#SOCIALACTION
was our FIRST action
By: Soror Juliet Rogers
The 30 th Annual Delta Days in the Nation’s Capital (DDNC) assembled at the Washington Hilton Hotel
from March 9 through March 12, 2019.
National President Beverly Smith stated in her written greetings “The theme for this year’s legislative
conference, “The Power of our Voice: 30 Years of Advocacy and Activism. . . The nation needed us
back in 1989, and it is no secret that our presence is needed now more than ever in 2019. The very
rights that our ancestors fought so hard for are being threatened by some lawmakers who are out of
touch with their constituents who they pledged to serve. As an organization rooted deeply in political
involvement, we must do our part to educate our communities, engage our lawmakers and advocate for
the least among us.”
This year’s DDNC focused
on sensible gun laws, the
decriminalization of Black
children, the need to understand
the roles in the judiciary and
the preparation for Census
2020. There were also
workshops on topics such as:
Faith and Social Justice;
Environmental Justice:
Community Sustainability;
Human Trafficking; Voting Rights;
and additional issues we
must address in this election
year. These are among the
many other plenary sessions
and workshops created to stimulate and encourage involvement in current events impacting our
communities.
Ecumenical Worship Service began with our National Chaplain, Bishop Vashti McKenzie presiding. Rev.
Dr. James Faison, Jr. of Watson Grove Baptist Church in Nashville, TN preached a very poignant and
relevant message at the service from Exodus 1: 6-20 entitled “Believe It Or Not, We Have Seen This
Before.” He went on to say, “There is but One star. That is God. God will take care of us.”
This annual conference allowed sorors to remain abreast and involved in our country’s legislative
process, issues concerning the Black community and connect with our state’s congressional leadership.
Because sorors who attend are equipped with tools and strategies to implement social action, it was
suggested mandatory attendance by each chapter to this annual conference. Therefore, we gathered
information from the conference sessions to incorporate into the Sorority’s social action initiatives
through our chapters.
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