Re-imagining the Legacy Connection

By Jennifer McCreary Ford, Alpha Iota-Oklahoma
and Joyzelle Herod McCreary, Gamma Nu-North Texas

Almost thirty years ago, I became my mother’s sister when I joined Delta Gamma. I had heard about Delta Gamma my entire life, not to mention my brother and I would sing DG songs in the living room after going to a recruitment preview at the chapter my mom was advising. When I was looking at colleges, I would check if they had a Delta Gamma chapter. I saw the relationships my mom had fostered with sisters both in college and throughout her life and I knew I wanted the same thing. 

When I went through recruitment, I don’t remember talking about Delta Gamma’s legacy policy. I knew I was a legacy, a double legacy in fact, as my grandmother was an alumna initiate during the establishment of Delta Psi-Baylor. I knew several of my mom’s friends had written a recommendation form for me, but my mom told me to keep an open mind. She hoped I would find a connection at DG, but ultimately she wanted me to do whatever I felt was right. What a gift it has been for nearly thirty years now to join my mom at Delta Gamma events. In the beginning of my Delta Gamma journey, I was “Joy’s daughter”, as she was kind of famous in DG, being one of the first women to introduce professional development training to our Fraternity. There was a time when my mom was known as “Jennifer’s mom” when I became a Collegiate Development Consultant and moved into my own volunteer roles. At one point we even facilitated a few training sessions together, to support each other as we continued our work with the Fraternity.

In two years, my own legacy will be off to college and we are starting to have conversations about majors, what schools she is interested in, and all of those other conversations you have as you approach those college years. Having worked in student affairs in higher education for 25 years, I love watching students come to campus for the first time and take everything in, and I love being part of their journey during their four years. I imagine it will be a little harder to watch my own child go on that journey knowing there are a lot of ups and downs along the way, but a good support network can make all the difference. We have talked about sorority life through the years and she loves to hang out in my old, beloved, comfy DG sweatshirt. I imagine she will choose to go through recruitment and of course I hope that she will find that connection with Delta Gamma, but I know she has to figure out what is right for her.

Last week, I heard the news about Delta Gamma’s update on the legacy policy, which no longer requires a chapter to obtain approval for release or prioritize legacies on their invitational or preference bid lists during recruitment. My first reaction was surprise, but after a few minutes of letting it sink in, I understood it. 

No, I do not think this decision was made lightly, and no, I do not think this decision was made in direct response to the global conversation that is happening about racial injustice right now. Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to work with current Council members as well as Executive Offices staff on exploring our recent contextualization work and what it means to be a women’s fraternity that is inclusive and welcoming of all women. Part of being inclusive is recognizing that membership should not be based on a decision made by a potential new member’s sister two years ago, or by her mother thirty years ago or by her grandmother sixty years ago.

The institution where I work had a legacy policy in admissions that did not guarantee admission but did give those applicants a slight advantage over someone who was not a legacy. There was a lot of controversy when that policy went away, and I believe some alumni truly thought it meant their child would not be able to gain admission. I have the pleasure of working with our orientation and family programs office and attend different events throughout the year and I love when a parent walks up with their child and they are sporting their institution ring and have written their class year on their nametag. To my knowledge, there has been no shortage of second, third or fourth-generation students on our campus since the policy change occurred over ten years ago.

In two years, when my daughter is off to college and hopefully going through recruitment, I know she will keep her eye on Delta Gamma. I also know that I will make sure that she and her friends have several recommendation forms sent to the chapters on their campus. I know the recruitment teams will review each form and work to ensure that we continue to have members of outstanding character, honors, talents, personal development and scholarship. What a bonus it will be when some of those new members happen to be a legacy. If that comes to fruition in our household, I will certainly be celebrating, but I will also be celebrating all of the new members who join our amazing sisterhood each year. 

Doing Good Means Doing Better.

Striving to become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable sisterhood

As Delta Gammas, we strive to “Do Good.” This shared purpose has anchored our bonds of sisterhood since 1873, but today more than ever, it is important to remember that “doing good” requires action. It is not about “looking good” or about “being seen doing good.” We want to do good in the world in the hopes that our world will become a better place for all people. This means that our sisterhood needs to become more diverse. More actively inclusive. More equitable. We recognize this need, and we know that this commitment has not always been the case in our past. We are committed to changing that, and we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. We promise to demonstrate that commitment with tangible action in support of our many sisters who are not white.

Sisters of color, we want to amplify your voice.

• Submit an idea for virtual programming.
• Express interest in sharing your professional or personal expertise with sisters as a virtual programming speaker.
• Share a personal/professional update or success in the ANCHORA magazine.
• Be a contributing writer for the Delta Gamma Blog. Email commdept@deltagamma.org. 
• Have a unique story to share on social media? Email us the details and some pictures to photos@deltagamma.org.
• Join our DG Women of Color private Facebook group.

What action is Delta Gamma taking?

Below are the tools and trainings that we’ve developed and implemented thus far, as we seek to become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable sisterhood. This is not a marketing campaign, or a short-lived effort on a current topic. We know that this is barely scratching the surface of all the ways in which we need to be better champions for change.

