Houston was painted pink and green from July 6 -13 as more than 20,000 women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. visited the City for their international conference held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Pink and green are the official colors of the sorority, which was founded in 1908 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and is comprised of nearly 300,000 members in 1,012 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, Liberia, the Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Germany, South Korea, Bermuda, Japan, Canada, South Africa and the Middle East.

To enhance the airport experience for the attendees the airport created a pink and green wonderland including:

• Lighting the welcome monuments in pink and green
• AKA step and repeat
• AKA dedicated signage
• AKA décor

"It is great to see the magnificent teamwork at Houston Airports for this outreach," said Chief Community Relations Officer Rhonda Arnold.  "Special kudos to External Affairs,  Asset Management, HCM, Commercial Development, and the Customer Service teams at  Hobby and Bush airports.  The HAS team volunteers and ambassadors were phenomenal.  We really couldn't have done it without them. It was an honor to be of service in my capacity as Chief Community Relations Officer and AKA Chair of the Pink Hat and Gloves Committee." 

Houston was selected as the host site for the conference because of its historical significance to the Sorority. The city is home to two former International Presidents, Mattelia B. Grays and Faye B. Bryant, two prominent Houstonians, and retired educators. 

Once Houston was named as the host city for the 68^th Boule, the sorority pledged to complete 29 service projects to positively impact the world and the Houston region. In February, the sorority kicked off a garden project at The Community Garden at the Park at Palm Center in Third Ward and committed to two years of volunteer service to manage the garden including sponsoring a farmer’s market that will donate food to the local community. The greenhouse will be named the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Greenhouse. Houston members also helped build two Habitat for Humanity Homes that will be given to two worthy families in the Houston-area.

The convention pumped millions into the Houston economy. The last Boule took place in 2016 in Atlanta, where the city felt an economic impact of nearly $60 million. AKA International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson expects Houston to match that. Figures will be tallied soon.

For more information, please visit www.aka1908.com.