Contact: Crystal Drake, Office of Strategic Communications
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. donated more than 1000 articles of professional clothing to Tuskegee University’s Golden Tiger Community Closet, and a gift of $5000 in scholarship support, during the organization’s 50th Southern Region Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
Dr. Mark A. Brown, president and CEO, thanked the organization at the event’s closing ecumenical service on Sunday where he also greeted Dr. Louise A. Rice, former National President of the organization and a proud 1963 Tuskegee alumna as she was being honored during the ceremony for her lifetime of transformative influence in education. Dr. Rice was initiated into the sorority through Tuskegee’s Gamma Tau Chapter in 1961.
“The true measure of an institution is the character and impact of its graduates. Dr. Louise Rice stands as a powerful example of the leaders Mother Tuskegee produces,” said Dr. Brown. “Her distinguished service and lifetime dedication to advancing education and opportunity, reflects the transformative power of a Tuskegee education. Today, through this remarkable donation Delta Sigma Theta is helping prepare another generation of scholars, professionals, and servant leaders to leave Tuskegee ready to change the world."
Earlier in the week Dr. Kellei Samuels, Chief of Staff to Dr. Brown and a member of Delta Sigma Theta, participated in a panel discussion where HBCU leaders discussed pathways to success HBCU advocates are determined to provide for students.
The sorority’s Southern Region roots were planted at Tuskegee. In 1922, Zeta Beta, now the Tuskegee Alumnae Chapter, was established in Tuskegee as the first chapter in the South. Rich Tuskegee ties and the close proximity between Tuskegee and Atlanta was on her mind when outgoing Southern Region director, Amaris Johnson, put plans in motion to support The Golden Tiger Community Closet through the sorority’s own Collegiate Closet, a similar resource the sorority organizes across its vast network of 1,000 collegiate and alumnae chapters.
“I knew we could get the clothes there – it’s just a two hour drive,” said Johnson noting that regional conference plans usually call for clothing to be donated to an HBCU or other organization close by to make local impact.
Tuskegee sent a university van to the event location to collect the donation and it arrived on campus Monday afternoon.
“We are very interested in supporting Tuskegee’s student success model,” she said, adding that, right or wrong, first impressions are made quickly and influence others’ perceptions of people they encounter.
“Sometimes the first thirty seconds is what people will judge you by and if your best opportunity is on the other side of that, why not make an impression that sets you apart?” she said.
Like Tuskegee, Johnson says Delta Sigma Theta recognizes and proactively eliminates financial barriers that might exist for young women who need to build their professional wardrobes. She noted that sorority leaders gently redirect members to the clothing closet if they arrive at official conferences or meetings where business attire is required.
“There is no punishment or shame here,” she said. “And we are making sure our closet reflects a wide range of sizes so that everyone can be supported and served.”
Both organizations agree these efforts are not punitive but about preparation, practice and, ultimately, love.
“HBCUs were here for our people when others turned them away,” said Johnson. “We know that when excellence is cultivated, generations are transformed.”
Tuskegee’s Golden Tiger Closet has been operating since 2023 and leaders are excited about plans to expand soon.
“Dressing appropriately in any given space is part of our holistic student success model to care for and support our students academically, professionally and personally,” said Walter P. Cooper, Sr., Director of the Career Education and Leadership Development Center which operates the closet. “Finding and being comfortable in business attire is an important aspect of putting your best foot forward in many workplace cultures and so the practice begins here on campus.”
More than 8,000 members attended the Delta Sigma Theta Southern Region Conference, bringing together members from across the region which includes Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Bahamas.
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