• In our winter 2019 ANCHORA cover story titled “Racism, Bigotry & Delta Gamma,” we exposed and took ownership of the institutional racism and systemic discrimination that has influenced Delta Gamma. This process is called contextualization. This magazine was sent to 100,000 members of all ages to help start the conversation on an international, organizational level.

• In January 2020, Fraternity and Foundation international Leadership volunteers and staff participated in workshop on identifying and combating implicit biases, led by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. We encourage all members to take one of the free assessments from Project Implicit in order to identify your own biases so you can start working to actively change them.

• This article announced the future implementation of a training plan and equity audit. On May 11, 2020, the Fraternity Council endorsed a full-scale Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training Plan, which outlines the training and education opportunities for all Delta Gamma audiences (collegiate chapters, alumnae, advisers, house corporations, Delta Gamma Leadership and Executive Offices staff) through summer 2021. We want this to be a long-term change at our core. As we grow and improve, we want to learn from our sisters along the way. Details on how this plan will be implemented will be shared with all sisters later this month (June 2020).

As part of our multi-year partnership with the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, that began in December of 2019, later this month our partners at Kirwan will begin work on a four-part equity audit and climate assessment aimed at uncovering assets and barriers regarding promoting an equitable and inclusive Delta Gamma.  The primary objective of the equity audit is to gain greater understanding on a wealth of topics related to racial inequity by evaluating our current policies, procedures and programming, and provide a space for members of color to share their stories and lived experiences. The changes that will be made as a result of the audit will assist to ensure anti-racist, inclusive and equitable policies, procedures and organizational norms within Delta Gamma. The Fraternity will be evaluating things like our legacy policy, Honor Board procedures, election processes and so much more in this process, led by a third-party expert in this space. We look forward to the ways in which we can continue to champion important changes to better our organization, the experiences of our sisters, and our impact on the world.

• If you have questions about these efforts, please email DGcontextualization@deltagamma.org     
• Members will be able to share personal testimony about their experiences within Delta Gamma with the experts at the Kirwan Institute directly. Instructions for how to do so will be shared with members via email and on other communication avenues.

Here are opportunities to engage in learning with and alongside Delta Gamma.

We hope that all sisters who want to contribute to lasting change in our society will start by following this path, which we will continually be expanding:

Article II Talks are webinar-style learning sessions for members and non-members. These talks are grounded in the pillars of Article II of our Constitution: high ideals of friendship, educational and cultural interests, social responsibility and the best qualities of character.

• Sisters, Let’s Discuss White Privilege    |     In this Article II talk, join four sisters as they talk about their experiences as beneficiaries of white privilege while fostering a space for judgement-free learning and growth. We believe it is important to note that all guest hosts identify as white. Although it is incredibly important to listen to and amplify the voices of people of color, the guest hosts acknowledge that it is not the responsibility of people of color to educate white individuals on the topic of white privilege.
• Understanding Microaggressions     |     The impacts that microaggressions have are anything but small. And as sisters who come together in the name of "Doing Good" and social responsibility, it's on us to talk about them. Join us on Wednesday, June 10, for an Article II Talk on the Impacts of Microaggressions. Register here.

DG Dialogues, launched in 2018, is Delta Gamma’s member education program. As a part of DG Dialogues, chapters complete four programs over the academic year, corresponding to each value of Article II. Programs are completed in small groups of 10-15 to allow for deep discussion and meaningful learning.

Many of the program options for our ‘educational and cultural interests’ value center around diversity, inclusion and equity, including “Social Identities 101”, “The Importance of Language”, and “Social Justice Issues: Race and Ethnicity”.

Chapter management team (CMT) officers who want to improve their chapter members’ commitment to equity and inclusion should implement one of these programs, whether virtually or in person. Though four are required for each chapter, that does not mean your chapter can only do four programs. If you think your chapter needs more opportunities for DG Dialogues or would like to see different topics, tell your CMT officers what you would like for your chapter.

What are we missing? Tell us what you’d like to see from us as we work toward becoming an intentionally inclusive organization, by emailing us at EquityandInclusion@deltagamma.org.

Here are a few of the many avenues to learn, grow and donate:

To Watch

• 13^th (Netflix)
• Dear White People (Netflix)
• Inclusion Beyond the Law: Creating Inclusive Spaces (Webinar)
• If Beale St Could Talk (Hulu)
• Let’s Get to the Root of Racial Injustice (TED Talk)
• When They See Us (Netflix)

To Read:

• 10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship, Mireille Charper
• Blackballed: The Black & White of Race on America’s Campus, Lawrence Ross
• Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot, Mikki Kendall
• Homegoing, Yaa Gyasi
• How to be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
• The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas
• White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Robin D’Angelo
• White Privilege Checklist, Peggy McIntosh
• Why ‘All Lives Matter’ Is Such a Perilous Phrase, Daniel Victor

To Listen

• 1619 (New York Times)
• About Race
• Code Switch (NPR)
• Pod Save The People (Crooked Media)
• Talking Race with Young Children (NPR Life Kit)

To Donate

• Black Lives Matter
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Color of Change

“Having been founded upon the principles of personal integrity, true friendship, and social responsibility, I know that I speak on behalf of the Fraternity Council and all of my Delta Gamma sisters when I condemn any and all acts and expressions of racism, bigotry, and hate. Our expectation of our members is that they embrace all citizens of our global community with respect, good will, and kindness. Abuses of power, flagrant violence, and preying on others based upon racial hatred are appalling acts, and have no place in a civilized, hopeful world.”

