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*Contact: Melody M. McDowell - 773-660-2001
Chief Information Officer
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Mourns the Loss of Honorary Member and Prolific
Author Bebe Moore Campbell
*Alpha Kappa Alpha's 200,000 members worldwide are mourning the loss of
Honorary Member and distinguished author Elizabeth Bebe Moore Campbell.
Campbell, who was an award-winning and best-selling author, used her gift of
writing to chronicle, in fiction, real-life subjects including race relations, mental illness and love and relationships. Among the novels were *Brothers and Sisters*, which touched a cord for its examination of how America is divided along ethnic and social lines. *Your Blues Ain't Like Mine* tackled the issue of prejudice in the U.S. during a 40-year span of time.
A bold and courageous writer, she also tackled sensitive subjects related to
mental health in her novel, *72 Hour Hold*, which captured the emotions and
issues surrounding a mother's relationship with a daughter afflicted with a
bipolar disorder. Taking the subject of mental illness to the stage, she
penned the play, *Even with the Madness*, in 2003.
Showing her range as a writer, she also wrote children's books, including
the highly-heralded *Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry*, which won the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Outstanding Literature Award. *I'm So Hungry*, another children's book, is scheduled to be released next year.
Campbell also connected with her readers in the book, *Successful Women,
Angry Men: Backlash in the Two-Career Marriage*, which took a candid look at relationship dynamics. A child of divorce who divided her time between her
mother and her paraplegic father inspired her second novel, *Sweet Summer:
Growing Up With and Without My Dad*. She related the poignant relationship
with her grandmother in the novel, *Singing in the Comeback Choir*. And, she
captured the powerful and sensitive relationship between an African American
woman and a Holocaust survivor in her 2001 book, *What You Owe Me*.
In recognition of her vast body of work, she was the recipient of the NAACP
Image Award for Literature for *Your Blues Ain't Like Mine*. She also earned
a host of other awards and recognitions, including the Distinguished Alumni
Award from the African American Alumni Council, the *Los Angeles Times*'
Honor for the "Best Book of 2001" for *What You Owe Me*, and *The New York Times* Notable Book of the Year.
Always the consummate journalist, Campbell contributed stories and articles
to *The New York Times*, *The Washington Post*, the *Los Angeles Times*, *Essence** *and* **Ebony*.*
*Hailed by *Essence* as one of the world's 25 most inspiring women, she
earned the acclaim and reverence of critics who, in their mourning, heralded
her as one of the most important African-American novelists of the century.
In expressing condolences, AKA's International President Barbara A. McKinzie
noted that Campbell was inducted as an Honorary Member in 1994. McKinzie
declared that being an Honorary Member is the Sorority's highest honor, and
Campbell embodied the ideals of the Alpha Kappa Alpha woman. She praised her for giving of her time and talent to promote the service mission of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Said McKinzie: "Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority has lost a sister who inspired us
with her involvement, her passion and her love. The world has also lost a
woman whose conviction and courage were reflected in her gift of writing. As
she makes her transition to eternal life, she will be remembered for the
impact she had on our Sorority and on the world. I speak on behalf of our
200,000 members in mourning her loss and offering condolences to her
husband, Ellis Gordon, Jr.; son, Ellis Gordon III; daughter, Maia Campbell;
her mother, Doris Moore; two grandchildren; and a legion of fans."
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