Details About Kamala Harris' Time As A Sorority Girl (And Where She Stands With Them Today)

"The first Black woman to fill-in-the-blank is almost always a sorority woman," said Dana A. Williams, a dean at Howard University and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically Black sorority former Vice President Kamala Harris joined in 1986 during her time at Howard. AKA has advocated for Black people in America for over a hundred years and is the most represented sorority in Congress. Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison? The three NASA Black female mathematicians we saw in the film "Hidden Figures"? The first Black woman in space? All of them were Alpha Kappa Alphas. 

Harris' AKA line sisters told The New Yorker that she was "unflappable and precise, with a big, hearty laugh," however, during debates, her personality changed. A classmate said, "The one thing I can always remember about Kamala is that she was always friendly and the nicest person. But in a debate, it was almost like a switch was turned." It is no surprise that she was part of AKA, then, a group of Black women committed to making a difference in their community. Not only had she been on the debate team, she constantly participated in protests, volunteered at local hospitals and daycare centers, helped raise money for hunger, and even used her artistic side for a good cause: she performed at gospel shows for seniors. Throughout the years, Harris had to overcome countless obstacles to get where she is, and her sisters made sure she wasn't alone in her journey.

Greek organizations must be nonpartisan given their nature as 501 (c) (7) nonprofit organizations. When speaking to Slate, AKA members spoke broadly about how they focused issues that align with Harris' campaign rather than supporting Harris herself, so their efforts were more geared toward organizing folks to go out and vote. For example, the day after Harris replaced Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for the 2024 presidential election, AKA sent an e-mail to sorors that read "This message serves as a gentle reminder to be vigilant, careful and mindful of how you are involved in the political process" (via The New Yorker). 

This doesn't mean that Harris must be completely disconnected from her sorority. In July 2024, she delivered a keynote speech at AKA's 75th Boulé in Dallas, Texas, expressing her gratitude and pride towards them, and the following month, she honored the AKA founders on her Instagram feed. Unsurprisingly, that month, the sorority took advantage of a loophole that allowed AKA to legally support Harris in her campaign: they formed a PAC for the first time to allow political donations from voluntary contributions from its members, yet not by AKA itself, and they can also spend on her campaign's behalf. With this effort, AKA raised $913,351.08 (via Slate). 

So, from Kamala Harris' college years to her election years, her sorority has never stopped supporting her!