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Eight Decades of Sisterhood and Success

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

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

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