| Collapse all | Expand all
1941 - 1959
Community service, education development, political involvement, and racial uplift were the focus of the sorority during the early years. The first local project undertaken by the chapter was a financial drive and educational campaign in support of the National Infantile Paralysis Campaign; a campaign to educate parents about the crippling infection of poliomyelitis. The National Infantile Paralysis Campaign’s plan was to collect small contributions from a large number of people and the fund-raising campaign became famous as the "March of Dimes."
Since the Sorority’s inception in 1913, one of the most time honored traditions is that of holding a Founders Day Program in honor of the twenty-two founders. The first Chapter Founder’s Day Program was held January 19, 1942, at Jackson College.
Throughout its history, the chapter has been a leader in standing against the racial inequality, and was even received the designation of being one of the first organized groups to seek lifetime membership in the NAACP. During the 1940’s and 1950’s, the chapter’s efforts in the civil rights arena were sporadic and were executed mainly by individual members, but this was a usual occurrence in Mississippi at that time.
The Chapter has and continues to support the projects of the sorority’s Southern Region, in which it is a member; and Grand Chapter, as well as its own local initiatives. The chapter showed commitment and leadership by hosting the Southern Regional Conference in 1953. In 1956, Alpha Chi Sigma became Jackson Alumnae Chapter, when Grand Chapter mandated that the nomenclature of all graduate chapters be changed.
1960 - 1979
The period of the sixties will be remembered as one of the most important periods in history; not just to black Mississippians, or just to black southerners, but to people throughout the world. This is the period when a new consciousness was awakened to the climate of repression under which all black people lived, especially in the South.
During this period, one of the chapter members, Gladys Noel Bates entered a lawsuit for the equalization of teachers’ salaries. This became a landmark case that benefited not only black teachers, but created a school building boom that was economically advantageous for contractors, building suppliers and laborers. As new schools went up, so did teachers’ salaries. New textbooks and school equipment were provided for the black schools, institutions that were once given the discarded textbooks and laboratory equipment from white schools.
On March 9, 1961 nine students from Tougaloo College, including Janice Jackson and Ethel Sawyer of the school’s Gamma Psi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., entered the Jackson Municipal Library on State Street. The nine students were not permitted to use the library and were all were arrested. On the day of their trial, sympathizers who attempted to march in protest and many in the crowd of people who stood in silence outside the courthouse, were abused, assaulted by policemen and some even attacked by police dogs. Credit must be given to Soror Vivian Romans who prepared a list of books the students needed and that were found only at the Municipal Library.
Through the summer of 1961, hundreds of people were arrested: students from Campbell College, Jackson State and Tougaloo; high school students from Jim Hill and Lanier, parents and community leaders, as well as ministers. The city jail was soon filled, so those arrested were placed in the livestock pens at the State Fairground. The chapter members did what they could without endangering their jobs, since most of the members were employed in the public school system. They purchased fruit, candy, and toiletry articles for the prisoners.
In the December 1961, National Delta Newsletter, Grand Chapter requested that each alumnae chapter finance one semester’s tuition or one month’s room and board for the seventy high school students who had been expelled from a public school in McComb, Mississippi. Each collegiate chapter was asked to contribute one fourth of a month’s room and board. National Executive Board members gave individual contributions, which the chapter used to purchase books, recordings and a record player for Brenda Travis, the leader of the students expelled from McComb, who was sentenced to four months at the Oakley Training School. The Jackson Alumnae Chapter made a formal presentation on December 20, 1961 that included gifts for each student.
In 1963, Marie Barksdale, the sorority’s Executive Director, came to Mississippi to help lay plans for persuading parents to enroll their children in previously all-white schools. Although, the chapter chose to exclude many of its local members from the project because they were public school teachers and it was feared they could lose their jobs, those who were asked not to participate did help to identify and locate parents. When schools opened that September, thirty-three children enrolled. Deltas supported their families through donations for the purchase of clothing, school supplies, and lunch money.
In 1964, the second year of integration in the pubic school system in Jackson, forty-three children enrolled. The Jackson Alumnae Chapter, through Grand Chapter’s Annual Christmas Party honored the thirty-nine children who remained at the schools with a Christmas Party. In addition to toys, books, and candy, $400 was donated for school lunches. During the same year, integration was also occurring in Leake County, where one lone child entered the first grade. Grand Chapter sent $125 each month to the family because all means of earning a living were cut off when the child entered school. Linens, toys, books, and candy were also sent.
