Not all bread is created equal and if you like yours soft fluffy moist and delicious then herob bread and buns should be your first choice but herob bread isn’t just about taste and texture it’s high in fiber with ultral Lona carbs with 0 g of sugar order today at
Hero. and use the code ah10 to get 10% off your first purchase that’s ah10 hero. H e.co for 10% off your first purchase This is make it make it m i with M Mark Thompson get woke ladies and gentlemen as we round out our coverage of Black History Month focusing on HBCU how could we talk about HBCU and not talk about our divine n but particularly uh we want to talk about
Our historic sororities because we have an historic sorority member now occupying the White House something that has not happened before um and so we are honored today to have with us the national president and CEO of one of these great sororities one uh in which my own grandmother uh was a member that
Would be Delta Sigma Theta sorority Incorporated we have the national president CEO with us Beverly Evan Smith sister Smith God bless you president Smith so good to see you thank you for joining us on make it plain and thank you Reverend Mark for having me today I
Appreciate it it is an honor how how are things going in delta in in the world and you know it’s all about the same I think we’re all in a pandemic state but um I I think even through the pandemic just like black folks always do we survive
And sometimes in the midst of Crisis we Thrive and I think that’s kind of where we are right now how has Delta been coping with the pandemic in terms of gathering and being active and and helping the community you know none of that has stopped us and I I think uh as
I mentioned and we’ll talk about we have a history of not being stopped we’ve had to transition to Virtual but we have found ways around the issues that we have you know in terms of our own meetings we had Regional conferences last summer and we had 23,000 in sever
Regional conferences all on zoom we’re about zoomed out but we were able to take care of our business we had a a national Founders Day virtually we had we honored our Sor Andrew day with her new movie that’s coming out United States versus Billy Holiday with a uh conversation with her virtually just
This past weekend in regard to community service uh we we cannot afford none of us can afford to let community service or social action stop by during this uh we may have had to have drivethru protests we may have had to deliver food in a Drive-Thru manner but we did it all
We did not let that get in the way our fundraising and the amounts of money that we’ve been able to donate uh to the communities because a lot of it has had to be had to be done that way has actually increased significantly uh I’m incredibly pleased that our source have
Stepped up to the plate we have had meetings and have talked about the fact that we need to make sure that we are still reaching out uh our programs even the programs we have for our youth we’ve tried to do virtually uh you know a great concern we’ve got for what’s
Happening with the internet and the fact that we don’t have in many of our communities the kind of support we had need to have with bandwidth has really forced us to the cars and to the streets to try and find other ways to do that while still managing in the co
Environment very proud of the fact that we have not skipped the beat when it comes of those things that are critical social action as you know right now is is extremely critical and we needless to say uh together with all the Divine n coming together made sure that our
Voices were heard loud and clear not only in terms of media but also at the polls indeed and I know you’re in Atlanta I mean for I think finally people are realizing the the sheer power of black women when it comes to you know electoral matters I mean it’s spoken
About openly you all really have made the difference made the difference in November but also in the runoff in Georgia right oh absolutely uh as soon as we realized the sit well actually before we realized the situation we were in having a feeling that it may come out
That way uh we pulled everybody together uh the divine nine totally came together we came together uh our own congresswoman and and my own sorority sister and neighbor Lucy mcbath who wanted to make sure that U she had the support that she needed we you know we
Have to do do it in a on a nonpartisan way uh but that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to be effective in terms of what we did the the work that has been done to pull it together I honestly do believe that black women were a force
Behind the force in this election I have no question about that myself there are these organizations like EMILY’s List and whatnot that recruit women to run for office right but but what better place to recruit women and run for office than one of our sororities like Delta Sigma Theta that’s absolutely
Right we actually started a new organization in Delta Delta for women in action that’s a 501c3 Delta as as most people know story’s fraternity are 501 c7s and so we we can’t promote organizations but we did to our board in July this past summer form a new organization that actually was one
That’s committed to uh social action that actually can speak out and get people to run uh in that new organization that we have we’ created something called the Chism Jordan Institute which is intended specifically to train black women to run C office we were doing it before but decided to
Formalize that uh and to form an organization that could do that that could speak out uh for and against candidates uh that could speak out forign against issues um we were the first Greek letter organization to start a C3 we’re very proud of that but it
Really um fits the Legacy that we have and we have actively been able to endorse candidates and push candidates through that vehicle amen have you all been vocal in terms of both uh covid relief for communities as well as covid vaccines as still as as Dr hildra says
At Mahar there’s there’s still a rational apprehension when it comes to a lot of people lot of our people getting the vaccine how have you all address those issues that’s a good way to put it a rational apprehension we actually have a CO education program going we did a
Webinar we had Sora Alexis Herman who P Secretary of Labor on it we had my two social action chairs myself we had Mara fudge who’s in Congress we did a covid series in the fall I had my second shot last week without any reservations but
We’re trying to do as much as we can to provide an education on what it’s about and then trying to by example let people know that it’s okay if I can try let me see if I can get you to try it as well and this a good point and and I’m sure
