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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Mourns the Passing of President Nelson Mandela

Sorority vows to continue his legacy through new chapter in South Africa


Alpha Kappa Alpha expressed profound sadness at the loss of President Nelson Mandela. Speaking on behalf of the Sorority’s 280,000 members in 976 chapters worldwide, the Sorority’s International President, Carolyn House Stewart praised him as a once-in-a-lifetime icon whose life was a “mosaic of courage, conviction and humility.”

Nelson Mandela Headshot

"We extend prayers to the people of South Africa and to the entire world as we all grieve the loss of this symbol of strength and enduring hope," said Carolyn House Stewart.

As a way of giving life to his vision, Stewart declared that the Sorority’s newly-formed chapter in South Africa, Psi Tau Omega, would be an extension of his hopes for the country’s men, women and young people.

Stewart recalled that Mandela once said: “There is nothing I fear more than waking up without a program that will help me bring a little happiness to those with no resources, those who are poor, illiterate and ridden with terminal disease. Our human compassion binds us to one another, not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learned how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

AKA’s International President pledged that the new chapter would heed President Mandela’s call to action by providing programs that would uplift South Africa and inspire hope. This, she said, has been the Sorority’s core mission for over 105 years,and with this new chapter, the Sorority extends its global service reach to South Africa.

“Serving with compassion and in a spirit of love will be Psi Tau Omega’s ultimate tribute to this iconic champion,” declared Stewart. “While President Mandela is no longer with us, he will continue to live in the hearts and minds of all of our members. We will use his example as a guidepost as they serve South Africa with the intensity and integrity that Mandela symbolized.”