AKA SPOTLIGHTSNews

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  AKA Mourns the Loss of Former International President Mattelia Bennett Grays

  November 3, 2022 Know More

  CHICAGO, IL, November 3, 2022 – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^® mourns the loss of  our 18^TH International President Mattelia Bennett Grays, who died on Thursday, November 3, 2022.

  Mattelia Bennett Grays, an initiate of Dillard University’s Beta Upsilon Chapter located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and a graduate member of Houston, Texas’ Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter, served as Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated^®’s 18th International President from 1970 to 1974. Grays was the youngest to be elected and serve in this position. Among her many accomplishments in the sisterhood, she is most known for heading the Sorority’s effort to purchase the birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as implementing leadership training and educational grants.

  Grays was a dynamic woman and a supreme leader in education and public service. She possessed every academic degree, from a bachelor’s degree to a doctoral degree in educational administration. Grays went on to teach students and train teachers in her hometown of Houston, TX. From there, she was promoted to superintendent of the Houston Independent School District.

  “The members of Alpha Kappa Alpha are grateful for her more than 70 years of consistent and active service in the Sorority. We also are grateful for the passion and dedication she poured into her family, career, and legacy. She soared to great heights of service and sisterhood, and as we reflect on her life, we are genuinely inspired and aspire to follow her example of service to all mankind” said International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed.

  We offer our love, condolences, prayers, and warmest thoughts to the Grays family and her daughter Karen. Continue to show sisterly gestures and support by giving to her South Central Region’s Mattelia Bennett Grays Scholarship Fund or sending cards to:

  Mattelia B. Grays
  c/o BKG Enterprises, LLC
  P.O. Box 8012
  Houston, TX 77288

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  AKA Mourns the Loss of Beloved Honorary Member and Iconic Actress Nichelle Nichols

  August 1, 2022 Know More

  CHICAGO, August 1, 2022 — Inducted into the sorority in June 2002, Nichelle Nichols is best known for her portrayal of Lt. Commander Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Original Series. Nichols’s Uhura was an integral part of the multicultural Star Trek cast, and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. heralded her as “the first non-stereotypical role portrayed by a Black woman in television history.” The legendary actress, activist, singer, and dancer was born on December 28, 1932, in Robbins, Illinois, near Chicago., and died of natural causes on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Silver City, New Mexico.

  After her television career ended, Nichols pivoted to advocating for a more diverse astronaut corps that included women and other races, culminating in a NASA-funded campaign to recruit the first women and Black astronauts in the 1970s. The efforts of her achievements are featured in the documentary Woman in Motion, which chronicles her four-month campaign to recruit the first Black, Latino, and Asian men and women to fly in space. When asked about her work with NASA and her efforts to diversify careers in STEM, she stated, “Science is not a boy’s game, it’s not a girl’s game. It’s everyone’s game. It’s about where we are and where we’re going. Space travel benefits us here on Earth. And we ain’t stopped yet. There’s more exploration to come.”

  “Throughout her life, Nichols challenged us ‘to boldly go where no man (or woman) has gone before’ “, said Danette Anthony Reed, International President & CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. . “Today, we recognize not only Nichols’ accomplishments on camera but also the countless public service activities in which she was involved, from governors’ boards on the National Space Society to promoting and advocating for STEM programs while challenging gender inequities in science and research,” Reed said.

  “We extend our deepest prayers and thoughts to the Nichols family and friends, and we will always remember her exemplary service to all humankind, “said Reed.

  About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®:
  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American, college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha comprises 320,000 members in over 1,046 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, Liberia, and South Korea. Led by International President and CEO Danette Anthony Reed, Alpha Kappa Alpha is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.” For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit www.aka1908.com.

  MEDIA CONTACT:
  Carisma Ramsey Fields
  International Media Relations & Production Chairman
  cramsey@aka1908.com

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  Danette Anthony Reed Installed as President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated

  July 14, 2022 Know More

  ORLANDO, Fla, July 14, 2022—Danette Anthony Reed has ascended to Alpha Kappa Alpha
  Sorority, Incorporated’s highest office becoming the 31st woman to be installed as its
  International President & CEO during the organization’s biennial international convention on
  Thursday, July 14, in Orlando, FL. Thousands of sorority members and dignitaries were present
  for her installation. She becomes the first Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
  International President who is an engineer.

  She takes the helm of the nation’s first African American sorority 114 years after its founding at
  Howard University. Alpha Kappa Alpha is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by
  African American college-educated women; it comprises over 320,000 members in over 1,046
  undergraduate and graduate chapters throughout the United States and 11 nations worldwide.
  The sorority’s international headquarters are in Chicago, IL.

  A Dallas, TX resident and retired PepsiCo executive, Danette Reed brings decades of corporate
  leadership, community engagement, service, and progressive sorority governance. Her 46 years
  of continuous sorority service at local, regional, and international levels has well-prepared her
  for this role.

  “I am humbled and excited to lead this great organization of outstanding women who represent
  all walks of life and who consistently live up to our mission of service to all mankind,” she said.
  “It is an honor and a responsibility that I don’t take lightly. Over the next four years, Alpha
  Kappa Alpha Sorority will provide programs of service locally and worldwide to make a
  difference in the communities we serve.”

  As International President & CEO, Danette Reed will lead the sorority’s 18-member board of
  directors, set policy, and develop programs to mobilize Alpha Kappa Alpha members globally to
  address pressing issues impacting families and communities. She will uphold the sorority’s
  mission to be of “Service to All Mankind.”

  Prior to her installation, Danette Reed held over 24 leadership positions in the sorority at all
  levels, including International Treasurer. A committed Life Member and Silver Star (25-year)
  member, she recently completed her term as First International Vice President of the sorority.
  Previously, she served as Vice President of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Housing Foundation
  and Vice President of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Educational Advancement Foundation.

  At the chapter level, Danette Reed has been president or vice president of three chapters, held
  numerous other leadership positions, and was a charter member of Omicron Mu Omega
  Chapter, in Dallas, TX, where she currently is a member. While president of Omicron Mu
  Omega Chapter, she received the South Central Region’s Outstanding President’s Award.

  Danette Reed is a proud part of three generations of Alpha Kappa Alpha women. She follows in
  the footsteps of her mother, Mary Alice Anthony, who has more than 65 years of service. Her
  sister, Cheryl Anthony Worix, and her daughter, Erynn Denise Reed, also are members of the
  sorority. She also has a son, Anthony Leelynn Reed.

  During her tenure at PepsiCo, Danette Reed rose through the operations ranks in the Frito-Lay
  division, becoming the first African American woman plant director to lead the start-up of an
  $80 million bakery facility in Dallas. She later moved to Frito-Lay’s corporate office and led a
  cross-functional team in the commercialization of $300 million in innovative products. She
  retired in 2017 after 34 years of service.

  Danette Reed holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, specializing in Finance, from
  Southern Methodist University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from
  Northwestern University.

  In addition to her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority service, Danette Reed is a charter member of the
  Greater Denton County (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated®; Top Ladies of Distinction;
  the Carrousels of Dallas, TX; and the National Association of Parliamentarians. Currently, she
  serves as Treasurer of the Krugerville, TX Community Development Corporation. She has
  received numerous honors, awards, and accolades, including:

  • -Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals
  • -Women’s Inclusion Network Lifetime Achievement Award
  • -PepsiCo’s Global Harvey Russell Diversity and Inclusion Award
  • -National Council of Negro Women Outstanding Service Award
  • -Greater Denton County Chapter of The Links, Incorporated Leadership Award
  • -Women’s Inclusion Network Leadership Development Award
  • -Women of Color “Making an Impact Award”