Alpha Kappa Alpha: 100 Plus Years of the Ivy "Spreading and Climbing"

[Wonderful1908]

I agree about the comments about Soror Julia B. Purnell, when I was in her chapter she always demanded respect she had a presence. BTW Baton Rouge Sorors, speaking of presence how is Soror Honeywood, I think of her when I think Gamma Eta Omega.

[SummerChild]

Sorors, I cannot wait to see the exhibit! I have heard that the exhibits will be eyeopening to *all* and I can't wait! I may catch it in Chicago or ATL, we'll see.

SKEEEEEE WEE Sorors!

SC

Originally Posted by WenD08

Sorors and Sisterfriends,

to piggyback on Soror AKA 2D'91's post, an article about the exhibit was published in the Cincinnati Enquirer. check out the link:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.d...7160306/-1/all
or if that doesn't work, go to www.enquirer.com and search under AKA.

i'm so excited that my city is where the exhibit will start Pink Tea Roses to Soror Bernice I Sumlin, former International President, for choosing to work w/the Cincinnati museum to make this happen

[BusyBee1908]

Sorors, if you would like a link to my Boule photo album with TONS of pictures of the traveling exhibit, PM me and I'll forward it along to you. I've been pretty selective as far as posting the link to message boards are concerned, because I don't know if Sorors in the rest of the album want their image floating around the web for the world to see.

If I have some free time on my hands, perhaps I'll post those photos alone to a separate photo album that I can post for the general public. The exhibit is definitely a must see, so check it out when it comes to your town. From the schedule posted, it seems like the exhibit will only be open during the first day of the Centennial Boule....definitely not enough time for the masses to view it.

[ladygreek]

Wow, I know you all are excited. Heck, I'm excited for you. Sistergreek love is in effect!

[CountryGurl]

Soror Purnell is a Godsend! She's so wise about Alpha Kappa Alpha and life.


I'm making the trip to Dallas to see the exhibit.

[aka1994]

Hello Soror,
I am very interested and excited to see your Boule pictures. I could not attend this year. I look forward to the Centennial Boule in Washington, DC. I have been a member for 12 wonderful years. I am active member of Iota Gamma Omega in Prince George's County, Maryland.

aka1994

[RedefinedDiva]

aka1994,

Please introduce yourself in the appropriate thread. In case you have trouble finding it, it's the thread directly below this one.

[AKA2D '91]

http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/...ArticleID=6800

[AKA2D '91]

http://www.chicagodefender.com/page/...ArticleID=6820

[Ideal08]

How excited was I to see little fliers about our travelling exhibit at the Urban League today? I'm not feelin' too hot today, and that totally lifted my spirits! I haven't made it yet, but I will before it leaves Cinci.

Soror Wendi, I'll be in contact with you soon.

[AKA2D '91]

International President to be Honored by Atlanta Alphas

The Metropolitan Atlanta Chapters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity have selected International President Barbara A. McKinzie to be the recipient of their Alpha Centennial Humanitarian Award in recognition of her exemplary leadership as 1st Vice President and now Centennial International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The presentation is part of the chapters' Centennial Public Program and will be held on Sunday, December 3, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. at the historic Big Bethel African Methodist Church.

The brothers will also take the occasion to pay special tribute to Mrs. Coretta Scott King, wife of their esteemed Brother Dr. Martin Luther King and an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

[PositivelyAKA]

Thanks soror, that is encouraging news and a compliment to the sorority, i like it when bros. and sisters lift each other up.

[CountryGurl]

STEWART RECEIVES FLORIDA COMMISSION ON STATUS OF WOMEN AWARD

Sept. 11, 2006. TAMPA, FL. -- Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen is pleased to announce that Carolyn House Stewart has been honored with the Florida Commission on Status of Women (FCSW) Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions and service. She is a shareholder of the firm and practices law in the Tampa office in the areas of labor & employment law, personal injury, eminent domain, insurance defense, commercial litigation and products liability. Ms. Stewart, who is one of the few African-American women partners in a majority law firm in the United States, has made countless contributions to the community. She was recently elected International First Vice President (President-Elect) of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an international service organization of 170,000 college trained women founded in 1908 on the campus of Howard University. Under her guidance as program chair, the Sorority completed many diverse service projects, including raising funds for Sickle Cell research, awarding scholarships, mentoring over 15,000 at-risk children and funding and building 10 schools in South Africa. Ms. Stewart also worked diligently to obtain a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to promote vehicle occupant safety in the African American Community and has participated in SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) Awareness initiatives. Macfarlane Ferguson and McMullen has supported her efforts in her community service endeavors, including donations to the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha's Senior Citizens Holiday Dinner, George Edgecomb Bar Association Annual Law Day Scholarship Banquet as a heritage sponsor, and supported the National Bar Association (NBA) Annual Meeting in 2005 where Ms. Stewart served as Convention Co-Chair.

http://www.mfmlegal.com/news.htm

[CountryGurl]

From today's Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Sorority sisters pledge to shed a million pounds

By H.M. CAULEY
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 10/19/06


The 50 or so women who showed up to walk Arabia Mountain last week have more in common than just a few pounds to shed.

