Alpha Kappa Alpha has always been a big part of Alex Lewis’s life. Her mom and most of her aunts are active members, and she grew up participating in the organization’s programs for youth, leading up to the debutant ball put on by her mom’s chapter, Epsilon Gamma Omega in Huntsville, during her senior year of high school.

Lewis, a junior biology major at Birmingham-Southern, is now officially a member of the Hilltop’s Nu Delta Chapter of AKA, which was rechartered in April 2021. As the chapter’s president, Lewis led the organization through their first fall term.

“I knew I wanted to be a charter member because I wanted to have an impact on girls younger than me who might not understand or know about AKA,” she says. “I wanted to be able to reach out to people and see if they were interested, even before it was chartered.”

AKA first began with nine students at Howard University in 1908 and is the oldest intercollegiate historically African American sorority in the country. The Nu Delta Chapter was founded at BSC in 1979 and is sponsored and advised by Upsilon Eta Omega, the graduate chapter of AKA serving Fairfield and surrounding areas.

Now, after nearly a decade since Nu Delta dissolved in 2013, students like Lewis and other Birmingham-area AKAs have worked hard to reestablish the sorority at BSC, especially throughout several slowdowns during the pandemic.

“I’m connecting with people I wouldn’t normally be connected with, and they get to reach out to other people,” Lewis says. “We’re all making an impact, and I’m excited to grow awareness on campus.”

The new members at BSC have worked closely with graduate advisor Sakeena Smith to reintroduce the chapter, something Smith and others in Upsilon Eta Omega have been working toward for years.

“Being a member of AKA is a lifetime commitment,” Smith says. “We’re always excited about service and looking for young ladies who are involved in community service.”

Smith has been a member of AKA for 46 years – she joined the University of Alabama’s chapter in 1975, shortly after it was chartered. When she moved to Birmingham in 2015, she got involved with Upsilon Eta Omega – the largest of the Birmingham-area AKA chapters – and has served as a mentor for BSC students throughout the rechartering process.

One aspect of AKA that both Lewis and Smith are looking forward to is the sorority’s commitment to service. Initiatives in the community for undergraduate and graduate chapters follow five program targets: historically Black colleges and universities, women’s healthcare and wellness, economic legacy, arts enrichment and culture, and global impact.

Upsilon Eta Omega has served in Bush Hills and the West End through McCoy Adult Day Care and other organizations, so Smith is looking forward to continuing these partnerships with the BSC chapter close by and committed to the same community goals.

“Their moms were AKAs, their aunts were AKAs, their grandmothers may have been AKAs,” Smith says. “They grew up knowing that we are all about service and providing service to the community.”

One alumna who has also been involved in the rechartering process is Danielle Ridgeway ’06, especially since she is part of Upsilon Eta Omega’s grad advisor committee.

“We have the opportunity to still work with Nu Delta and the young ladies that come forward in undergrad,” she says. “We get to mentor and help shape them and help them learn about the sorority.”

Ridgeway serves as assistant treasurer for her chapter and was president of Nu Delta throughout her time at BSC. She was initiated in 2003 and took part in revitalizing the chapter. On the Hilltop, she was involved in residence life and the Black Student Union but wanted to be a part of an organization to connect her with more women at the College.

“I’m excited to see the chapter reach its full potential,” Ridgeway says. “I think that the growth and sustainability will add to the Panhellenic family. All the organizations have goals about fostering relationships and service, but we all carry them out differently. It was great to be among that group and expose who AKA is and also learn about other organizations and how we can collaborate.”

During fall term, Nu Delta focused on planning for the year and growing awareness about the chapter through tables at student organization fairs and Homecoming. AKA recruitment requires at least one term on campus, so they plan to hold recruitment in the spring to give first-year students an opportunity to join.

Their 2022 initiation will take place about one year from the rechartering, which was a huge moment for the Upsilon Eta Omega chapter and Nu Delta alumnae. Ridgeway attended the rechartering ceremony with other BSC graduates – including some of the founding members of Nu Delta – as well as AKA leaders from around the Southeast.

“It reminded me where I was more than 15 years ago,” Ridgeway says. “It was a tear-jerking moment to see the hard work we put in place come to fruition.”

Nu Delta Officers and Members 2021
Alex Lewis, Basileus (president)
Tamrah Tucker, Anti Basileus (vice president)
Genesis Turner, Grammateus (secretary)
Aaliyah Hammond, Tamiochous (treasurer)
J’Shell Rice, Pecunious Grammateus (financial secretary)
Alexanderia Huggins, Parliamentarian
Victoria Terry, Ivy Leaf Reporter
Lauren Boustani, member
Jessica Boustani, member
Taylor Fields, member
Jaida Bolden, member
Makayla Craig, member
Hunter Smith, member