Alpha Kappa Alpha declares January 20 "Kamala D. Harris Day," with members wearing pink and pearls to honor her
Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically Black sorority Vice President-elect Kamala Harris joined at her alma mater, Howard University, is honoring Harris' historic accomplishment on Inauguration Day. It has declared January 20 "Kamala D. Harris Day."
In a tweet, the sorority asked members to celebrate the history maker by wearing pink and pearls, official symbols of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA). They asked members to share photos of their celebrations with the hashtag #KamalaHarrisDay.
January 20 has been declared Kamala D. Harris Day! To celebrate our #akahistorymaker, wear shades of pink and your favorite strand of pearls to acknowledge this historic moment! Post your picture using #kamalaharrisday pic.twitter.com/0xBPUDpRI7
— Alpha Kappa Alpha (@akasorority1908) January 20, 2021
AKA was the country's first Black sorority, founded at Howard on January 15, 1908. This year, Ms. Harris celebrated the sorority's Founder's Day by joining her initiation class via Zoom. "I'm home when I see you guys," Harris said. "When people who are not us see us, they see the love and the sisterhood that is so enduring."
Like most Black fraternities and sororities, AKA has a mission to develop leaders and provide programs to uplift the community. "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-host Michelle Miller, also a Howard graduate, recently spoke to some of the women who joined the sorority with Harris.
AKA members were often seen on the campaign trail during the 2020 presidential election, wearing the sorority's signature colors, pink and green. Miller asked, "When people started seeing on the trail online, '1908, 1908 pink and green this, pink and green that,' they were like, 'Where did all these women come from?'"
"We were a secret weapon," said Monique Poydras, who was initiated with Harris in 1986. "We were a collective that nobody knew about, because our sorority, we have close to 300,000 members. We have a thousand chapters. It wasn't just us; it was also other Divine Nine [sororities and fraternities] organizations."
On Wednesday, the #kamalaharrisday hashtag results on social media were filled with women in pink, green and pearls.
"I am wearing my pearls today," wrote Instagram user Sandra Johnson. "Like so many of you, I am simply beaming with pride as we await with great anticipation the inauguration ceremony of our sorority sister, Soror Kamala D. Harris, to the Office of Vice President of the United States."
"This event will certainly be a momentous occasion that will go down in the annals of our archives as one of the greatest days in Alpha Kappa Alpha history," she wrote.
"I'm proud on so many levels, as a mom to a little girl who can [see] her possibilities today beyond the [moon] and back & as a woman & Soror with my head held high because the [world] will witness who runs the world...girls," Twitter user Tamika N Ball tweeted.