This March, the women of the Mu Delta Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. gathered in Washington, DC to honor a longstanding GW legacy. From Friday, March 23 to Sunday, March 25, these lifelong friends celebrated forty years of sisterhood, service, and scholarship.
“Mu Delta has traditionally been a small chapter and the only black Greek-letter sorority with a chapter wholly contained at GW,” says Kelly (Locker) Alexander, CCAS BA ’91. “This event was special to me because we all gathered together to celebrate our legacy at GW, our legacy within Alpha Kappa Alpha, and decades of friendship.”
Currently the director of public relations at American University, Kelly reflects on the relationships that began years ago during her time at GW. “I was 19 when I was initiated into Mu Delta, and now, 29 years later, these women are still supporting me. Most of my best friends are also my Mu Delta sisters with whom I’ve shared my biggest life events.”
The Mu Delta Chapter at the George Washington University was chartered on March 11, 1978. The organization began as an interest group of 14 women and has a time-honored tradition of hosting workshops and fundraisers such as the Singing Valentines. “What I think is unique about Mu Delta is our commitment to legacy, to excellence, and to the sisterhood,” says Kelly. “Mu Delta members continue to reach back and help each other.”
True to the chapter’s mission of “service to all mankind,” the 40th anniversary weekend revolved around friendship and service. To kick off the event, attendees participated in Scrapbooking Your Decade—Recreating Mu Delta History by cutting and pasting photos and stories into scrapbooks that chronicled their years together at GW. The scrapbooks will be archived by the chapter in an effort to preserve the organization’s legacy.
As part of an ongoing Alpha Kappa Alpha service project, attendees brought backpacks to donate to children in need. (The sorority has collected over 900,000 backpacks with a goal of reaching one million by the end of this year.) At the Saturday morning brunch, the Jocelyn E. Yankey Scholarship Fund officially launched to honor a sister who passed away in 2014. To commemorate Jocelyn’s passion for social work, funds will be distributed to high school graduates who are interested in social work or support services for young people. The sisters were thrilled to have Jocelyn’s parents in attendance for a proclamation to the Yankey family.
Saturday night, during the Paint the Town Pink & Green Social Event, members took advantage of the DC social scene, went dancing, and spent time catching up. To close the weekend, current and former chapter members gathered in GW’s new Science and Engineering Hall for a “pink and chic” photo shoot, followed by hugs, smiles, and “goodbyes for now.”
One of the main organizers of the event, Anjelious P. Farmer, GWSB BBA ’95, MBA ’97, shares what appears to be a general consensus: “It was a lovely celebration and wonderful to reminisce about our collective experiences at GW.”
