Kamala Harris’ Black Sorority Is Her Secret Superpower and I Would Know

When newly crowned Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris announced her candidacy roughly 100 days before the November election, she knew she could rely on a secret superpower: more than two million members of Black sororities and fraternities who quietly wield massive power to deliver her both money and votes.

Harris, a member of the historically Black Alpha Kappa Alpha since her time at Howard University, tapped into that power on one of her first campaign stops as a presidential candidate. Appearing in a cream-suit and heels, she drew rapturous applause while speaking to members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority at their annual Grand Boulé convention in Indianapolis.

Black Greek life doesn’t end after collegiate community service events, boisterous house parties, and the sweet freedom of graduation. Behind the salmon pink and kelly green signage of Harris’ sorority is a pearl necklace-wearing behemoth of a voter mobilization beast—and I would know.

I’m a member of AKA, as is my older sister and mother. My father, a member of the historically Black Alpha Phi Alpha, cements my household as the epitome of a “Phirst Phamily,” a nickname that encapsulates members of the first two Black Greek organizations.

And while the vice president may be the most high-profile “Phamily” member in the country right now, the upper echelons of the sorority’s network runs deep.

Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, the first Black-owned mutual fund firm in the country, is also an honorary member of the organization. The native Chicagoan is married to Star Wars and Indiana Jones filmmaker George Lucas. The couple were Democratic mega donors in the 2020 election, donating over $700k to Biden-aligned groups spread out over three separate donations.

Other Hollywood heavyweight sorority sisters have also thrown their support behind Harris.

Wanda Sykes posted a photo of the vice president the day after she announced her bid with the caption “Let’s go,” then posted a video about Harris’ record.

Singer Alicia Keys joined Harris on the campaign trail in Arizona in 2020, and director Ava DuVernay begged her 2 million followers to vote for Team Biden-Harris.

The vice president’s fundraising prowess isn’t limited to Democratic high-rollers. The week after Harris was announced as Biden’s running mate in 2020, she raised almost $219,000 in donations made in the amount of $19.08, the year AKA was founded—11,468 individual donations.

Harris was clearly hoping to recreate that grassroots support even before her own presidential run. She made a pit stop at the annual AKA Boulé conference in early July, where she spoke to over 20,000 of our sorority sisters about the importance of organizing.

“In this moment, once again, our nation is counting on the leaders in this room to guide us forward; to energize, organize and mobilize; to register folks to vote and to get them to the polls in November,” Harris said. “Because we know when we organize, mountains move. When we mobilize, nations change. And when we vote, we make history.”

And the vice president is already mobilizing to do just that.

Within 48 hours of Joe Biden ditching the presidential race, Harris held two separate voter engagement calls: one alongside the organizing group “Win With Black Women,” and another with “Win With Black Men.” There were so many attendees that they helped shatter presidential fundraising records and maxed out the number of people allowed to join the call, effectively breaking video conferencing platform Zoom, twice.

That enthusiasm is indicative of the power of AKAs and the network of the five fraternities and four sororities that make up the historically Black National Pan-Hellenic Council. The council evolved because white Greek organizations denied African Americans civil rights and membership in the early 1900s.

Collectively known as the Divine Nine, it’s that legacy of civil rights and collective action that has made Black Greek life a crucial organizing block for African American voters, a group long-considered the backbone of the Democratic party.

The Divine Nine Council of Presidents announced the launch of an “unprecedented voter registration, education, and mobilization coordinated campaign” on Monday, without specifically endorsing either major party candidate.

“This campaign will activate the thousands of chapters and members in our respective organizations to ensure strong voter turnout in the communities we serve,” they wrote.

Despite the infighting and constant taunts proclaiming one Greek organization is better than the others, it’s that instant ability to unite and mobilize nine organizations within 24 hours that members believe will help put the first Black female president into the White House.

P.S. – If you see any Black Greeks doing a coordinated happy dance (we call it strolling) at a Kamala for President event, it’s not a conga line at your cousin’s wedding. Stay back, and don’t jump in.