South Eastern History

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. established itself in the South Eastern part of the United States with the chartering of Pi Chapter at Meharry Medical College Nashville, Tennessee, on April 12, 1921. In 1932, the Southern Region’s name was changed to the South Eastern Region. From its inception, the South Eastern Region was comprised of eight states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida. To facilitate the responsibilities of the Regional Director, in 1953, the region was realigned. Kentucky was assigned to the Central Region, Arkansas and parts of Louisiana to the South Central Region, and Georgia and Florida to the South Atlantic Region. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and parts of Louisiana remained as the new South Eastern Region. In 1962, realignment resulted in the remainder of Louisiana being removed from the South Eastern Region, leaving the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee to operate as the South Eastern Region. This realignment enabled the Regional Director to work more closely with the chapters.

The Region has hosted three Boules, all in Nashville, Tennessee, one at Fisk University in 1928. Then again at Tennessee A & I State University (now Tennessee State University) in 1954 and during the sorority’s 96th year at the famed Gaylord Opryland Hotel in 2004, which attracted nearly 10,000 sorors. Two former South Eastern Regional Directors have been elected as National Presidents: Soror Arnetta G. Wallace, who was the 14th Supreme elected in 1953, and Soror Julia B. Purnell, 16th Supreme, elected in 1962. Other Supreme Basilei from the South Eastern Region include Sorors Maude Brown Porter (7th) and Ida Jackson (8th). The South Eastern Region has also had as First Supreme Anti-Basileus Soror Mary Chambers, who also served as the first executive director of the Job Corps and played an instrumental role in writing the original proposal resulting in the sorority’s receiving its first grant for the program.

Other trailblazers in the region include Soror Carey Preston, the sorority’s first-ever administrative secretary, and top honors by Omicron Omega, which won AKA’s national award for voter registration at the 1984 Boule in Washington, D.C., Soror Pauline Kigh Reed, a charter member of the region’s first chapter – Pi Chapter – who was the first regional director in the Central Region.

The South Eastern Region is proud to be home to one of the sorority’s distinguished founders, Soror Harriet J. Terry, who was a charter member of Epsilon Gamma Omega Chapter in Alabama. Soror Terry’s legacy lives on not only in Alpha Kappa Alpha, but as part of historic Alabama A& M University, where a building is named in her honor – Terry Hall.

Additionally, the 2002-2006 National Program Chairman, Soror Juanita Sims Doty is from the South Eastern Region.  During her term as National Program Chairman, she was responsible for assisting the sorority in obtaining a $1.5 million grant from the US Department of Education to establish nine Ivy Reading AKAdemy Demonstration sites across the country, resulting in the improvement of reading skills of children in grades 1-3.  Two of the sites were in South Eastern:  Birmingham, AL and Jackson, MS.  This $1.5 million dollar grant was the second largest amount of funding to be received by Alpha Kappa Alpha in its 100-year history.  Also, two books written for children by children were published and released.  “The Spirit Within: Voices of Young Authors, Volume 1 was released at the 2004 Boule in Nashville, TN.  Approximately 40,000 children across the world participated in this project with 41 children becoming published authors.

Currently the South Eastern Region consists of 104 chapters that include 49 undergraduate chapters and 55 graduate chapters, representing 12 percent of the sorority’s total 200,000 members worldwide. The current cluster alignment provides for the region to be divided geographically into eight sub-units.

Popularly designated, the “Sophisticated” Sorors of the South Eastern Region, these hardworking, selfless, servant leaders have blazed new trails in their own right. Outstanding members include judges, teachers, state senators, attorneys, physicians, homemakers, school superintendents and dynamic women from all walks of life. Their efforts have inspired women all over the world to reach new heights in programs and service to humanity.

Sources: *Parker, Marjorie. Past is Prologue. The History of Alpha Kappa Alpha. 1908-1999
Washington, D.C., 1999 (Updated information is included through 2006.)
*History of the South Eastern Region, 1921-2002

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• States included in the South Eastern Region at creation and today?

