By Sonia O. Butler
Jackson Advocate Guest Writer
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated was founded on January 16, 1920, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., with principles: Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Finer Womanhood Observance for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is celebrated each year from the last full week of February through the end of March. During this period, Zeta places an emphasis on Finer Womanhood in communities of color.
The members of Alpha Delta Zeta Chapter (ADZ) in Jackson, MS were excited to launch their annual Finer Womanhood observation period with a host of virtual and in-person events for sorority members, adult and youth auxiliaries, and the community. For the events and workshops slated only for Zetas and Zeta Amicae, all members were welcome, regardless of financial status. ADZ’s workshops welcomed members from across the Jackson metropolitan area, across the state of Mississippi, as well as from Illinois, Louisiana, and Tennessee.
ADZ’s Finer Womanhood events kicked off on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol on Sunday, February 25. The chapter members gathered to take an updated group photo. With nearly 300 members, ADZ is proud to be the first and largest Zeta chapter in Mississippi.
The first workshop was a virtual session, Zeta Closet 101: Are You Zeta Ready?, held on Thursday, February 29, 2024 for Zetas only. This event was led by Latosha Davis with presenters, Dr. Mercidee Curry and Katrina Banyard. ADZ extended an invitation to this workshop to all Zetas across Mississippi. They were excited to have a number of visiting sorority members join them on the Zoom session.
On Sunday, March 3, 2024, a private in-person workshop on Zeta Ceremonies and Rituals 101 was held on the campus of Tougaloo College for members of Alpha Delta Zeta and undergraduate members of Nu Beta at Tougaloo College. This event was led by ADZ’s 1st Vice-President, Keisha L. Milton and Sonia O. Butler. The presenter was Dr. Theresa B. Green, who facilitated a phenomenal and interactive session for those in attendance.
The last virtual workshop was held on Thursday, March 7, Parliamentary Procedures 101: Basic Rules on How to Make a Motion. This session was open to all Zetas and their female adult auxiliary, Zeta Amicae. ADZ was excited to have two of their newer members lead this workshop, Andreka Hollins (Spring 2022) and Greta Mack-Harris (Fall 2023). Both presenters for this session, Murial Brinston, RP and Cynthia Bell, RP, as well as the Chapter President, Judge Eleanor Faye Peterson, RP, who gave the closing remarks, are all Registered Parliamentarians. Participants enjoyed the interactive role-playing exercises at the end of the session.
Open to the public, the event, led by Sonia O. Butler and Clara Jackson, held on Sunday, March 10, was church worship at New Hope Baptist Church on Beasley Road, immediately followed by lunch at Piccadilly on I-55N Frontage Road. While visiting New Hope, Alpha Delta Zeta Chapter donated $2,100 to New Hope Christian Elementary School. Pastor, Dr. Jerry Young and First Lady, Sister Helen Young accepted the donation from ADZ Chapter President, Judge Eleanor Faye Peterson and Finer Womanhood Committee Co-Chair, Sonia Odems Butler.
Thanks to event leads, Lisa Cook and Kathy Kendricks, ADZ held its first “Brunch en Blanc et Blu” private chapter event on Saturday, March 16. Chapter members were divided into teams where each team was responsible for table decoration and meal planning. Since the tables were being judged, the creativity was off the charts! The fellowship was amazing and filled with wonderful vibes. The members are already excited about having this event again next year.
On Sunday, March 17, ADZ invited the community to join them for their final in-person workshop, Sign Language 101: Basic ASL Communication, held at the Westside Community Center in Jackson, MS. In October 2023, Alpha Delta Zeta inducted 84 new members into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, one of whom is deaf. In an effort to better communicate with her, an interactive workshop was planned to teach the chapter members the basics of American Sign Language (ASL). As planning progressed, the ADZ Finer Womanhood committee decided to make this a public event to help bring awareness and a better understanding of the deaf culture to the community. This event was led by Zoerean Neal and Gwendolyn Johnson, who also served as one of the presenters. Other presenters were Deundra Owens-Blackmon, the ADZ deaf member, and Tiffany Leach, owner of Tiffany’s Academy of Sign. Along with learning how to sign the alphabets, numbers, and several words, one important note the attendees walked away knowing is the deaf community considers the term “hearing impaired” as offensive. Instead, they prefer to be referred to as deaf or hard of hearing.
(Photo: Anita Young)
