Savannah sorority sisters from Alpha Kappa Alpha elated about Kamala Harris

Rebecca Cooper, a retired lifelong educator, Savannah native and 50-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., was sure to wear pink and green Thursday.

She was going to be out and about and wanted to properly dress for the day.

“I have this dress on as a show of solidarity and pride,” Cooper said. “This is validation that we, too, can do these things.”

Confidence and elation is bubbling over at the moment for Cooper. Sharing those Greek sorority letters with her is vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who during her speech at the virtual Democratic National Convention this week gave a shout-out to the AKA organization, the oldest Black sorority established in 1908 at Howard University, Harris’ alma mater.

“Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha, our Divine 9, and my HBCU brothers and sisters,” Harris said, acknowledging the additional eight Black sororities and fraternities along with historically Black colleges and universities.

“I am bursting with pride because as a fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. woman, I believe this represents the finer things of womanhood,” Cooper said. “As an AKA, I feel I have a leadership role, and you can see us in all sectors of the community trying to give back as best as we can.”

In the sorority’s Savannah circle, Harris’ rise to this unprecedented political perch, running alongside Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, is nothing short of breathtaking.

“When she formally accepted the nomination (Wednesday night), I screamed in my living room; I was alone but I screamed,” former Savannah mayor pro tem and city alderwoman Carol Bell said in a phone interview Thursday.

Bell is a 52-year member of AKA, “a golden soror,” and a multiple-degree holder from Shaw University, a historically Black college and university in Raleigh, North Carolina.

That Harris is the first woman of color to be nominated by a major political party is a source of admiration Bell said she can’t properly explain.

“The sense of pride I feel right now is significant, but the sense of pride I feel as a woman is even greater,” Bell said. “My granddaughter can look at Sen. Harris and know she can do anything she dreams of.

“This nomination symbolizes more than hope. What happened (Wednesday night) gave me a sense of pride, joy and excitement that I can’t really describe.”

Local AKA Gamma Sigma Omega chapter president and Spelman College alum Denise Cooper, a 20-year member of AKA, has similar feelings about the historic moment.

With 180 active members, the local chapter represents all walks of life within Savannah and Chatham County.

“First of all as a woman, I’m beyond ecstatic,” said Denise Cooper, who added that it reminded her of how she felt when former President Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination in 2007. “Secondly as an African-American woman and an AKA, I have chills. This is a sign of a new day, not just for our community but for our country.”

The surge in interest in the sorority due to Harris’ connection could add further visibility to a community service organization that has already been a prominent presence for 112 years. But there is more to it than that.

“This is indeed a proud moment for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and also for the Divine 9,” said AKA International First Vice President Dannette Anthony Reed. “Sen. Harris’ nomination brings a lot of pride and a lot of honor, not only to our sisterhood but also for every citizen of this nation.”

Rebecca Cooper, a former Savannah Public Schools educator and administrator before becoming the first Black assistant superintendent of personnel services with Glynn County Schools, is hopeful now for more.

“I’m planning on going up to D.C. Jan. 20, 2021, to cheer on Biden and Harris,” she said.

It is safe to say if that day comes, she and her fellow AKAs will have their pink and green on, dressed for the occasion.