I HEART MY DST – part deux

The Founders of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Hello World!!!

In honor of the founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on January 13, 1913, I have decided to dedicate today’s post to my beloved sorority. My post is a history lesson of sorts, and I will be taking my information from the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Web site and other Web sites.

On this day, 97 years ago, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded by 22 students at Howard University in our nation’s capital. These women aspired to promote academic excellence while serving the community around them. In fact, their first public act as a sorority was to march in the Women’s Suffrage March in Washington, D.C. in March 1913. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was incorporated in 1930.

Since then, woman of fortitude from all over the world, some 940 chapters, have become members of this illustrious sorority. The largest African-American Greek-lettered sorority in the world,  our motto is “intelligence is the torch of wisdom.” Let me take the time to honor some of the women who include being a Delta on their long list of accomplishments. In no particular order…

Soror Vashti Murphy McKenzie – the first female bishop elected in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is also the national chaplain of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and granddaughter of Delta founder Vashti Turley Murphy.     

Soror Murphy McKenzie

Soror Regina Benjamin – the 18th surgeon general of the United States.  Dr. Benjamin previously ran a non-profit medical clinic in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.  Her clinic was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and one day before the clinic was scheduled to reopen, the clinic was destroyed by fire. However, Dr. Benjamin forged ahead, rebuilding the clinic a second time.

Soror Alexa Canady-Davis – the first African-American woman to become a neurosurgeon. Soror Canady-Davis is the daughter of Soror Hortense Canady, a past national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Soror Canady-Davis

Soror Keshia Knight Pulliam – an actress from the groundbreaking televison show “The Cosby Show.” Although an adult, Soror Knight Pulliam is affectionately known the world over as “Rudy,” the character she played on the hit show.

Soror Jacque Reid – a journalist known for work with BET Nightly News and a host of other news organizations. Soror Reid can be heard every Tuesday and Friday on the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” educating its listeners about black women throughout the world in the segment “Inside Her Story.” She is currently on the VH1 reality show “Let’s Talk About Pep” with her friend Pepa of famed rap group Salt N Pepa.

Soror Stephanie Perry Moore – a Christian fiction novelist. Soror Perry Moore, who has penned over 25 inspirational titles, is also a motivational speaker and community activist.

Soror Denise L. Nappier – the first African-American woman to serve as a state treasurer in the country. As the state treasurer for Connecticut, she oversees  a budget of $50 billion.

Soror Stephanie Perry Moore

And the list goes on…

I’m inspired, and I have much work to do…What about you?

Oo-oop my sorors!!!

Any thoughts?

I’m a Negro, He’s a Negro, Wouldn’t You Like to be a Negro too?

Hello World!!!

With all of the focus on the word “negro” this year from the 2010 Census to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid’s description of President Obama as a “‘light-skinned’ African American with ‘no Negro dialect’ unless he wanted to have one,” I have started thinking about how black people refer to themselves. And how you choose to refer to yourself in spite of or because of how others refer to you.

Tiger Woods has famously referred to himself as “Cablinasian.” I wonder if he is now retreating in Cablinasia while all of this media fervor continues….We have had so many names in country… in no particular order, negroid, colored, Afro American and now African American…Radio host Glenn Beck has a problem with the term African American…Since my heritage is Jamaican and I was born in Kansas, I sometimes call myself a Jamerican…Since I’m a single black woman, some may think of me as doomed — let ABC ‘s “Nightline” tell it…

Above my race, heritage, and marital status, I refer to myself as a Christian…And as a Christian, I like to reflect on how Jesus, rather than the world, sees me…

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37

I am black but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar, Like the curtains of Solomon. Song of Solomon 1:5 (If I were the writer of this verse, I would say black and lovely…) Song of Solomon 1:5

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

As I have said before, I am no theologian. So if you know of some more verses, please comment and let me know what they are…

Any thoughts?

P.S. I love dreadlocks…to me, there is nothing to be dreaded about them….

Me...aside from the obligatory pimple or pimples I seem to always sport these days, I love this pic of me...fearfully and wonderfully made, yes indeed!

Alert: Black Men Are Officially On the Endangered Species List and other useless propaganda…

Hello World,

I had composed what I thought was an eloquent, sociological diatribe of a post about the ABC “Nightline” piece that aired last month about black women, particularly those living in Atlanta, and their inability to find mates due to the shortage of black men…But since this is the Internet and in the interest of self-preservation, I thought better of it…

And now I don’t feel like sugar coating what I originally said…

So I simply want to know what y’all think…take a look at the video if you haven’t seen it already, and let me know…

‘Preciate your thoughts…i.am.out…