Sisterhood and service.
This thematic affirmation that drives and defines Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
For Theta Omega – one of the Sorority’s premiere chapters – those words have particular resonance because members have been devotedly bound to sisterhood and service…. for 100 years.
Reaching the chapter’s centennial is rooted in the caliber and character of the women who came together on November 5, 1922, to charter Theta Omega. It was the first Chicago-based graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the eighth graduate chapter in the Sorority’s chapter network. The charter members were Clara Vesta Caldwell, Ida Taylor Jones, Bertha Mosely Lewis, Eva Overton Lewis, Geraldyne Hodges Dismon, and Helen Kathleen Perry.
Kimberley Egonmwan – President of Theta Omega, who is an attorney, and aptly known as “The Centennial President” — credits these trailblazers for setting a bar that made Theta Omega respected within the Sorority, the city and – most important – within the community.
The chapter’s longevity is due to the complement of members whose success mirrors those who gave the chapter life. Like the Alpha Kappa Alpha prerequisites, all are college trained and all survived the stringent vetting to become members. They cross all industries and disciplines. Among them are judges, lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, government officials and those in the corporate hierarchy.
The chapter has cultivated a profile that’s made it a magnet for attracting many of Chicago’s iconic leaders. The roll reads like a “Who’s Who” of achievers, including:
•Dr. Georgiana Simpson a philologist and the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in the United States when she received her doctoral degree in German from the University of Chicago in 1921.
•Lorraine Richardson Greene, the first African American woman appointed to the Chicago Illinois Board of Education in 1958.
•Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield, the first African-American woman to graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Bousfield Hall, living quarters for students, opened in the fall 2013, was named in tribute to her. Bousfield was the first Black dean of girls at the Wendell Phillips Academy High School in Chicago and went on to become the first Black public school principal in Chicago in 1927.
•Jacqueline Vaughn, the first African-American and first woman to serve as president of the Chicago Teachers Union
The aforementioned are all deceased but a current power-wielding member of the chapter is Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President.
While not members of the Theta Omega, the sorority boasts high-powered history-making luminaries: Vice President Kamala Harris and Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton.
Decade by decade by decade, there was a surge in prospects who craved to find a sanctuary where they could realize their yearning to serve while bonding with like-minded “sisters.” Today, with a membership roll of over 400, these needs are being met as Theta Omega compellingly bonds with the community through programs, advocacy, and an unflinching passion for effecting positive change.
Programmatically and thematically, the initiatives are dictated by the international president. She, in turn, charges the chapters to fashion programs that align with the unique dynamics and needs of the communities they serve.
While the driving themes vary in intensity and emphasis from each administration, the recurring programmatic offerings focus on the Black Family, Education, Health, Economic Empowerment, Arts and Culture, Civil Rights, and Social Justice.
Raymonda Johnson, Chapter Historian and Chair of the Archives Committee reports that Theta Omega has been a transformative force through the decades as it brings resources, counsel, and commitment to those it serves. The daily/weekly/monthly goings on include hosting health fairs that provide free dental exams and physicals, donating schoolchildren backpacks, tutoring, preparing taxes, educating the public about economic literacy, counseling on repairing credit, donating school supplies to area schools, hosting voter registration drives, contributing food and performing other many acts of service. In addition, the DLA Piper Global Law Firm provides legal advice gratis.
On any given day, members can be seen sorting clothes to deliver, packing food items for transport, or meeting to plan programs that benefit the community. And while complying with the pandemic’s parameters, the chapter continued to serve through it. Members presented COVID-19 first responders gifts and distributed them personally citywide.
Another high point is the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, which is set aside as a day of service. Before COVID-19, members visited a shelter for homeless veterans. They feasted them with a sumptuous meal and donated boxes of personal items to the appreciative men.
Theta Omega boasts a century of making an impact on various fronts.
•In 1929, Theta Omega sponsored a recital featuring Marian Anderson making her first appearance at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. She was the first Black woman to perform there.
•In 1977, Theta Omega sponsored the movie ‘A Piece of the Action‘, which starred Sidney Poitier. The Oscar winner attended and presided over the post-discussion.
In 1981, all programs were folded into the AKArama Foundation, the chapter’s non-profit charitable arm. While all programs were effective and impactful, there are two stand-outs: F.A.M.E. and the Ivy Reading AKAdemy.
F.A.M.E. was launched in 1994. An acronym for (Families As Mentoring Entities), the program targeted fifth-grade students from a local elementary school. According to the thetaomega.com website, “The students met after school, four days a week for three hours a day. The after-school schedule included tutoring and cultural and enrichment activities volunteer tutors and chapter members provided. In addition, a family activity was held once a month for the children in the program and their families.” F.A.M.E. was hailed as one of the most celebrated programs in the AKArama Foundation’s history. During its ten-year run, more than 600 families were impacted.
