Small AKA wooden paddle belonging to Etta Moten Barnett: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This is a small wood sorority paddle. Down one side are large Greek letters Alpha Kappa Alpha “A / K / A” in black paint. Under the letters is the Alpha Kappa Alpha crest hand painted in black paint. Along the handle in black paint is text that reads “Soror Etta -v Barnett.” The other side of the paddle is inscribed with handwritten names in black paint. There is a date written in black paint at the end of the handle “1942-3.”

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1942-1943
• Created by: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, founded 1908
• Signed by: A. Clarice Taylor, American
• Signed by: Helen Collins, American
• Signed by: Annie Sillard, American
• Signed by: Maralyn Warner, American
• Signed by: Maud Dillard, American
• Signed by: Lenore Blackstone, American
• Signed by: Fanette Bradley, American
• Type: paddles (ball game equipment)
• Medium: wood with paint
• Dimensions: H x W x D: 30 5/16 × 3 5/16 × 9/16 in. (77 × 8.4 × 1.5 cm)
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Activism
• Topic: Actors
• Topic: Associations and institutions
• Topic: Singers (Musicians)
• Topic: Sororities
• Topic: Women
• Topic: Women's organizations
• Object number: A2022.13.1.3
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: © Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.