Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter celebrates Women’s History Month by discussing the influence of Alpha Kappa Alpha founder Margaret Flagg Holmes in this Women In History video.
Margaret Flagg-Holmes (September 6, 1886 – January 29, 1976) was one of the sixteen founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, at Howard University in Washington, DC. It was the first sorority founded by African American women.
She went on to earn a Master’s in Philosophy at Columbia University in New York. Holmes devoted her energies to teaching academic, or college preparatory, curriculum at the high school level for more than thirty years, mostly in Chicago, Illinois. She was voted "Best Latin Teacher" in the entire city. There Holmes distinguished herself further by leading the history department at Du Sable High School for several years, an unusual leadership role for any woman in those times.
Senator Mattie Hunter speaks before the Grow Your Own Teachers organization in the Capitol rotunda. Grow Your Own Teachers is an initiative of the State of Illinois that identifies, trains, and employs thousands of qualified teachers who have previous ties to the low-income communities where they will work. Each program under this initiative is organized and run by a consortium of institutions, including a teacher preparation university or college, a community-based organization, and a school district.
CHICAGO—State Senator Mattie Hunter will participate in the scheduled children’s program at the Chicago Public Library and tour the Harold Washington Library Center. The National Library Lover’s Month was established to bring public awareness to all the great resources and educational programs such as "YOUmedia," a digital space for teens offered at the Harold Washington Library Center.