Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc North San Diego

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. North San Diego County Alumnae Chapter Heritage & Archives The Root of Giving: Deltas History of Philanthropy Patricia P. Watson, Ed. D. Chair Taneashia R. Morrell, Esq. Co-Chair November 9, 2019

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded on January 13, 1913, by 22 collegiate women at Howard University. These students wanted to use their collective strength to promote academic excellence and to provide assistance to those in need. The following historical records (not all inclusive), assess how Delta women have exercised their gifts of giving in the U. S. and Abroad, which has allowed Deltas to be a force for change in society. Delta is noted for its exemplarity nation programs

The Day the Deltas Marched into History “On March 3, 1913, the first spectators began to arrive at 9 a. m. , six hours early. By the time the trumpets sounded, some 250, 000 people lined Pennsylvania Avenue. Organized in two months by Alice Paul, a driven, young Quaker, the capital’s first suffrage parade was timed to put pressure on Woodrow Wilson on the day before his inauguration. Alice Paul, a white woman, was convinced that other white women would not march with black women. She confided her fears to a sympathetic editor: ‘As far as I can see, we must have a white procession, or a Negro procession, or no procession at all. ’ 22 Delta founding members joined the procession anyway. ” 1913 -1923 THE GENESIS OF DELTA ACTS OF GIVING

“The most common and celebrated [Delta] philanthropic act is the Jabberwock. . . created in 1925 by the Iota chapter in Boston, Massachusetts, [and] is a variety show with skits, dances, and songs. The goal of the Jabberwock is to raise money for the sorority’s scholarship funds. A typical Jabberwock requires countless hours of rehearsal and production by numerous competing teams. In the end, the audience decides the best team, and all of the money raised goes towards benefiting women with the most promise for the future. Since its inception, almost all chapters have adopted some form of the Jabberwock as a staple of Delta Sigma Theta life. ” 1924 -1934 In 1929 the Scholarship and Standards Committee is established.

In 1937 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. began its first national program: “The National Library Project. ” This project established a traveling library that would serve rural areas of the South, where library facilities were not available to Blacks. In 1941 the Deltas became the first sorority to provide a program of employment counseling and career development for black women. In 1945 a $1, 000 donation was made to the UNCF 1935 -1945

In 1946 Beta chapter in Texas raised over $7, 000 through to help build a child welfare center in Houston. Beta Kappa chapter in Virginia raised $1, 070 to help build a nursery school. Two chapters in Michigan (Alpha Pi Sigma and Tau), raised money to build a boarding house for delinquent young women and girls (the Delta Home for Girls). In 1947 Delta’s and the National Urban Leagues in Atlanta and Detroit provided vocational counseling needs of young people in segregated and non-segregated communities. In 1951 The San Diego County Alumnae chapter hosted Job Opportunity day at the local YWCA. 1946 -1956 In 1955 Deltas implemented the Delta Volunteers for Community Service program, in conjunction with the Five-Point Project. In 1955 Forward Thrust program promoted: Educational development; Economic development; International awareness; Physical and mental health; and Political involvement.

“In 1962 Deltas presented over $1, 500 to the National Council of Women in Liberia and the Women’s Association for Aid to Rwanda Women for village developments that taught girls vocational and educational skills. ” In 1963 Deltas global outreach began when it financed the Thika Maternity Hospital in Thika, Kenya. The inception of the hospital came about when Delta’s, in 1955, realized that Kenya women had critical health issues. This prompted Delta’s to make plans and lay groundwork to establish a maternity hospital. The now named Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital is the first hospital to open after Kenya gained its independence; it continues to be operated by the missionary sisters of the Holy Rosary. In 1966 Teen Lift Became a National Program. 1957 -1967 In 1967 Deltas established the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF), to help strengthen and expand charitable and educational programs of the Sorority. “DREF promotes research which identifies and fashions solutions to issues affecting African American women and their families, nationally and globally through funding and support of public service programs of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and collaborative organizations. ”

In 1975 Deltas established the First Life Development Center. In 1973 Deltas Baltimore Alumnae Chapter used funds received from the U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare ($88, 253) to help improve race relations in two elementary schools, while also advancing the children’s classroom work. “In 1977 the Delta Housing Corporation was funded by a $5 -million grant from the Housing and Urban Development Agency. Land was secured to build the property in a transitional area near Capitol Hill, and the apartments were earmarked as Section 8 housing to guarantee a low-income option for residents in the D. C. area. ” 1968 -1978

