14 graduate and 5 undergraduate chapters from Fort Pierce to South Miami, will be hosting our second Cluster I Founders’ Day Observance Weekend from January 24-26, 2025, at Margaritaville in Hollywood, FL.
We will unite that weekend to reaffirm our commitment to providing “Service to All Mankind” within our local communities. Cluster I is one of the eight clusters in the South Atlantic Region, the largest region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated . The region consists of graduate and undergraduate chapters located in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
