The Deltas get their due

Street names coming for each Divine Nine organization

By Johanina Charles

On April 30, 2024

In an effort spearheaded by Miami Gardens Vice Mayor Reggie Leon to get each Divine Nine organization its own street designation, the city has just approved Delta Sigma Theta Way.

A sea of ladies in red flooded Miami Gardens City Hall last week as Delta Sigma Theta sorority members from various chapters anxiously waited for the council to decide whether the road on NW 24th Avenue from 183rd Street to 191st Terrace would be renamed in their organization’s honor.

Among the many members present last week were Miami-Dade County Public Schools District 2 board member Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall, former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Audrey Edmonson, Miami Gardens State Rep. Felicia Robinson and local chapter presidents.

“For over 111 years, we have made a difference in various communities globally,” said Taylor McCain, national second vice president of the sorority. “We have had a primary focus on Black communities. Having a street named after this illustrious organization that falls under the presence of the Miami Alumni Chapter, the Dade County Alumni Chapter, the Iota Pi Chapter at FIU, as well as the Taro Chapter at the University of Miami, will make a difference for this community.”

The council voted 6-0 in favor of the resolution. Miami-Dade Commission Chair Oliver Gilbert III will sponsor a similar resolution at the county level.

Gilbert and Leon joined forces with other leaders last month to unveil Omega Psi Phi Way, a street behind Florida Memorial University named after their fraternity.

“When we talk about Miami Gardens, when we talk about being the largest African American city in the state of Florida, this is what it looks like as we bring the Divine Nine organizations live into Miami Gardens,” said Leon. “These street namings mean so much more than just a street naming. [It’s about] the sense of pride that each student will have as they go down these streets … when you think about their service pillars, when you think about keeping the city beautiful, these are streets that we know we won’t ever have to worry about when we name them after these different organizations.”

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve participated in a beautification program where we go and participate in cleanups,” said Robinson. “People just throw things out of their cars and it becomes an eyesore. But we’ve gotten up at 7 o’clock in the morning to ensure that we’re able to give back because we know what we want our community to look like.”

“The street naming is fitting. It’s recognition saying, ‘You’ve been here doing the work and now we’re going to honor you by saying you’re truly engraved into this community.’ I guarantee you we’re not going to want to see no one throw any trash or litter on that street. If we’re on that street and we see something, we’re going to step in and make a difference because it carries our name,” Robinson continued.

Founded at Howard University by a handful of former Alpha Kappa Alpha members who wanted to differentiate themselves from the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority prides itself on public service and is known by its triangle hand symbol and crimson and cream colors.

In the same year the organization was founded, its student members joined the fight for women’s rights by participating in the Washington, D.C., women’s suffrage march. The sorority, since then, has worked to implement programming to improve the political, educational, social and economic conditions in Black neighborhoods across the country.

“We, the members of Delta Sigma Theta, have been partnering with the city since its inception, whether it was food giveaways and street cleanups,” said Stephanie Steele-Nelson, president of the Miami Alumnae chapter, about their presence in Miami Gardens. “We will continue to show up and partner with this city, and not just because it’s a great city, but because we know that our soror, [Miami Garden’s] first mayor, Shirley Gibson, would have it no other way.”

“The greatest thing about being a Delta is what we actually do,” said Robinson, reflecting on how she admired the sorority women growing up. “As a young woman and high school student, before I became a Delta, I participated in their debutant program. It wasn’t just a cotillion. It did so much in teaching us about etiquette; I went to my first college tour with them going to see Howard, Clark, Spelman and Tuskegee. It was an opportunity for me to see women that looked like me be professional, show that they love their community and that they were able to do whatever they set their mind to. It gave me that motivation to be a part of that. When I finally became a Delta years later, the service that drew me to them hasn’t changed.”

This piece was republished from The Miami Times.