Sacramento, CA — With issues on their agenda from human trafficking to police brutality to equity in admitting black students and hiring black faculty and staff at state universities, members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s California chapters flooded the state Capitol during visits to elected officials on Monday, April 27 as part of the 29th Annual Delta Days in Sacramento.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., one of the largest and most powerful African-American women’s organizations in the country, hosted the social and political action conference in Sacramento April 26 and 27. Women, wearing the Sorority’s colors of crimson and cream, representing dozens of chapters from San Diego to Sacramento—descended on the state Capitol to advocate for policies and action on important issues in their service communities.
“Delta Sigma Theta Sorority is one of the most powerful organizations I know,” said Assemblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, (D-Los Angeles), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. He along with other members of the caucus including Sen. Isadore Hall III (D-Compton), vice chair of the caucus, applauded the organization’s success in rallying behind the confirmation of Loretta Lynch, a member of Delta Sigma Theta, as the first African-American woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General.
This year’s event, “Breaking the Chain: The Power of Advocacy and Action,” included a discussion on human trafficking led by Rev. Deborah Manns of Project Destiny and Falilah “Aisha” Bilal, executive director of MISSSEY; and a Town Hall meeting with members of the California Legislative Black Caucus including Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles); and assembly members Cheryl Brown (D-San Bernardino), Mike Gipson (D-Carson), Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles).
Rep. Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) served as the keynote speaker at the event’s social action luncheon on Sunday, April 26. Congresswoman Bass called for procedural reforms in the foster care system that contribute to the human sex trafficking of African-American girls. She said there needs to be better care given to children in foster care, particularly focusing on providing special housing for black and Latino girls abused through human sex trafficking.
“The gangs are now selling our girls,” Bass said. “These girls have fallen through the cracks.”
The conference also welcomed more than 200 youth participating in the region’s annual Youth State program, “Our Future is Not for Sale! Tools for Human Trafficking and Exploitation Prevention,” on Saturday, April 25. They learned preventive tools and developed advocacy agendas.
Delta Days chair Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker and co-chair Fabian Wesson said this year’s event was designed to encourage our members to engage in public service, build a solid economic engine in service areas via foundations and advocate for a good quality of life for communities and residents. We must be solution oriented.
“As Delta women, we continue to rise to the challenge of advocacy and action like we’ve done throughout the history of our sisterhood,” said Farwest Regional Director Sandra Phillips Johnson. “We will continue to be on the frontline doing the work.”
Mariah M. Kelly, the Farwest Regional Representative, said she is proud to have hosted this year’s Youth State. “We have work to do in California to protect and prevent any more youth from being trafficked,” Kelly said. “I am elated that the sorors of the fierce and focused Farwest Region are at the forefront in our efforts in raising the awareness of the challenges we face today.”
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is the largest African-American women’s organization in the country. The organization was founded in 1913 on the campus of Howard University to promote academic excellence; to provide scholarships; to provide support to the underserved; to educate and stimulate participation in the establishment of positive public policy; and to highlight issues and provide solutions for problems in communities. Delta Days in Sacramento is in alignment with the Sorority’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust of economic development, educational development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health and political awareness and involvement.
California led the Delta Days advocacy movement with the vision for “action” when past Farwest Regional Director Gwendolyn Sherard Bishop initiated the very first event in 1986 in Sacramento. At that inaugural event, 100 women planted the financial seed of sponsorship that has now grown in 2015 to embrace the youth and young adults in partnership with the elected leadership of the state of California—an intergenerational strategy to bring about change. California is a part of the Farwest Region and continues this legacy with pride and purpose looking toward the 30th anniversary in 2016.
For more information about the Farwest Region, visit http://dstfarwestregion.com/.
