Miss Anna Easter Brown Historical Marker

This historical marker is dedicated to Miss Anna Easter Brown (1879-1957), an accomplished educator, historian, and founding member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. An active member of the community, Brown lived in a home that was once located here.

Miss Anna Easter Brown (1879-1957) is named for the day she was born, which fell on Easter Sunday. Brown attended Howard University in the early 1900s, a time when the thousands of African American students pursuing higher education in the United States usually attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) like Howard.

In 1908, Brown and eight other African American women (“The Divine Nine”) founded Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University in Washington, D.C. In total, nine juniors and seniors and sixteen sophomores were the first members of the sorority. Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first African American Sorority in the United States. Brown became the first treasurer of the sorority. 

After graduating in 1909, Brown earned her graduate degree at Columbia University. She passionately taught history to students for over fifty years. After teaching at a few other schools, Brown moved to Rocky Mount, where she was a teacher at Booker T. Washington High School, a school for Black students.

Miss Anna Easter Brown was an advocate for equal rights for African Americans. She was a dedicated servant to civil rights and devoted much of her life to help the circumstances of African Americans. She even created an exhibit about Black history that she traveled with and displayed all over the United States. It gained the nation’s attention during the exhibit's 25th anniversary and was featured in the National Urban League’s magazine Opportunity. Brown was actively involved with the NAACP, American Red Cross, and the National Teacher’s Association. 

The historical marker located here once stood outside of Brown’s home. The house is no longer standing, but fortunately, some pictures show what her house looked like.

[1] Anna Easter Brown, Twin County Museum and Hall of Fame. Accessed December 11th 2020. http://www.tchof.org/anna-easter-brown/.

[2] Founders, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Accessed December 11th 2020. https://aka1908.com/about/founders.