Legacy: (noun) the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc., that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.
The 22 women who decided to branch away from Alpha Kappa Alpha and begin their own sorority (that they named Delta Sigma Theta) changed innumerable lives.
They changed the trajectory of their own lives.
They changed the lives of every woman who would cross lines as a Delta Sigma Theta initiate.
They changed the lives of the individuals every Delta has touched through their countless hours of service.
Delta Sigma Theta was founded on January 13, 1913, so this month, we will celebrate its 111th anniversary. Launching DST took courage. It took strength. It took determination and passion.
These 22 women left behind a legacy of dedication, hard work, and philanthropy. These 22 women set the stage for the growth of this organization into the phenomenon it is today. Their actions created a longer-lasting and farther-reaching impact than they could have imagined at that time.
Legacy Applicants
Joining a sorority is like a warm embrace into a new family. You form sisterly bonds with your line. You grow to genuinely care for these individuals who, before pledging, were strangers to you.
The family of my family is my family, right?
When your fellow sorority members begin to have their families, you welcome their little ones into your circle of love. You watch those children grow each year at family picnics. You ask about their piano lessons and their basketball games. They are an extension of your sorority family.
Conversely, children grow up attending their mothers’ sorority events. They go to service outings and picnics. They watch the pride in their mother’s eyes when she dons her Delta Sigma Theta sorority paraphernalia. They learn the Delta Sigma Theta mission statement. They see the dedication their mother has to making the world a better place.
They see this and know they want to be a part of it, too.
A legacy applicant is an individual with an immediate family member who already belongs to the sorority to which they are applying. This could be a mother or grandmother. To be considered a legacy applicant, your mother or grandmother must currently be in good financial standing with the organization. There are also requirements about attending past regional and national conventions and conferences.
Under the unfortunate circumstances that an applicant’s member mother or grandmother has passed away, the applicant can still pursue legacy status via a member advocate. This individual must know the applicant and the member in question to verify their relationship.
Someone applying to Delta Sigma Theta under a legacy application is still required to meet the minimum requirements for a standard application.
Each sorority and fraternity handles legacy applications differently. Find out from the organization your parents belonged to if you can apply through a legacy application and what that means for that specific sorority or fraternity.
If you feel an organization different from the one your mother attended is pulling at your heart, that is okay, too. Join the group that aligns the most with your values and interests.
Legacy applications help bring familial ties into the sorority family, too. As families join sororities together, it strengthens their connection within the organization and their connection at home. Joining your mother or grandmother as her sister is an honor and creates a special bond between the two of you.
Choose Your Own Legacy
Legacies aren’t limited to your daughters joining your sorority. If you don’t have children, you can still leave a legacy of hard work and philanthropy. Your actions today create the legacy that will follow you tomorrow.
What do you want people to remember about you when you are gone? What do you want to inspire others to do? What are the most important things to you?
Take some time to think about these questions. Then go out and live your life in a way that shows the world the legacy you want to create. Don’t waste any time. Become the woman you want to be remembered for right now. Start that company. Organize that non-profit. Get that graduate degree. Raise those funds. Volunteer your time. Write that book. Whatever it is that speaks to your heart, go out and do it. Leave your mark on the world in the best way possible.
This Founder’s Day, honor the foremothers who left behind a legacy of fighting for what is right, and work on the legacy you aspire to leave behind.