Too you all have you mentioned some of the legislation any specific legislation you’re ADV advocating I’m sure the Deltas know the importance of what it would mean for our families and communities to get covid relief money in some of our businesses I mean that’s a part of this too it absolutely is the
Economic impact of Co it hits us uh severely the legislation that’s out there in our con Congressional people keep us keep keep us surprised on that the current bill that’s out there obviously we’re we’re pushing and supporting that you know when you talk trillions of dollars of need I wish you
Could say it was just totally related to the pandemic but we’re we’re trying to resolve issues that have now that more people know about that there’s greater awareness of that were there before the pandemic but obviously what’s happening now has brought it to light uh the kind
Of support that’s needed for equity in our communities has been there all along you hate to think that the pandemic had to bring it uh to fruition so people are looking at it and that there’s some guilt out there that’s trying to help but I’ll take any kind of help I can get
Uh in terms of where we’re going so we are pushing in support of that try to keep up with our Congressional leaders on that one of the things we’re also focused on working with sherylyn Eiffel who is another Delta is making sure that the judges the people that we are
Looking at locally uh in communities and those that are running for pointed to positions of authority in the judici IAL system are the right people we don’t necessarily educate ourselves well enough to know you know you see it and you look at you know okay this one this
One this one I’ll vote for this you need to understand what they stand for so we’re really working on education campaign because that will make a difference too in making sure some of these laws and changes hold up I would hope that what was done in Georgia because people never voted in special
Elections like that before and you’re right we got to get out of this mentality of thinking the only office to vote for is the presidency yes you know and it’s it’s it’s there’s so many yes ways and when you talk about even recruiting candidates you know I hear
From people I’m getting run for Senate I said well hold on you haven’t done anything else yet there’s other offices run eight rep you know everybody’s ready to go to the top but no these other positions as you well know are sometimes equally important because they provide direct service to local communities and
To the we can get more black women in those positions that’s critical too absolutely I tell you I just looked at we we’re doing one of our members is doing witness witness statement right now I approved this morning we have a method of making sure our witness
Statements are clear in terms of what we’re addressing uh Georgia right now is trying to put some new absentee ballot laws in place that are absolutely I just can’t imagine right after we finish this and all the things that went haywire you’d have legislation to try and change
Absentee Val and say maybe we shouldn’t do it or we need to delay to shorten the time am just going really so we are in the midst of within a month of trying to fight and show how wrong that is having to fight it all over again and that’s
Local so we can’t afford to take our eye off that prize and to make sure those things happen no I I agree you’re AB you’re absolutely right uh that that fight is still ongoing what well tell us about you where did you go to school and
And and when did you you become a Delta well I I I did not go to an HBC or you have to hang your head but my children and my husband all went to HBC you but you know what I think I learned more about uh civil rights and social action
When I was at my University I went to Bowling Green State University in Ohio okay there were out of um you know 10 or those thousand students I think there was like 193 of us uh that did not stop me from becoming the vice president of the student government and doing several
Other things at the University even though I met a decent amount of opposition to that back in the day but I’ve been always want to speak up my dad was a civil rights ad The Advocate we integrated our church our neighborhood the school swimming pools I swear I
Can’t swim today because I went so many times with the Urban League places when he said okay there’s nobody black in here before all I need you to do that’s all way my dad would always start is just stick your foot in the pool just for telling you swimming
That’ll be all right so you know that’s what you do yeah so that voice is something that you need to have but I’ve been a Delta for 53 years so wow 54 years uh for me and you know I I joined Delta back on my campus and we I will
Give Bowling Green credit for this we had a sorority house uh just like everybody else did all the white sororities that were there we were the only black sorority there but the university felt if everybody else has a house then we need to provide one for
The numbers of Delta sign data so we did have one we were um very active on campus in terms of what we did uh but Delta really was and I realized then focused on social action um that was for me the first time I’d ever gone to school with anybody black that looked
Like me there was one other girl in my school out of the private girl school I went to which my dad insisted we needed to continue to make sure stayed integrated uh as he would do but it was the first time I had had black women my
Age that I had a chance to associate with but growing up obviously I became very comfortable with who I am and being in awkward situations which no longer were awkward to me the awkward situation of being with that many black women at one time but the chance to do that and
To understand more from a different perspective who I was and what we stood for was phenomenal I have to credit Delta Sigma Theta with giving me that opportunity I never intended to be president of Delta Sigma Theta don’t know how that ever got into my head to
Continue to move that far uh I have always been a tad outspoken you might be able to tell that and that might have been what did it but the experience I had at Bowling Green back in the 60s uh during the time of uh the K State suiting and the other things that
Happened uh really sparked with and continues to make sure that that’s the focus in life I have um our children went to HBCU intentionally uh they went to in the Georgia area in Atlanta the school that probably wasn’t wouldn’t have been their choice uh just like most