-Wilma Johnson Wilbanks, Alpha Psi-Mississippi

International President

Alumna Spotlight: Liz Niemiec, Alpha Tau-Butler

Liz Niemiec, Alpha Tau-Butler, started her charitable organization called Little Wish Foundation at just 16 years old. This year, she was awarded the Diana Award, which is known as the highest accolade a young person can receive for their outstanding service to others. Named after Princess Diana, the award is presented in London to young people around the world every year.

We asked Liz to share with us how Little Wish Foundation came to be and how she continues to “Do Good” through this special cause.

The idea for Little Wish Foundation all began with a child named Max, who was battling cancer. Max was the son of my teacher; and at a small, private school in Indiana, everyone was like family. I was in 8^th grade when Max was diagnosed with Wilm’s Tumor (a form of kidney cancer) and I remember feeling overwhelmed, sad and confused when learning that 4-year-old Max could get cancer. I honestly thought that only adults got cancer, and I was shocked. We followed Max’s brave battle for two and a half years. So much of what he went through during this time should never have to be experienced.

I remember visiting Max at his home with my mom in the final months of his battle. He had just received a gift he had always dreamed of: a puppy. It was beautiful to witness Max’s happiness with finally having his puppy, Chewy. That seemingly “little” gift really made his days brighter.

I was once again reminded of the magnitude of this little gift at Max’s wake. It was a day that forever changed my life: being at the wake of a child younger than myself, and due to cancer. To this day, it’s hard for me to describe what emotions ran through me approaching Max’s casket to pay my respects and say goodbye. A photo was hung above the casket of him and his puppy and it spoke to me. It even felt like Max spoke to me. I felt moved, driven and chosen to do something.

Leaving the wake, I turned to my mom and said “I want to start something big to help other kids fighting cancer. It’s not fair that Max is gone. Will you help me?” She said yes. From this, Little Wish Foundation was created to give other little wish gifts to children fighting cancer, like Max, and we’ve never looked back. It’s all because of Max.

In the first few years, it was a truly homegrown effort. I held meetings in my church’s chapel and sold blue silicon bracelets reading “Little Wish - in Memory of MAX” to all of my friends and peers. I asked a lot of questions to the adults I recruited for help and started planning our first fundraisers. (I often had my friends join me in my garage after school to make posters for the walls of the fire station venue.)

The best part for me, always, was getting to deliver each “Little Wish” we raised money for and meeting the kids we were helping. It was an effort that ruled my days and nights when I wasn’t at school, fueled by pure excitement and the drive to just keep helping. My goal has always been to bring as many smiles that I can to kids fighting cancer. The hurdles I faced were mostly related to the fact that my mom and I were completely new to the non-profit world. With zero experience, we created Little Wish Foundation from scratch.

I was so young when I thought of creating Little Wish Foundation, but in a way, I think my naïve boldness was my advantage in just listening to my heart and doing it, with no second guessing.

In college, it was the amazing forever friends I made in Delta Gamma who inspired me to keep going with Little Wish even when it was difficult, or life threw hurdles in my way. I learned so much from the great women in my chapter, all unique and equally wanting to help me in my pursuit of Little Wish throughout college. They even donated funds from an ice cream social to Little Wish and surprised me one night with a huge donation. It was a sense of incredible camaraderie, love and support I’d never experienced. Though I graduated almost three years ago, I still have such a big support system from those women. I’m very appreciative for my experience. 

I’m honored that I was even nominated for the Diana Award, let alone to have represented America in attending the award ceremony in London this summer. I’ve always admired Princess Diana and her legacy, as she was known for her incredible heart and service to others in need. And for her style! She was a gift to everyone’s life she entered. What an incredible legacy to leave behind! The Diana Award, in her honor and memory, is known as the highest accolade a young person can receive for his or her outstanding service to others. I’m very grateful for the experience of receiving the award in London and will never forget the many amazing young people I met who are all doing truly awesome things to make the world a better place. I left the ceremony feeling nothing short of inspired.

I dream to see Little Wish Foundation continue to grow and impact every child battling cancer in our country. We’ve granted more than 2,000 little wishes so far, in 14 children’s hospitals in seven states. I know anything is possible and I’m filled with hope in fulfilling this. I also dream of using my story to inspire other women and young people around the word. I love being creative and connecting my passions for the greater good, so stay tuned to see what happens next. Last but not least, as our motto states, I plan to Live Life to the MAX!