In today’s newsletter meeting the women of AKA And then:

Kamala Harris with two of her sisters at Howard University, in 1986.Photo courtesy of Lisa Jackson

Jasmine Hughes
New Yorker contributor

When I initially threw my story about Alpha Kappa Alpha—the oldest historically black sorority in America, which, among many other impressive women, claims Vice President Kamala Harris as a member—I knew what to expect. For two years I dated a woman in another historically black sorority, and even though I knew her hopes, her dreams, and her middle name, she refused to talk to me about the inner workings of her sorority. It was too private and too sacred; a bond that superseded almost every other relationship in her life. I am writing to you now as a single woman.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha women I interviewed – nearly forty eventually – were also tight-lipped. (That’s why I had to interview forty of them.) That commitment to secrecy became even stronger when Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee last July. Although the fraternity, a non-profit organization, was technically not allowed to support her, I suspected they would do whatever they could to support her candidacy. What the women wanted to talk to me about was how proud they were of their sister. To many people, she embodied the ideals of the student association, which was founded in 1908 to improve – at least in part – the social status of the race. A member I spoke with at the Democratic National Convention told me that Harris’ campaign is “the best personification of our ancestors’ wildest dreams.”

Department of Diversions

The New York Liberty won the franchise’s first WNBA title last night, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in an overtime thriller. Our editor-in-chief Michael Luo sat in the stands, along with a very excited fan, and shares this message from the scene.

My ten year old daughter hasn’t been to many live sporting events and as a result is still honing her sports fandom. She seems to have decided that shouting – think high pitched sounds and high decibels – is the right way to support her favorite team. I learned this last night, sitting high in section 206 of Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Fans in the arena were roaring for most of the final period. If you happened to hear a repetitive, high-frequency tone from your TV, almost like a whistle, then that might have been the little one with me. 🏀

More top stories

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Daily cartoon

“Light, camera, recognisability!”

Cartoon by Adam Douglas Thompson

More fun and games

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PS Attention magazine viewers: your iPhone may be getting in the way of a good browsing photo. Kyle Chayka on a new app that helps solve the problem. 🍁

Ian Crouch contributed to this edition.