Two of the first Black sororities have been making headlines this week. First, Alpha Kappa Alpha announced the first Black sorority-owned credit union, and now Delta Sigma Theta has announced its newest honorary members. The women on the list are all changemakers in their own right.
Delta Sigma Theta New Members
The women of Delta Sigma Theta are currently participating in their biennial convention in Indianapolis. The organization used the second day of the event to announce the seven newest honorary members of the group.
The list includes Ambassador Bonnie Denise Jenkins, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson, Channing Dungey, Rashida Jones, Tamika Catchings, Debra Lee and Phyllis Newhouse.
The announcement was very significant for the organization. The sisterhood is full of 350,000 members currently and is continuing its growth. The women at the conference came together to celebrate the honorary members and welcome them into the century-old legacy institution that prides itself on scholarship and service.
“Honorary Membership is the highest honor extended to women who have made significant contributions to society while excelling in their chosen fields. We welcome these exemplary women into our beloved sisterhood with great joy and love!” Delta Sigma Theta shared in a caption under its Instagram post announcing the new members.
Elsewhere during the convention, Vice President, Kamala Harris joined the women to share a few words of her own. Although Madame VP is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the two sororities continuously show each other love as the first two Black Greek organizations.
Harris shared her gratitude with the Delta Sigma Theta women. She credited the sorority for working on voter registration and access during the pandemic. The issue of registration for black voters has been one of Harris’ main priorities.
“There is so much at stake in this moment,” she said to the room fo 7,000 members. “Our most basic rights and freedoms. Fact versus fiction. Foundational principles about what it means to be a democracy. And so in this moment, our nation again counts on the leaders in this room.”