In 1981 St. Petersburg Deltas began Breakfast with Santa at Campbell Park Recreation Center, where breakfast was prepared for 50 kids. Now, the Breakfast with Santa serves over 400 people annually. In 1985 Deltas financed the construction of two additional maternity wards at the Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital in Thika Kenya, providing a total of 120 beds and allows doctors to see and treat more than 200 women every day. “In 1989 the National Social Action Commission instituted Delta Days in the Nation’s Capital, an annual legislative conference to increase members’ involvement in the national public policy-making process. ” 1979 -1989

In 1992 Deltas were the first African American organization to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity, and established a partnership to build homes. In 1993 Deltas held a Summit III to prepare young men for manhood, in response to high drop out and incarceration rates among young African American men. In 1993 Deltas partnership with Habitat for Humanity led to homes being built in the United States and Africa. In 1996 Deltas helped build 40 Habitat for Humanity homes in Ghana. 1990 -2000 “In 1996 Deltas adopted the Adelaide Tambo school for the Physically Disabled in South Africa. In that same year, Delta received $1. 6 million from NSF for project SEE [Science and Everyday Experiences], and traveled to Swaziland, South Africa to break ground for the Delta house that would be housing for children who became orphans due to their parents dying from HIV/AIDS, and dedicated the computer training center in Lesotho. ”

In 2001 Deltas adopted a school for physically disabled children in South Africa. In 2003 Deltas became the first black Greek-letter organization to be named a Non Government Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, which grants Delta’s Special Consultative Status to oversee, provide expertise, and implement international agreements concerning child hunger and sexual and work exploitation. In 2009 The Sigma XI chapter celebrated 50 years of their formed a partnership with the League of Women Voters; together, they created a Black History essay contest for elementary students. To date, the partnership has increased scholarship funding to over $18, 000 annually. 2001 -2011 “In 2010 the Joliet Area/South Suburban Alumnae chapter implemented a new fundraising effort, the Crimson and Crème Pageant former known as Little Miss DST Pageant. In ten years, the chapter has had over 250 participants. The pageant fosters positive interaction between young girls ages 5 -13 by educating them in topics such as CPR, nutrition, and exercise. Participants are able to develop their self-esteem while developing new friendships. ”

In 2013 Deltas and March of Dimes officially established a partnership. “In 2019 Deltas commemorated 50 years of service to the Mary Help of the Sick Mission Hospital in Thika, Kenya by participating in a blessing over the beds that Delta Sigma Theta helped fund in the maternity wing as well as a ribbon cutting for the new male ward. ” In 2019 Deltas donated over 17, 000 meals for disaster relief after ending the National Convention in New Orleans early, due to Hurricane Barry. 2012 -Present "We are delighted that Centerplate donated the food we purchased making it available as a result of us terminating our convention early; with [thousands of] attendees and two food functions canceled -- our Sisterhood Luncheon and closing Soiree Celebration -- there was inordinate amounts of food that would have been wasted. Kudos to Centerplate. ” Sorority's National President and CEO, Beverly Smith.

“ Values-based Philanthropy Over the years, Delta Research and Educational Foundation has directed its charitable giving to program initiatives reflected in our founding mission. Whether Delta inspired national collaborations, or local Delta chapter initiatives; each program grant addresses our valuesbased objective to find sustainable solutions that increase economic opportunity, and create boundless possibilities for African American women, now and into the future.

REFERENCES 1. https: //www. blackpast. org/african-american-history/delta-sigma-theta-sorority-inc/ 2. https: //www. washingtonpost. com/opinions/the-day-the-deltas-marched-into-history/2013/03/01/ eabbf 130811 d-11 e 2 -b 99 e-6 baf 4 ebe 42 df_story. html 3. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=e. Dv. E 8 Sal. Hec 4. Epsilon Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. , chartered on the campus of Michigan State University (Go Green!) 5. Gregory S. Parks and Marcia Hernandez, Fortitude in the Face of Adversity: Delta Sigma Theta’s History of Racial Uplift, 13 Hastings Race & Poverty L. J. 273 (2016). Available at: https: //repository. uchastings. edu/hastings_race_poverty_law_journal/vol 13/iss 2/2 6. Mary E. Vroman, Shaped to its purpose: Delta Sigma Theta—The First Fifty Years (2007).

Thank you for traveling through 106 (almost 107) years of Deltas philanthropic contributions throughout the United States and Abroad! Patricia P. Watson, Ed. D. Chair Taneashia R. Morrell, Esq. Co-Chair