Who Are We

In the fall of 1980, sophomore Cassandra Gordon began the effort to bring Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to Emory University. While meeting with campus leadership, Cassandra was asked, "Why do you want another sorority on campus? You already have one." Cassandra emphatically answered, "It's a matter of choice. There are 13 white sororities for you to choose from. My mother is a Delta and I want to be a Delta!"

After that successful meeting, Cassandra learned from the Regional Director that the fledgling chapter would need at least seven young women to be charted. She began approaching Black female students to gauge their interest in joining a new DST chapter. In spring 1982, their initiation period was conducted by the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter, and they met at Atlanta’s Georgia Hill Center. And on May 30, 1982, the Omicron Xi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was chartered by seven resilient young women:

Cassandra Tancil

Linda Jordan

La Ila Walker 

Sherri Arnold Graham 

Michelle Rodgers Sands

Deborah Rhodes

Angelyn Coverson Stepp (Omega Omega) 

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college-educated women committed to the constructive development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is a private, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world. Since its founding more than 300,000 women have joined the organization. The organization is a sisterhood of predominantly Black, college-educated women. The sorority currently has over 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters located in the United States, Canada, Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), Germany, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Jamaica, the Republic of Korea, the Arabian Gulf, Southern Africa and West Africa.

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

For more information on the Southern Region visit https://dstsouthernregion.com.

Visit our national website at www.deltasigmatheta.org.