Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is the first Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., on January 15, 1908, Alpha Kappa Alpha has grown into an international service organization with more than 390,000 initiated members in over 1,122 graduate and undergraduate chapters located throughout the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, South Korea, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Africa.

For more than a century, Alpha Kappa Alpha has remained dedicated to cultivating high scholastic and ethical standards, promoting unity and friendship among women, and improving the social, economic, and educational well-being of communities around the world.

The vision of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is to be a lifelong organization that cultivates and encourages high scholastic and ethical standards, promotes unity and friendship among women, and addresses issues impacting communities worldwide. Through innovative programs, servant leadership, and strategic partnerships, the Sorority empowers its members to create meaningful and lasting change while advancing education, economic opportunity, health equity, environmental stewardship, and social progress.

Delta Delta Omega Chapter

The Delta Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® was chartered on May 25, 1946, in East St. Louis, Illinois. Since its founding, the chapter has served as a beacon of leadership, scholarship, sisterhood, and service throughout the Metro East region. In 2026, Delta Delta Omega proudly celebrates 80 years of dedicated service, honoring a legacy built on vision, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting the community.

Our story began in the 1940s when eight remarkable women returned to the East St. Louis area after completing their college education as undergraduate members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. Although their initial request to establish a graduate chapter was denied because of the proximity of an existing graduate chapter in St. Louis, Missouri, they remained steadfast in their determination.

Those visionary women were:

·      Thelma Barnes Blackwell

·      Ruth Brinley Brown

·      Katherine Floyd Fagen

·      Johnetta R. Haley

·      Beatrice Burson Miller

·      Evelyn Moore

·      Iona Fidler Reed

·      Anita Mae Wallace

Their persistence ultimately led to the chartering of Delta Delta Omega Chapter on May 25, 1946, establishing a legacy that continues to inspire generations of women dedicated to excellence and service. Johnetta R. Haley, the chapter’s last surviving charter member, entered Omega Chapter on January 31, 2021.

Recognizing the importance of cultivating future leaders, Delta Delta Omega expanded its impact through higher education. During the 1966 International Conference, the chapter was granted mixed chapter status, allowing members to establish the Ivy Leaf Club at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1967. The following year, the chapter received approval to charter an undergraduate city chapter, leading to the official chartering of Epsilon Iota Chapter at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1969.