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On
January 13, 1913, on the campus of Howard University, 22
dynamic African-American women founded Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Incorporated, the FIRST Greek Lettered
Organization for Black women to be founded on the
Principles of Service to those in need, and Political
Involvement. At its inception, the founders envisioned
an organization of college women pledged to serious
endeavor and community service. These young women wanted
to use their collective strength to promote academic
excellence and provide assistance to persons in need.
These youthful students demonstrated a vital concern for
social welfare, academic excellence, and cultural
enrichment, de-emphasizing the social side of sorority
life. Our founders had the wisdom and the foresight to
know that there was, and would always be, a need for
Black women to be politically aware and involved. The
first public act performed by Delta’s Founders is the
Women’s Suffrage March in Washington, D.C. (it was held
on the eve of Woodrow Wilson's inauguration) on March
13, 1913. They were the only group of black women
to participate in the woman’s suffrage march only two
months after the sorority's inception.
Today,
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. remains a service
sorority dedicated to public service, and remains at the
forefront of accomplishments for blacks and
women. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is unparalleled
in terms of accomplishments as a whole, as well as those
of individual members. To see just a few of the many
movers and shakers who are members, please view the
Notable Deltas section.
Their
ideals of scholarship and service have much evolved to
keep up with the changing times, and today Delta Sigma
Theta is the largest black women’s organization in
existence, with membership that exceeds 200,000 college
educated women with more than 900 chapters in the United
States, England, Republic of Korea, Japan, Germany,
Bermuda, Panama, The Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Liberia,
and Haiti.
The
major programs of the Sorority are based upon the
organization’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust:
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Educational
Development
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Economic
Development
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Physical and
Mental Health
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Political
Awareness and Involvement
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International
Awareness and Involvement
Some of
Delta’s National Programs are the Dr. Betty Shabazz
Academy, Delta Habitat for Humanity, Project Cherish,
Project Smart, School America, Summit V: Health and
Healing, Delta Days in the Nation’s Capital, Summit IV:
A Global Response to the Pandemic of AIDS and Other
Health Issues, The Delta Immunization Campaign, Summit
III: Preparing Our Sons for Manhood, Alcohol, Drugs, and
AIDS Community Education (ADACE), Life Development
Centers, “Just Say No” to Drugs, Project Plus, Senior
Medical And Record Tracking Project (SMART), Project
Elite, and the Thika Memorial Medical Center in Nairobi,
Kenya.
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