Have you discovered a close friendship that started with a shared affinity—such as a hobby, service organization, place of worship, or life challenge—that became a profound connection despite age differences or other distinctions? Bonding over a shared passion or purpose offers a rich opportunity to make new friends. Among Black women, sorority members of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), Delta Sigma Theta (DST), Zeta Phi Beta (ZPhiB), and Sigma Gamma Rho (SGRho) have modeled this for more than 100 years. They don’t limit close bonds to their own generations; they build strong relationships grounded in shared strengths across generations, sometimes spanning three to four generations within the same family.
During these challenging times of unprecedented job losses, racial trauma, medical disparities, and more, it’s hard enough to engage in self-care, let alone community care. But close intergenerational friendships within our sister circles can help us keep showing up for ourselves, each other, and our communities—just as family does.
Less than two months after celebrating the arrival of 2025, I was gut-punched. At the close of business, my entire staff and I were forced to depart from work that was dear to us. For months during the government shakeup, I checked and rechecked my email, waiting to learn my fate. Would my life of public service come to a halt? If I lost my job, would it take longer than ever to land a new one? How long could I wait it out financially, especially since I wasn’t eligible for early retirement? After more than six months, I was grateful to be called back to work—in an unfamiliar role—but saddened by a very different outcome for many of my colleagues. I didn’t know if I’d ever feel joy at work again.
Thanks to my AKA Sorors, that cloud of uncertainty finally began to lift. On Founders Day, January 15, 2026, a simple GroupMe message—“Who is in the building today?”—followed by, “I am, let’s meet at noon in the atrium for a photo,” gave me hope. The feeling of sisterhood, support, and pure joy was exactly what I needed as we gathered, from different agencies and career fields, for twenty short minutes, dressed in our pink and green. While it’s sometimes hard to tell our exact ages (if you know, you know), I would guess we represented at least four generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Our promise to each other was a new ritual—meeting for lunch occasionally to strengthen our bonds. I returned to my desk with renewed hope that we would get through this together.
Discovering shared joy
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While some Sorors are creating new rituals, others are discovering joy through shared interests.
ZPhiB Sorors Kimberly Morgan-Craft, 55, and Tamika Sanders, 31, discovered they were kindred spirits when they traveled from Maryland to New York City to see Hamilton, fueled by their shared love of musical theater.
“We have a 24-year age gap that would seem to be a generational divide, but on the way home from a sorority event, Tamika played the Broadway cast album, and we both sang every lyric at the top of our lungs,” said Morgan-Craft. “I feel blessed to have a genuine relationship with a Soror who allows me to be my authentic self—vibrant, connected, and with a whole lot of life left to give.”
Embracing personal growth
We’re also showing each other that there’s a whole lot of life left to live.
