Beulah Burke
Encyclopedia
Beulah Elizabeth Burke She and her sister Lillie
were two of the nine original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority in 1908, the first sorority founded by African American women. In her leadership as an educator and civic activist, Burke created important social capital. Her legacy of Alpha Kappa Alpha has continued to contribute to society for nearly 100 years.
Burke was instrumental in founding and leading new chapters at colleges in the Midwest. The African American population was dramatically increasing in major cities there due to the Great Migration. Young women in Chicago and other cities had more chances for education through high school and college. The chapters Burke established helped support African American women in college and prepare them for later leadership to help the next generations in society.
Beulah Burke demonstrated in her work as an educator, sorority leader and civic activist how African American sororities supported women "to create spheres of influence, authority and power within institutions that traditionally have allowed African Americans and women little formal authority and real power."
. After her family moved to Washington, DC, both Burke and her sister entered Howard Preparatory School in 1900 for high school. Burke graduated in 1904 from the school and entered Howard College
(later University) later that year. Burke attended Howard University, the top historically black college in the nation, at a time when only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites of eligible age attended any college.
and symbolism. Her suggestions of the sorority's colors: salmon pink and apple green, were adopted.
In addition to Greek, during college, Burke studied Latin
, German
, political science
, chemistry
, and physics
. Burke graduated from Howard University
with a Bachelors of Arts in 1908.
and completed her Masters of Arts
in home economics
, then considered a new field, at Columbia University
.
Burke worked as an educator at the high school level in both academic subjects, such as Latin
, German
, and English
, and the life skills of home economics, at Sumner High School in Kansas City, Missouri
; Georgia
public schools, and Atlantic City Schools in New Jersey
. She also taught at Delaware State University
in Dover, Delaware
and acted as a consultant in home economics to Atlantic City.
At one time Burke managed a housing project in New Jersey. After retiring from the Atlantic City school system, Burke returned in the 1940s to Washington, DC to direct Lucy Diggs Slowe Hall at Howard University. Slowe Hall was built by the Federal government
in 1942 to provide housing for African American women working for the government. It was later transferred to Howard University, which used it as a residence for women. The hall was named after fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha founder Lucy Diggs Slowe
, first dean of women at Howard University .
In addition to her work with the sorority (below), Burke was an active member of both professional - the National Education Association
- and civic associations: the NAACP and the YMCA
, in Washington, D.C.
(Beta) and the University of Illinois (Gamma). The first chapter Burke helped to establish in the Midwest was Delta at the University of Kansas
on February 15, 1915.
Burke also established the second graduate chapter (Beta Omega) in Kansas City, Kansas
, in 1920, and led as president for two years. Burke established the third graduate chapter (Mu Omega) in 1922 and served as the president. Three years later, Burke organized and was the first Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha's Midwestern Region.
Burke's creation of new chapters in the Midwest kept pace with the dramatic increase of African American population, especially in Chicago, due to the Great Migration. As a result, more African American women had the chance for education, including college. Burke's leadership and example gave them support to succeed and to learn how to give back to the community. At a time when discrimination was a burden, the sorority chapters encouraged African American students, helping them to incorporate aspects of "racial identification, cultural heritage and social uplift."
Burke served as Second Anti-Basileus in 1923-24, as well as in other regional and local offices. In 1958, Burke was quoted on the subject of Alpha Kappa Alpha's golden anniversary:
In 1968, Burke and fellow founders Lavinia Norman
and Norma Boyd were honored at the Founders' Day Banquet. Burke was active in the sorority for sixty-seven years, until her death in 1975 in Washington, D.C.
Lillie Burke
Lillie Burke She and her sister Beulah Burke were two of the nine original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 1908, the first sorority founded by African American women...
were two of the nine original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...
Sorority in 1908, the first sorority founded by African American women. In her leadership as an educator and civic activist, Burke created important social capital. Her legacy of Alpha Kappa Alpha has continued to contribute to society for nearly 100 years.
