Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is celebrating 109 years of excellence today. This historically Black sorority was founded by twenty-two groundbreaking Howard University students back in 1913, and it has been going strong ever since. It notably even has the distinction of being the largest Black sorority.

The organization describes its purpose as being to "provide assistance and support through established programs in local communities throughout the world." With about 1,000 chapters located all around the globe, Delta Sigma Theta has a long list of noteworthy members who proudly rep the sorority.

In the spirit of celebrating the sorority's Founders' Day, we've compiled a list of well-known Deltas. 

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett became an honorary Delta back in 2013. With major roles in noteworthy films like Black Panther, Notorious, Waiting to Exhale, and What's Love Got to do With It, Bassett is one of Hollywood's prominent actresses—and one of the sorority's most recognizable names.

K. Michelle

R&B singer and reality star K. Michelle became a Delta during her time at Florida A&M University, and she continually reps her sorority with pride on Twitter. No matter how well-known K. Michelle is today, she is still sure to honor the sorority that filled her college years with joy and sisterhood.

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni—a critically acclaimed poet and activist—is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, and she notably delivered a poem dedicated to the sorority back in 2013. Giovanni is memorably one of the leading figures associated with the Black Arts Movement, and she remains active within the public eye to this day.


Keshia Knight Pulliam

Spelman alumna Keshia Knight Pulliam pledged Delta Sigma Theta during her time at the Atlanta-based university, and she is proud to rep her crimson. Audiences were first introduced to Pulliam through The Cosby Show, and she has gone on to star in projects like Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Madea Goes to Jail, and Celebrity Big Brother.

Cicely Tyson

Cicely Tyson—who passed away just under a year ago, as Blavity previously reported—is another honorary Delta. Tyson's decade-spanning career included projects like The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Roots, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, and The Help.

Keisha Lance Bottoms

The current mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta since she was a student at Florida A&M University (FAMU). She frequently shouts the sorority out through social media, suggesting that her Delta experience has been both memorable and enriching!

Aretha Franklin

Legendary singer Aretha Franklin was named an honorary sorority member back in 1992, and she is by far one of the most iconic Deltas. It's also worth noting that the Queen of Soul's sorority sisters paid tribute to her after her 2018 passing, and she continues to be honored by the organization.

Happy Founders' Day to the incredible women who make Delta Sigma Theta the great sorority that it is!

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