Places uh we wanted them to go someplace to get their best education which unfortunately didn’t mean a lot of us were there but we also wanted them to be very grounded in who they were and they always were from Little Children uh and my husband went to Central State they
Went to FAMU so we are definitely an HBCU family I would have not changed that opportunity for them and what they got out of that experience for the world I’m sure you wouldn’t so but you you alluded to your father and the integration right fight you in so what
City was that where did you grow up massin Ohio exact wow and I have to tell you when and I still have the original deed the deed to my to our property says on there that you that you cannot be purchased by a negro uh he could not get a loan in the
State of Ohio to buy that land he could not get a builder in the city of Mason to build it he had to get a contractor from another city who was finally willing to build the house who had death threats the entire time he was working
On in that home I remember the first night we moved in I was in the third grade my sisters are five and nine years younger so they were babies at my sister one sister was just born my dad stood in front of that house all night the first
Night we were there holding a Winchester rifle which I still have while people rode up and down that street the hoods family I’ll never forget their name calling us names calling him names with could hear them outside threatening him he stood with that gun all night to make
Sure we survived that night in that new home that we had uh and you know for for someone in the third grade who was getting ready to um walk into a school that really had no one who looked like myself it was um you know that’s where the strength comes from your strength
Comes from your strength or your fear comes through your experiences I think we all have to focus on whatever strength we have from whatever whatever bad experience we’re going to have uh because that strength and resilience is what’s going to keep you but I have never forgotten that he always felt that
If people lived together and got to know that um the differences were superficial and that we were more alike than we were different that we would be okay but we all had to live through his vision but we survive but we did survive when he died in 2000 we he actually 2000
Mind you he actually integrated the cemetery that he in today you a kidding and he and my mom are the only two people in that Cemetery isn’t that something isn’t that something he bought that cemetery plot years before uh because he intended until he died he was
Going to continue to make sure that we had equal access even in burial ground so we did thou preparest to table before me in the presence of my enemies amen well God bless you father and God bless him for uh teaching you how to be a
Freedom fighter there you go from from a young age from when you were a little thing that’s that’s amazing lastly you mentioned Shirley Chisum yes um a very famous Delta and I was very close to Dr Dorothy Height oh my yeah yeah one of one of mine as well God God Rest her
Soul um from your point of view how Delta Delta’s history was made for this moment we know the vice president is an AKA but her inspiration was a Delta Shirley Chism as was the inspiration for practically every black woman she wasir pratically every black woman R talk to
Us about Delta’s history and how Delta was made for this moment and the work that Delta has done in its history is now manifested in black women being able to hold High office which is so exciting and that you know that’s something I actually enjoy talking about we I I
Always say that uh social action is in Delta’s DNA our first public act as an organization was in 1913 when we marched with the suffle Jets we were the uh only black Rec organization that marched with the suffer Jets together in the movement Mary Church Terell who is a h very
Famous suffragist uh is an honorary member of Delta Sigma and she encouraged those young ladies think about this in 1913 to leave that campus and go march with these white women and the school had a fit when I read the history they had a find difficult time finding some
Chaperon to go with him but some poor man did uh and went with him but you go from Church Terell to Mary McLoud bethon who was an advisor to Roosevelt on minority Affairs and actually sat at the table only black woman at the table when the United Nations was formed in San
Francisco uh Patricia Roberts Harris was the first African-American woman to hold a cabinet seat she held two cabinet seats with Jimmy Carter the same seat that Mara fudge is looking to sit in now she will be the second black woman to be the Secretary of H the first one was a
Delta we’re looking for Mara to do the same uh Dorothy hey who you mentioned uh ncnw and a proud advisor presidential Congressional Gold Medal winner is a freedom fighter and one who was always at the table Daisy Bates Little Rock N fny L HR tired sick and tired of being
Sick and tired Amilia Boon in Selma who asked Martin Luther K to come and and do that March in Selma and was right up FR marching with him Frankie Muse Freeman the first a woman on the Civil Rights Commission was a Delta shley Chism we know Barbara Jordan
Truly just such an I love to hear her speak even today when you see her congresswoman Stephanie tub Jones We’ve got the seven in Congress now Carol Mosley brn the first African-American female senator who is there Brigadier General we have you know we’ve got journalists so that O’Brien I mentioned
Sheryn Eiffel who is leading a phenomenal civil rights organization April Ryan who said she wasn’t going to go to the White House anymore as long as somebody was there anyway Susan Taylor who was with Essence magazine Sabrina Fulton Lucy mcbath Mo mother mothers of the movement Loretta Lynch you know the
Black female attorney general we have had three there are three African-American surgeon generals all three were Deltas JN Elders uh Audrey fors Manley most recently Regina Benjamin we have Kesha Lance bam who’s the mayor of Atlanta and I think we’re most proud I’ve named just a few but I’m
Most proud of the fact that we’ve had 12 delas on US Postal St and to to imagine is that the most of any story oh yes wow yes by far we’ve had Mary McLoud bethon Patricia Roberts Harris eth Payne Wilma Rudolph uh Mary Church Terrell Daisy Bates tamy Lou HR Barbara Jordan
Shirley Chisum Dorothy Height Lena horn Gwen Eiffel all have been on us Coastal stamp and I think because of that we’ve got a responsibility as an organization to make sure we focus on social action it it truly is in the DNA we have and it’s our history tells us that this is
