Support truly
independent journalism
Kamala Harris’ sorority has established its own political action committee.
Alpha Kappa Alpha, a prestigious and historically Black sorority recently launched the AKA 1908 PAC, Politico reports. The sorority was founded in 1908 at Harris’ alma mater, Howard University in Washington, DC.
Sorority members and their family members can donate up to $5,000 per person to the PAC in support of federal campaigns and parties, according to Politico.
Harris, one of their most notable members, has long praised the sorority and fondly described her membership.
“Throughout your life, you find friends who become family and – like family – they help shape you and your life experiences,” Harris told USA Today of the sorority in 2019. “For me, that was the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. who became my sisters.”
AKA is part of the Divine Nine, a collective of sororities and fraternities with some 2 million members that has historically championed civil rights activism and uplifting Black Americans.
The collective, which does not explicitly endorse candidates, plays a key role in mobilizing voters, Politico reports.
However, individual members of the Divine Nine collective have praised Harris.
“As a Black woman, to see that she will potentially be the first Black woman nominee for the president of the United States — it’s not something that I thought I would see this soon,” Felicia Gray, president of AKA’s Theta Omega Chapter, told the Chicago Sun-Times last month.
Kiahna Davis, AKA central regional director, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Harris’ candidacy made her “proud.”
“Kamala Harris is a member of the D9 (the “Divine Nine”) and she reflects the values that exist in us already,” Davis told the outlet. “We should not be surprised when people are energized because they see a path for their future, in the present, sitting there at the top of the ticket.”
The Divine Nine also has a long-standing coordinated campaign that encourages voter registration, education and mobilization among members, NPR reports.
Divine Nine leaders have also routinely visited both President Joe Biden and Harris in the White House since 2021, according to Politico.
The AKA 1908 PAC comes as Harris takes the lead on Donald Trump in national polls. The vice president has a 2.8-point lead over her GOP opponent, according to the latest average of several national polls.
Harris has also secured a four-point lead over Trump in the swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College revealed this week.
