*Filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper tells the complex story of the nation’s first Black Greek Letter sorority in “Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc,®” premiering today (March 26) at 8 p.m. EST on Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity, becoming the first original film for the media company’s Black content hub.
“Twenty Pearls” takes viewers on a journey into the lives of Black women creating change at a critical moment in American history. Draper, a NAACP Image Award nominee who is also a member of the sorority, tells the universal story about the women who founded an organization that is still making change today.
“The reach of Alpha Kappa Alpha into American society is at every level,” says Draper, who pledged as an undergrad at Florida State University. “When you get a mammogram, get a scholarship to further your education, attend an HBCU among many other good things, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha have had something to do with it. It’s an honor to elevate the stories of Black women who have influenced American society using the tools I know and love.”
Narrated by Tony award-winning actress and Alpha Kappa Alpha member Phylicia Rashad, Twenty Pearls tells the story of this trailblazing organization founded to serve and uplift the African American community through narration, interviews and archival assets. The first-feature-length documentary on an African American sorority, shows viewers the impact of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® on the Harlem Renaissance, World War II, NASA, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and HBCU endowments. Interviews include Alpha Kappa Alpha International President and CEO Dr. Glenda Glover, Vice President Kamala Harris, Miss Universe Ireland 2019 Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Fierst and many more.
Watch the trailer below:
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