The Beaufort Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. gathered at New Hope Christian Church on Sunday, February 10 to commemorate the sorority’s founding 100 years ago. The speaker was sorority member Dr. Vashti K. Washington, Superintendent of Jasper County School District.
The sorority, founded in 1913 by 22 women at Howard University, has a history of public service commencing with participation in the Women’s Suffrage March on Washington in that same year.
Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. The sorority’s Five Point Program concentrates on Economic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement. The sorority is currently a sisterhood of more than 200,000 predominately black college educated women. There are more than 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and South Korea.
The local chapter has been transforming lives in the Beaufort and Jasper communities since 1976. Examples of some of their service projects include Habitat for Humanity, Adopt-a-Highway and visits to the local nursing homes. Two of the chapter’s signature programs are the Delta Academy and Delta GEMS which prepare girls (ages 11-18) for leadership in the 21st century and promote the principles of scholarship, service and sisterhood.
