Category Archives: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated

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Soror Dorothy I. Height…

 

Soror Dorothy I. Height - March 24, 1912 - April 20, 2010

Hello World,

Though I was never blessed to meet Soror Dorothy I. Height, I feel a bond with her as she was a member of my beloved sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. As a result, I must pay homage to my soror on my humble blog. For those who are interested, Soror Height will be funeralized tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Washington National Cathedral. President Obama will deliver the eulogy. You can see the funeral at the Cathedral’s home page as the service will be streamed live. For more information, go here.

Since much has been written about Soror Height, I will not duplicate those efforts but I do want to highlight some of her illustrious achievements and inspirational beliefs.

  • According to the book, “How Strong Women Pray”  by Bonnie St. John, Soror Height’s favorite Bible verse was Micah 6:8. “And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” One of her favorite prayers was the Peace Prayer of St. Francis.
  • Soror Height served as the 10th National President of Delta Sigma Theta Inc. from 1947-1956. As president, she oversaw the purchase of sorority’s first national headquarters building. Soror Height was initiated into the sorority in 1939 through the Rho Chapter at Columbia University.
  • She was president of the National Council of Negro Women from 1957 -1997 and was president emerita of the council at the time of her death.  Under Height’s leadership, the council initiated the Black Family Reunion events to respond to negative publicity about the decline of the black family. Incidentally, the council also under the leadership of Height, published The Black Family Dinner Quilt Cookbook. (This is one of my favorite cookbooks as the recipes  in the book are delicious and the inspirational stories about Soror Height accompanying them are a historical treasure. )
  • According to the book, “I Dream a World,” by Brian Lanker, Soror Height was the organizational force behind getting a statue of Mary McLeod Bethune, a soror who founded the National Council of Negro Women, erected in a public park in Washington, D.C. It was the first monument to a black American in a public park in our nation’s capital.
  • Notable quote – “Black women are the backbone of every institution, but sometimes they are not recognized as even being there, even in the civil rights movement.”  This quote is from the book, “I Dream a World.”
  • Notable quote – “There was a myth across the South that the only two free people were the white male and the black woman, and that the black woman had better chances at jobs. Well, that was because they scrubbed floors.”  This quote is from the book, “I Dream a World.”
  • Soror Height along with Gloria Steinem, Soror Shirley Chisholm and Betty Friedan founded the National Women’s Political Caucus in 1971 and helped to advise several presidents on civil rights.

Any thoughts?

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I HEART MY DST – part deux

The Founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Hello World!!!

In honor of the founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on January 13, 1913, I have decided to dedicate today’s post to my beloved sorority. My post is a history lesson of sorts, and I will be taking my information from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Web site and other Web sites.

On this day, 97 years ago, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded by 22 students at Howard University in our nation’s capital. These women aspired to promote academic excellence while serving the community around them. In fact, their first public act as a sorority was to march in the Women’s Suffrage March in Washington, D.C. in March 1913. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was incorporated in 1930.

Since then, woman of fortitude from all over the world, some 940 chapters, have become members of this illustrious sorority. The largest African-American Greek-lettered sorority in the world,  our motto is “intelligence is the torch of wisdom.” Let me take the time to honor some of the women who include being a Delta on their long list of accomplishments. In no particular order…

Soror Vashti Murphy McKenzie – the first female bishop elected in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is also the national chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and granddaughter of Delta founder Vashti Turley Murphy.     

Soror Murphy McKenzie

Soror Regina Benjamin – the 18th surgeon general of the United States.  Dr. Benjamin previously ran a non-profit medical clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.  Her clinic was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and one day before the clinic was scheduled to reopen, the clinic was destroyed by fire. However, Dr. Benjamin forged ahead, rebuilding the clinic a second time.

Soror Alexa Canady-Davis – the first African-American woman to become a neurosurgeon. Soror Canady-Davis is the daughter of Soror Hortense Canady, a past national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Soror Canady-Davis

Soror Keshia Knight Pulliam – an actress from the groundbreaking televison show “The Cosby Show.” Although an adult, Soror Knight Pulliam is affectionately known the world over as “Rudy,” the character she played on the hit show.

Soror Jacque Reid – a journalist known for work with BET Nightly News and a host of other news organizations. Soror Reid can be heard every Tuesday and Friday on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” educating its listeners about black women throughout the world in the segment “Inside Her Story.” She is currently on the VH1 reality show “Let’s Talk About Pep” with her friend Pepa of famed rap group Salt N Pepa.

Soror Stephanie Perry Moore – a Christian fiction novelist. Soror Perry Moore, who has penned over 25 inspirational titles, is also a motivational speaker and community activist.

Soror Denise L. Nappier – the first African-American woman to serve as a state treasurer in the country. As the state treasurer for Connecticut, she oversees  a budget of $50 billion.

Soror Stephanie Perry Moore

And the list goes on…

I’m inspired, and I have much work to do…What about you?

Oo-oop my sorors!!!

Any thoughts?

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I Heart My DST…

19 D.R.S.

Hello World!!!

What is a DELTA?

A DELTA is

What an Aka ain’t.

What a Zeta wants to be.

What a Sigma can’t.

What an Alpha likes.

What a Kappa loves.

What a Que Psi Phi can’t get enough of!

OO-OOP, OO-OOP, OO-OOP, OO-OOP, OO-OOP….

As you can probably tell, this post is dedicated to Deltas all over the world, and we are…But specifically, I want to congratulate the Zeta Psi Chapterof Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated, the beloved chapter where I was made. This weekend we celebrated our 40th year of existence at the University of Georgia. 

Zeta Psi working on a Habitat for Humanity home.

I remember when I first decided that I wanted to be a Delta. I was a college sophomore. An older cousin who I admired had pledged DST at another school, and she talked about her sorority with such love that I started to consider whether pledging DST was for me. Then I had a summer internship at a local newspaper where my boss was a Delta. She was smart, career-oriented and kind. In fact,  I got so close to her that I mentioned that I was possibly interested in pledging the sorority the following school year. At the end of the summer, she gave me a beautiful key chain with a crystal-like elephant (elephants are one of our symbols.) attached to it. As she handed the key chain to me, she whispered, “I know I shouldn’t be giving this to you since you’re not a Delta, but I know you will be one day.” Shortly after, I read the book, “In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement,”  by Soror Paula J. Giddings, and I made the decision that I had to be a part of this grand sorority.

Zeta Psi are some steppers...

Since then, our lives have grown and changed. Some of us have gotten married. Some of us have gotten divorced. Some of us have become mothers. Some of us have become doctors. Some of us have become educators.  Some of us have moved cross country. Some of us have stayed put. Some of us have acquired property. Some of us have cut our hair. Some of us have grown locks. Some of us have grown apart. Some of us have gotten closer. And we’ve even lost one to breast cancer…And I expect more changes as time passes and we continue to grow…

Being in a sorority isn’t everything…like in all close relationships, there are misunderstandings and misdeeds…but there is something about being a part of a sisterhood that lasted and grown for decades – since January 13, 1913 to be exact – a sisterhood that was built at a critical time in this country’s history when black people – particularly women were marginalized. And through the support of this sisterhood, many of us have been able to accomplish feats that we were unlikely to accomplish alone.

And without even planning it, many of my best friends outside of my collegiate chapter happen to be Deltas! All I can say is like attracts like.

Zeta Psi, I salute you for 40 years of sisterhood, scholarship and service! Continue to encourage your members to achieve their highest potential and be a home away home on that colossal campus!

I Heart MY DST!

Any thoughts?

Zeta Psi is on YouTube!!!