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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
IN CELEBRATION OF ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is a Black Greek Letter Organization founded on January 16, 1920 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. by Arizona Cleaver Stemons, Pearl Anna Neal, Myrtle Tyler Faithful, Viola Tyler Goings and Fannie Pettie Watts. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. was founded on the principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love and Finer Womanhood; and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is the only Black Greek Letter Organization constitutionally bound with another Black Greek Letter Organization, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated, founded on January 9, 1914 on the campus of Howard University. Zeta Phi Beta was incorporated in the State of Illinois in 1939. Currently, the Sisterhood of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has over 100,000 members around the world; and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is currently led by the Sorority’s 25th International President, Valerie Hollingsworth-Baker; and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. has long-standing awareness partnerships and assists tirelessly year-round to raise funds on behalf National Organizations such as the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. is one of Nine Black Greek Letter Organizations in existence known as ‘The Divine Nine’. The Divine Nine Organizations are listed as follows: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated (founded December 4, 1906); Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (founded January 15, 1908); Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated (founded January 5, 1911); Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated (founded November 17, 1911); Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated (founded January 13, 1913); Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated (founded January 9, 1914), Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (founded January 16, 1920); Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated (founded November 12, 1922) and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated (founded September 19, 1963); and
WHEREAS, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. mentors young women from ages 4 - 18 through the Zeta Youth Auxiliaries known as the Pearlettes, Amicettes and Archonettes. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. also sponsors an adult auxiliary formed in 1947 entitled The Amicae, making Zeta Phi Beta the first Sorority in the National Pan Hellenic Council to organize an auxiliary. The Amicae auxiliary consists of non-degreed women who have an opportunity to serve alongside Zeta Phi Beta with the same ideals and principles that the Sorority was founded upon; and
WHEREAS, in Cook County, there are three undergraduate chapters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.: Alpha Alpha Chicago Metropolitan Chapter, Nu Sigma at Northwestern University, and Mu Phi at Loyola University; and eight Graduate Chapters: Zeta Tau Zeta (Chicago Metropolitan); Zeta Zeta (Dolton), Xi Mu Zeta (Markham), Tau Alpha Zeta (Richton Park), Tau Xi Zeta (Forest Park), Tau Psi Zeta (Alsip), Omega Pi Zeta (Evanston)and Psi Psi Zeta (Chicago). Together, all of these chapters will be honoring Zeta Phi Beta's Centennial Year on January 16, 2020 collaboratively throughout Cook County under the initiative entitled 'One Zeta'; and
WHEREAS, in Cook County, as well as worldwide, members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. have given hours of time in the form of community service to the citizens of Cook County as well as raise several thousands of dollars to provide scholarships annually to college bound high school seniors in Illinois. Cook County Chapters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. participate County Wide in providing outreach services to women, men and children in Cook County as well as globally via National Programs approved by the Sorority such as Z-HOPE (Zetas Helping Other People Excel), which is designed to enhance, cultivate and develop lifestyle choices of a person's health be it mentally or physically, primarily those persons of color as well as Stork’s Nest, a cooperative program between the Sorority and the March of Dimes that aims to increase the number of women receiving early and regular prenatal care in an effort to prevent premature births and infant mortality ; and
WHEREAS, nearly all Cook County Graduate Chapters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. are members of the National Pan Hellenic Council of Chicago, which is a collaborative organization of 40 chapters representing Divine Nine Organizations in the Chicagoland area as a chapter of the National Pan Hellenic Council, formed on May 30, 1930 on the campus of Howard University as a means for Historically Black Greek Letter Organizations to meet, fellowship and engage in cooperative programming and initiatives through various projects, activities and functions; and
WHEREAS, the undergraduate and graduate chapters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority located in Cook County, Illinois are part of the Great Lakes Region, led by Great Lakes Regional Director Connie V. Pugh and Illinois State Director Dr. Dawn C. Edwards; and
WHEREAS, notable members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. include singer/talk show host Syleena Johnson, Past International President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., comedienne and talk show host Sheryl Underwood; Violette Anderson, Past International President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. the first African American law school graduate in the State of Illinois and the 1st African American woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court; the Honorable Willie Whiting, charter member of Zeta Tau Zeta Metropolitan Graduate Chapter - Chicago, IL; first woman executive secretary of the Chicago branch of the NAACP; the first black woman to prosecute cases for the City of Chicago in Women's Court and first black woman employed in Northern Illinois as an Assistant United States Attorney who was eventually elected in 1978 to the Circuit Court of Cook County as judge and the first African American woman endorsed by the Regular Democratic Party to run county wide for election.; and
WHEREAS, the current Presidents of the Chapters are listed as follows - Zeta Tau Zeta Chapter (Chicago) - Elizabeth Stevenson; Tau Psi Zeta Chapter (Alsip, IL) - Darcell Norwood-Baugh; Tau Alpha Zeta Chapter (Richton Park, IL) - Mersaydes Young; Xi Mu Zeta Chapter (Markham, IL) - Robbin Cooper; Psi Psi Zeta Chapter (Chicago) - Denise Johnson-Bournes; Zeta Zeta (Dolton, IL) Adrienne Kellum McDay; Omega Pi Zeta (Evanston) - Joanna Goodson; Tau Xi Zeta (Forest Park) - Tiffany Jones; Alpha Alpha (Chicago Metropolitan Undergraduate) - Erica Lee; Nu Sigma (Northwestern University) -Brittany Owens; Mu Phi (Loyola University) - Ngozi Ude.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the President and the Cook County Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the residents of Cook County, do hereby celebrate with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. on their Centennial and commend them on their unwavering commitment and inspiring desire to provide true service, to embrace scholarship, to set a standard for Sisterly Love and to define the noble concept of Finer Womanhood; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this text be spread upon the official proceeding of this Honorable Body, and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. International President, Valerie Hollingsworth-Baker; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.- Great Lakes Regional Director Connie V. Pugh, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. - State of Illinois Director Dr. Dawn C. Edwards, to commemorate this momentous occasion.
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