God, "The Wealth of Africa" and unity are symbolized on a type of ancient kente cloth that the Asante people of Ghana use in their ceremonies.

An exhibit featuring traditional and modern kente cloth -- strips of multi-colored material used for clothing --will be on display until Feb. 22 in the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

"Kente cloth shouldn't become a fad," said Harriet Schiffer, an African art and clothing specialist. "It represents something more than that. The art reflects the culture, religion and society of the Asante people."

Monday night, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, 1 Bigler Hall, and the Black Studies Program sponsored Schiffer's talk in the cultural center about the exhibit and the correct use of kente cloth. Schiffer, who sells kente cloth from her shop in Philadelphia, also lent the pieces for the exhibit.

"I think it's important that we do celebrate and know our history," Dekote Woods, a member of Sigma Gamma Rho, said after the talk. "The foundation of (Sigma Gamma Rho) is based on education."

Woods, who is from Liberia in western Africa, owns several pieces of the cloth and said she understands its traditional and cultural values.

Although it is appropriate for African-Americans to wear the cloth as jackets, accents on business suits, hats and other accessories, they should be aware of the historical importance of kente cloth, Schiffer said.

Authentic kente cloth, an example of West African narrow strip weaving, originated in the villages of Wonoo and Bonwire in Ashanti, Ghana, around the 11th century, and is still imported from that location. The cloth was exclusively created for Asante royalty because they wanted to enhance their political emblems.

In 1985, the cloth was introduced to Americans by Ghanian diplomat Nana Kwame Asante-Frempong. He also helped open the African museum in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., in 1987, Schiffer said.

"While kente is very beautiful and wearable, it also reflects an African aesthetic," Schiffer said. "When the Asante people wove the cloth, they did it with pride and independence."

She said African-Americans should be aware that many imitations of kente cloth are being imported from Korea, Nigeria and Liberia because of the cloth's popularity.

"It's OK to wear them, as long as you are aware that it's not the authentic kente cloth," Schiffer said.