A sorority that serves thousands of African-American college women is celebrating its centennial. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded in 1913 at Howard University. WBFO's Eileen Buckley recently met some of the oldest past presidents of the Buffalo chapter and current leaders at UB's Amherst campus.
84-year-old Rowena Adams Jones sits in the Jones Academic Success Center at UB's Governors Complex -- a center named in her honor.
"The sorority has just grown so tremendously. We're small...but we have done some outstanding community projects," said Jones.
Jones served at UB for 26 years.
"And I set up three student centers," said Jones.
There are only two African-American women that have a building named after them at UB. One is Mary Burnet Talbert, founder of the Niagara Movement, and the other is Jones.
Jones is a 65-year member of Delta Sigma Theta. She joined the sorority in 1948 while attending the University of Pittsburgh.
Buffalo is one of the smallest chapters in the country with almost 100 members. Bigger cities like Chicago have up to 600 members. But members say Buffalo's sorority members and its leadership are especially spirited.
"It's been awesome to see the growth of our women and how they have excelled," said Jones. "I've just been so proud."
The sorority has over 900 chapters in the U.S. and internationally with more than 200,000 mostly college educated African-American women. Part of its focus is on political awareness and involvement and promoting a healthy lifestyle. But first and foremost, education is the sorority's mission.
Dr. Lillian Williams is associate professor of Translational Studies at UB and a chapter member.
"In the 60's and 70's, most of the members were teachers or educational administrators. Now they are doctors, they are lawyers, they're dentists," said Williams. "They have just grown tremendously."
In her University classroom, Williams often reminds her students of the many rights that were fought for blacks.
"In fact I constantly have to remind my students that these events occurred, and they marvel," said Williams.
One was the right to vote, for both women and African Americans.
Karen Fleming Stanley is also with the Buffalo sorority chapter. She also serves as chair of the Michigan Street African American Heritage Commission.
Fleming Stanley says one of the sorority's very first service project by the Alpha Chapter at Howard University was about voting rights. That was fought 100 years ago.
"Because for those young ladies who were college students in 1913...you're here to study, you're not here to be in a civil movement...for women to vote, go back to your classroom," said Fleming Stanley.
Fast forward in time and for the last 22 years, and the Buffalo chapter has been part of the Historically Black College Tour and College preparation program, identifying 25 to 30 students who want to make the most of applying for college.
The Buffalo chapter conducts its mission in the region, but also across the globe.
Both Fleming Stanley and Williams say its involved in the education of girls in Africa and helping to promote healthy lifestyle.
"Our chapter has paid for water wells in Kenya," said Fleming Stanley.
Those water wells are a "game changer" for village girls in Africa. The young women no longer are forced to walk miles and miles to retrieve water. Instead they now have more time to concentrate on their education.
This is something the local Delta Sigma Theta members are proud to be a part of.
The strength of this African-American sorority is worn proudly through its colors -- chrism and white. Chrism stands for courage and white for purity.
"We are a group -- a sisterhood of college, educated women committed to service and targeting, helping our black community," said Fleming Stanley.