As Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign momentum continues to swell, many TikTok users are turning their attention toward videos that highlight the potential electoral influence of Black Greek organizations such as Harris’ own sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA).
On Wednesday, Harris addressed members of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority. The sorority is one of the nine historically African American fraternities and sororities, including AKA, that makes up the National Pan-Hellenic Council, commonly known as the “Divine Nine.”
One video, posted by TikTok user @bigwilltok, showed thousands of Black women wearing blue and white, the sorority’s signature colors, applauding as Harris walked onto the stage to give her remarks.
“Wow I feel the energy,” commented one user.
That energy appears to be everywhere. In the past few weeks, amidst the coconut tree memes and a fleury of celebrity endorsements, Harris has risen in polls and raised a record amount of donations, banking more than $81 million in 24 hours.
That fundraising push has been spurred by energized Black voters.
Organizers hosted a “Win With Black Women” Zoom call following Harris’ campaign announcement. The call attracted over 44,000 Black women and had such high demand that Zoom tech support stepped in.
In only 90 minutes, the group raised $1.5 million in donations.
But it is events like the speech at Zeta Phi Beta that have people speculating how her lengthy relationship with the Divine Nine and AKA could come into play.
Harris joined AKA while attending Howard University in the early 1980s. Howard, one of the nation’s most famous Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), hosts the sorority’s original chapter, which was also the first sorority chapter among any of the organizations in the Divine Nine.
AKA is also the largest intercollegiate, historically African American sorority. The organization boasts over 360,000 members and 1,074 chapters in the U.S. and beyond.
AKA lays claim to a rich political history, with many members contributing to efforts in the civil rights movement. Beyond Harris, other sisters have become prominent politicians and civil rights activists, such as Bernice King, Sheila Jackson-Lee, and Gloria Richardson.
Shortly before Biden dropped out and endorsed Harris, she gave remarks in Dallas to AKA members on July 10, inspiring similar awe online.
One video, with over 1.8 million views, highlighted the sea of pink and green, the organizations signature colors, that surrounded her.
“Talk about having a strong support system,” commented one user. “Every AKA sister will be behind her.”
Another TikToker, @jaglobalnomad, echoed the sentiment with a video highlighting the reach of the sisterhood.
“Okay, so I just realized that Donald Trump is not just going up against Kamala Harris,” said the TikToker. “He’s also about to go up against every A.K.A. in the country. And not only that, he’s about to go up against the entire Divine Nine. He has no idea. Game on.”
The comments echoed his sentiment. “The Divine 9 is about to unite like the Avengers,” one user wrote.
“Everyone’s Auntie is about to show us all how it’s done!” commented another.
That video has over 1.5 million views.
The Daily Dot spoke to one former student and member of AKA, Jasmyn, who described the excitement she and many fellow members are experiencing with Harris’ campaign.
“As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, I am incredibly proud to see Harris receive the nomination,” she said.
“Our organization is one of excellence. This organization was founded in 1908 before women even had the right to vote. Black citizens could not vote at this time either. It is really powerful to think about how far we have come as a country, and it is amazing that a member of our illustrious sorority could become the next president.”
Jasmyn elaborated that Harris’ campaign has sparked immense enthusiasm among her fellow members. “This is historic,” she said. “The energy of AKA is excited. We are ready to make history and support our sister in this election. This is a serious matter.”
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