TEXAS – The inauguration of Kamala Harris as the first female, first Black, and first South Asian vice president of the United States is indeed a serious matter.

Harris is also the first graduate of a historically Black college or university and the first member of a Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, to sit a heartbeat away from the presidency.

This historic moment represents a new dawn in American politics and also allows for reflection on a time when people of color were not allowed into universities. That disparity led to the birth of historically Black colleges and the Divine Nine.

Now, Harris is inspiring young people across the country, proving that anything is possible.

Walking along the pavement at Huston Tillotson - Austin’s first institution of higher learning and one of the first historically Black colleges in Texas that was formed when white schools shut out Black students, Kizzy LeJay reflects on how historically Black colleges and universities paved the way for African Americans.

“HBCUs have opened the doors and provided many opportunities that would have not been afforded at other institutions. At HBCUs, you’re more than just a number, you’re more than just a statistic,” LeJay said.

LeJay obtained her bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Prairie View A&M University. While there, she was also initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first Black Greek-letter sorority.

“I grew up around so many great, dynamic women only to learn later in life that they were all members of Alpha Kappa Alpha and I wanted to be just like them,” LeJay said.

Alpha Kappa Alpha boasts nearly 300,000 members worldwide and is focused on building a foundation of service to mankind, uplifting the college-founded Black sororities and fraternities known as the Divine Nine, and supporting a sisterhood that includes activist Coretta Scott King, actress Phylicia Rashad, congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and also incoming Vice President Kamala Harris.

"Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha, our Divine 9, and my HBCU brothers and sisters,” Harris said.

“I am beaming with pink and green pride and rejoicing that she has shattered this glass ceiling. She is our Founders' wildest dream,” LeJay exclaimed.

Recently, Kamala Harris took a break from inauguration preps to join her sisters in celebrating the sorority's 113th Founders' Day.

“It is such a privilege to be here with you and to celebrate the rich history of our sisterhood from 1908 to 2021, that’s a long time to be of service, but we have not stopped,” Harris said.

Each year since 2018, Alpha Kappa Alpha has successfully raised $1 million in 24 hours to help secure the fiscal sustainability of accredited HBCUs. Huston Tillotson University just received $50,000 from the organization.

“This gift to our endowment specifically is an investment in the future of the institution. It is in fact the gift that keeps on giving,” Huston Tillotson president Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette said.

It is that kind of giving spirit and commitment to the community that Dr. Pierce Burnette and LeJay said Kamala Harris has demonstrated on her path to the White House.

“Because of all the things that Kamala has done, women and girls know that there’s no door that they cannot open. We have the power and the tenacity to do anything that we set our minds to. We know that nothing is impossible,” LeJay said.

The Beta Psi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the chapter LeJay belongs to, is following in Harris’ footsteps. They spend over 2,500 hours a year volunteering throughout their local community and give generously to support youth.

Spectrum News 1 anchor Dr. Nicole Cross is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.