A Toast to Sisterhood

Even in an area as awash in networking and service organizations as Wilmington, Delta Sigma Theta (N.C.) Sorority, Inc. stands out for its ambitious and enduring mission. 

The sorority, one of the “Divine Nine” Hellenic organizations, was formed by twenty-two Howard University undergraduates in 1913. The Wilmington area alumnae chapter, launched in 1940 by sixteen local women, celebrates its eighty-five years of social action at a gala May 23. At the event, the 100-plus area Deltas will toast other milestones as well. 

“We proudly proclaim our firsts,” says MARVA ROBINSON, a Delta since 1968, when she pledged the sorority at Knoxville College. Among those noteworthy accomplishments: In 1961, when women often had difficulty being approved for a loan, the chapter secured a mortgage (and paid it off quickly) for a house on Seventh Street that became the Delta headquarters.   

“We chartered a chapter on the campus of UNCW. At Independence Mall, we sponsored a large health fair and held international workshops when AIDS was coming to the forefront,” Robinson says. “We did health fairs on the porch of our house during Azalea Festival as people walked by. We launched campaigns for people running for office.”  

Other projects have included serving meals to older adults, tutoring, and providing help for latchkey kids. The alumnae chapter helped launch the Theta Iota chapter of Delta Sigma Theta at UNCW.

This year’s gala will honor the local chapter’s founders, especially community leader AUGUSTA COOPER, who hosted the alumnae chapter chartering process at her home.

Unlike most collegiate sororities and fraternities, whose members’ involvement often declines after graduation, most members of the Divine Nine view their collegiate Hellenic activities as a prelude to further service and fellowship as adults. This lifetime commitment has its roots in history, according to DELANA GLENN.  

“Black sororities and fraternities were founded in the early 1900s,” Glenn says. “Often it was the only social organization open to them. There were not a lot of opportunities if you wanted to uplift yourself, serve your community, and socialize with like-minded, college-educated people.”

Glenn’s Delta chapter at Syracuse University sponsored a Girl Scout troop, held food drives, and contributed to local initiatives that helped people in need. Early in her career, she became a lifetime member of the wider Delta network, which comprises more than 350,000 members in over 1,000 chapters worldwide.

A strong social bond among Delta members everywhere underlies and fuels all they do. Glenn understands this well; that bond eased her 2022 move to Wilmington from New York City.

“I knew I would connect with the chapter here,” she says. “I went on the (Wilmington chapter) webpage and clicked on ‘Connect with Us.’  I stated that I was moving to Wilmington in the next year but didn’t know a lot about neighborhoods and didn’t have a real estate agent.”

Her Wilmington sorority sisters stepped up, connecting her with a member who is a Realtor, who helped Glenn find a house. 

“I knew, coming here, I was going to join the chapter. The president was so helpful. It sounded like a warm and welcoming chapter, and their work sounded similar to our work in New York,” Glenn says.

Deltas tout their Five-Point Programmatic Thrust: Economic Development, Educational Development, International Awareness and Involvement, Physical and Mental Health, and Political Awareness and Involvement. 

This far-reaching agenda keeps Delta fingers on the pulse of what’s happening far away and near to home.

“Our directive comes from national headquarters in Washington, D.C.,” says chapter President ACQUINETTA BEATTY. “Each year when the (federal) administration changes, we make changes but continue to focus on our Five-Point Programmatic Thrust. It can vary with the area and the needs of the community, but there are a lot of things we still have to do now that they did in 1913. We take surveys and ask what the community wants us to do.”

Beatty notes that the first action taken by the newly chartered Deltas in 1913 was to join a women’s suffrage march in the nation’s capital. 

“We’re very passionate about making the world we live in better, and that commitment brings about the different things we may do. We want to make sure we stand up for our rights … and speak out for those who don’t have a voice.”

Mentoring girls is an essential part of the Deltas’ focus, Beatty says. The national organization’s Dr. Betty Shabazz Delta Academy and GEMS provide an opportunity for local chapters to enrich and enhance the education that young teens in their area receive in public schools. Stressing the arenas of academics and service learning, members strive to prepare young girls for full participation as leaders in the twenty-first century.

Local chapter members maximize their service to their communities in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties by participating in other organizations and in taking on public service roles, Beatty adds. 

“We try to aim for those who really don’t have opportunities,” she says. “That’s what we really want to be: the change. We have women in the area who are doing great things, and we work hard to make sure that, whatever we do, we are wearing our letters.”  

Correction: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Delana Glenn’s name.

To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.

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