By Williamena Kwapo | OBSERVER Staff Writer
The halls of the California State Capitol were filled with pink and green May 18-19 as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (AKA) gathered not just in celebration of sisterhood, but in pursuit of policy changes.
The Far Western Region of AKA hosted its 26th annual California AKA Day at the Capitol, a two-day event designed to empower, educate, and activate members around key legislative issues affecting Black communities.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. is the oldest Black Greek organization, founded in 1908 by African American college-educated women, committed to service, sisterhood, and social justice.
The event brought together sorority members, lawmakers, students, and civic leaders to champion a collective agenda focused on maternal health and reproductive justice, education equity, economic security, and voting rights and civic engagement.
On Monday, the organization held a joint session at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento with the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference and Black Women Organized for Political Action to spotlight a slate of shared legislative priorities.
The gathering reflected a unified front of Black-led organizations advocating for change, and as Far Western Regional Director Nichole Starr Jordan emphasized, a long-standing tradition of leadership.
“Black women have always been at the forefront of leadership within this country, whether raising families or just marching,” Jordan said. “It’s important that we show up in the Capitol because though we may not be represented in the actual congressional seats, we actually are leading in our communities. We want to make sure that our voices are heard.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond praised the organization for its focus on issues such as mental health, economic empowerment, and education.
“A lot of the programs that AKA is supporting mirror initiatives we’re leading around mental health, around family empowerment and economic development,” Thurmond said. “It’s powerful to be in a room of educators and folks who are concerned about social justice for our kids.”
Among the many attendees were undergraduate AKA members from CSU Long Beach, who drove more than 400 miles to meet directly with legislators.
“It’s really important now that we have the ability to make a change somewhere that we’ve been so many times,” said Scholar Turner, a CSU Long Beach junior and Sacramento native.
The weekend concluded with members gathering throughout the Capitol for a series of legislative meetings, putting their advocacy into action through direct engagement with lawmakers.