Page 2 - FebruaryNewsletter

Eight Decades of Sisterhood and Success

By Thelma C. Ivery, Ph.D. Chapter Historian
Decade Six: 1987 – 1996

Soror Myrtis Clayton Ramsey (president 1984 - Soror Soror Johnnie Royster was chapter president
Alma Freeman, Ed.D. led our chapter from 1989 to from 1993 – 1997. Public service activities of our 217
1991. Deltas hosted the opening reception for the John member chapter included the Senior Medication and
Biggers exhibition at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Record Tracking Project, the Summit III Project,
Arts in June 1989. In January, 1990, we launched
“School America - Deltas taking the lead, Helping Fami- “Guiding our Children to Adulthood” with Fews Elemen-
lies to Read” at Southlawn Elementary School. In Feb- tary School and the Partners in Education Project with
ruary 1990, the chapter, in partnership with the Ala- Southlawn Elementary School. In 1995 the chapter do-
bama Humanities Foundation, presented: Many Voices, nated $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity and also helped
One Vision ; African-American Women, a Literary Forum, to build a Habitat home.
“ featuring authors Paula Giddings and Beverly
Sheftall. We presented a Thinking Skills Workshop in 1987) continued to lead the chapter as we cele-
March at Southlawn Elementary School. At the 1990 brated our fiftieth anniversary and entered our sixth
national convention in Miami Beach, FL, Soror Barbara decade of existence. On February 27, 1987, MAC pre-
J. Harris was honored as the active Great Teacher for sented a Black Arts Gala with talent competitions by
Alabama and Soror Mildred M. Hardy was honored as local high school students in performing, visual, and
the retired Great Teacher for Alabama. A poem by Soror literary arts. Also in February, 1987 we presented Sum-
Tyna Davis entitled “I Teach” appeared on the printed mit II: A Call for Action in Support of Black Single Moth-
awards program and was read aloud at the ceremony. ers. In March, we presented a Think-A-Thon for area
Our 1989-90 directory lists 155 chapter members. The school -age students, and we sponsored a drug aware-
Delta Life Development Center on Lawrence Street was ness program at the Cleveland Avenue YMCA. On May
purchased, and in January 1991, we held a dedication 2 and 3 , 1987, Montgomery Alumnae and Beta Eta
nd
rd
and ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility. Alabama Chapters jointly celebrated the 50 anniversary of their
th
chapters hosted the33rd Delta Southern Regional Con- chartering at the Madison Hotel with a public anniver-
ference in Montgomery. Soror Dr. Yvonne Kennedy was sary program and banquet, and the tenth annual
the sorority’s National President from 1988 to 1992. Crème de la Crème. One hundred eighty-six MAC sorors
Our chapter president from 1991 – 1993 was and thirty-two Beta Eta sorors celebrated our theme:
Soror Doris Sanders. Our projects included Test-taking “A Golden Past: Foundation for the Future “
Skills and Critical Thinking Skills workshops, communi- From fall 1987 through spring 1989, Soror
ty health fairs, cancer workshops, drug awareness Francina Carter was chapter president. Our chapter
workshops, annual participation in voter education and
registration drives, and sponsorship of a Dixie Youth sponsored scholarships, conducted testing and thinking
Little League Baseball team. Our Summit III project was skills workshops, sponsored health fairs and cancer
“Helping Young Boys Become Men.” At our 1993 Crème awareness workshops and funded many worthwhile pro-
de la Crème, we presented the Montgomery Jazz Or- jects. We conducted activities for students at Southlawn
chestra in concert. Elementary School our Partner in Education, sponsored
two little league teams, and presented “Black Women in
Literature and the Arts” in recognition of March 1988 as
Black Women in History month. We sponsored commu-
nity health fairs and cancer awareness workshops, and
we assisted a single parent family of seven. Several so-
rors attended the July 1988 National Convention in San
Francisco where we celebrated our sorority’s 75 anni-
th
versary.

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