ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED® TO HOST 4,700 MEMBERS IN RALEIGH MARCH 19-22 FOR 73rd MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE
NEWS RELEASE
March 11, 2026
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED® TO HOST 4,700 MEMBERS IN RALEIGH MARCH 19-22 FOR 73rd MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE
Community Service Project Donation and Public Events Held March 19 and 20
RALEIGH, N.C.—More than 4,700 members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® – the oldest service organization founded by college-educated African American women in 1908– will arrive in the capital city of Raleigh, for its 73rd Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference from March 19-22, 2026.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is honored to bring our 73rd Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference to the vibrant city of Raleigh, where the power of sisterhood, service and economic impact will be felt throughout the community,” said Nadine Vargas Stewart, the sorority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Director. “As 4,700 members gather to advance our mission, we are especially proud to uplift our community service initiative, We Are Legendary, Period!, in partnership with the Diaper Bank of North Carolina that helps ensure that young people across this state can focus on learning rather than lacking basic hygiene essentials. This conference is not only a celebration of our legacy–it is a testament to the lasting impact we strive to make in every community we touch.”
The Diaper Bank of North Carolina is addressing period poverty in North Carolina through its Period Power initiative. The project supplies over 1,000 public schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels with pads, tampons, black leggings and underwear so that young menstruating individuals can focus on their learning instead of their basic hygiene.
Members of the Triangle community are invited to attend the “Legendary Service, Lasting Impact” Public Meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 7 p.m., at the Raleigh Convention Center (500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601). The meeting will honor local and national citizens who have made significant contributions to the organization’s program initiatives, such as social justice, community empowerment and the environment. Elected and public officials will also participate. The event is free and open to the public and will be hosted by television and media personality, podcast host and author Gizelle Bryant.
The Mid-Atlantic Region will also host the Stroll Competition and “Return of the Legends” Old School Hip Hop Concert featuring Big Daddy Kane, Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick and Sugar Hill Gang. Tickets are available via EventBrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/return-of-the-legends-old-school-hip-hop-concert-tickets-1981186270467?aff=oddtdtcreator.
Media Note: Media interested in covering the 73rd Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference should email MediaRelationsMidAtlanticAKA@gmail.com. Interviews can be scheduled with Nadine Vargas Stewart.
A media kit, including a fact sheet on the Mid-Atlantic Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha and biography on Nadine Vargas Stewart, is available here.
| ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED® 73rd MID-ATLANTIC REGIONAL CONFERENCE TO HOST 4,700 MEMBERS IN RALEIGH MARCH 19-22 Community Service Project Donation Presentation and Public Events Held March 19 & 20 | |
| WHO: | The Mid-Atlantic Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® hosts its 73rd Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference* from March 19-22, 2026, at the Raleigh Convention Center (500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601).
A Public Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
A presentation of donated supplies for the Mid-Atlantic Region’s community service initiative, “We Are Legendary, Period!” with the NC Diaper Bank’s Period Power Project will also take place at the conference.
The Stroll Off Competition and “Return of the Legends” Old School Hip Hop Concert is scheduled for Friday, March 19, from 9 p.m.-12 a.m., at the Raleigh Convention Center. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
A Worship Breakfast featuring Gospel artist Kelontae Gavin will occur on Sunday, March 22, at 9 a.m., in the Raleigh Convention Center. Tickets are on sale via Eventbrite. |
| WHEN: | Conference Dates: Thursday, March 19 to Sunday, March 22, 2026 *The conference is a closed business meeting and all sessions, activities and events, with the exception of those listed above, are open to registered attendees/members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® only. |
| WHERE: | Raleigh Convention Center 500 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27601 |
| MEDIA NOTE: | Media are required to check in at the Conference’s Press Office in the Raleigh Convention Center in Room 205. |
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® and the Mid-Atlantic Region
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA) an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 390,000 initiated members in more than 1,115 graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 15 nations and territories including the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, South Korea, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and West Africa. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.” The Mid-Atlantic Region, led by Nadine Vargas Stewart, includes 137 chapters and more than 15,000 members who live and serve throughout North Carolina and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Donates More Than $29,000 to Support Community Service Efforts in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 3, 2025
Contacts:
Doxie A. McCoy (North Atlantic Region)
Ayana Hernandez (Mid-Atlantic Region)
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Donates More Than $29,000 to Support Community Service Efforts in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia
Donations of More Than 13,120 Items and In-Kind Support Valued at $29,000 Provided to Greater DC Diaper Bank; Appearance by Phylicia Rashad Highlighted the Founders’ Day Celebration with Thousands of DMV AKA Members
Washington, D.C. – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® North Atlantic Regional Director Elicia Pegues Spearman, Esq., and Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Nadine Vargas Stewart and members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority gathered at the Joint Metropolitan Founders’ Day on Saturday, January 3, 2026, at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street in Oxon Hill, MD 20745.
Under the theme, “United in Sisterhood, Anchored in Legacy: Celebrating 118 Years,” accomplished actor and stage director Phylicia Rashad, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, was the speaker at the brunch program. Danette Anthony Reed, International President & CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Charletta Wilson Jacks, First Vice President of the sorority, also participated in the program.
A service project in partnership with Greater DC Diaper Bank, themed Women Supporting Women—One Essential at a Time,” was the key focus of the Founders’ Day event. AKA members from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia joined in a collective effort to provide essential supplies for vulnerable families who are supported by two Diaper Bank programs: The Baby Pantry and The Monthly. Sorority members donated items, such as diapers, pacifiers and breast pumps to The Baby Pantry, and menstrual products to The Monthly.
According to Liz Schurgin, executive director of the Greater DC Diaper Bank, “We are so grateful for these donations. Now, more than ever our families need it. Over half the families in our region are struggling to access the diapers they need to keep their children healthy and dry. It is especially important that we start the year off with so much generosity,” said Schurgin. “This drive is historic for us in receiving donated items in-kind from a non-corporate community partner.”
“Gathering as sisters 118 years after Alpha Kappa Alpha’s founding at Howard University is a powerful testament to how we continue to advance our timeless mission to provide ‘Service to All Mankind,’” stated Spearman. “Through the critical act of collecting items that nurture and uplift our community, we honor our founders’ vision and reaffirm our commitment to caring for those who need us most.”
“Service is the heartbeat of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and our members consistently rise to meet the needs of women and children with extraordinary compassion,” said Stewart. “By giving generously, we not only provide essential resources for families today—we honor 118 years of a proud legacy rooted in uplifting our communities locally and across the globe. This is who we are, and this is the enduring impact of our founders’ vision.”
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women. The sorority is comprised of more than 390,000 initiated members in more than 1,105 graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 14 nations and territories including the United States, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, South Korea, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”
