Step shows? Strolling at all types of gatherings from cookouts to weddings? Charitable initiatives that positively impact our youth? Check, check and check. The collective sororities in our community—Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.—deliver on all these things; and are an undeniable part of our culture. The history, the treasured traditions and the profound reasons the organizations were founded in the first place? None of it is a game for these women. And rightfully so.
The marginalization of Black women and their voices in mainstream narratives is prevalent throughout every aspect of society from classrooms to boardrooms. While so many Black women continuously yearn for safe spaces to be seen, heard and celebrated, the beforementioned organizations have proven to be a trusted place to land, and they have been for more than a century. Those in the know have witnessed agree that becoming a member of the Divine 9 is typically a monumental experience for us. To share that sacred experience with your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother? Priceless.
So, when our good sis and broadcast journalist Sheinelle Jones recently had a now viral exchange with host Jenna Bush Hager on Today with Jenna & Friends about wanting her daughter to become an AKA, it was literally a serious matter. Jones, her mother and her grandmother are all proud members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. [Alexa, play “Legacy” by Jay-Z.]
While the conversation between the two TV personalities was initially humorous to some, it presented a sobering thought: Like Hager, most of the world may be clueless about the rich, layered traditions that exist in our culture and especially for Black women. Those traditions include our sororities and quite often span generations. Ironically, Hager, her sister and their mother happen to all belong to the same sorority as well—Kappa Alpha Theta. One can rightfully assume that they too have a deep love and appreciation for their sorority. However, when your organization was founded less than 45 years after slavery was abolished, when Black women were still being forced to be wet nurses to the very children of those who oppressed them and lynching was a common occurrence below the Mason Dixon line? Well, that love and gratitude is gonna hit a lot differently.
We caught up with a few proud members of these beloved four sororities for an inside take on this subject. I’m not a member of the Divine 9 but I do have connections and genuine respect for them all. Several of my good friends are AKAs. In high school, I attended an HBCU college tour sponsored by my hometown’s Delta alumnae chapter. They also gave me my first job as a tutor for local elementary school students. My goddaughter and godsister (no relation) are Zetas and my niece is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho. From my experience, all four have an undeniable connection to their respective sororities, their collective camaraderie is palpable and exhibits yet another layer of nuance to our sisterhoods.
Article continues after video.
Nia Flake-Brunston, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. – Epsilon Pi Omega Chapter
“From the time I was a child, I always knew I wanted to be an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman. Watching my great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and aunt serve as loyal members of this sorority shaped my understanding of what true sisterhood and service look like. For me, becoming an AKA is not just about joining an organization; it is about carrying forward a rich family legacy of excellence, service, and sisterhood that crosses generations.
I am grateful to have been inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated on the very same day as my great-grandmother—76 years later. A moment that is a testament to the strength, impact, and beauty of this sisterhood that I am now a part of.”
[from left to right: Nialah Flake (Nia’s aunt), Rev. Dr. Elaine M. Flake (Nia’s grandmother) Nia, Aliya Flake (Nia’s mother)
[from left to right: Aliya Flake (Nia’s mother), Rev. Dr. Elaine M. Flake (Nia’s grandmother) Lorene White McCollins (Nia’s great-grandmother who was a Diamond Soror at the time of her 2024 passing), Nailah Flake (Nia’s aunt)
Joi-Marie McKenzie, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Former ESSENCE editor Joi-Marie is the great-granddaughter of Vashti Turley Murphy who was one of the founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Joi-Marie’s great-grandmother was one of 22 women who founded the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in 1913, while a student at Howard University. Joi-Marie’s mother, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, serves as the sorority’s national chaplain. There are 20 total Delta legacies in the Murphy family and 14 of them are currently living descendants.
Pic of Joi-Marie (in gold sandals), her mom and other DST family members
[from left: Joi-Marie is pictured here beside her mother, Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, and other family members at an official Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. event.
Jennifer Delatour, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. – Zeta Alpha Chapter
“My mother’s choice to join Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. showed me what it meant to move with finer womanhood and sisterly love. She never pressured me to follow her path, but her example inspired me to choose it for myself. With 17 years of uninterrupted service and life membership, and her 47 years as a dedicated member, we now wear our letters together. Both of us became members on the campuses of HBCUs (she at Delaware State University and me at North Carolina A&T State University), which deepens the meaning of our legacy. For me, that legacy is more than family, it’s a gift to community and a reminder to cherish the power of choice and service.”
Pic and Jennifer and her mom
[from left: Jennifer and her mom, Renee Delatour are all smiles!]
Veleria Gray (Mom), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Epsilon Phi Chapter
“Becoming a member of Sigma Gamma Rho gave me a sisterhood that carried me through after the loss of my mother and helped me find my strength. I always knew my oldest would follow in my footsteps. She was always with me at chapter functions and a Rhoer, but my youngest surprised me when she decided to join, too. To now share that bond with both of my daughters and even have the honor of pinning them at their initiations, has been one of my proudest moments as a mother times two.”
Tyra Gray (Daughter), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Zeta Xi Chapter
“Becoming a legacy was something I always wanted to strive toward because I saw all the hard work my mom put in, the connections she made, and the sisterhood acquired. I remember thinking, “I want to be like Mommy,” and throughout my childhood that remained my goal. When the time came, all I wanted was to make her proud and share that moment together.”
Jada Gray (Daughter), Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. – Delta Chapter
“I’ll be honest, I swore I wasn’t going to be a legacy because I didn’t want anyone thinking I was just following in my sister’s footsteps. But once I joined Sigma Gamma Rho, I knew it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I wouldn’t trade this sisterhood for anything. Legacy or not, I found my home here and it feels just right.”
[from left: Veleria Gray pictured with her daughters Tyra Gray and Jada Gray.]