ENROLLED 2020 Regular Session HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 14 BY REPRESENTATIVES JAMES, BRASS, BRYANT, CARPENTER, GARY CARTER, WILFORD CARTER, COX, DUPLESSIS, GAINES, GLOVER, GREEN, JEFFERSON, JENKINS, TRAVIS JOHNSON, JONES, JORDAN, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, DUSTIN MILLER, MOORE, NEWELL, PHELPS, PIERRE, SELDERS, AND WILLARD A RESOLUTION To recognize Wednesday, April 1, 2020, as the thirty-sixth annual Red and White Day at the legislature. WHEREAS, the celebration of Red and White Day at the Legislature of Louisiana began in 1985 and has grown from a Louisiana tradition to one observed by more than one thousand sorority and fraternity chapters throughout the country; a celebration is held annually at the nation's capitol; and WHEREAS, Red and White Day is an activity of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, which was founded on January 13, 1913, by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University who were eager to use their collective strength to promote academic excellence; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, was organized to provide scholarship funding, to support those in need, to stimulate participation in the establishment of positive public policy, to highlight issues affecting minorities and women, and to find viable solutions to social problems; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, was incorporated in 1930 as a private, nonprofit organization; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, is the largest African American Greek letter sorority and has more than nine hundred chapters in the United States, England, Japan, Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Haiti, the Bahamas, and the Republic of Korea; and WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, is composed of more than two hundred thousand college-educated women; and Page 1 of 2 HR NO. 14 ENROLLED WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, uses a five point program of economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement to assist the global community; and WHEREAS, represented in the ranks of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, are such notable women as former state senators Diane E. Bajoie and Cheryl Gray Evans, former state representatives Renee Gill Pratt, Pinkie Carolyn Wilkerson, Rosalind Peychaud, and Jalila Jefferson Bullock, and Senator Karen Carter Peterson, all of whom have left indelible imprints on this state's history; and WHEREAS, on this Red and White Day, the sorority honors and celebrates all of the African American female legislators who are serving the public and making a major impact on their respective communities and the state by championing important issues; and WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, on one hundred seven years of service and for its outstanding achievements in the community, the state, and the world. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize Wednesday, April 1, 2020, as Red and White Day at the legislature; does hereby commend the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, for their exceptional achievements and manifold contributions; and does hereby extend enduring appreciation to the organization and its members for the tremendous honor and pride that they bring to their local communities, the state, and the nation. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Beverly E. Smith, national president and chief executive officer, grand chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, and to Michelle Brown, regional director for the southwest region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Page 2 of 2