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SORORITY DISPLAYS CENTURY OF CLASS

Alpha Kappa Alpha shares its stories of black sisterhood.
 
Published July 23, 2007|Updated July 31, 2007

The green jacket hangs in a case on the second floor of downtown's public library, emblazoned with the pink and gold crest of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

It belonged to Sarah Clark, a schoolteacher aboard the hijacked plane that crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

Now the jacket is part of a traveling exhibit that tells a century of stories and contributions by women in the country's oldest black sorority.

The public got its first look Sunday at the exhibit, which will remain at the John F. Germany Library through Oct. 2.

"I think it does it justice, but there's so much more that we've done that can't be put into a small space," said Josette Sykes, a sorority member from Tallahassee who visited the display.

Tampa will be the only Florida stop for the exhibit, said project manager Sonja Garcia.

"We want this country to know there is a group of African-American women who have enriched lives, and we continue to do so," Garcia said.

Sixteen women founded Alpha Kappa Alpha at Howard University in 1908. Since then, the organization has grown to 200,000 members worldwide. Gamma Theta Omega, the Tampa chapter, has 180 members.

IF YOU GO

About the exhibit

"100 Years of Service: The Alpha Kappa Alpha Story" exhibit will remain on display through Oct. 2 at the John F. Germany Library in downtown Tampa, 900 N Ashley Drive. Guided tours will be offered from noon to 4 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from noon to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit is otherwise a self-guided tour and open during regular library hours. For group tours, contact Barbara Jackson at bjsxn1@verizon.net or (813) 629-1918.