What we must do I will not be the president to let those Founders down none of us will so I think all of us feel in our positions that we’ve got to make sure we continue to move forward with what delas are known to do and are
Meant to do and and clearly you are doing that congratulations what a glorious history folks and what better way to recognized black history month then with one of our divine sororities Delta Sigma Theta we’re thankful to the president the national president and CEO Beverly Evans Smith thank you madam
President thank you Mark appreciate you all right Wonderful of course ladies and gentlemen as we continue our Focus this week on HBCU and their historical sororities and how this impacts the history of HBCU in general we must include another that would be Zeta 5 beta sority Incorporated their president joins us Valerie Hollingsworth Baker Madame President how
Are you welcome to make it plain well good morning good morning and how are you doing I’m doing well well I’m I’m great I’m great and folks uh we’re in New York man president are in New York together so we’re New Yorkers how how have you and well first
Of all how have you and your family been fairing in this pandemic we’re here in the epicenter well it’s it I I would say it’s been rough uh my husband is an essential worker so he’s been going out there every day and it’s been kind of
Tough for me because it’s not uh easy knowing that your loved ones are out there I know they’re you know they’re there they’re necessary they have to do the right thing they’re taking care of the communities that you know we live in but it’s still difficult because you
Know you know up until now now that the vaccines are out that’s a whole different but before in the last year it it it has been tough for me because I myself am at home I stay at home I work from home so I don’t have to go out
Unless it’s absolutely necessary but having someone that has to go out every day it it you know it it plays with your mind so it’s been it’s it’s been a little rough but you know um perseverance you know believe believing in the almighty and just knowing that
You keep the faith so that’s what I’ve had to do to get through these these months in the year I hear you we’re praying for you and your family and God bless your husband for the essential work he’s doing obviously that is that’s risky business so I know how you must
Feel in that vein where are you in your family on the vaccine and then let’s talk about what the sorority is doing you know all of our organizations all of our black organizations including our Greek letter organizations have been having initiatives encouraging Black Folk to take the vaccine we know that as
Uh sometimes there can be some apprehension because of our history where are you where are you in your household on that and then also um where is Zeta F beta on that are you all involved in initiatives to encourage people to take the vaccine well I I would say starting off Reverend Mark
With just uh the household my household I’m I’m proud to say here live that I am uh due to take my first uh vaccine on Monday at 9900 a.m because they’ve opened up some additional uh centers uh in in different in different locations so I will be taking mine and of course
My my husband being an essential worker he’s or or he’s getting he’s going to be taking his this week the uh next week coming up as well so at least we’re we’re together on that piece so I feel a little better uh I feel a little uh less
Nervous you know and then when I finally get my second dose I’ll at least feel that now I can settle my Affairs uh for the household and and move on from there that’s my my personal goal uh as far as Zeta fi Beta sorority is in in uh
Concerned we are in a myriad of initiatives trying to get the information out to our membership and to the communities in which we live and serve in uh we’re not here to promote and say you must uh go and take the vaccine or take the derer or take the
One from fiser or take the one coming up from uh Johnson and Johnson we’re here to say you need to arm yourself with the the information that is needed so you can make a correct decision for yourself and your family what you want to do
Because as you know uh as as we are black people we’re we’re not trust we’re not trusting on on what is going on uh with these with these vaccines but I try to I try to educate myself uh I’ve I’ve done a lot of research and watching the
News and and and reading what’s going on with CDC every day and I tell my membership that’s what they have to do they have to make a conscious decision for themselves I’ve made a conscious decision for myself and my family I will let them know that I will also will be
Uh updating them as after I take it what has been going on with me if there’s any symptoms if there’s not you know just to elay some people’s fairs but I believe that our job is to educate educate educate our membership and as as the and I said as and the community in
Which we serve on these vaccines what you know what are the Alternatives by ha by having the vaccine versus not so I think that’s very important for us to do and that’s what we’ve been doing I was thinking about you know the intake and and new people coming on board there obviously is
Nothing like the pledging experience especially at black college campus so this group this generation and this covid experience is going to be you know unfortunately miss out on that and while that might seem regrettable and there’s no substitute for the inperson experience you know pledging ain’t supposed to be easy anyway almost makes
Me wonder whether or not that might even create a deeper and more long-standing Bond hey we made it over in the middle of Co you know I just thought about that well you know it it it’s different it’s different but this is what I say I
Always try to find a silver lining in everything you know the Cup being half full versus half empty what I’ve learned with kovic is that we can do so much more because believe it or not I’m working harder now than I was working when uh it was pre-co because everybody
Thinks just because you’re at home you could be on Zoom all the time you know they’ll call you two minutes before and can you be on this can you jump on here can you do all and you know we we’re working to make sure to keep connected
Because that is the that is the issue but what I wanted to say to this is that for our new members or doing this intake uh having the ceremonies The Joy about that is that how many of them could say that their National their International president or International first vice
