The Delta Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will celebrate its Founders’ Day at Trinity Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The sorority will recognize 11 outstanding African American women throughout Rowan County and surrounding areas.
The honorees are: Dorothy Graham, funeral home director/owner; Jackie Hester, insurance agency owner; Dr. Catrelia Hunter, past president of Livingstone College and international church woman of the Presbyterian church; Willie Jean Kennedy, retired educator and vice chairman of the Rowan-Salisbury School Board; Dr. Mabel McLean, past president of Barber Scotia College in Concord; attorney Ginger Jenkins Cartwright, director of Gang Prevention Program for the city of Salisbury and the attorney for Livingstone College; Lillian Morgan, director of English Speakers and Other Languages for Rowan-Salisbury Schools; eresa Moore-Mitchell, well-known vocalist and music professor at Livingstone College; Kay Wright Norman, retired educator, Rowan-Salisbury School Board member, and local musician; and Mary Ponds, mayor of Granite Quarry and retired educator. The sorority will also recognize sorority member, the late Rev. Mignonne E. M. Snipes, who was a professor of religious studies at Livingstone College.
The speaker for the celebration is Salisbury native Ethel Ophelia Davis Johnson of Raleigh. She is the daughter of Benjamin and Suzette Davis of Salisbury. An honor graduate of West Rowan High School, Johnson obtained her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at Chapel Hill, she received the Roy Wilkins Memorial Journalism Scholarship.
In 2005, she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Queens University in Charlotte. Previously employed as a reporter of the Salisbury Post, she was also an award-winning reporter for The Richmond Times-Dispatch newspaper for 10 years. Currently, Johnson is a freelance writer, an instructor at ITT-Technical Institute in Cary, and was recently named editor of the Baptist Informer, the official newspaper of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. She is married to the Rev. Dr. Earl C. Johnson. The Johnsons have two daughters, Kristen and Kelli. She is also a 25-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, DC on January 15, 1908. Delta Xi Omega, the Salisbury chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha was established in April, 1947. Since its inception, Delta Xi Omega members have performed a variety of direct volunteer services throughout the community. Founders’ Day Committee chairman is Suzette Davis. Yolanda Woods serves as vice chairman. Fonda W. Kirk is the chapter president.
Music for the program will be presented by the Levitical Praise Singers of the Livingstone College Gospel Choir under the direction Sir Davis.