Sadie T. M. Alexander

My black history "shero" for today is my Soror, Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander. Born in Philadelphia, she became the first black woman in the U.S. to receive a Ph.D., earning the degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. However, sexism and racism prohibited her from finding work in her field. Later, she would remember the excitement and precedent-setting occasion of her graduation day and contrast it with the reality of being basically barred from her chosen field: "All of the glory of that occasion faded, however," she said, "when I tried to get a position."*

Undeterred, she worked for a while at an insurance company before re-enrolling at Penn, this time, in the law school. Her successful completion earned her the distinction of being the first black woman to earn a law degree from Penn.

During her successful career as an attorney, her life proved to be a litany of firsts. You can read more about them here.
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*Francile Rusan Wilson, " 'All of the Glory... Faded... Quickly': Sadie T. M. Alexander and Black Professional Women, 1920-1950." in Sister Circle: Black Women and Work, ed. Sharon Harley and the Black Women and Work Collective (Rutgers University Press, 2002), 166.

99 Years Strong

Happy Founders' Day to my lovely Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, founded at Howard University on January 13, 1913. Here is my line's probate chant (which will reveal how old I really am, alas :-):

We are the ladies
Of Delta Sigma Theta
Everybody knows
There's no one greater
Elegance
Intelligence
You know we are live
We are the NEW Deltas
Spring '95!

RIP, Soror

"I think of my life as a unity of circles. Some are concentric, some overlap, but they all connect in some way. Sometimes the connections don't happen for years. But when they do, I marvel." -Dr. Dorothy I. Height

More here

Happy Founders' Day, Sorors!

For all the lovely ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, 97 years strong today, in honor of the 22 pioneers who had that initial vision.

DC Vigil for Lei Tyree Johnson

Via Kismet:

Ignore domestic violence as someone else's issue #youdothis.
Agitate and Conversate on the damage being done in your communities #idothis

Come out, come out, please! And RT/Repost this widely:

Because my writing has had to take precedent over other projects over the summer I haven’t been posting here as much as I would like. However I just received an email that bears posting:

On July 1, 2009, Lei Tyree Johnson with a male friend was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, who also attempted to suffocate her 12-year old son. A vigil honoring Johnson and the cause of Domestic Violence will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 from 7pm-9pm at UDC-Denard Plaza. The event is co-sponsored by the Beta Iota Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta (Johnson crossed at Beta Iota in 2000) and the UDC Pan Hell. If you are in the DC/MD/VA area PLEASE come out and help take a stand against domestic violence.

Attire: Members of Fraternities and Sororities wear paraphernalia

Bring a white candle & a friend.

For further information please contact dcdelta4life@gmail.com

Those on twitter PLEASE tweet this. Those on facebook please share this. Those who are simply blog readers, please share this however you can. In times like these I fear this will become even more common than it (unfortunately) already is.

Kismet linked here.

Thank You!

I am seriously catching feelings for Jeremy Young right now!

I love, love, LOVE the new layout. Initially, I favored this template, but pink and green flowers on a blog helmed by three members of Delta Sigma Theta seemed somehow not quite right! :-)

No, seriously, there were some issues, and since the butterfly was my other favorite, voila!

You know when you sit down to do some serious work and you clean your house thoroughly first so no clutter can bother you and the good smells soothe you?

I'm feeling like that.

And how I felt when I was drinking milk and eating warm brownies out of the pan last night.

I'm just thinking and feeling in exclamation points right now!

Thank you again, Jeremy!

I Feel Like Fred Sanford

M's seventh song of the moment was Stormy Weather, sung by Ms. Lena Horne. Of course, because I am a master of following links to pass time, I started to read about Ms. Horne.

I believe that I would fall out flat on my face if I ever met her. Just be in total, embarrassing awe. Every time I used to see her, I always thought she was so beautiful and so classy. And when she talks--I love that as much as her singing.

Anyway, I realized that yesterday was her 91st birthday. So this post is just a happy belated birthday wish to my talented, elegant, lovely Soror.

A Late...

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To all my Sorors of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

95 years strong today!

January 13, 1913

Delta Sigma Theta.

Is anything else so sublime, so invigorating, so awe-inspiring and yet so much like a gentle, lyrical caress to the human ear?

**sigh**

Today, my Sorority is 94 years old. It has been a turbulent but blessed, beautiful, historic, journey.

For Gwyn, Ragey, BF TX, BF LA, and any other Sorors who stop by--Happy Founders' Day!

For my line sisters, I think of this probate chant:

We are the ladies,

Of Delta Sigma Theta,

Everyone knows,

There's no one greater!

Elegance, Intelligence,

You know we are live.

We are the new Deltas

Spring 95.*

And here is my cousin, still a neophyte, representing:

_______________________

*Lord, I'm old!!!