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Brothers & Sisters Bound By Heritage

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 10, 2008

Updated: 02/09/2008 11:58 pm

They came of age in a hostile world, just one generation removed from slavery. Black girls were discouraged from attending high school, much less college.

But 100 years ago, the nine women - now reverently called "the pillars" - banded together at Howard University to start Alpha Kappa Alpha, the first black sorority.

Choosing soft pink and green as their colors, planting delicate ivy and wearing pearls, the genteel sisters designated racial uplift as their goal.

Today, AKA members wear pink polo shirts and low-slung jeans, stepping in sync to throbbing rap. Some wear pearls, an affectionate kiss to their heritage.

For decades, black sororities and fraternities have quietly forged a steel-strong staircase to the professional classes, helping each other long past the college years. Annual meetings draw thousands of fiercely loyal alumni. Children are expected to carry on the tradition.

Some worry, however, that abusive hazing incidents and an emphasis on stepping could compromise a noble legacy.

"A lot of people say, 'I like the way you step,' or 'I like your gold boots,'" says James Brightman, 23, president of Omega Psi Phi at the University of South Florida. "But the letters mean something to me."

Donna Koehn

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