On January 29-30, 2018 the Southern region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated held its annual Delta Days at the State Capital Convention Complex in Jackson, Mississippi. On the 29th the sessions were held at the King Edwards Hotel in Jackson and the next day they were held at the State Capital. At the State Capital the Ladies of Delta were able to meet with state legislatures. The convention is held every year in January where many women of the Southern region of the Sorority gather together at the State Capital to discuss legislative issues and to find out different ways that they can be more socially active within their community.
Alcorn State University Mass Communications Professor Toni Terrett has been affiliated with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated since the Fall of 1993 at Tougaloo College. She has been with the Vicksburg Alumnae Chapter for 6 years. While in attendance at the convention, Terrett was honored with the Social Action Trailblazer Award. “I was kind of stunned. I knew that I had been nominated but I really didn’t know if I would get chosen. I was happy that they thought of giving me the award. I feel motivated and encouraged for doing things that are helping people and getting other people’s attention. It shows me that I need to continue to do this type of work and try to do what I can to make a difference,” stated Terrett.
The process of choosing who receives the award is very rigorous. The Chapters nominate members and they write a bio about them and submit an application. In the bio they talk about what the nominee has done. After the application and bio is submitted a committee reviews the applications and decides who the award goes to. There were three other awards handed out to deserving winners which were the Social Action Award, the Get Out to Vote Award and the Fannie Lou Hamer Award.
Terrett is motivated to keep working hard. She stated, “I just want to do more work which means something as long as I’m doing work to help people.”