(TALLADEGA, AL) Talladega College has received an initial endowment of $50,000 from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated in partnership with the AKA Educational Advancement Foundation. The donation comes on the heels of the sorority’s recent third annual HBCU Impact Day initiative where more than $1.5 million was raised in one day for the support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs.
Last year, AKA began the process of donating to HBCUs through the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund with the goal to donate $10 million within four years. The sorority gifted $1.6 million to the first 32 of 96 HBCUs at a ceremony held at AKA’s International headquarters in Chicago. Each HBCU received $50,000 in unrestricted endowment funds as part of a phased approach to help schools reduce student debt through scholarships, fund industry-specific research, recruit and retain top faculty, and other critical operations.
“Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s generosity sets an outstanding example of what can be accomplished when a group of dedicated women work together to transform society,” said Talladega College President Dr. Billy C. Hawkins. “The AKA HBCU Endowment Initiative will provide deserving students with much-needed financial support while also highlighting the importance of supporting HBCUs.”
“Given the current economic state of our world, in which we are dealing with a global health pandemic and widespread injustice against people of color, now more than ever is the time for historically Black sororities, fraternities and other HBCU supporters to step up and be of service to our historic institutions of higher education,” said Dr. Glenda Glover, AKA International President and Chief Executive Officer. “I know first-hand the immense challenges HBCUs are facing during this time of uncertainty,” added Dr. Glover, who is also the president of Tennessee State University and an HBCU graduate. “However, I also know that these institutions are resilient and resourceful, which is why Alpha Kappa Alpha is fully committed to investing in our HBCUs and preserving their educational legacy for generations to come.”
About Talladega College
Talladega College, Alabama’s first private historically black college, is consistently ranked among the best southeastern colleges and top HBCUs in the nation. It was founded in 1867 by two former slaves, William Savery and Thomas Tarrant, and is the home of the renowned Hale Woodruff Amistad Murals, which received rave reviews from the New York Times during a three-year, eight-city tour.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women dedicated to raising the status of African Americans, particularly girls and women. Through a robust international program of service, Alpha Kappa Alpha continues to institute groundbreaking social initiatives and social service programs that transform communities for the better. For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit www.AKA1908.com.
