Senator Borris Miles (District 13); Dr. Darlene Breaux, AKA Day Co-Chairman; Kelly P.
Hodges, AKA Texas Connection and Social Action Coordinator; DeMetris Sampson, South Central Region, AKA International Connection and Social Action Representative; Joya T. Hayes, South Central Regional Director; Former State Representative, Wilhelmina Ruth Delco, and (far right) Senator Royce West (District 23)
Soaring to Greater Heights of Advocacy in Action!
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, (AKA) Incorporated®, South Central Region hosted AKA Day at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday, March 7th. Over 350 members of the oldest Greek-letter organization for women were in attendance to advocate for issues impacting their respective communities. “Soaring to Greater Heights of Advocacy in Action!” was the 2023 AKA Day, Texas theme. Hosted by State Representatives, Alma Allen (District 131), Ron Reynolds (District 27), and Jolanda Jones (District 147), members of the prestigious organization hosted a day of advocacy that focused on several legislative priorities: Healthcare, Mental Health, Election Rights, Criminal Justice, Education, and Firearms Safety.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908. Often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women, AKA has been at the forefront of social justice to promote fairness and equity. AKA stands in the gap to empower our communities and act in the best interests of all people through social advocacy and justice.
In Texas, The South Central Region of AKA, under the leadership of Mrs. Joya T. Hayes, works to improve communities and the world through compassionate service and be present to influence change at all levels and across all industries. South Central is the second largest region out of the ten regions of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. The Sensational South Central region includes more than 10,000 service-oriented members with more than 120 undergraduate and graduate chapters located in the four-state area of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas.
“We are excited to convene in Austin for the 88th Texas Legislative Session. As an organization, we walk the halls of the Texas State Capitol and boldly lead with superiority to impact the quality of life for the communities we serve,”said Joya T. Hayes, South Central Regional Director.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® had its humble beginnings as the vision of nine college students on Howard University’s campus in 1908. In 1980, the Sorority’s leadership knew there was a need for a formal commitment to impact public policy as it affects African Americans, and the AKA Connection Committee was confirmed as the ninth Standing Committee of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.® In 2022, the name of the committee was changed to Connection and Social Action Committee. The Connection and Social Action committee identifies and studies national and international issues that impact the quality of life, designs strategies for communication with the membership regarding issues, and mobilizes the membership for action to formulate and recommend position statements to the organization’s President and CEO.
“The Sorority has flourished into a globally impactful organization with 300,000 college-educated members. We have members who lead across the nation in local, state, and federal government. And we are excited to have over 350 members participate this year,” said Kelly P. Hodges, Connection and Social Action Coordinator, Texas.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® has consistently remained at the forefront of effective advocacy and social change, resulting in social justice reform and equality for all. AKA has several National Advocacy Priorities.
Healthcare
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black mothers are three times as likely to die from birth complications as white and Hispanic mothers. We want you to take action to disrupt this endemic that disproportionately affects them. We SUPPORT HB 12 (Rose) and any other legislation that would extend Medicaid eligibility to new mothers in Texas a year after their child’s delivery, significantly increasing the length of time moms can access critical postpartum health coverage.
Mental Health
Texas has seen a rise in youth mental health challenges, teen suicide, and school violence, including mass shootings. Schools desperately need mental health services to address this growing concern. We call upon the Texas Legislature to SUPPORT SB 113 (Menendez) and HB 98 (Moody) and any legislation to improve access to evidence-based mental health services and mental health professionals within a district or a collaborative network. At the same time, the Legislature should reduce the burden on educators and districts to identify and solve student mental health issues. Additionally, we ask that you SUPPORT legislation for appropriate resources for all persons needing mental health services, particularly in impoverished communities that have historically lacked access to these services.
Election Rights
Texas has seen record-breaking numbers of voters at the polls, and with that has come many challenges with ensuring that all Texans who are eligible to vote should be able to do so without undue interference and barriers. We ask that you VOTE NO to any legislation that attaches criminal liability to innocent mistakes and seeks to enforce practices that would intimidate potential voters with jail time and enormous fines and SUPPORT HB 2480 (Reynolds) that requires notice regarding the potential eligibility to vote of certain persons convicted of a felony. We ask that you SUPPORT laws that would support those who can vote by mail to ensure that directions are clear, along with access and accommodations for the elderly and voters with disabilities.
State & Local Legislative Priorities
Criminal Justice
Across the nation, communities have witnessed incidents of violence and murder being perpetrated, not by criminals, but by a few rogue officers of the law. Our priority is to protect individuals’ constitutional rights while protecting public safety. We ask that you SUPPORT HB 1808 (Jones) and any others that aim to increase police accountability in Texas by requiring peace officers to carry personal liability insurance to cover damages from “any misconduct, including intentional, negligent, or willful acts” while on duty. In addition, we ask you to SUPPORT HB 413 (Thompson), which would institute a “progressive disciplinary matrix” for allegations of police misconduct. Finally, we ask that you SUPPORT any and all legislation that takes an evidence-based approach toward meaningful changes in the criminal justice system while seeking sustainable solutions that benefit all members of society.
Education
A high-quality and well-funded public education system is the foundation to ensuring that our Texas students have access to the instruction and resources they need to become the best and brightest in the nation. However, Texas currently ranks in the bottom 10 in per-pupil spending. Texas is $4,000 behind the national average, and there has not been an increase or any inflationary adjustments in the basic allotment since 2019. With double-digit inflation, this means that school districts must stretch their education dollars to meet the ever-increasing needs of students.
With over $27 billion in additional general revenue and over $13.6 billion in our state’s Rainy-Day Fund, we ask our Texas lawmakers to vote NO to any legislation that calls for vouchers and parental savings accounts that would divert funds from public community schools. We ask you to SUPPORT any legislation that calls to invest in public school students, increase teacher compensation, and prioritize school safety so districts may attract and retain the best in the industry to educate students while ensuring a safe and secure learning environment.
Firearm Safety
Since 2014, Texas has unfortunately witnessed gruesome mass shootings at Fort Hood (2014), the Dallas police shooting (2016), the Sutherland Springs church shooting (2017), Santa Fe High School Shooting (2018), El Paso Walmart Shooting (2019), Midland-Odessa shooting (2019), and the Uvalde school shooting (2022).
Alpha Kappa Alpha is advocating for any legislation that SUPPORTS stricter laws on carrying firearms, specifically assault-style weapons. More needs to be done to strengthen the process for background checks before an individual can purchase a weapon online, in stores, and at gun shows. Therefore, we ask that you SUPPORT HB 996 (Thierry) and all similar legislation. Lastly, AKA advocates for access to gun safety education for parents and students.
Call to Action
With these priorities in mind, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority encourages its members to become familiar with their local representatives (https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home). Members are also encouraged to send emails, make phone calls and schedule in-person visits with elected officials. This call to action is encouraged to ensure the organization’s collective voices are used to influence policy. As the legislature convenes, members of AKA Connection and Social Action committee will monitor legislation and report back to their respective communities. The organization plans to host a post-AKA Day event after the 88th Legislative Session ends to provide updates on bills and the next steps in regard to legislative priorities.
For more information visit www.aka1908.com. Follow the South-Central Region on social media at Facebook: @SouthCentralAKA , Instagram: @southcentralaka, and Twitter: @southcentralAKA