KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers issues in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. You can email her story ideas at rachel.henderson@kshb.com.
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President Joe Biden’s decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election represents historic possibilities for her as a potential presidential candidate.
Not only would she be the first female president, but her Black and south Asian identities also make for a historical nomination.
Back when she campaigned for Vice President in 2020, Harris proudly affiliated herself with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
KSHB 41's Rachel Henderson is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, so she sat down with a local member to discuss the significance of Biden's endorsement.
Alpha Kappa Alpha is the oldest Black, Greek-letter sorority with over 300,000 members.
It’s also the first sorority out of the nine Black, Greek-letter organizations, also known as the Divine Nine.
It’s also a 501(c)7 non-profit organization and therefore is nonpartisan and has not endorsed a candidate in the upcoming election.
From July 4-11, Alpha Kappa Alpha hosted its 71st Boule, a national convention held with members across the country, in Dallas this year.
Harris was the keynote speaker for the convention and encouraged her fellow sorority sisters to mobilize and vote in the upcoming election.
Less than two weeks later, Biden endorsed her for president.
“Hearing her speak and then hearing how she mobilizes the crowd gives you goosebumps is what it does,” said Lani Stigler, the president of the Mu Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which was chartered in 1924 in Kansas City, Kansas.
With the chapter being in its 100th year, Stigler says she's no stranger to historic moments.
"The print that was made across the Midwest from our founders, and that piece of history is our charter history, and that's really one of the beautiful aspects of being part of this chapter," Stigler said.
Stigler was in Dallas when Harris spoke, but it’s not the first time Harris has made an appearance at a Boule. She also attended the 70th in Orlando in 2022.
“This is even more exciting that the first Black woman, the first South Asian woman, is the potential party nominee for the highest office in the country,” Stigler said.
As the president of a local Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter, Stigler says she knows what representation offers.
“I think the value in having someone who represents you and looks like you gives you voice, and I think that is what’s most important when we’re soaring to the polls," she said. "When we move to make our voices heard, that’s what’s most important."
Vice President Harris also has a south Asian identity, something Sanchi Vishwakarma appreciates.
“Just the action of having someone new to represent something new with a new perspective is going to be appealing to a lot of minorities and a lot of people,” Vishwakarma said.
One way Vishwakarma connects with her Indian heritage is through the University of Missouri — Kansas City’s South Asian Film Society.
However, she also appreciates what Harris offers as a female candidate.
“We’re just really growing and advancing into what seemed like a man’s field, and I think that’s wonderful,” Vishwakarma said.
As a Gen Z voter, she’s hoping her generation feels motivated again.
“I think it’ll add interest back into the election and hopefully get people to vote again just because they do have a new option, and novelty is always something that draws people in,” Vishwakarma said.
Only time will tell as a former prosecutor tries to make the case for a historic candidacy.
“I think it’s important that little girls have the opportunity to see, you know, that they have boundless limits and that it’s important to know that we can do the job, any job, the highest job,” Stigler said.
Editor’s note: KSHB 41's Rachel Henderson is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which is not a political organization.
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