[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E808] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING ETHEL HEDGEMAN LYLE ______ HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON of florida in the house of representatives Friday, June 8, 2018 Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, from the 24th district of the great state of Florida, along with my colleagues and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters Congresswomen Alma S. Adams, Sheila Jackson Lee, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Terri A. Sewell, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, rise today to acknowledge and honor the 110th anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the contributions of its founder, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Ethel Hedgeman Lyle was a visionary ahead of her time, an advocate for women's rights, and a dedicated community servant. We stand to bring witness that Ethel Hedgeman Lyle deserves to be commemorated by a U.S. postage stamp in support of her many achievements. Mr. Speaker, we are especially honored to be joined by our international president Dr. Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, to validate our efforts. She has been on this mission for a long time. It is a journey she hopes to see to fruition. Mr. Speaker, we are beaming with pride and overflowing with excitement because we are on the verge of making history by bestowing an honor that is about 110 years overdue. Mr. Speaker in recognition of her great achievements, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle deserves to be commemorated with a United States postage stamp. Mr. Speaker, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle founded Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1908 on a cold January day on the campus of Howard University during a time when Jim Crow laws segregated African-American women and prevented us from joining established Greek organizations. Undeterred by the obstacles of race and gender, she created a legacy of sisterhood that continues to inspire millions of women to devote their lives to community service and activism. She deserves a stamp. Mr. Speaker, Soror Ethel Hedgeman Lyle cut through the bitter cold of that winter day like a ray of hope, a guiding light, if you will. And, today we have an opportunity to propel the initiative to further immortalize her impeccable character and extraordinary achievements through her commemoration on a U.S. postage stamp. Mr. Speaker, today, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, is an international service organization with more than 300,000 members in more than 1,000 graduate and undergraduate chapters across the globe. The sorority is headquartered in Chicago and oversees the operations of two charitable foundations. Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated, has inspired millions of women to dedicate their lives to realize its motto, ``Service to All mankind.'' These accomplishments were made possible by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle's vision to combine scholastic merit, personal achievement, and the rich historic African-American culture to create a women's collegiate-service based organization that has lasted 110 years. She deserves a stamp. Mr. Speaker, as members of Congress and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, we are humbled to be able to support this effort. Thousands of our members across the globe have signed letters in support of the initiative She Deserves a Stamp. Just making that statement puts me in awe of how incredible Soror Ethel Hedgeman Lyle and her classmates really were. You see, when they agreed to come together to make history by doing what had never been done before, African Americans and women didn't have the right to vote. African Americans couldn't even share a lunch counter or schools with whites in 1908. But, today, 49 African Americans are serving in Congress . . . and seven of them are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Mr. Speaker, I think Soror Ethel Hedgeman Lyle knew that one day African Americans and women would be able to vote. She knew that one day African Americans would serve in Congress. And, I strongly believe she knew that if given the opportunity, African-American women would become the most educated demographic in America. She knew this at a time when most women were denied an education. She deserves a stamp. She is a ``Guiding Light.'' She still shines on the path others didn't know existed. Her work has lighted a path for many social and academic organizations that tear down the walls of racial and gender inequality. Her work has lighted the path for millions of women to attend college. Her work has shone brightly to highlight how living a life that is dedicated to ``Service to All Mankind'' can change the world in ways we never thought possible. She deserves a stamp. Mr. Speaker, now, she needs our support. We have to be a part of this movement. This is our chance to give back to someone who has given the world so much, and continues to give through her legacy. To paraphrase an African proverb, ``We are, because she was.'' And, if anyone has ever deserved to be on a stamp, it is the prestigious, wonderful, visionary Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, the founder of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first African American Greek Letter Sorority. She deserves a stamp. ____________________