A Sunday View From a Pew: Discouraged, Disparaged, Disappointed and Dissuaded — But Never Defeated
For many of us, a new year brings resolutions—some personal, some professional. Some are realistic, and some are not.
ADVERTISEMENT
Columbus Delta Sigma Theta International President Cheryl Turner Visits Historical Marker Honoring Founder Winona Cargile Alexander
3 min read
The international president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated marked the organization’s 113th anniversary Saturday with a visit to Columbus, culminating in a stop at a historical marker honoring one of the sorority’s founders, Winona Cargile Alexander, a Columbus native.
More than 500 members and guests gathered Jan. 10 for a joint Founders Day luncheon hosted by the Columbus Alumnae Chapter, Columbus Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter and the Theta Phi Chapter at Columbus State University. The event celebrated more than a century of service and recognized local community partners.
Cheryl W. Turner, international president and chair of the sorority’s board of directors, delivered the keynote address. Turner was elected at the sorority’s 57th National Convention in July 2025 and leads a global membership of more than 350,000 women.
“It is my honor to join more than 500 sorors and friends today,” Turner said. “Our beloved sorority was founded nearly 113 years ago on the campus of Howard University by 22 young women. I am proud of the impact these chapters continue to have within the Columbus community and beyond. Their commitment to service, scholarship and social action are the principles on which our beloved sorority was founded.”
Following the luncheon, members traveled to a historical marker commemorating Alexander. Turner said she was “deeply honored” to observe the anniversary in Alexander’s birthplace. With the visit, Turner became the first sitting international president of Delta Sigma Theta to visit the marker site.
Alexander was born June 21, 1893, in the parsonage of St. John A.M.E. Church, where her father, the Rev. Charles Cargile, served as pastor. She was the second daughter of Lady Fannie Cargile and Rev. Cargile. The family later moved to Macon, and Alexander went on to attend Howard University, where she became one of the 22 founders of Delta Sigma Theta on Jan. 13, 1913. The sorority has since grown into one of the largest African American sororities in the world.
“We are here today to honor the legacy of Winona Cargile Alexander and the work she did in forming Delta Sigma Theta,” Turner said during the marker visit. She noted that Alexander later chartered the Jacksonville, Florida, chapter, helping expand the sorority’s mission of service and leadership development. “We are proud of the legacy we all hold dear.”
The Founders Day observance underscored both Delta Sigma Theta’s national reach and its deep local roots in Columbus, where one of its founders began a legacy that continues more than a century later.