It’s no surprise that in the black community belonging to the Divine Nine, a historically black fraternity or sorority is big deal for some people. Hurt feelings, deflated pride much drama and in the worst cases even death has been associated with the process of being pledged into one of these organizations.

The latest case of women not making the cut comes from two college seniors at Howard University. Washington City Paper is reporting that Laurin Compton and Lauren Cofield have filed a lawsuit against Alpha Kappa Alpha saying they violated their human rights and Howard University for allowing the hazing to take place.

The women say the hazing began their freshman year when they were invited to “Ivy Day,” a ceremony for outgoing AKAs and prospective pledges or inductees, Howard’s AKA chapter’s pledging privileges have been taken away for past hazing violations.

They claim the hazing came in the form of the AKAs telling them they couldn’t pearls, the colors pink, green or any colors that could be blended to make pink or green. The inductees, who were called “Sweets” or, in some cases, “weak bitches,” were also told they couldn’t speak to non-AKA members.

Compton’s mother, who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, wrote a letter complaining about the process. Cofield’s mother, also a member, addressed the hazing as well.

From there Compton and Cofield were ostracized by the sorority members being labeled “snitch-friendly” and “snitch-sympathists.”

In 2013, three years later, Compton and Cofield still haven’t been inducted. When they applied again, the Howard chapter told them that their cap for new members had been reached.

Cofield and Compton believe since they’re mothers are both AKAs, and they are subsequently legacy pledges, they should have been the first members offered induction into the sorority. They believe their human rights were violated because they were discriminated against because of their familial connection to the sorority. They are requesting that the court grant an injunction to place the current pledging process on hold.

Do you think these women and their mothers are taking things a little too far, or do they actually have a legit case?

Source: raisingthearts.com

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded on Howard University’s campus on January 13, 1913. The 22 women who founded this organization have gone on to become educators, lawmakers, entrepreneurs, community supporters and more. There are also many women who are members of Delta Sigma Theta that we may or may not know. The following are a small few of the women who were initiated during their college days.

Source: eurweb.com

From eurweb.com

Have you ever heard of MIAKA?  That acronym stands for Men Interested in AKA.  They are homosexual men who want the right to pledge and join the ranks of the sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha.  But apparently, there’s a problem with that idea…they’re men.

No matter how sensitive to women’s issues or in touch with their feminine side, MIAKA does not fit the key qualification that it takes to be a part of the non-profit, community centered, women’s service organization.

Read more at eurweb.com

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In this age of abbreviated attention spans, instant obsolescence, digital romance, and satellite telephones, there are still some things that deserve to be tucked away in a category of old favorites — things that have the patina of age that are as beloved now as they were years ago. These favorite “things” (social organizations, businesses, institutions, etc.) have persisted over the years because we turn to them again and again as they continue to satisfy us, renew us, or simply “take us back” to places we want to go.  Here are a few of our oldest and favorite things:

E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co.

In a sense, John T. Ward started his moving business in the 1840s—by transporting slaves, according to one writer. Four decades later, in 1881, with a team of horses, a wagon and two helpers, John and his son, William, officially established the Ward Transfer Line, a moving business in Columbus, OH. Eight years later, another Ward son, Edgar Earl, took control of the company, renaming it E.E. Ward Transfer and Storage Company. In 1921, the company finally stopped using horses and turned to motorized equipment.

The company is no longer under the control of the Ward family. In 2001, Eldon Ward, the last Ward family member to own the business, sold it to Brian Brooks and Otto Beatty III. The company, which employs up to 50 people at peak moving times of the year, provides moving and storage services for households and businesses, including international and corporate relocations.  Today, the 130-year-old company is recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the oldest black-owned business in the nation.