, ▁ready ▁to ▁enter ▁Howard ▁University ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁histor ically ▁black ▁college . ▁ ▁Howard ▁University ▁ ▁L ill ie ▁Bur ke ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁six teen ▁found ers ▁( specific ally ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁group ▁of ▁nine ▁found ers ) ▁of ▁Al pha ▁K appa ▁Al pha ▁Sor or ity , ▁In cor por ated . ▁She ▁and ▁her ▁sister ▁Be ul ah ▁were ▁instrument al ▁in ▁organ izing ▁the ▁sor or ity . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁created ▁its ▁mot to , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁both ▁accomplished ▁Greek ▁sch ol ars . ▁ ▁L ill ie ▁Bur ke ▁graduated ▁from ▁Howard ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁English . ▁ ▁When ▁she ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁top ▁histor ically ▁black ▁college ▁in ▁the ▁nation , ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁only ▁ 1 / 3 ▁of ▁ 1 % ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁and ▁ 5 % ▁of ▁whites ▁of ▁el ig ible ▁age ▁attended ▁any ▁college . ▁Bur ke ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁degree ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Career ▁and ▁community ▁life ▁ ▁Bur ke ▁had ▁a ▁long ▁career ▁as ▁an ▁educ ator ▁in ▁English ▁in ▁academic ▁programs ▁in ▁public ▁high ▁schools , ▁primarily ▁in ▁Washington , ▁DC , ▁where ▁she ▁worked ▁for ▁most ▁of ▁her ▁career . ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁academic ▁department ▁at ▁Down ing ▁Institute ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁In ▁North ▁Carolina ▁she ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁State ▁Normal ▁School ▁at ▁F ay