LaConnie Taylor-Jones

R.S.V.P.

My daughter loves this time of year. The approach of fall has always been a time for her to enjoy the scents that linger in the air. Stimulating aromas float through her open windows, encasing a crispness which doesn’t allow impurities to invade her mind, and she is able to cleanse her spirit and renew her soul. The possibilities that this season brings is something she has always looked forward to. As fall approaches, and her sense of renewal emerges, new opportunities are unveiled. The atmosphere is charged with promise and she yearns for change. Each one of us face seasons of change. Is this your season?

We can choose to fight change, fear change, deny change, or embrace change, but change is going to happen. Such I’m sure was the tenor in the air during the fall of 1912. I sometimes imagine the conversations of twenty two young ladies as they grew restless. They saw a need for change, and they answered the call, looking forward to the promise of new possibilities, of a new season. They sought to move towards social activism and public service, rather than continuing a narrow journey. They realized they were called to a higher purpose. They were Renaissance Women, and to the call for change they responded. Our Founders had a wide array of accomplishments and intellectual interests and chose to use their talents to “rebirth” the philosophy of social organizations. They were dominating forces in political, civil and social welfare, as well as arts and education, all while forming a foundation of service to all. The collective vision of our Founders and the collective strength of our members propel us to be the dynamic power that can move a nation to change. We have been invited to respond.

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Before I became a writer of romantic fiction, I was a sucker for a great love story. Later, when I was on line as a pyramid, I was instantly fascinated by the marriage of Edna Brown Coleman and Frank Coleman.

The long-standing relationship between the sorors of Delta Sigma Theta and the brothers of Omega Psi Phi began when Edna Brown and Frank Coleman came together at Howard University. Edna Brown, valedictorian and class president at Howard University, became one of the twenty-two founders of Delta in 1913. Two years earlier, Frank Coleman, quite an accomplished brother in his own right, had joined three other progressive Howard men to found the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Through Edna and Frank, the purple and gold of Omega Psi Phi and the crimson and cream of Delta became inextricably linked. Coleman Love, the name for that special relationship, was born.

One can only imagine the challenges that Edna and Frank, as a couple of color, had to endure during that time in our nation’s history. World War I broke out during the decade in which Delta Sigma Theta and Omega Psi Phi were founded. Opportunities were limited. Jim Crow was in full effect; this was, after all, way before the freedoms of the civil rights movement loosened the yoke of second-class citizenship. Nonetheless, their love, along with the cohesion of a sisterhood and brotherhood rooted in traditions, must have galvanized them. After all, they were like-minded individuals who recognized the power of love and of the collective to foster change.

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FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT

Marguerite Young Alexander - Born in Illinois, Marquerite Alexander was a French and Spanish correspondent and a constant supporter of Alpha Chapter’s activities and projects. She, along with Osceola Adams went on to co-found a chapter in Chicago, Illinois.

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Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. A sisterhood of more than 200,000 predominately Black college educated women, the Sorority currently has over 900 chapters located in the United States, England, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Republic of Korea. The major programs of the sorority are based upon the organization’s Five Point Programmatic Thrust:

• Economic Development
• Educational Development
• International Awareness and Involvement
• Physical and Mental Health
• Political Awareness and Involvement

Did you know that Delta Sigma Theta has provided assistance to address the challenges faced by African American communities in the United States and internationally?

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A change had to come!

The year was 1912. Twenty-two undaunted souls stood strong, ignoring the two uncontrollable strikes against them—gender and race, and forged towards the horizon of reform. The actions of these Black college-educated women had nothing to do with honor or prestige. Yet, it had everything to do with the transformation of women in the 20th century towards the platform of social activism and public service. Little did they realize then, but their courage and unyielding faith, on the doorsteps of Howard University on January 13, 1913 would birth a renaissance. Almost ninety-seven years later, their unselfish act for change has weaved its way into the hearts and souls of over 200,000 women from around the world who proudly call themselves Deltas and has opened the doors for countless others. Eventually, it will seep deep, like marrow in the bone to future generations.

What is change? It is fundamentally, and by far, the most difficult aspect for humans to accept in life. Why? The wall of familiarity is torn down. The rock solid foundation of comfort shatters like a pane of glass. Security, contentment, and the proverbial status quo capsizes into a vast ocean of newness. The ardent task of facing criticism hovers above and the fear of placing the former aside takes center stage.

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