Sorority tea event honors scholars, delivers joy and tears
By Eva D. Coleman
Lifestyle & Culture Editor
From young girls to ladies defying the odds of beauty with longevity of life, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Chi Zeta Omega Chapter Mother & Daughter tea was filled with grace, reverence and scholarship.
The Sunday afternoon event on March 30, 2025 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Richardson, Texas was the sorority’s 17th installment of which their debutantes made their debut to an audience filled with “Ladies in Waiting,” and tables filled with toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers alongside their mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters and friends who’ve had an impact on their lives.
Finger sandwiches, cookies and tea were made available at each table, allowing attendees to enact their etiquette skills as they passed and received food.
Fanchion Kenady of Fanchion K’s Tea Time delivered the keynote address, sharing the art of tea, including a description of the special blend, “Sweet Lady Herbal Infusion,” she provided to each attendee in the tea cups at each place setting.
During their introduction, debutantes danced in a whimsical display waving handkerchiefs to bayou sounds for the Enchanted Garden theme.
The event also featured emotional mother-daughter tributes with several girls having a hard time getting through their speeches without tears and garbled words.
A special, inaugural announcement came after the room had witnessed many debutantes’ expressions of gratitude towards their loved ones.
“At this time, we are honored to present the AKA EAF Scholarship endowed by the Chi Zeta Omega Charter Members Endowment Fund to two exceptional students,” Gwen Sanders said on behalf of all charter members.
This 2025 event marked the first time the Chi Zeta Omega Chapter awarded their Charter Member’s Scholarship. The two inaugural winners, Evana Coleman and Destiny Blount, smiled with pride as they held ceremonial checks and posed with charter members of the organization.
Chi Zeta Omega charter members were pleased with their historic accomplishment, providing $1000 scholarships with assistance from The Boswell Sisters Embracing Our Futures to benefit students on their college journey.
