Twenty-Twenty was a year of many firsts- to say the least. The first pandemic (of our lifetime), first quarantine, first well, you get it. The most important first though, was the United States welcoming it’s first woman Vice President, Kamala Harris, who just so happens to be an alumnae of Alpha Kappa Alpha. While VP Harris is the first woman Vice President, there are also many other sorority women in politics! Here are just a few of the many sorority women paving the way for a better future:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Although the Associate Supreme Justice passed away last September, she was thought to be one of the most influential women in the world. Ginsburg graduated from Cornell University and was a member of Alpha Epsilon Phi. She spent most of her time in office advocating for gender equality and women’s rights – her most notable cases being the United States v. Virginia (1996), Olmstead v. L.C. (1999), and Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (2007). Imagine being on a composite with Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that would be epic.
Loretta Lynch: A Harvard Law School graduate and Delta Sigma Theta alumnae, Loretta Lynch served as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States (2015-2017) and was sworn in by (now) President Joe Biden. She was the first black woman to serve in this position. Prior to being appointed, Lynch served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where she had an impressive career prosecuting cases involving violent crimes, narcotics, civil rights, and much more. Today Loretta is a litigation partner at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison in the New York office. Her latest high profile case is against the Washington Football Team where she is investigating allegations of misconduct among the owners on behalf of the National Football League.
Condoleezza Rice: Condoleezza Rice attended the University of Denver where she joined Alpha Chi Omega and graduated with a B.A. in political science. In 2000, she was appointed as the 20th National Security Advisor (2001 – 2005) under President George W. Bush, becoming the first black woman to hold this position. Following her position as National Security Advisor, in 2004 Rice was selected as the Secretary of State. Again- being the first African American woman to hold this position. As Secretary of State, Condoleezza worked to promote peace all around the world.
There have also been many extraordinary fraternity men in politics throughout history, but it’s important to recognize the women who fought their way to the table. It’s crazy to think that 100 years ago women couldn’t even vote, and now we have a female Vice President. Here’s to the next hundred years of women making differences.