Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. has announced its 2025 class of honorary members. The organization bestowed four women with its highest distinction: Olympian Gabby Thomas, former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, CNN anchor and analyst Laura Coates and model Beverly Johnson. Alpha Kappa Alpha chose to award the title to trailblazing women in their profession.
“Welcoming these phenomenal women into our Sisterhood is a powerful testament to our legacy of distinction,” International President & CEO Danette Anthony Reed said, according to Watch the Yard. “Their voices and vision will further strengthen our mission of impactful service to all mankind.”
Reed led the induction ceremony, which was held during Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 2025 Leadership Seminar in Anaheim, California.
“These trailblazers were honored for their excellence in leadership, groundbreaking achievements, and transformative service that uplift communities around the world,” the organization added in an Instagram post. “Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Honorary Membership is the highest recognition bestowed upon individuals who embody our core values: scholarship, service, and sisterhood.”
Gabby Thomas is the first Ivy League graduate to win an Olympic track & field medal
The athlete graduated from Harvard University with a degree in neurobiology and global health. She has used her platform to advocate for diversity in STEM fields and encourage young women to pursue careers in science and public health.
Thomas also competed in both the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris. Last summer, she won gold medals in the 200-meter as well as the 4×100-meter relay races.
Karine Jean-Pierre is the first Black person to be White House Press Secretary
Not only was Jean-Pierre the first Black person to hold the position of White House Press Secretary during the Biden administration, she also became the longest-serving woman and first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the role.
Jean-Pierre has held several communications roles during the Biden and Obama administrations. She previously worked as a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC.
Laura Coates is the first Black woman Chief Legal Analyst and Anchor at CNN
Coates became a recognizable face at CNN after joining the network in 2016, according to CAA. She also hosts her own show on SiriusXM, The Laura Coates Show, on which she interviews politicians. Coats previously worked as a federal prosecutor and a law professor.
Beverly Johnson is the first Black woman to be featured on the cover of American Vogue
Johnson was part of a milestone moment in American media when she became the first Black model to appear on the cover of US Vogue in August 1974.
“It’s definitely an American story,” Johnson told the publication as it celebrated the issue’s 50th anniversary, “in the way that you have a chance at opportunities that you would never have anywhere else in the world…and how it’s possible to stumble upon success. I was a student and I wanted to be a lawyer [when I was scouted at 18]; this never was in my scope. It’s only in America where you can totally redesign your life unintentionally.”