They're also members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, which has taken on an unusual challenge: They plan to lose a collective 1 million pounds.


JESSICA MCGOWAN/SPECIAL
(ENLARGE)
Beverly Robinson (from left), Minnie Baker, Jennifer Powell and Polly Meriwether, members of the DeKalb chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, stretch before beginning their two-mile walk.


JESSICA MCGOWAN/SPECIAL
(ENLARGE)
Sorority members Gloria Gordon-Collins (left) and Jennifer Powell join the effort to reach the national goals of weight loss and miles walked.


The AKA Million Pound Challenge dares its 200,000 members nationwide to lose the collective fat.

Though the official recording of shed pounds doesn't start until January, the sorority's DeKalb County sisters have already started getting in shape for the battle of the bulge.

"We will be asking our members to commit to this program and to start now to get into healthy eating habits," said Charletta Wilson Jacks, a former chapter president. "We want them to start thinking about committing to a specific amount of weight loss."

The "challenge" is to match the goals set by the Chicago Defender, a Windy City newspaper that started the program as a way to encourage African-Americans in that metro area to shrink their waistlines. AKA is based in Chicago.

The sorority has made the challenge a personal one: They want to lose their million pounds by July 2008, which also marks the 100th anniversary of their founding in 1908.

Getting a grip on weight gain, healthy eating and exercise is the goal of AKA's initiative, which is especially relevant in DeKalb.

According to statistics compiled by DeKalb County government, obesity is a problem for 28 percent of the adults in the south DeKalb area, a community with a predominantly African-American population.

"Compare that to the 20 percent of overweight adults in north DeKalb," said Vickie Elisa, director of communications for the county's board of health. "And a big factor in that is inactivity."

The local AKA chapter recently began meeting for biweekly walks to get back in shape. They started at Stone Mountain and last week moved to the Mall at Stonecrest, where they assemble behind Parisian and head off to Arabia Mountain for a minimum two-mile trek.

"We started walking last year as a way to get to know other people, but it kind of fizzled out," said Joyce Gilchrist, who heads the local group's membership committee. "But then about a month ago we started again and last week we had close to 50 show up. We did about 2.5 miles and we moved along pretty well, though the trip back was hard because there were a lot of hills. For the ones who just started getting back into it, it was a struggle. But it was also a good opportunity to reconnect with other members."

Walking is also helping AKA members meet the challenge to walk 1,908 miles before the anniversary celebrations arrive in 2008.

"Each chapter is challenged to walk that many miles," said Trudie Carmichael, who leads the 288-member DeKalb chapter. "We're already working toward that and charting our miles and each member who participates will be recognized."

Carmichael also looks forward to the weigh-ins and getting onto a healthy eating program.

"A few weeks ago, I had a health scare and knew I needed to get into some sort of activity," she said. "I just joined Weight Watchers because I'm not the kind of person to ask someone to do something I'm not going to do myself. I'm going to walk, but not all that fast — I have to start slowly. This is a big challenge for me but I'm really looking forward to it."

While they're walking, Carmichael says the sisters will share more than just diet war stories.

"We'll be losing the pounds but also getting to know each other better," she said. "And that will only strengthen the tie that binds."

Details about the AKA weight challenge are online at www.aka1908.com.

[AKA2D '91]

MTV NETWORKS APPOINTS MARVA SMALLS
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF GLOBAL INCLUSION STRATEGY

MTVN also Restructuring Its Approach to Diversity Leadership, Strengthening Company’s Efforts to Promote Multiculturalism and Inclusion Across Its Global Workforce

NEW YORK, NY–Oct. 24, 2006–MTV Networks (MTVN), a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced that Marva Smalls has been named the company’s first Executive Vice President of Global Inclusion Strategy. In this new position, Smalls will drive MTVN’s ongoing efforts to champion a diverse, multicultural and inclusive workforce; and to develop the next generation of leaders across its worldwide brands. She will report to Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTVN, and will become a member of the company’s senior strategy team. Smalls also will retain her current responsibilities as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs and Chief of Staff for the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group, where she reports to Cyma Zarghami, President of Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group.

“Diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion are core values for our company – they are at the heart of our business success, our programming strategy and our culture.” said McGrath. “There’s no person better suited than Marva to implement this vision across MTV Networks and help develop our next generation of leaders.”

As EVP of Global Inclusion Strategy, Smalls will work with the leadership of all MTVN brands to champion these values, and to support an environment across the company where all employees can contribute to its success while achieving their own professional goals. Further, she will expand MTVN’s partnerships with leading outside organizations and exemplify MTVN’s diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion efforts worldwide.

“Our culture at MTVN is a rare thing. Our employees share ideas, take creative risks and, most importantly, reflect the audiences they serve and what’s important to them,” said Smalls. “Diversity and inclusion are as essential as creativity and innovation for success in a global marketplace, and I am excited to build on these core values, particularly as we extend our brands – and acquire new ones – across all platforms.”

MTVN also announced today that it is restructuring its day-to-day approach to diversity leadership, with the introduction of a new internal advisory team. Members of the team will reflect the leading business units of MTV Networks, and will have direct impact on diversity, multicultural and inclusion issues, including domestic and international Channel Management, Operations, Programming, Ad Sales, Corporate Responsibility, Creative, Communications, Human Resources and Learning & Development. Working closely with Smalls and the MTVN Diversity Council, the advisory team will help set priorities, develop strategies and implement policies that advance MTVN’s core values throughout every level of the company and beyond.

As a result of the restructuring, the position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) has been eliminated and CDO Billy Dexter will be leaving the company.
“Given our unique company culture with multiple stakeholders in our diversity efforts, we’ve come to realize that a team approach will best serve us in a global and now multi-platform environment,” noted McGrath. “I have the greatest respect for Billy, and we thank him for his contributions to our diversity and inclusion mission. He has enhanced our existing initiatives and we’ve benefited from his expertise.”
A Strong Leader of Pro-Social and Corporate Responsibility Initiatives

In addition to her new role as Executive Vice President of Global Inclusion Strategy, Smalls serves as EVP of Public Affairs and Chief of Staff for Nickelodeon / MTVN Kids & Family Group. As Chief of Staff, she is the principal administrative officer for the Nickelodeon Networks and their ancillary businesses, coordinating and directing financial resources, employees and facilities for the New York, Los Angeles and international offices.

Smalls also oversees all of the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids & Family Group’s pro-social and corporate responsibility initiatives, and manages their relations with advocates, government officials, educators, non-profit organizations and trade associations. Moreover, she has longstanding relationships with public affairs, government relations, communications and philanthropic organizations on both the state and national level.

Among the initiatives Smalls has led has been the development of Nickelodeon’s strategies to combat the growing obesity epidemic among children. She has testified and spoken at leading governmental and industry forums on the topic, and has partnered closely with advertisers, child advocates and academics to help advance a proactive movement on this issue.

Under Smalls’ leadership, Nickelodeon’s pro-social work has been recognized by presidential administrations and has garnered support from top names in the entertainment industry, such as Whoopi Goldberg, LL Cool J, Shaquille O’Neal, Mariah Carey, Meg Ryan and Paula Abdul. Most recently, she joined Nickelodeon’s award-winning Let’s Just Play campaign with The William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to help reduce levels of childhood obesity. The national, multi-media effort, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and The National PTA, has motivated and empowered millions of kids around the country to adopt more positive, healthy and playful lifestyles, Let’s Just Play, along with partners.

Smalls also spearheaded The Big Help which, for more than nine years, encouraged and empowered more than 40 million kids to pledge more than 380 million hours of volunteer service to their communities. In 1997, The Big Help was honored with the prestigious George C. Peabody and Golden CableAce awards.

Marva Smalls’ accomplishments at MTVN are part of a long history of activism and public service, having served in a variety of positions in local and national government, and with the NAACP. Furthermore, she is an active member of the Executive Leadership Council, an organization representing the top African Americans in corporate America.


Smalls has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of South Carolina. She serves on numerous boards of directors, including the National Council for Families and Television, the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, South Carolina’s Brookgreen Gardens, New York City’s Northside Center for Child Development, Big Brothers - Big Sisters of America, the National Bank of South Carolina, the South Carolina Educational Television Endowment Commission and the University of South Carolina’s Education Foundation. Smalls is a recent recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Francis Marion University, and Coker College; and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Trinity Baptist Church in Florence, South Carolina.