President will attend their ceremonies we’ll bring greetings to them we’ll talk to them that they’ll be at their virtual receptions I can’t tell you the the number of virtual receptions and the actual ceremonies I know we we alone the first vice president and myself we have uh been physically there on Zoom with
These ceremonies and have inducted over and 10 weeks over 500 uh new members so they get that experience uh in seeing us and being able to speak to us where that’s not something that everybody would have that opportunity had we been live so a lot of
This now is that even though we’re not touching each other and being and and being in the presence physically in the presence just like I’m talking to you we’re we’re here I see you you see me we can have that conversation we can have one-on-one conversations we can have
Group conversation and that’s not how it might have been prior to coic because we you wouldn’t have that that that that that intimate discussion time with your senior uh leaders no that is that’s definitely a silver lining for sure that certainly is and I presume too all of
The the social justice activism that Zeta B is known for you all were able to stay on top of that too especially last summer during during that time and space of Reckoning that hopefully has ended in America but but you all have been on top
Of that as well oh yes now when it came time for our social justice activities and what we wanted to do I’m happy to say that in with the divine nine and being a member of the Council of presidents we are unified in the things
That we want to do together as I said all of us we do similar things and some of us are are known for certain things versus others but when it came to to making sure that we were out there educating the communities around the country and even and globally about
Voting about about the census these are things that we all pushed that we all came together on and we all got our members revved up ready to go and getting out into their communities and educating mobilizing educating you know to make sure that everyone knew what
They had to do and that they had the power to do that through their vote and taking the senses so those are two things that we all decided that that was going to be a group activities that we were going to do whether it was webinars whether we actually got out there masked
Up when it was time to go out there to make sure that what got people to the polls all of that we did that and we were as one we were unified in that and that believe shown very well through the outcome of the election because I know
The divine nine work tirelessly to make that happen and of course people are finally acknowledging the significant role of black women in the electorate as represented by what you just described and and the unity is great too so just to be clear the first black woman vice president the first woman vice president
First Asian vice president the first caribbian vice president uh is a member she’s an AKA but you all I’m sure you’re a different sorority but because she’s a member of the divine nine do you all claim her as well as your own we claim
Her as a woman of color a woman that has stood the test of time and that we are proud of her we are proud that she has achieved this because when she won black women wi won and that’s what’s important we wear different colors we we you know
We kids sometimes and we we have that way we do what we do but at the end we’re we’re still one we’re we’re we’re we’re people of color helping our own making sure that we give them what they need what kind of educational initiatives what kind of community service initiative we’re doing
That because we are trying to do what we need to do to uplift our people so having her as the vice president is one of the proudest days that we can that we can stick our chest out for and say we are proud that one of us has reached
That position and I for one I’m very happy that she is the vice president of the United States and I know that she’s going to do great things having her as vice president with her HBCU experience with her Divine n experience how does that impact what you want to do in terms
Of policy and initiative everything relative to the sorority does that help does it change the relationship between the sorority and the federal government are there things you issues you might raise or or things you might ask for support for or being collaboration with that that here to for you may not have
Is is this open a new frontier in terms of the relationship between the sorority and the government and policy well I believe that it will I know that President Biden has said that he’s even having area for um to talk about divine nine have people that are representative
Of them in our sororities and fraternities we do have political figures that are up on Capitol Hill as already and and just come on to Capitol Hill so I I I believe that it’s going to be uh those that we have to now hold their feet to the fire and say these are
The things that that affect our communities in which we live and we’ve elected you and now you need to do your job and really look out for the people that have put you in office because we’ve worked hard and I’m not just saying just a small populace I’m saying
The broader picture of all that came together all people of color that came together and said you know we’re tired of the way things are we want things to be and we want things to be done better and I do believe that we have a listening air and I think that’s
Important because sometimes when you don’t have a listening a well you’re not going to get anywhere anyway but I believe that they’re open and when you’re open to hear what is going on and then try to address it I think that that is half the job done right there um
Madame President talked a little bit to our audience if you would about the history of Zeta 5 beta and how it was even made for this moment how there was a trajectory from you all’s Inception that could bring about greater recognition for the divine nine could bring about the first black woman vice
President uh and could bring about readiness to deal with the Reckoning and racial Justice in America well if we go back and we would be going back before 1920 when it when it when it all started when we were founded January 16th 1920 it had to go back before with our Sigma
Brothers who had a a vision the founders they had a vision of having a Sister organization that would work with them uh to help promote the ideals their ideals and then of course the ideals that we also are created as as Zas so once we were founded you remember back