Burke was instrumental in founding and leading new chapters at colleges in the Midwest. The African American population was dramatically increasing in major cities there due to the Great Migration. Young women in Chicago and other cities had more chances for education through high school and college. The chapters Burke established helped support African American women in college and prepare them for later leadership to help the next generations in society.
Beulah Burke demonstrated in her work as an educator, sorority leader and civic activist how African American sororities supported women "to create spheres of influence, authority and power within institutions that traditionally have allowed African Americans and women little formal authority and real power."
Early life
Beulah Burke was born in Hertford, North CarolinaHertford, North Carolina
Hertford is a town in Perquimans County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,185 at the 2008 census. It is the county seat of Perquimans County. Hertford is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks region and is part of the Elizabeth City Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. After her family moved to Washington, DC, both Burke and her sister entered Howard Preparatory School in 1900 for high school. Burke graduated in 1904 from the school and entered Howard College
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
(later University) later that year. Burke attended Howard University, the top historically black college in the nation, at a time when only 1/3 of 1% of African Americans and 5% of whites of eligible age attended any college.
Howard University and founding Alpha Kappa Alpha
Together with eight other members, Burke founded Alpha Kappa Alpha on January 15, 1908. Burke suggested Alpha Kappa Alpha to be the name of the sorority. Burke also named the organization's motto, since she took classes relating to GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and symbolism. Her suggestions of the sorority's colors: salmon pink and apple green, were adopted.
In addition to Greek, during college, Burke studied Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, and physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
. Burke graduated from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
with a Bachelors of Arts in 1908.
Career
After graduating from Howard, Burke did graduate work at University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and completed her Masters of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
, then considered a new field, at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Burke worked as an educator at the high school level in both academic subjects, such as Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and the life skills of home economics, at Sumner High School in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
; Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
public schools, and Atlantic City Schools in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. She also taught at Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware...
in Dover, Delaware
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
and acted as a consultant in home economics to Atlantic City.
At one time Burke managed a housing project in New Jersey. After retiring from the Atlantic City school system, Burke returned in the 1940s to Washington, DC to direct Lucy Diggs Slowe Hall at Howard University. Slowe Hall was built by the Federal government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
in 1942 to provide housing for African American women working for the government. It was later transferred to Howard University, which used it as a residence for women. The hall was named after fellow Alpha Kappa Alpha founder Lucy Diggs Slowe
Lucy Diggs Slowe
Lucy Diggs Slowe was one of the original sixteen founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African-American women. She was one of the nine original founders of the sorority in 1908 at Howard University. Her legacy of Alpha Kappa Alpha has continued to...
, first dean of women at Howard University .
In addition to her work with the sorority (below), Burke was an active member of both professional - the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
- and civic associations: the NAACP and the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, in Washington, D.C.
Activity in expanding Alpha Kappa Alpha
Burke served an active role in expanding the organization during years of rapid social change. She established undergraduate chapters at the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
(Beta) and the University of Illinois (Gamma). The first chapter Burke helped to establish in the Midwest was Delta at the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
on February 15, 1915.
Burke also established the second graduate chapter (Beta Omega) in Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, in 1920, and led as president for two years. Burke established the third graduate chapter (Mu Omega) in 1922 and served as the president. Three years later, Burke organized and was the first Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha's Midwestern Region.
Burke's creation of new chapters in the Midwest kept pace with the dramatic increase of African American population, especially in Chicago, due to the Great Migration. As a result, more African American women had the chance for education, including college. Burke's leadership and example gave them support to succeed and to learn how to give back to the community. At a time when discrimination was a burden, the sorority chapters encouraged African American students, helping them to incorporate aspects of "racial identification, cultural heritage and social uplift."
Burke served as Second Anti-Basileus in 1923-24, as well as in other regional and local offices. In 1958, Burke was quoted on the subject of Alpha Kappa Alpha's golden anniversary:
In 1968, Burke and fellow founders Lavinia Norman
Lavinia Norman
Lavinia Norman was one of the sixteen original founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority founded by African American women, at Howard University. She was one of a small minority of women who attended college at all...
and Norma Boyd were honored at the Founders' Day Banquet. Burke was active in the sorority for sixty-seven years, until her death in 1975 in Washington, D.C.