Alpha Kappa Alpha (ΑΚΑ) was the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African-American college women. Membership is for college educated women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of sixteen students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle. Forming a sorority broke barriers for African-American women in areas where little power or authority existed due to a lack of opportunities for minorities and women in the early 20th century. Alpha Kappa Alpha was incorporated on January 29, 1913.