Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Raising $1 Million For HBCUs

“We want to make sure that HBCUs are not forgotten…”

Supporting and preserving the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities isn’t just integral, it’s a serious matter. With that in mind, Dr. Glenda Glover, the International President and Chief Executive Officer of the nation’s first Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, is detailing the sorority’s ambitious goal to raise $1 million for HBCUs in a single day.

Today, Monday, September 21, 2020, the sorority is continuing the tradition of HBCU Impact Day for the third consecutive year. The sorority was successfully able to reach the $1 million goal consecutively in 2018 and 2019. AKA has challenged its more than 300,000 college-educated members as well as corporate partners and donors to contribute funds to assist with the sustainability and scholarships at the more than 100 Historically Black Colleges and Universities around the country.

Dr. Glenda Glover told BOSSIP that despite detractors claiming that HBCUs are “defunct”, she sees their value as they continue to shape the top minds in the country.

“HBCUs are important to our entire education system because of the quality of products that they produce,” said Dr. Glenda Glover. “We have some of the best minds in the country that attend HBCUs. 
The top reason why students attend HBCUs is not to see someone like them or the band, they attend HBCUs to get a quality education. No matter what the challenge might be, we make sure that we don’t compromise and we give them a quality education.”

Source: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. / Powell Photography, Inc.

Not only that, but Dr. Glenda Glover noted that her firsthand experience as the current President of Tennessee State University makes this cause especially meaningful for her. The HBCU President noted that there will be 32 endowments awarded, ensuring that HBCUs with less notoriety aren’t excluded from donations.

“I know first hand the challenges that are faced by HBCUs; the financial challenges, the need for endowments, sustainability,” said Dr. Glenda Glover. “Some of the well-known names are at the top of list of many corporations and many givers so our target is to support HBCUs in general.

Last year we gave our first round, five of those had the smallest endowments, we started with them because this specific endowment provides scholarships for students. The endowments represent sustainability, they represent the long term effects and we keep the scholarships going to the students.”

According to Dr. Glenda Glover, it’s important that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® supports these institutions that have made positive, multigenerational impacts on people’s lives.

“This target of our HBCU Initiative, Target 1, is to support and market HBCUs,” said Dr. Glenda Glover to BOSSIP. “To tell students; ‘Attend HBCUs, it’s okay.’ Yes, the times have changed and you can choose the school of your choice but put HBCUs among the choices.”

“In every family there’s someone who attended HBCUs or someone who knows someone who attended HBCUs, or someone who had fun at HBCUs, or attended a wedding, maybe you went to homecoming—there’s some connection that you enjoy about HBCUs.”