Then in history that is the the pandemic was just kind of like petering out because it started in 1918 there was a pandemic then and we were when we were founded we were now just on the on the downslide of that pandemic you know and women’s suffrage and and and then you
Know you go on to the stock market crash I mean we had five young women okay who was on Howard University campus and they had a vision that now is 101 years old but they started with wanting to be that Community conscious action oriented organization they wanted to
Help their people and they they had to persevere through some of the hardest times when it started so through the years we we we we garnered a lot of Firsts we were the first that that charted uh a chapter in Africa we were the first to have uh youth auxiliaries
We were the first to have uh women uh that that didn’t graduate from college but we call them our friends or our Miki the uh Greek term and they work with us you know we’re we’re we’re the first to have constitutionally bound the only uh group that is constitutionally bound to
Our brother organization we forged that trail we were the first to to cross over to the Mason Dixon line and start H and start going into the deep south to Charter chapters I mean we were there on the Forefront of many things that happened in history and it wasn’t always
The upside always the good times we were there when it was hard when black people we’re talking there was still that mindset of slavery there was still those things that were going on where you couldn’t even you can even go to certain bathrooms and things of that nature but
We went down South we we we still we still persevered to make sure that we brought the sorority mentality to others so that they would understand how important it is to be a bond how we have to do things together you know because we have to move
Together we can’t we can’t move apart we can do we can do so much better when we’re United and that was our mindset so over the years that’s what we have done we have continued to do what our Founders have wanted us to do and I believe that they know where they are
That we have been forging ahead making change for for those who need our help to bring light into the darkness to make sure that our people are taken care of we’re addressing their needs and what we do best in Zeta we do service we’re the best that there is when it comes to
Service and when when we when you when you think about Zeta and you think about everything that we do we shine because of the service because we’re doing God’s work that’s what’s really important and that’s what we continue to do a amen very very well put well speaking of
Light Into Darkness as we get ready to go I was never more proud than during that Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade the way the community I tweeted I say everybody look at what’s happening on Twitter black Twitter is lighting Macy’s up I mean it went viral and and even
Though they didn’t know what they were doing they just tweeted something they didn’t know what they were talking about for those you don’t know Macy’s tweeted that this was uh just a kind of a random step group that had performed and black Twitter went after him son that’s a
Historically black sorority part of so Macy’s took the Tweet down corrected the tweet and acknowledged the sorority and so even in that mishap it gave an opportunity um for the the larger Community to to recognize and say wait a minute yeah we need to acknowledge those who have done all the things they’ve
Done and have this history and I even tweeted you know some of the the other uh um uh Divine n presence said y’all see this and I started tweeting I mean texting them I said y’all C this too so then everybody started saying yeah this
Is 85 beta you got to put some respect on the name call the whole name so I just want to let you know I think that was a very very proud moment well I thank you so much because that was one of my strategic plans when I first
Became president in July 2018 I wanted to bring Zeta to the Forefront you know put that image out there of who we are and one of the things is that you know for Macy’s that’s the largest in the world as far as a parade and there was
No other divine nine that had gotten to the Macy’s day parade so when I had an opportunity to jump on that because once again being in the Centennial year I made I wanted that to happen so when they made that mishap I knew that it was
Going to you know I I I immediately said something I knew they were fixing it but when I saw the the storm of everyone else joining in I said see that goes to show you how when we as unified what we can do Macy’s apologize they you know they know what
Their error was they and and they corrected it and that’s what’s important because you cannot you can’t allow anything to just slide by you want to make sure that if there’s something wrong correct it get it right we know who we are and we want everybody else to
Know who we are as an organization and that’s what that’s what happened well those that didn’t know show found out that day that was one of the happiest thanksgivings I’ve ever had I’m telling you that was my Thanksgiving it was beautiful and you all deserved it congratulations on all the great work
You’re doing congratulations on the Centennial it’s almost Happy 101 now and I know you like I like what you said I know you’re gonna keep this train going so God bless you and thank for joining us okay thank you so very much and you have a good day
Folks joining us now as we continue to recognize Black History Month and we’re recognizing HBCU in particular now my guest now actually where is two hats not only is she the president of HBCU but today we’re focusing on our historic sororis and she is the president of one of those
As well and so that’s the head she’s weing today we’re happy to have with us the president of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Incorporated Dr Glenda Glover joins us from Nashville Dr Glover how are you today good morning it’s a good day thank you for inviting me it’s a
It’s a pleasure to have you so how has the sorority been coping in handling things in the midst of this uh pandemic first of all well of course course it affects all of us differently it affected the HBCU Community affected the the Divine n Community we pivoted to to Virtual uh operations virtual
Programming virtual meetings the was we look to the virtual world but we still managed to uh serve our communities we still managed to do the service projects uh to raise money for students who are going to college we still continue the the the basics uh of the programmatic aspects of the
