[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 1] [House] [Page 17] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]CENTENNIAL FOUNDING OF THE ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INC. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes. Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, this evening I rise to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the first Greek-letter organization established by black college women in America. This prestigious organization, founded at Howard University by nine visionary women in 1908, at a period when Jim Crow laws flourished in the law books, knew the rigors of their journey during the early 1900s. The organization, which has grown to 200,000 members in 975 chapters worldwide, includes an extraordinary collection of women, who now encompass diverse ethnicities and nationalities and are united by a bond of sisterhood and a commitment to service. As a member of the Alpha Kappa Omega Graduate Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Houston, Texas, I am proud to honor this historic milestone and welcome my sorors to the birthplace of Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University in Washington, DC. This evening, the sorority will conclude a 4-day salute that culminated in a gala week of tributes, salutes, and praise. Today, one hundred years ago, amazing sisterhood, the passion for humanitarian service, and the campaign for education brought nine ardent women together to form Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Kappa Alpha was founded to touch lives, improve the stature of women and serve humankind. Its mission is to develop leaders, expand Alpha Kappa Alpha's economic achievements, and ensure that the Sorority is fully engaged in achieving its possible goals. Sojourner Truth once said, that ``If women want any rights more than [they've] got, why don't they just take them and not be talking about it.'' This quote embodies the spirit that the determined women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. exhibit in order to attain the long-awaited goals of freedom and equality. The sorority is ``home'' to college presidents, deans, directors of Fortune 500 companies, judges, mayors, Members of Congress, state legislatures, city councils, and school boards. This sorority has provided the foundation for intellectuals such as Sharon Pratt Kelly, the first woman to serve as mayor of Washington, DC, Angie Brookes, the first woman President of the United Nations, the long revered Rosa Parks, mother of the Civil Rights Movement, Azie Taylor Morton, the only African-American to hold the position of Treasurer of the United States, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Alpha Kappa Alpha women have served in the United States Armed Services and devoted their lives to saving ours. I salute those women today who are active or retired military personnel. They and women such as Lt. Col. Anita McMiller, Deputy Legislative Assistant to Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, are the sheroes that should be emulated by the next generation. AKA's have long referred to founder Ethel Hedgeman Lyle as the ``guiding light,'' a figurative phrase that insists upon one's aptitude, resilience, unwavering service, and valor. President George W. Bush, in his address at the 55th Inauguration, stated that: Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. At a time when our Nation, in fact the world, has experienced unprecedented upheavals, Alpha Kappa Alpha has stayed the course of its mission and provided an anchor for scores of individuals and families by empowering communities through our committed service. A service that has endured 100 years because Barbara A. McKinzie, the Centennial International President, declares that it was built on bedrock of strength. I am proud to stand on the floor of the House tonight and pay tribute to this extraordinary organization, which has been helping our young women find the support, courage, and passion they need to become leaders in our society. ____________________