By// Mariah Craddick
Holly Robinson Peete and three other outstanding women were inducted as honorary members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., during a recent ceremony held in Los Angeles.
Peete, along with CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux, activist and survivor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing Carolyn Maull McKinstry, and President of Ariel Capital Management, LLC Mellody Hobson were extended the prestigious honor by the Sorority’s international president, Carolyn House Stewart.
Stewart explained that the honorary membership is the Sorority’s highest lifetime tribute and has only been bestowed upon a select few since its founding in 1908.
Peete is best known as an actress and singer but also is an active philanthropist. She founded the HollyRod Foundation in 1997 with her husband Rodney Peete as a focal point for her autism and Parkinson’s disease activism. She also wrote the children’s book My Brother Charlie, which won her an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Literary Work.”
“The many activities of these new members and their dedication to the welfare of all mankind and leadership merit this honor,” Stewart said in a statement. “We welcome them to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and look forward to them being a part of the sorority’s mission to initiate new movements and launch programs that support our theme: ’Global Leadership Through Timeless Service.’”
