The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s chapter in Selma-Dallas County is celebrating its 65^th anniversary this week.

The Zeta Eta Omega Chapter in the Black Belt was chartered on March 27, 1954 and performed by then-Regional Director Lois Daniels. Gladys Peoples served as the chapter’s first President. The area includes Dallas, Perry and Wilcox counties.

The anniversary festivities began on March 24 with the Gayle Okeke Rites of Passage Ritual at the Ivy and Pearl Service Center.

Selma Mayor Darrio Melton signed a proclamation honoring the Zeta Omega’s contribution in the Black Belt.

The sorority will wrap up its anniversary celebration with two events this weekend.

The chapter will have a Women and Children Brown Bag Clothing Event, a community yard sale, Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at the Ivy and Pearl Service Center, located on 515 Bell Road.

The 111th Founders’ Day and 65th Chapter Celebration Luncheon will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Selma Convention Center. The guest speaker will be Tracy Morant Adams, Executive Vice President at Renasant Bank and membership Chair of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The event will also honor eight women who were first in their field to break the glass ceiling.

Dr. Patricia Robinson, chairman of the Zeta Eta Omega anniversary, said she enjoyed working on the celebration.

“I was honored to chair the events surrounding the commemoration of our chapter’s 65 years of service to this area,” Robinson said. “The history of the chapter should be honored as it showed how its early members committed themselves to service and embraced activism when it was dangerous to do so.

“The chapter’s charter members were leaders who fully embraced Alpha Kappa Alpha’ s ideals and understood that the powerful bond of sisterhood and a deep sense of purpose could radically change their communities and impact the world despite any challenges. Our sorority’s history is one of servant leadership and leadership by example.”