Since its founding on Feb. 16, 1929, the Alpha Mu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority has had a storied history. As a local chapter of the nation’s first Black female Greek organization, Alpha Mu Omega members have gone on to impact business, education, medicine, religion and more. With the arrival of the 90th anniversary, the chapter’s more than 470 members are painting the town pink and green with a week of events including a luncheon and concert featuring five-time Grammy-award winning gospel artist and fellow sorority sister Yolanda Adams, Bishop Leonard Scott, artist Charles Bibbs and keynote speaker Danette Anthony Reed, international first vice president.
The festivities are, in part, meant to celebrate Alpha Mu Omega’s impact on the community. As a national and local organization, the sorority stresses a commitment of service to others.
“Service to all mankind is kind of our mantra. It’s a part of our purpose to be of service to all mankind,” Dr. Nichole Wilson, Alpha Mu Omega chapter president, said.
Locally, Alpha Mu Omega shows its dedication to the Indianapolis community through a plethora of service projects and programs — especially those meant to empower girls such as the Rose Petals, Rose Buds and Debutante Cotillion. The programs target young girls from middle school through high school to empower them through education, self-esteem and character building as well community involvement.
The sorority does not stop providing educational opportunities once girls graduate high school. The bond may deepen as the young women can officially join the sisterhood where their fellow sorority sisters impart knowledge and wisdom by providing health counseling, financial advice and career mentoring to aid in the transition from college student to professional.
“We have developed mentoring relationships with those young ladies because many of them are seeking to be in careers and civic areas we are already in, and you just kind of pull them along,” Wilson said.
Alpha Mu Omega’s programs aren’t strictly for young women. The sorority often partners with other community organizations for greater impact. For instance, the chapter works with Child Advocates, a nonprofit that represents children in abuse and neglect cases, by helping with toy drives, backpack drives and art contests.
Recently, the two organizations collaborated on an authors showcase featuring about 20 local writers. Cynthia Booth, CEO of Child Advocates, took a group of girls to the event. Booth said the girls were amazed and inspired after seeing so many authors from their hometown. Some of the authors even signed books for the girls.
“When you are working in the community trying to build relationships and you have an organization like the AKAs respond in the way that they did, it’s very easy to want to continue that relationship,” Booth said.
That strong commitment to service is what defines the AKAs — from the newest recruits to the members like Lula Husling, who turned 104 on Feb. 10 and has been a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter for 75 years.
“The difference between Black Greek organizations and white organizations is that we continue after college,” said Nadine Bonds, former Central Region director and former president of Alpha Mu Omega. “… That’s the reason we have graduate chapters. We continue on after college. Our commitment to service is forever.”
Contact staff writer Ben Lashar at 317-762-7848. Follow him on Twitter @BenjaminLashar.
