Deborah Riley Draper On Directing ‘Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha’ - By Nass Metcalfe
On a blustery January afternoon in 1908, in the parlor of Minor Hall on the campus of Howard University, nine young African American women assembled. As students, their mission was to form a sisterhood dedicated to the noble purpose of creating a safe space for women like them to find the support they needed to be a beacon of light for their race and community. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, incorporated was born. What these young visionary women actually did was form an organization whose influence would not only change the world as we know it but transcend it even beyond the boundaries of the planet. That 113 year journey is the subject of a compelling new documentary entitled Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Written and directed by award winning filmmaker and author, Deborah Riley Draper who also happens to be a member of the sorority as well, Twenty Pearls chronicles the history of Alpha Kappa Alpha from the social conditions that initially inspired the need for such an organization to it’s inception on up through it’s glorious legacy of achievement and the story of the women who blazed trails in all manners of discipline throughout the world. “I could not be more honored, excited as well as thoughtful and sensitive about how I balance this both emotionally and professionally as someone who is both a member but also as someone who needs to tell the story in the most objective way.”, says Draper of her approach to creating a film on a subject that is so personally important to her.
Another prominent member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, legendary Tony award winning actress and director, Phylicia Rashad provides splendid narration for the film. Through Rashad’s inimitable voice we learn about numerous poignant moments in history that bear the mark of AKA, including a meaningful partnership with first lady Elenor Roosevelt in an effort to pass anti lynching legislature and the three genius mathematician African American women of NASA depicted in the film, Hidden Figures who were all AKAs.
“Our founders were acutely aware that there needed to be a formal sisterhood for those who endure incredible obstacles to be black women college students in America.”, states Vice President of the United States and proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kamala Harris who is also featured prominently in the film. The formation of that sisterhood has been a cornerstone of this nation for generations and Twenty Pearls uncovers many little known facts about just how deep the members of the sorority are embedded into the fabric of the country and the world at large.
When asked about why she chose to become a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Deborah Riley Draper’s answer is simple yet perfectly definitive, “The work.” She continues to explain that while a student at Florida State University she observed, “The women on campus were extraordinary. Their leadership and community service was really important and the history compelled me to want to investigate and become a part of the organization of which I am so proud of and so glad I did.”
That passion is reflected on the screen as Twenty Pearls offers not just a celebration of a single organization but a striking overview of American and African American history as it relates to it. “What the sorority inspires me to do”, explains Draper “is to look at all the women who came before me and pushed past incredible obstacles for great achievement. I want to make sure we highlight the extraordinary heroes of our community.” Her exquisite story telling technique serves her well in doing just that. While watching Twenty Pearls, one can’t help but to be inspired by just how boundless the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha have been in their varied historical achievements.
In divine symmetry with all that the organization has come to represent, how this film is being made available to the general public continues in such tradition. It premieres March 26, 2021at 8pm EST exclusively on the newly launched Black Experience on Xfinity Channel, the brainchild of innovative visionary Keesha Boyd who serves as Executive Director of Multicultural Video and Entertainment at Xfinity Consumer Services. Reaching over 80 million households, the platform is commissioned to showcase high quality Black entertainment content across a spectrum of genres while presenting emerging talent to a wider audience, creating space and further pushing boundaries to celebrate Black excellence. Twenty Pearls will subsequently be made available On Demand nationwide across other cable systems beginning March 30.
“The goal is service”, declares Deborah Riley Draper on the mission of her film and the esteemed organization it depicts. “To ensure that black and brown communities are served and represented.” She continues, “I want people to understand that black women in this country, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated and a lot of other black women’s organizations, all of the black women’s organizations have been the engine behind the United States of America” That engine continues to accelerate from one historical achievement to the next and we are ALL better for it.