Sority and people are still have you all still been able to have lines and pledges too well we have to restrict that a lot because um because of the safety issues we did find a way for those students who had started last year this time last year when the initiation
Process began and we to shut that down those who are in the process we let them finish but the others we have not we’ve not done any more processes since then okay okay and obviously we know the AKA you all have a strong commitment to social activism social justice Community
Health how about in in that area have you all been able to to as best you can with in the virtual space continue that work well of course we last year we had to a massive Goot to get out the vote right throughout the the the campaign we of course we
Couldn’t tell anyone for whom to vote because you know we’re we’re nonprofit but we certainly organized that that effort to get out the vote effort we had the undergraduates and each college campuses the divine nine just Ste to the plate and just did a lot to ensure that
The vote was they got out to vote for both elections both in November then again on January 5th because the right to vote is so sacred a pandemic cannot stop that cannot uh have us forfeit that right because of pandemic so we worked around it and we got the vote out isn’t
It a blessing really that finally people are beginning to realize in particular the significance of the black women electorate black women have always made a difference but it seems even more so now people are finally getting it how foundational black women are to the electoral process and the difference
Black women make oh yes I mean it’s no secret there no question has been said throughout this the last six seven months years that the black women are the foundation black women have just laid that foundation for that right to vote back to the suffrage movement uh
Back in 193 when women were fighting for women to have the right to vote when it was decades later before black women got the right to vote alpha alpha was very very much into that as a matter of fact uh sent a letter to the head of the mark saying we’re not
Going to March at the back of the participate in the March and go to the back of a March for the right to vote so if you don’t let us do that we’re not gonna participate can you imagine back in 1913 send a letter like that to
Somebody in charge and say listen we can’t march in the center or up front you know iate us to the back of the of the line so we’ve always been involved you know just think about this is the time alphaa Alpha was founded in the early 1900 1908 uh 12 years earlier they
Had just declared Tess versus Ferguson that that separate but equal is the law of the land it was against that backdrop when African-Americans were being discriminated against dehumanized NP was founded a year later it was just so much segregation so it took courage it took a
Level of boldness to even form the the AL alpha alpha and three other soror were formed similar missions to uplift black folks just uplift African-American women and we’ll still continue to do that to this day what what has been Alaba Alpha’s role in this situation with the vaccine
We know as Dr hildra at Mah his the term he I like to use the term he uses uses a rational apprehension in our community obviously yes but what what have you all been doing to inform people about the vaccine and even to encourage them to take it well it’s an educational process
And and and there’s some apprehension and rightly so you know we look at the Tusk AR you look at how the past has not been kind to African-Americans when it comes to to Medical trials and and and vaccines and and medicine so we have to educate our own Community to say listen
Is it what what has a greater risk uh not getting a vaccine or or maybe getting covid-19 I know personally because my my daughter her husband my grandson the baby all had Co all have covid and so we we’re getting through you know God has blessed us and we claim
In in faith we claim healing but even so we know that there’s some apprehension to it and we’re telling listen I went and got my second shot last Saturday and it just everything is fine I went to myir and got it went where I felt comfortable getting it went to Mahar got
My second shot my husband and I so it we’re okay he said we have to to make sure that uh our our community goes out and get vaccinated because having a vaccine is not the same as getting vaccinated we’re just trying to get people out to to get vaccinated so it
Can lower that risk of of of of getting Co or dying of Co your uniquely positioned in the HBCU space as a as a president talk to us a little bit um historically about the relationship between our historical sororities and our HBCU and how they complement each other
For example how the akas have been an asset to our HBCU campuses and in turn how the HBCU experiences has kept the AKA akas going strong well I serve as president of Tennessee State University and as as president I have to make sure that nothing is has compromised in the students education
Experience during this covid-19 pandemic that’s that’s Paramount we’ve had some challenges with with technology devices and and getting students home and back you know so we’ve had some challenges but nothing can compromise their education because you know too much of a price has been paid for that so and the
AKA have worked hard with hbcs let me give you a prime example when I became president I know being a college President also I understand the plight of African-American students and the plight of hdcu so I know funding is a big issue hpcu so I had one of my one
The program tet for the sority is to support hpcu to push HBCU to ask to have students to attend HBCU to Market them but then take it to another level find money support them financially so we have a project that once a year one day
A year we raise a million dollars in one day we done three years in a row from the membership we said you know if you can have cell phones and take that money and put give H PCU instead of going to ntion or even targets or wherever you’re
GNA go give it hpcu so in one day we rais a million dollars and and we gave we’ve already distributed to to to all but I think six HBCU maybe 10 all but six or 10 HBCU have gotten uh a $50,000 or $100,000 endowment to to continue the sustainability of the University because
You know endowment represent sustainability do scholarships to students so every college campus it was was my intent our intent to have a an AKA endowment AK hpcu endowment on every college campus so students can see the relationship between Greek that organizations the Divine n Alpac cap Alpha and HBCU because they they are
