The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors honored the local Lambda Kappa Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated on Sept. 29 for a half-century of service to the community.
“You do so much, and it’s truly appreciated,” Board Chair Jeff McKay said during a proclamation ceremony held as part of the supervisors’ regular meeting.
McKay praised the group for its selfless service.
“Your presence is seen,” he said, lauding the sorority for always “reaching out an arm, especially to our young people.”
The chapter currently consists of more than 350 Black professional women. It was chartered in 1976 by a group of 23 women living and working in the county. Among its founders was Catherine Hudgins, who later went on to serve on the Board of Supervisors.
The organization has many philanthropic aims, but its work supporting youth drew particular praise from Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk.
“I love the focus on kids. Those are really, really important programs that are making a difference,” he said.
Lambda Kappa Omega recently celebrated its 50th birthday with an event at the Reston Museum, which is presenting a retrospective on its work dating back to the chapter’s emergence in Reston in 1975. The exhibition runs through Oct. 12.
“Stop by — I learned a lot,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said of the exhibit.
The exhibition’s features include the 1976 charter certificate, a photo of the founding members, a vintage Alpha Kappa Alpha sweater and an award-winning quilt designed and sewn by the chapter’s Patchwork Pearls Quilting Squad.
Organization president Marcia Williams said the chapter’s community service efforts began with a story time series for youth and have expanded ever since.
“We strive to provide impactful and lasting service that is sustainable,” Williams said.
McKay zeroed in on the sustainable part. While the first 50 years have seen a major impact, he said, “what excites me more is the next 50 years of what you all, I know, will continue to do to help our county.”
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated is the nation’s oldest historically Greek-lettered organization established for Black women. It was founded in 1908 on the campus of Howard University and now has nearly 400,000 members across more than 1,100 chapters.
