Mound Bayou, Miss.- Cynthia J. Finch is not a name that is heard in this area; however, on December 6, 2003, Cynthia J. Finch made history in the town of Mound Bayou, and Finch will once again journey to Mound Bayou, where this historical occasion first began.
It was on December 6, 2003, when 16 former Pearls of Wisdom Interest Group members braved the cold, wintery weather and gathered at the Lampton Street Church of Christ in Mound Bayou for the chartering of the first graduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated to be located in Bolivar County, Miss. At that time, and newly installed in her position as the Southeastern Regional Director (which includes the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee), Finch still proudly proclaims, “Chi Mu Omega Chapter was the first chapter that I chartered, and it will always be near and dear to my heart!” “It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since Chi Mu Omega Chapter was chartered,” continued Finch. “Although I have been back on several occasions, the 20th anniversary celebration is so heartwarming and exciting to me, and I feel so blessed to be a part of this wonderful celebration,” stated Finch.
In celebration of Chi Mu Omega Chapter’s chartering, Anniversary Committee chairman, Danna Clemmons and co-chairmen, Markeita Brinkley and Evelyn Henry, along with other committee members, have planned the “Celebrating 20 Years of Soaring in Service and Synchronizing in Sisterhood,” gala to be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023, at 5:00 pm at Scooter’s Place in Mound Bayou. Tickets for the event can be obtained from any member of Chi Mu Omega Chapter or by calling the chapter’s president, Annie Y. Griffin, at 662-812-7184, for additional information. “This celebratory event is for the public to come out and help us to honor those special ladies on whose shoulders we stand,” said Griffin. “Had they not had the fortitude and perseverance, we may not have our chapter today,” continued Griffin. “We definitely owe them a debt of gratitude for their untiring efforts, and on Saturday night, they will see just how much we appreciate them,” said Griffin.
“Of the 16 charter members, eight are still active members of the chapter,” said Griffin. “They are: Gwendolyn Bass-Green, Brenda Bell Brooks, Geraldine C. Grammer, Louise Hemingway, Tashika Lindsey, Marilee L. Lucas, DeVoyce C. Morris and Lottie H. Williams,” she stated. “Our deceased charter members are Dorothy Smith Bass, Nancy Mosley Bonney and Erma L. Inge,” she continued. Other charter members are Carla Lucas-Wiley, Vicki Lucas, Dr. Eulah Peterson, Michelle Porter and Tammie Norton.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 355,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries including the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”
Chi Mu Omega Chapter presently has 90 members. Annie Y. Griffin has recently been elected for a second two-year term as the chapter’s president. It is the mission and vision of Chi Mu Omega Chapter to provide “service to all mankind.”
Media Contact: DeVoyce C. Morris
Phone: 662.719.0090
Email: projectascend@yahoo.com
