Phi Mu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., recently celebrated its silver anniversary and Founders’ Day. Chartered Jan. 15, 2000, at the C.O. Haskins Community Room at Southwest Regional Medical Center with 18 members, and celebrated 25 years at the Martin Luther King Center. AKA was founded Jan. 15, 1908, by nine students on Howard University’s campus, and incorporated in 1913. 

Guest speaker was Dr. Juanita Sims Doty, former South Eastern Regional Director for Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Co-founder of the Juanita Sims Doty Foundation, has also served as the International Program and Membership Chairman for the AKA Sorority.

Former Phi Mu Omega presidents are Betty Wilson-McSwain (2000-2001), Dr. Karen Bryant Luckett (2002-2003), Lorraine B. Gayden (2004-2005), Frances Hogan (2006-2009), Nikkitta Beckley Holloway (2010-2011), Marcia Leonard (2012-2015), Ruby Husband (2016-2019), and PaQuita S. McCray (2020-2023). Current president is Dr. Valerie Turner.  

The chapter has awarded more than $135,000 in scholarships to high school students and has conducted numerous activities in Southwest Mississippi, including tree and flower planting at Gertrude’s Garden, mental health and veterans’ day programs, a childhood hunger initiative with Otken Elementary students, senior citizens’ luncheons, candidate forums, economic empowerment initiatives, etc.     

Pearl member Doris Jacques, a sorority member for more than 65 years, was the visionary of Phi Mu Omega. Golden members with more than 50 years of sorority membership are Mary Helena Thompson, Gayden, and Hogan. All four hold life memberships.