One of the Jackson Alumnae Chapter projects was the recruitment and follow-up of high school dropouts for the Job Corps. The chapter was able to identify those young people who may have been directed toward productive outcomes through participation in the Job Corps with the assistance of local sorority members who were teachers. The local project was so successful that the executive director asked chapter members to present the project to the Southern Regional members of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. As a result of our presentation, the Southern Region adopted the Job Corps as a regional project. In appreciation, for our involvement, the Job Corps invited our chapter to the Regional Office of Job Corps in Atlanta, to pay honor to the chapter.
During the James Meredith March in 1966, Meredith was shot in Hernando, Mississippi. Hundreds of civil rights leaders, television and movie stars congregated at Tougaloo College, where they had a huge rally and concert. The march was continued the next day under the protection of a heavily armed black militant group “Deacons for Justice”. This was the time Stokley Carmichael uttered his famous “Black Power” cry. Many sorors provided and served refreshments along the route of the March from the Tougaloo campus to the State Capitol, where the march ended. They brought huge containers of food to the home of Aurelia Norris Young to help feed the large group of lawyers, reporters, and federal officials who gathered.
In March of 1966 a devastating tornado struck Candlestick Park in South Jackson, killing 53 people, demolishing 83 homes and injuring approximately 400 people. Delta members responded as volunteers to supply food, blankets, and shelter.
Other noteworthy projects included additional March of Dimes Campaigns; tutorial services for black students during the desegregation period of the 1960's and 1970's, health career workshops, breast and uterine cancer clinics; observance of the 1979 International Year of Child, and the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Programs in the Jackson Public School District, initiated in the late 1970's and extended until the early 1980's. More than 8,000 books were donated to children and more than 1,200 children became RIF readers through the Delta project.
In 1974, again the chapter showed commitment and leadership by hosting the Southern Regional Conference, where Yvonne Kennedy was elected Regional Director.
1980 - Present
In the mid eighties, as mandated by Grand Chapter, the chapter changed its name from Jackson Alumnae to Jackson (MS) Alumnae Chapter to distinguish it from the Jackson Alumnae Chapter in Tennessee. In 1989, the chapter again was a part of local history. The chapter, along with Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta, presented a Black Women's Political Action Forum. The forum’s objective was to encourage black women to seek state, local and county political offices. The effort by the local chapters was due to the determination of the four national presidents of each organization. Also, during this time, the chapter started its involvement with the Delta Academy Program by mentoring inner-city young ladies predominately from Hardy Middle School. The members serve as mentors and provide components in the areas of Leadership, Scholarship, Service, and Sisterhood in order to encourage and motivate the young ladies to “be all they can be”. During the latter part of this time period, the Delta GEMS program was added to influence inner-city high school young ladies. Today, more than 300 young ladies have gone through the program and some are now in Mississippi Colleges pursuing their dreams.
The chapter experienced record-breaking fundraising initiatives through their Jabberwock and Valentine’s Gala events, and was able to re-affirm its commitment to scholarship and educational endeavors by establishing endowed scholarships at Jackson State University and Tougaloo College. Interest accrued from these funds provides annual scholarships of $1,000 at each of these institutions. An annual donation of $3,000 is given to the United Negro College Fund. Additionally, more than $50,000 in scholarships has been given to high school seniors in the Jackson and Rankin County School System.
The chapter continues to provide a wealth of programs under the sorority’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust which includes: The Literacy Adult Program, Health Career Workshops, Christmas parties for patients at the Whitfield State Hospital, Health and Wellness Expo’s, participation in numerous health walks with other organizations, providing reading books for African American students during the summer break, Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build, participation in the National African American Read In Program, and numerous other programs. The chapter was recognized in 2007 at the Southern Regional Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee as the Regional Alumnae Chapter of the Year.
The Jackson (MS) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta has been led by many dynamic women. The current President is Soror Erma J. Johnson and the chapter has a current membership of over 200 members. These members are carrying on the heritage and legacy of our founders and the charter members of the chapter.
Members are meeting the challenge of the new millennium through leadership and service in a variety of areas such as art, education, computer technology, communication, mass media, human services, law, medicine, hospital administration, music, politics, social services, and business. A review of our past gives us hope for the future where many new horizons will challenge us. This succinct statement should challenge all of us: "...The many horizons in the future of this outstanding organization are unlimited. Wherever there is human suffering or a need for educational or cultural development, Delta will be there."
|
