The ladies in pink and green, who proudly proclaim their heritage as being members of the oldest African-American sorority, are gearing up for their annual Founders Day celebration.
Members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA), Nu Rho Omega Chapter Inc. in Hinesville will hold an open Founders Day celebration at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, at Baconton Missionary Baptist Church, 20 Tibet Road in Walthourville.  
The sorority was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., in 1908, according to aka1908.com, and is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-trained women. It is a public-service organization with a goal of giving back to the community and providing assistance through education and training. Sorority members are actively involved in a variety of on-going initiatives.
The speaker for this year’s Founders Day celebration is national and international leader the Rev. Dr. Henrietta Gray, a native of Bartow, Florida, who currently resides in Savannah.
A noted scholar, Gray is a cum laude graduate of Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, where she earned both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in education.
She pledged the undergraduate Beta Alpha Chapter of Florida A&M University known as the first chapter of AKA in Florida. She holds a Doctor of Ministry and Administration from the International Institute and Seminary of Plymouth, Fla.
She also served as director of the El Bethel Bible College.                 
Prior to moving to Savannah, she was the human-resources development training specialist with the Polk County School System in Florida and personnel director and training and development coordinator. She also was employed with Bell South as a business-office supervisor and was a public-housing supervisor for the city of Jacksonville, Florida.
Additionally, Gray was a pioneering professor at Walt Disney University in Disney World. She worked with nationally and internationally known Bob Billingslea, one of the longest-serving African-American corporate executives in America.
A trained and anointed minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Gray serves as a spiritual advisor to the Alpha Kappa Alpha’s South Atlantic regional director. She is highly recognized and applauded for her skillful, profound knowledge of the Holy Word.
Gray is a member of Living Hope Community Fellowship in Savannah and serves on the leadership and ministerial team. A retired educator from the Savannah Chatham County Public School System, and she is the president of the Chatham County Retired Educators Association.
For additional information about the Founders Day program, call 884-2504.

Anderson is the author of “Dare to Soar” and “Lack of Knowledge.”