87R7431 CJM-D
By: Rose H.R. No. 25
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, January 13, 2021, marks the 108th anniversary of the
founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and this occasion
provides a fitting opportunity to reflect on the organization's
rich history and many notable achievements; and
WHEREAS, Delta Sigma Theta traces its origins to 1913, when
22 charter members established the sorority at Howard University in
Washington, D.C., as a means of promoting academic excellence and
community service; that same year, the group took its first public
action, participating in a march for women's suffrage in the
nation's capital; and
WHEREAS, Residents of the Lone Star State have played a
prominent role in Delta Sigma Theta since the beginning; among the
sorority's founders were four women from Texas: Zephyr Chisom
Carter of El Paso, Jessie McGuire Dent of Galveston, Frederica
Chase Dodd of Dallas, and Myra Davis Hemmings of Gonzales; through
the years, a multitude of other Texans have joined the group's
membership, including such important figures as Texas State Senator
and U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and Texas State
Representative Ruth Jones McClendon; and
WHEREAS, Today, Delta Sigma Theta's strong presence in Texas
extends to 46 alumnae and 28 collegiate chapters; these groups
promote the sorority's "Five-Point Programmatic Thrust" by working
to further economic development, international awareness,
political involvement, physical and mental health, and educational
development; that same mission inspires Delta Sigma Theta sorors
around the globe, with more than 250,000 people holding membership
in the United States, Canada, and numerous other nations and
territories; and
WHEREAS, For more than a century, the members of Delta Sigma
Theta have worked to improve the lives of their fellow citizens, and
they are indeed deserving of recognition for their invaluable
contributions; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize January 13, 2021, as Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc., Day in Texas and extend to the organization's
members sincere best wishes as they celebrate the group's 108th
anniversary; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Delta Sigma Theta as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.