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The Founding and History of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority

At the inception of Delta Sigma Theta in 1913 at Howard University, The Founders envisioned an organization of college women pledged to serious endeavor and community service. These youthful students demonstrated a vital concern for social welfare, academic excellence, and cultural enrichment, and de-emphasized the social side of sorority life. Their ideals of scholarship and service have withstood the test of time and today Delta Sigma Theta is a public service sorority, dedicated to a program of sharing membership skills and organizational services in the public interest. In 1930, Delta Sigma Theta was incorporated as a national organization. The record of incorporation is filed in the Congressional Library in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds in Washington, D.C. Today, there are over 75,000 members and 500 chapters in 42 states, and the Republics of Haiti and Liberia and Virginia Island. On January 1, 1963 at its Fiftieth Anniversary celebration in Washington, D.C., President John F. Kennedy, the guest of honor, congratulated the organization on its "service to the country".

FIVE POINT PROGRAM

1. EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT—
The emphasis is on creating meaningful educational opportunities for black children. This includes all programs related to youth-library services. Head Start, Heritage Seminars, youth and scholarship programs for cultural enrichment.

2. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT—
This includes building ghetto power for urban change by mobilizing the black community. Some of the areas embraced are (a) Economic Self-Help Program. (b) organization of grass root neighborhood action groups, (c) assistance to newly elected black officials, (d) job opportunities, (e) consumer education and protection, and (f) investment.

3. COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL INVOLVEMENT—
The emphasis is on joining hands with local, national and international organizations to render meaningful services for the improvement of human life.

4. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT—
This area includes our interest in low income housing. Emphasis is placed on the Turnkey Program which is a way of joining private industry with local and federal government to get necessary low-rent housing built and to encourage home ownership. Decent housing for black people is the goal.

5. MENTAL HEALTH—
This area encompasses programs and projects devoted to the mental health of an individual and a nation. It includes programs geared to combat racism as well as the use of new techniques to treat and prevent mental illness.

[[image - two black & white photographs of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority members]]

[[caption]] Soror Betty Shabaz was cited by the Congressional Black Caucus for outstanding humanitarian work. [[/caption]]

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