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Pin for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's 75th Anniversary

Symbol of sisterhood

In the Jim Crow era, Ethel Hedgeman (1887–1950), a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., helped form Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first sorority founded by and for African American women. The sorority celebrated its 75-year diamond anniversary in 1983 with this commemorative gold pin with ivy leaves, which symbolize strength, endurance, and lasting friendship. Amid societal hostility, black Greek-letter organizations fostered self-help, solidarity, and a sense of cultural pride and connectedness on college campuses, helping young women forge lifelong bonds through rituals and shared experiences.

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Pin for the diamond anniversary of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority

Manufactured by
Unidentified
Subject of
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, founded 1908
Description
An Alpha Kappa Alpha metal pin with a pin back. The pin is a circular gold ring with gold ivy leaves at center. The bottom portion of the circle has "A K A" on it and a diamond, while the top half of the pin has lettering that reads "Alpha Kappa Alpha."
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Historical Society of Washington, DC and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
1983
Object number
2013.133.2.12
Type
pins (jewelry)
Medium
metal
Dimensions
1 1/8 x 1 1/8 x 3/16 in. (2.9 x 2.9 x 0.5 cm)
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Topic
African American
Education
Sororities
Women
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.133.2.12
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5f64567f3-6517-4605-bfff-21ae8a20b816
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  • WomensHistory@si.edu

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