Largest African-American sorority will gather in Biloxi this weekend. Here’s the plan

Martha Sanchez
·2 min read
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Women young and old from around the state are meeting in Biloxi this weekend for a gathering of the largest African-American sorority in the country.

More than 1,000 members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. are expected to attend, and they plan to donate thousands of dollars to tornado victims in Moss Point.

The event is being held Friday through Sunday at Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi. The group is expected to raise over $5,000 in Amazon wish list items and monetary donations for people still recovering after a tornado tore through Moss Point last June, said Cece Shabazz, media and communications co-lead at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alumnae Chapter.

“A lot of them are still in need of supplies,” Shabazz said. “We want to make sure we are a part of that effort.”

The event is an annual statewide gathering that brings together women of all ages for workshops, business sessions, professional development and public service. The Coast last hosted the gathering just before the COVID-19 pandemic, Shabazz said.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. members and alumnae interact with vendors at an event.
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. members and alumnae interact with vendors at an event.

“We’re really excited that it’s back this year,” she said. The Coast is home to two of the sorority’s chapters – the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alumnae Chapter and the Moss Point Alumnae Chapter – and Shabazz said city leaders and national sorority leaders will attend the gathering weekend. The event’s theme is a throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Organizers will also ask members to shop and eat at small Black owned businesses on the Coast, like Pass Christian Books, Ms. Audrey’s Southern Kitchen & Catering in Gulfport and Cat Daddy’s Fish House in Biloxi.

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was founded more than 100 years ago at Howard University, a historically Black university in Washington D.C. The sorority has more than 350,000 members around the world, and 34 chapters in Mississippi.

Much of their work is public service, including voter registration and youth scholarships.

“There isn’t a month that goes by without a Delta making a positive impact in her community,” Shabazz said. “Delta Sigma Theta is an army of women dedicated to a life of sisterhood and giving back.”

A group of Deltas poses for a photo in the sorority’s signature red colors.
A group of Deltas poses for a photo in the sorority’s signature red colors.