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. established itself in the South Eastern part of the United States with the chartering of Pi Chapter at Meharry Medical College Nashville, Tennessee, on April 12, 1921. In 1932, the Southern Region’s name was changed to the South Eastern Region. From its inception, the South Eastern Region was comprised of eight states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia, and Florida. To facilitate the responsibilities of the Regional Director, in 1953, the region was realigned. Kentucky was assigned to the Central Region, Arkansas and parts of Louisiana to the South Central Region, and Georgia and Florida to the South Atlantic Region. Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and parts of Louisiana remained as the new South Eastern Region. In 1962, another realignment resulted in the remainder of Louisiana being removed from the South Eastern Region, leaving the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee to operate as the South Eastern Region.

• Brief historical back drop to when South Eastern Region was created?

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. established itself in the South Eastern part of the United States with the chartering of Pi Chapter at Meharry Medical College Nashville, Tennessee, on April 12, 1921.

• The first undergraduate chapter chartered and who chartered?

Pi Chapter was chartered on April 6, 1921. Pi Chapter was founded on the campus of Meharry Medical College and moved to Fisk University in April 1927. Charter members were Sorors Pauline Kigh Reed, Druceilla Barnadanoe, Clarise Bartlett, Georgia Blackmore, Wilhelmina Bowles, Mildred Harper, Lelia Lyon and Marie Williams.

• The first graduate chapter chartered and who chartered?

Omicron Omega Chapter is the oldest graduate chapter in the region, chartered October 24, 1924. Charter members were Sorors Vivian F. Bell, Mabel Harris, Jessie Coleman, Eunice Hudson and Wilma Davis. Omicron Omega organized the first Pan-Hellenic Council in the state of Alabama.

• Total number of graduate and undergraduate chapters at South Eastern’s creation and today?

Currently the South Eastern Region consists of 104 chapters that include 49 undergraduate chapters and 55 graduate chapters, representing 12 percent of the sorority’s total 200,000 members worldwide. The current cluster alignment provides for the region to be divided geographically into eight sub-units.

• Two or three major historical/newsworthy events that have occurred in the South Eastern Region [i.e. establishment of Cleveland Job Corps or Mississippi Health Project]?

The Mississippi Health Project.  From 1935-1942 the sorority’s first major health initiative was implemented spanning the Mississippi Delta from Lexington to Mound Bayou, MS.  Vicksburg, MS native Dr. Ida Jackson was the visionary behind the Mississippi Health Project. AKA physicians, nurses and other health care professionals traveled to Mississippi every summer for 2-8 weeks each year and provided health services to more than 15,000 people in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.  The Surgeon General stated that this was the greatest public health initiative that had been implemented in the country.

In January, 2006, Alpha Kappa Alpha celebrated its 98th National Founders Day in Jackson and Mound Bayou, MS in observance of the Mississippi Health Project.  More than 15 representatives from the National Institutes of Health joined members of AKA to provide health services in Jackson and Mound Bayou.  Additionally, a national monument was dedicated in Mound Bayou to commemorate the Mississippi Health Project.  The US  Surgeon General Richard Carmona commended Alpha Kappa Alpha for its continued work in the health care area.

Trailblazers in the region include Soror Carey Preston, the sorority’s first-ever administrative secretary, and top honors by Omicron Omega, which won AKA’s national award for voter registration at the 1984 Boule in Washington, D.C., Soror Pauline Kigh Reed, a charter member of the region’s first chapter – Pi Chapter – who was the first regional director in the Central Region.

The South Eastern Region is proud to be home to one of the sorority’s distinguished founders, Soror Harriet J. Terry, who was a charter member of Epsilon Gamma Omega Chapter in Alabama. Soror Terry’s legacy lives on not only in Alpha Kappa Alpha, but as part of historic Alabama A& M University, where a building is named in her honor – Terry Hall.

Beta Delta Omega Chapter published Heritage Series No. 1 that included biographies of outstanding citizens of Mississippi who had achieved in various fields and distributed copies to high schools and colleges.

      The first book written for children by children, The Spirit Within: Voices of Young Authors, was released in Nashville, TN at the 2004 Boule.

• Overview of anticipated 2007 Centennial activities for South Eastern Region’s month; following the month [included photos and brief summary/highlights of activities].