AKA Sorors Inaugurate Spearman

A banquet hall became a sea of pink and green as AKAs inducted a new 35th North Atlantic Regional director.

That happened Saturday, as hundreds of members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) sorority gathered on Quinnipiac University’s York Hill campus to celebrate the inauguration of Hamden native Elicia Pegues Spearman as the 35th North Atlantic Regional director. 

The afternoon of food and friends commemorated Spearman making history as the first Northeast Regional director from Connecticut.

Spearman will oversee all chapters within the North Atlantic region, which spans from Washington all the way up to Maine.

Spearman’s connection to the AKAs stems originally from her mother, Cheryl Pegues, a Hamden resident who has been a member for the past 60 years. Spearman also has ties to Quinnipiac University, serving currently as the general counsel and vice president for human resources.

The event began with words from several AKA officials, including an opening prayer over the inauguration ceremony. 

“I like nothing better than to see a sea of powerful women,” said Quinnipiac University President Judy Olian.

Spearman said she plans to focus on five ​“FIRST” principles: Fellowship, Innovation, Respect, Service, and Thrive.

Spearman plans to execute these principles in part through an Education Advancement Fund (EAF), set up to provide money to AKA undergraduates who are pursuing degrees that lead to social justice and public service careers.

“I don’t want people to stop and not be able to move forward,” Spearman told the Independent.

Supporting AKA members who are passionate about advocacy is crucial to the ​“competency and sisterliness of the ​‘pink’ standard,” Spearman said.

QU Associate Provost Khalilah Brown-Dean called Spearman ​“a daughter of Hamden,” and said that the work she and her administration are doing will be important to ​“connecting the community with institutions of higher education.”