PRESS ROOM: TWENTY PEARLS Documentary Film about First Black-Greek Letter Organization Now Available Nationwide
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Makes History with Film Production and Distribution
CHICAGO, IL — Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® announces the North American release of TWENTY PEARLS, the official documentary film which chronicles the organization’s history. Narrated by Phylicia Rashād, TWENTY PEARLS journeys through 113 provocative years. Only 40 years past the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, nine Black college women enrolled at Howard University where they organized and built a sisterhood in 1908.
The organization has now grown to more than 300,000 members internationally and has been pivotal in watershed moments that have impacted American history. Through narration, interviews, and archival assets, viewers will see how Alpha Kappa Alpha impacted the Harlem Renaissance, World War II, NASA, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) all culminating in the election of the first woman, African American and Asian American Vice President of the United States of America.
Interviews include Alpha Kappa Alpha International President and CEO Dr. Glenda Glover, Vice President Kamala Harris, Miss Universe Ireland 2019 Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and many more.
“Telling our own story is essential to preserving our history and uplifting the culture,” said Dr. Glover. “Alpha Kappa Alpha’s remarkable 113-year journey is punctuated by stories of history makers, ceiling breakers, public servants and ordinary women who have changed the course of American history. Through this beautifully written and narrated odyssey, this film highlights, in undeniable ways, the vision, courage, tenacity, determination and power of Black women while dispelling any age-old questions about the relevance of HBCUs and the Divine 9.”
The film production marks another first for AKA. The sorority is the first African American Greek-letter organization to distribute a full-length, feature documentary film. TWENTY PEARLS premiered on Friday, March 26, 2021 on Comcast Xfinity Black Experience and Comcast Xfinity platforms, xfinity.com, XfinityFlex internet and Xfinity Mobile.
The documentary will now be distributed across North America through On Demand to Atlantic Telephone Cable, Bardstown Cable, Cass Cable TV Inc., Charter Communications, Citizen’s Cable, Comcast, Cox, Fidelity Cable, Golden West Cablevision, Grande Communications, Great Lakes DSB, Hiawatha Broadband Comm., Homestead on Demand, Hotwire Communications, Kuhn Communications, Mid-Continent, OTELCO, Paul Bunyan Communications, Pencor Services, Phonoscope Cable, Plantation Cable, RCN, Service Electric Cable TV, Service Electric Cablevision, Troy Cablevision, Wyandotte Municipal Services and more. Check your cable guide for availability.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is an international service organization that 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 dedicated to elevating the stature of African Americans, particularly girls and women. Through a robust international program of service, Alpha Kappa Alpha continues to institute groundbreaking social initiatives and social service programs that transform communities for the better. Today, these include Target 1: HBCU for Life: A Call To Action; Target 2: Women’s Healthcare and Wellness; Target 3: Building Your Economic Legacy; Target 4: The Arts!; Target 5: Global Impact; and The Signature Program #CAP. The sorority is comprised of over 300,000 members in more than 1000 undergraduate and graduate chapters in the United States and internationally. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated is a 501 (c)(7) organization. As a tax-exempt organization, AKA does not directly or indirectly participate in, or intervene in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.