In 2003, Theta Omega was selected as one of the Ivy Reading AKAdemy sites for the national programmatic initiative of the SPIRIT Program. It was launched under the administration of International President Linda Marie White, a member of Theta Omega. The program resulted from a 2.7 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. According to the website, its objective was “to improve reading in the elementary grades in African American communities.” The award was stimulated by the Department’s alarm over “the major crisis in American Education today… the inability of our children to read.” As a result, the curriculum focused on early learning and mastery of basic reading skills by the end of third grade. In addition, Theta Omega and the other selected chapters nationwide were responsible for implementing “a kindergarten through a third-grade after-school reading initiative that targeted low-performing, economically deprived, inner-city schools.”
Many of Theta Omega’s imaginative and proven-effective programs were adopted and incorporated into the sorority’s national program offerings, including the Vocational Guidance Project.
With a mutual goal and vision, Theta Omega forged alliances and partnerships with Rainbow PUSH, the N.A.A.C.P., the Chicago Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, area churches, City, county, and state agencies, the University of Chicago-Medicine, and a vast swath of similarly-purposed agencies. One of their most compelling partnerships is with the United African Organization, a Refugee Center that promotes social and economic justice and civic participation while empowering African immigrants and refugees in Illinois.
Similarly, Theta Omega’s philanthropy has seen the chapter donate to agencies whose mission is similarly-aligned. The United Negro College Fund, the N.A.A.C.P., the American Medical Association – and many more are among the recipients.
Alpha Kappa Alpha has always been committed to awarding scholarships to create a pathway for young Black high school graduates to attend college. Theta Omega’s been devoted to scholarship giving since it was chartered. Fast forward 100 years and that resolve remain the same – with emphasis. The AKArama Foundation has awarded over $1 million in scholarships to African-American youth, primarily from Chicago Public Schools, who aspire to attend a four-year university.
One of the chapter’s dramatic high points began as a lament by members for a permanent meeting space. This evolved into the AKARAMA Foundation’s greatest triumph: building the multi-million-dollar AKArama Foundation Community Service Center.
President Audrey Cooper Stanton assumed the lead in 1999. She met with President of the Illinois Senate Emil Jones, Jr., who directed her to submit what turned out to be a winning proposal and the awarding of $500,000 from the Illinois First Fund. The site at 6220 S. Ingleside was selected, and the journey to ownership WAS ON! The chapter financially assessed each member. The ground was broken through several administrations, deft maneuvering, vigilance, grit, and determination. Black firms were contracted to handle the construction, and in 2007, the multi-million-dollar center opened its doors.
Determined to pay off the mortgage, members pooled their resources, increased their giving, and fundraiser, and when members bequeathed monies to the chapter, a portion went toward that obligation. Finally, the hard work paid off as its 30-year mortgage was paid off in 15 years — a powerful expression of Black women flexing their economic muscle to claim ownership. The chapter recently celebrated with a mortgage-burning ceremony.
Theta Omega is an incubator for talented, hard-working, dedicated, and committed members. Three International Presidents have come out of the chapter: Lorraine Richardson Green, 1919-1923; Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield, 1929 – 1931; and Linda Marie White, 2002-2006.
Each international president has sought out Theta Omega members for national committee positions, including current International President Danette Anthony Reed. It is among this select body where decisions, policies, and programs are brainstormed and implemented.
Loann Julia Honesty King used the perch as President of Theta Omega to successfully run for Central Regional Director and International Treasurer for the sorority. In these roles, she was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s board of directors. In addition, King, a 60+ years member of the chapter, authored 95 Years of Servant Leadership, which chronicles Theta Omega’s history.
Egonmwan attributes Theta Omega’s endurance for 100 years to members’ Can Do spirit, forward-thinking, and willingness to put the good of the organization and the community first. We want to make sure children have a safe place, have food to eat, warm coats, and that parents have the resources to raise their families successfully. This is most needed and where we can make the greatest impact, and where we can build on our legacy. Achieving these goals in a spirit of love reflects the essence of sisterhood and service.”
Melody M. McDowell is a seasoned writer and veteran publicist. In addition to N’DIGO, she’s penned articles for Black Enterprise, Quirk’s Marketing Research Review, and Crain’s Chicago Business. Her public relations firm, MELODY’service, celebrated 41 years in business on August 1. She once served as the personal publicist for Dr. Mae Jemison, the first woman of color to launch into space. She has received many honors, including the Media Cornerstone Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce – Minority Business Development Agency. She was also hailed as one of Black Chicago’s “Ten Most Interesting People” by Who’s Who in Black Chicago. However, one of her proudest and most stunning achievements was beating out experienced white male veteran speakers during her first time competing in the challenging Evaluation Contest for Toastmasters. Melody is a proud member of Theta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She served as the Sorority’s international publicist for eight years, including in 2008, its Centennial year. Melody lives in Markham, Illinois — a city she has grown to love after transplanting from Chicago. Melody also loves cats.
