Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, Inc. is an independent, multicultural, community service-based Greek-lettered sorority founded on March 9, 1997.

It was established by a group of women known as the "9 Black Diamonds", on the basis of true sisterhood and community outreach, and is a member of the National Multicultural Greek Council

National Multicultural Greek Council

The National Multicultural Greek Council is an umbrella council for ten Multicultural Greek Letter Organizations established in 1998. The purpose of NMGC is to provide a forum that allows for the free exchange of ideas, programs, and services between its constituent fraternities and sororities;...

.

History

Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, Inc. was founded on March 9, 1997 in Connecticut by Nine Strong Women formerly part of a Latina sorority. These women originally pledged to be a part of an organization that would bring them sisterhood, empowerment, opportunities for service, academic achievement and personal growth among other things. As their time in that organization grew, however, they found that sorority to be lacking in its internal structure, constricting in its outlets for service, limiting in its definitions of sisterhood and cultural identity and fraught with internal and external strife. After numerous years of struggling to work through these many issues, they realized their vision of a sisterhood was in direct contradiction with that of the original organization.

So they made the decision to leave, to strike out on their own. After looking around at other sororities, they noticed that what they envisioned was nowhere in sight. So they saw what was their mission: to create an organization whose primary goal was the upliftment and empowerment of women and their communities through intellectual and leadership development and cultural awareness. They sought to create an organization where each woman could fight for her own cause in her own community, at the same time uniting all other communities to support and aid in the struggle through the works of the sorority. And so, Lambda Psi Delta, a multi-ethnic, service based organization, for women by women and about women, was formed to give all women a chance to experience true sisterhood.

Over 10 years later, Lambda Psi Delta is a still going strong and gaining notoriety for the works done on both the national and chapter level. Some of which include winning academic and Greek-related awards on the respective campuses of the undergrad chapters, spear-heading the founding of the National Multicultural Greek Council alongside Mu Sigma Upsilon.

Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, Inc. is rapidly growing to having undergraduate chapters in various states such as Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, New Jersey

New Jersey

New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

 and Louisiana

Louisiana

Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...

 as well as two graduate chapters.

Mission

Lambda Psi Delta is a unique multi-cultural organization founded in order to form a more perfect coalition of women dedicated to sisterhood and community outreach. Our principle purposes are to engage in the upliftment and empowerment of women and our communities through intellectual development, cultural awareness, and leadership, and to engage in educational, cultural, political, and public service activities that express and support such concerns.

Although we work primarily in minority communities, our members hail from a variety of backgrounds including African, Afro-American, Anglo-American, Belizean, Chilean, Chinese, Colombian, Costa Rican, Dominican, East Indian, El Salvadoran,Ecuadorian, Filipino,Guatemalan, Greek, Haitian, Hungarian, Italian, Iranian, Irish, Jamaican, Korean, Mexican, Pakistani, Palestinian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Russian, Somalian, Scottish, West Indian, Transylvanian, Vietnamese and many others, and devote their energies to a number of different causes that support and promote our Five Tenets.

Tenets

The sorority's 'Five Tenets', on which it bases its approaches, programs, and services, are:

1. Intellectual Development
2. Empowerment of Women
3. Leadership
4. Cultural Awareness
5. Upliftment of the Community

Through these values and the virtues of true sisterhood and community outreach, Lambda Psi Delta aims to give back to its surrounding communities, and to strengthen ties within the community through intellectual and leadership development, and through cultural awareness.

Founding Mothers

Lambda Psi Delta was founded by 9 strong, dynamic women who are referred to as the Nine Black Diamonds. They are:

1. Ericka Ramos Carrasquillo, Esq.
2. Irma Beatriz Cordero, MSW
3. Margarita Martis Navarro
4. Isabel Veguilla, MFA
5. Paula Arputhasamy Ladd, Esq.
6. Laura Elaine Gilbert
7. Karina Tejeda
8. Marina Lori Franzoni, N.D.
9. Denise J. Pipersburgh, Esq.

Service

Lambda Psi Delta is committed to giving back to the community. The national philanthropy for Lambda Psi Delta is Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

. Lambda Psi Delta works closely with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a United States-based non-profit organization, and its network of chapters nationwide promote research, educate, advocate on issues relating to multiple sclerosis, and organize a wide range of programs, including support for the newly diagnosed and those...

 to donate time and money to finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis by fundraising, participating in NMSS many activities and volunteering with the Society.

On both the National and Chapter level, the members of Lambda Psi Delta engage in several different community service projects including:

• Operation Santa
• Adopt a Highway
  Adopt a Highway
  The Adopt-a-Highway program, also known as Sponsor-a-Highway , is a promotional campaign undertaken by U.S. states, Provinces and Territories of Canada, and national governments outside North America to encourage volunteers to keep a section of a highway free from litter...
  
  
• Light The Night Walk
  Light The Night Walk
  Light the Night Walk is the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's walk to build awareness of blood cancers as well as raise money for research and support of patients and their families. It is held in over 200 communities in North America each fall as well as in Australia.Walkers carry illuminated balloons...
  
  
• Metropolitan Ministries
• Meals on Wheels
  Meals on Wheels
  Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
  
  
• Relay For Life
  Relay For Life
  Relay For Life is the main volunteer-driven cancer fundraising event of the American Cancer Society. Originating in the United States, the Relay For Life event has spread to 21 countries. Relay events are held in local communities, campus universities, military bases, and in cyberspace...
  
  
• Ronald McDonald House

and various other projects that are undertaken on national, regional, chapter and individual levels.

LILies

The LILies is the official interest group of Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, Inc. The acronym LILies stands for Ladies Interested in Lambda Psi Delta. The purpose of the LILies group is threefold. It serves to teach interested ladies more about Lambda Psi Delta, encourage service and academic excellence and to foster a relationship amongst other interested ladies nationwide.

Chapters

Undergraduate Chapters:

• Alpha- Yale University
• Beta- Greater Hartford Area
• Delta- Our Lady of the Lake University
• Epsilon- University of South Florida
• Zeta- Ramapo College
• Eta- Seton Hall University
• Theta- Wesleyan University
• Iota- Rutgers University
• Kappa- Texas Woman's University
• Lambda- Nicholl's State University

Colonies:

• Beta Colony- Tampa Area

Graduate Chapters:

• Gamma Alpha- Northeastern Region
• Gamma Beta- Southeastern Region