Our History
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is an international organization founded and led by Ethel Hedgemon Lyle on the campus of Howard University, on January 15, 1908. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, it is one of the world’s leading service organizations comprised of over 325,000 members in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Africa, Canada, the Caribbean, Germany, Japan, the Middle East, and South Korea. We are dedicated to improving the quality of life through “service to all mankind.”
Our International President, Danette Anthony Reed's theme for the 2022-2026 administration is "Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood." Our six program initiatives: are to "Strengthen Our Sisterhood" which is the administration’s “Foundation Initiative. The remaining five initiatives will serve as the “Program Initiatives” which include: Empower Our Families, Build Our Economic Wealth, Enhance Our Environment, Advocate for Social Justice and Uplift Our Local Community.
The purpose of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc®. is to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards; to promote unity and friendship among college women; to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women to improve their social stature; to maintain a progressive interest in college life; and to be of "service to all mankind."
For more information, please visit https://aka1908.com/about/history/.
About Omega Nu Omega
Over the years, Dorothy L. McClendon, Esq. remained in contact with sorority member Ryana Parks-Shaw, a charter member and the first President of the undergraduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® – Pi Eta Chapter in Springfield, Missouri. They often discussed the need to reestablish the presence of the sorority, in the form of rechartering an undergraduate chapter and chartering a graduate chapter, in Springfield, MO. Mrs. Dorothy McClendon initially located sorority members in Springfield and Fort Leonard Wood – Camelia Ellis-Johnston, Dr. Michele D. Smith and Erika Pearson. Fort Leonard Wood and Springfield members began to locate other sorority members who were interested. Ryana contacted former charter members and other members of the undergraduate chapter, Pi Eta. Dorothy continued to seek other members in surrounding cities who could have been interested in forming a new graduate chapter.
Weekly and sometimes monthly meetings and telephone conferences from 2014 – 2015 were held to strategize and find the required number of committed members to establish a graduate chapter. The planning meetings were held between Camelia Ellis-Johnston, Aleze Fulbright, Malikah Marrus, Traci Parker-Gray, Dorothy L. McClendon, Esq., Erika Pearson, Amanda Perkins, Ph.D., Usamah Rodgers, Ryana Shaw, Michele Smith, Ph.D., Portia Sorden and Tonya Whitmill. The initial challenge was finding members who would be dedicated to travel two or more hours monthly to Springfield, Missouri, since there were a small number of members living in Springfield. We received the help of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® chapters in the Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri areas (Beta Omega, Xi Tau Omega, Mu Omega) and Overland Park, Kansas (Upsilon Rho Omega) in an effort to locate other members in Springfield and surrounding areas. We located sorority members who were ready and wholeheartedly stepped up to the challenge.
An initial face-to-face meeting was held with the 29th Mid-Western Regional Director, Jan M. Carpenter-Baker in Kansas City, Missouri on April 25, 2015. Sixteen interested members attended to discuss the procedures to establish a chapter and for Jan Carpenter-Baker to gauge our commitment to this historic endeavor. Some members lived in Kansas City. Other members living in Springfield, Illinois, Indiana, Fort Leonard Wood, and St. Louis traveled to Kansas City to show their dedication.
After it was determined we were ready to face what lied ahead, on July 15, 2015 during the Leadership Seminar in Chicago, Illinois, the Cultured Pearls of Springfield Interest Group was the first approved interest group by our Board of Directors and in the new administration under our International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson.
The initial group in 2015 was: Jasmine Barnes, Nechell Bonds, Antiqua Bradley–Hunter, Ph.D., Shawn Calhoun, Stephanie Ditto-Jones, Camelia Ellis-Johnston, Aleze Fulbright, D.Min., NicKia Griffin, Barrie Hamilton, Daffney Henry, Lashonette Kemp, Dorothy L. McClendon, Esq., Erika Pearson, Tujuania Reese, Esq., Katina Sanders, Ryana Parks-Shaw, Jolita Smith, Michele D. Smith, Ph.D., Portia Sorden, Jarita Tate, and Tonya Whitmill.
The first officers of the Cultured Pearls of Springfield Interest Group included:
Dorothy L. McClendon, Esq., President
Michele D. Smith, Ph.D., Vice President
Camelia Ellis-Johnston, Secretary
Aleze Fulbright, D.Min., Treasurer
In 2016, Carolyn Fontleroy-Taliaferro, Tandra Parks, and Evelyn Rhenwrick joined the Cultured Pearls of Springfield Interest Group. Other sorority members, Shannon Black, Kathryn Blair, and Maia Moore volunteered, working tirelessly and supported us in our efforts to charter the chapter in 2016.
The Omega Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® was chartered in Springfield, Missouri on December 10, 2016 by 19 women with backgrounds ranging from educators, ministers, attorneys, engineers, directors, entrepreneurs, retirees, and other professionals from Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas City, Georgia, and St. Louis. The Omega Nu Omega Chapter is the first graduate chapter among the historically Black greek-lettered sororities and fraternities (i.e., NPHC, the "Divine 9") to be chartered in Springfield, Missouri.
The charter members and first officers of the Omega Nu Omega Chapter were:
Dorothy L. McClendon, Esq., President
Michele D. Smith, Ph.D., Vice President
Camelia Ellis-Johnston, Secretary
Aleze Fulbright, D.Min., Treasurer
Jasmine Barnes
Nechell Bonds
Shawn Calhoun
Stephanie Ditto-Jones
Carolyn Fontleroy-Taliaferro
Lashonette Kemp
Tandra Parks
Erika Pearson
Tujuania Reese, Esq.
Evelyn Rhenwrick
Katina Sanders
Ryana Parks-Shaw
Jolita Smith
Portia Sorden
Jarita Tate