Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., founded by 22 women at Howard University, has a revered history of sisterhood and social activism. The organization embodied a vision for African American women to face challenges and attain academic excellence, community service, and social justice in a supportive environment at a time when they had limited opportunities.
The organization also has over 1,000 chapters globally, including the Bahamas, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bermuda, Canada, England, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, West Africa and South Africa, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Since its founding in 1913, the sorority has had thousands of members, some of whom went on to gain fame and celebrity in several spheres, including politics, music, acting, and sports.
The Defender has compiled a list of some of the most famous members of the sorority. Take a look!
Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson glances at members of the media during her meeting with Sen Mark Warner, D-Va., on Capitol Hill, Monday, April 4, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) 
Actor Cicely Tyson at the screening of ‘Sounder’ during the TCM Classic Film Festival in 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for TCM) 
Angela Bassett at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California this year. (Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images) 
. K. Michelle at the Essence Festival of Culture in 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Essence) 
Marcia Fudge spoke during the Freedman’s Bank Forum at the Treasury Department in 2022 in Washington, DC., which focused on “efforts to increase economic opportunity and growth for communities of color and address the persistent drivers of the racial wealth divide.” (Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) 
Keisha Lance Bottoms at a press briefing at the White House in January 2023, where she spoke on the President’s visit to Atlanta, Georgia for a Martin Luther King Jr. service. (Credit: Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) 
Sherrilyn Ifill at the 37th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in January 2023 in Brooklyn, New York. (Credit: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for the Brooklyn Academy of Music) 
April Ryan accepts the WMC She Persisted Award in 2017 in New York City. (Credit: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Women’s Media Center) 
Nikki Giovanni speaks at the 61st New York Film Festival in October 2023. (Credit: Photo by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for FLC) 
Barbara Jordan (1936 – 1996) at a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, Washingon D.C., in July 1974, during which she delivered a powerful opening statement. (Credit: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 
Dr. Dorothy Irene Height at the Uncommon Height Gala in Washington, DC in 2002. (Credit: Manny Ceneta/Getty Images) 
Wilma Rudolph, known as the ‘black gazelle,’ after her record-breaking 11.3 second 100m dash at the American – Soviet track and field meet at Lenin Stadium, Moscow, Russia. (Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images) 
Singer Aretha Franklin 
New York Times Bestselling Author Victoria Christopher Murray 
Joy Reid attends the Sergio Hudson show during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at Gallery at Spring Studios on February 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images for NYFW: The Shows) 
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 07: Sheryl Lee Ralph attends the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton on January 07, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
