Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Presents Philander Smith College with First Installment of $100,000 Endowment

Over $1.6 Million Distributed to HBCUs During Black History Month

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA), in partnership with the Educational Advancement Foundation (EAF), has pledged an endowment in the amount of $100,000 to Philander Smith College as a part of the organization’s AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund.

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 On February 28, 2019, Philander Smith College president, Dr. Roderick L. Smothers, Sr.,  joined 31 other presidents of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the Alpha Kappa Alpha International Headquarters in Chicago to accept the first installment of their institution’s award.  

 “Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has implemented the AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund with the goal of investing in the future of our young people and the sustainability of our treasured HBCUs,” said Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. International President, Dr. Glenda Glover. “Our organization has pledged to donate a total of $10 million dollars towards the endowment, and we are honored to provide Philander Smith College the first $50,000 during our February event as we celebrate Black History Month and the legacies of all HBCUs.”

 “Philander Smith College is immensely grateful to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for its strong display of commitment to the future of HBCUs through its AKA-HBCU Endowment Fund. Moreover, our gratitude is heightened even further that Philander Smith is a beneficiary of this extraordinary investment,” said PSC President Roderick L. Smothers, Sr.

 The historic event gathered presidents from HBCUs across the nation and featured remarks from Dr. Glenda Glover as well as a tour of the iconic and recently renovated Ivy Center International Headquarters in the Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.

“This endowment will aid our scholars who face financial challenges as they strive to complete their education. So it is especially poignant to conclude Black History Month by attending the HBCU President’s Reception to receive the first installment of this generously charitable act,” President Smothers remarked.