In an overdue bout of recognition, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority honored two visionary Vicksburg natives who were national presidents of the sorority during a ceremony Saturday at Travelers Rest Baptist Church.

The event culminated with the unveiling of a Mississippi historical marker honoring B. Beatrix Scott and Ida L. Jackson.

“Today is a proud moment for Alpha Kappa Alpha. It’s a proud moment here and a proud moment for our state,” sorority member Zelmarine Murphy said.

Saturday was indeed a proud moment as hundreds of members of the sorority and the community gathered for the dedication of the marker in honor of two great women. The marker is on the north side of Bowmar Avenue, across the street from Travelers Rest.

“These are truly extraordinary women who fought hard at a time when women struggled to even get a seat at the table,” the sorority’s international president Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson said during the ceremony.

Scott and Jackson were not only visionaries; they performed a rare feat. They are the only two women from Mississippi to lead the organization in its 107-year history and are the only two women from the same hometown to serve as presidents of the service-minded organization.

“They led us to unprecedented heights. They led us at a time when women weren’t even recognized,” Buckhanan Wilson said.

Scott was the fifth national president of the sorority and served in the 1920s. She founded the Vocational Guidance Project aimed at educating women.  Jackson was the eighth national president of the sorority and served in the 1930s. She founded the Mississippi Health Project. Both were great accomplishments.

“They endeavored in service to all mankind until the end,” said Mary B. Conner, southeastern regional director for Alpha Kappa Alpha. “We too have a great responsibility to build on the foundation our sisters have left behind.”

Stop by and take a look at the marker and remember their service.