Over 600 members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, one of the largest predominately Black female non-profit organizations, will be attending its 48th Central Regional Conference in Overland Park, KS, at the Overland Park Convention Center, Thurs., Aug. 2, through Sun., Aug. 5. The theme for the convention is “Purpose, Passion, Promise and Power: Fulfilling our lifetime commitment.”
The four-day conference will consist of workshops, closed plenary sessions to conduct the business of the organization, a collegiate day, lip-sync battle, luncheons dedicated to sisterhood and social action and nominations and elections of new regional officers.
While the conference is mostly closed to the public, a welcome event titled, Denim and Pearls, which will include influential leaders from the community, including elected officials (Jim Kite, Council President of Overland Park, KS, and David Haley, Kansas State Senator) and representation from the National Pan-Hellenic Council.
The Kansas City, KS, Alumnae Chapter, comprised of Deltas from Wyandotte, Johnson and Douglass Counties, is the conference host chapter. The region will present an Influential Community Leader Award to an individual from the Kansas City, Kansas community. As the host chapter, the KCK Alumnae Chapter established the criteria for the award.
The award will be presented during the welcome event.
The Central Region includes the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Nationally, the sorority has more than 250,000 members.
The Central Region has a proud legacy of Delta leadership. The sorority’s 14th National President, Frankie Muse Freeman, Esq. (1967-71), resided in St. Louis, MO, at the time of her election until her passing earlier this year at age 101. Freeman was appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (1964-79), was instrumental in creating the Citizens’ Commission on Civil Rights founded in 1988 and was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia.
Also, two of the organization’s founders have Kansas ties. Bertha Pitts Campbell was born (June 30, 1889) in Winfield, KS, and Madree Penn White was born in Atchison, KS.
The sorority’s current national and regional leadership includes: Central Regional Director Jacqueline A. Dillard, 26th National President and CEO Beverly E. Smith and Central Regional Representative Jazmyn Ferguson.