We dive deep into the service and sisterhood of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
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00:00 It's the brotherhood and sisterhood for essence.
00:02 So this month we're celebrating the Divine 9 organizations.
00:06 Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Psi Phi,
00:10 Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta,
00:14 Phi Beta Sigma, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta.
00:18 We're showing love to our staff that are Divine 9 members.
00:21 So let's get into it with the devastating divas
00:23 of Delta Sigma Theta.
00:24 (upbeat music)
00:28 - Hi, my name is Whitney Johnson.
00:30 I am a sales planner at Essence.
00:33 I am a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated
00:36 and I was initiated through the Gamma Iota chapter
00:39 at Hampton University in the fall of 2012.
00:42 I joined Delta Sigma Theta
00:44 because I've always been the type of person
00:46 who wanted to be a part of something bigger than me.
00:49 I grew up watching so many mentors, teachers, coaches,
00:54 aunties really drive impact
00:57 and have that passion and great work ethic.
00:59 And I've always known Delta to be about real change,
01:02 real work, real impact.
01:04 And I wanted to be a part of that legacy,
01:05 just continuing that legacy
01:07 and making an impact through change.
01:10 I've had a lot of proud moments as a Delta,
01:12 but one moment that I hold dear to my heart
01:16 is celebrating Centennials
01:17 with my line sisters and sorority in DC.
01:20 It was my first Founders Day
01:22 and just to witness so many powerful women
01:25 and impactful women in one space,
01:27 sharing sisterhood and just leaning on each other
01:31 and celebrating, it was just mind blowing to me.
01:35 For the sorority to go from 22 young women
01:38 to hundreds of thousands of women,
01:41 continuing the mission,
01:42 exemplifying sisterhood, scholarship and service,
01:45 it just was eye opening and I was inspired by it.
01:48 So that has to be one of my proudest moments amongst me.
01:51 Black Greek letter organizations
01:53 were founded on the principles of public service,
01:56 while the black community was fighting
01:58 against so many injustices.
02:00 And although society has made great strides
02:03 and has progressed in a lot of ways,
02:05 there's still a lot of work to be done.
02:07 So with that being said,
02:08 I think it's important for us to continue
02:11 to use our platforms and our voices
02:14 as Divine Nine members to fight against injustices,
02:17 to really strive to create that change and that impact.
02:21 When we think about society today,
02:22 there's so many things still happening, right?
02:24 When you think about affirmative action,
02:27 or you think about the housing market or police brutality,
02:31 there are so many ways that we can continue
02:34 to stand up for equality and justice.
02:36 After 11 years, my line sisters and I
02:41 still stay in close communication.
02:43 We have meetups regionally,
02:44 and we also connect at some point
02:46 throughout the year virtually.
02:49 But after 11 years, things are a lot different now.
02:53 We are moms, wives, professionals, doctors.
02:57 So compared to being on campus,
02:59 it was a lot easier to connect and gather at once.
03:03 But I'm glad that we still have that mission
03:05 and we strive to connect and celebrate special occasions,
03:09 such as Founders Day, our Delta Bursary, Charter Day.
03:12 So we still stay in close contact.
03:14 And it's been especially special to me
03:17 because after so many years,
03:19 you reminisce on so many memories
03:21 and you still have that bond.
03:23 So we definitely stay in close contact.
03:25 One common misconception that I think a lot of people
03:27 have about the Divine Nine is that being Greek
03:31 is a lot about wearing the letters
03:34 or the strolls or the parties,
03:35 or even like, you know, just look and fly on campus
03:40 or wherever your service area is.
03:44 But a lot of the things that they don't see
03:45 is the work that goes behind it.
03:47 Even step shows, right?
03:48 Like the work that goes behind that,
03:50 the public service that goes behind it,
03:52 the decision making, the opinions,
03:54 all of those things, I think it's important to emphasize
03:57 the real work that it takes to, you know,
04:01 maintain an organization, to maintain a chapter,
04:04 but also make sure that you're upholding those principles
04:07 that you were founded upon.
04:08 So I know that a common misconception
04:11 is probably one of the top misconceptions
04:14 I believe a lot of people have,
04:15 but I think it's important for D9 members
04:20 to emphasize the real work that actually happens
04:24 and to make sure that it's at the forefront
04:26 and a priority versus the stepping and the strolling
04:29 and the parties and the fun stuff.
04:31 (upbeat music)
04:33 (upbeat music)