They do go hand in hand we both fight for to prepare leaders to cultivate young women to become leaders and succeed in life to better our communities to work against them to look at the health care issues that we having U International Focus so we have so many
Issues where social issues because you know you you and I talked earlier we talked about this covid-19 they keep saying it’s because African-Americans have high susceptibility because they have high blood pressure diabetes that’s the reason no that’s not the reason I mean that that is that that is a that
Happens but the reason is there was so much discrimination in health care that the chickens just come home to root now so now that years later when when there was so we were not allowed to go to the hospital and get the proper treatment now it’s coming back you can see now the
Result of that that’s why we’re having a problem that’s why we have high blood pressure that’s why you I know our diets are not always proper but we got to go to the root cause of this the root cause of was the Discrimination the unfair treatment in the health care world for
African-Americans that’s where and so now it’s coming back and we can see some of the issues associated with it and and of course you have every and AKA have every right to be proud for the first time we have an African-American woman in the vice presidency and she is
An AKA talk to us well first of all let me ask you this um because I talked to the president of Howard University her Al Mada about this as well um what difference do you think it will make for our HBCU and our Greek letter organizations to have one of our own an
HBCU graduate and a Divine n member an AKA member in the White House what difference do you think that’ll make in what we’re trying to do let’s go to the let’s go to the AKA first okay it’s the whole divine nine you know it it would
Be easy to say Alpha Kaa Alpha and Harris but she’s aware of the fact that the it took all nine patern to roers working together to to with the assistant in getting her in in office it wasn’t just Alpha Capa Alpha uh in elevation divine nine to to that level
And let people see it’s not just uh Greek shows or or it’s having fun on campus it’s about impac and change social change you know the massive Goot TV movement I mean that was just phenomenal and so in the HBCU World it has elevated HBCU the fact that kamla haris attended
Howard University you know one of the most prominent HBCU in the world it shows the caliber of people HBCU produced so you know we’re proud to this is the year of the HBCU I mean she has elevated HBCU because uh is it’s a game changer for little black girls little
Little little little Indian girls little Asian girl girls and if you can see it you can be it and it’s such an inspirational moment and what I like best about it is that it can finally put to bed that question of rdcu is relevance well we’ve shown the relevance
Anybody who asked that question I should be embarrassed they should be ashamed people even think about HBCU is relevant because she has shown the relevancy of HBC so relevant that we brought her up through the apcu rank and now she’s vice president so we in fact we so relevant
If HBCU did not exist they have to create us you know so it’s it’s a good day for HBCU no question about it and and lastly give our audience a little you you mentioned it too obviously the role in the suffer jet movement uh that the AKA
Played um audience even more if you don’t mind about the history of the sorority and how the S the sorority’s history was a trajectory that led to this moment where a member would be in the White House well it’s a vision of the founders of the organization when they dreamed of this
Day they dreamed of a better day they looked over uh in the direction of the promised land you know back in 1908 they saw this day they saw this very day they looked across the rivers of discrimination they looked across the rivers of segregation and looked across
Those rivers and and and and saw that now we can see that she has she has come so successfully across that so somebody has crossed the river that they they they envision our found a salvage day coming so it started back in 1908 and has come forward now to see where are we
Now a a black woman in the White House a member of the divine nine Alpha Capa Alpha in the white house uh standard number two who has the has the power to be the decision maker in the Senate first of all if you don’t believe in God
Now if you didn’t believe in God you have to do it now there were if there were some non-believers they have to be converted now they say they have to know that there is a God that’s what that says to me that’s what our Founders pray
For this day and you can’t hear it God you just have to wait so now here it is 2021 well elected in 2020 and we’re doing we’re doing the work of this ministry because politics is a Ministry and so we’re doing this with the works of this ministry and that’s why I’m so
I’m so happy to talk about it because it sets hpcu aside it sets divine nine aside it let’s people know that here we are we’re working hard to make change in America for black women black men black people and I’d be remiss folks as as we said Dr glov is President Tennessee
State University my grandparents my my mother’s parents were the first in their families to go to college and they both graduate uated uh from Tennessee State back when it was called Tennessee Andi back in the 30s in the 1930s believe it or not well you and your
Family are in our prayers and I hope you all are recovering well and much love to Tennessee state but especially um much love to the alpha Capa Alpha sorority of which KLA Harris is a member and let me just say if you all heard the the
President what she said you know she has we’re talking about the akas at this moment but she’s kept everything in the context of the divine nine because we’re all in this together so we definitely uh appreciate that that Unity Dr Glenda Glover thank you so much thank you so
Much thanks for getting woke and listening to make it plain please remember to listen like subscribe and wherever you get your podcast please give the show a five star rating and please do spread the word let’s all continue to pray for each other during this Pand mmic and this police demic if
All hearts and minds are clear it has been made plain not all bread is created equal and if you like your soft fluffy moist and delicious then herob bread and buns should be your first choice but herob bread isn’t just about taste and texture it’s high in fiber with ultral Lona
Carbs with 0 g of sugar order today at hero. and use the code ah10 to get 10% off your first purchase that’s ah10 hero. H e.co for 10% off your first purchase
source
