09/11/2026
Remembering Continental Sara M. Clark on September 11
Twenty-five (25) years ago today, on September 11, 2001, the United States of America experienced a horrific tragedy that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent people. Among those we will always remember is Continental Sara M. Clark, a resident of Columbia, Maryland, and a beloved member of the Continental Societies, Inc.® Columbia, Maryland Chapter. She was also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, ® Incorporated.
Continental Sara M. Clark was a sixth-grade teacher at Bertie Backus Middle School in Washington, D.C. On the morning of September 11, 2001, she boarded American Airlines Flight 77 to chaperone a group of students traveling to California to attend an ecology conference sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
Among the students traveling with her was 11-year-old Asia S. Cottom, who was beginning her sixth-grade year at Bertie Backus Middle School. Asia had been selected to attend the National Geographic Society conference, which included an ecology program on the Channel Islands off the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Asia also perished in the disaster.
Continental Sara had dedicated her life to educating children. She had taught in the District of Columbia Public Schools since 1965, touching the lives of generations of students through her commitment to education and service. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Winston-Salem State University and a Master’s degree in Urban Learning from The George Washington University. She was the mother of two children.
On that fateful morning, Flight 77 was hijacked and ultimately crashed into the Pentagon, killing everyone aboard, including Continental Sara M. Clark and her student, Asia S. Cottom.
As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of September 11, we pause to honor Continental Sara M. Clark not only as a victim of an unimaginable tragedy, but as an educator, mother, Continental Sister, sorority member, and servant who devoted her life to children and youth.
Her life mattered. Her service mattered. Her students mattered.
May we continue to speak her name, honor her legacy, and remember the lives of all those who were lost on September 11, 2001.
Continental Sara M. Clark, Forever remembered. Forever honored. Forever a part of our Continental Sisterhood and HISTORY.
