Delta Research and Educational Foundation – The Official Research and Educational Foundation of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

DREF`s Sister Scholars Advisory Council recently released the 2026 research report, " No Margin for Error: How Thin Wealth Buffers Destabalize Black Communities."
This publication arrives at an important moment. Black women continue to be essential to household stability, workforce performance, and community wellbeing, yet too often face higher exposure to volatility and fewer protections when disruption occurs. When we talk about “the economy,” we must be precise about who bears the greatest risk, who has the least margin for error, and what conditions make recovery harder even when employment is steady. To access the white paper, obtain additional resources and learn more about DREF visit:https://deltafoundation.net/no-margin-for-error-report/ Thank You. #DST1913, #DREF, #EconomicJustice, #WealthInequality, #BlackWomenMatter, #EconomicResilience, #BlackEconomics

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 18102981839292969

DREF`s Sister Scholars Advisory Council recently released the 2026 research report, " No Margin for Error: How Thin Wealth Buffers Destabalize Black Communities."
This publication arrives at an important moment. Black women continue to be essential to household stability, workforce performance, and community wellbeing, yet too often face higher exposure to volatility and fewer protections when disruption occurs. When we talk about “the economy,” we must be precise about who bears the greatest risk, who has the least margin for error, and what conditions make recovery harder even when employment is steady. To access the white paper, obtain additional resources and learn more about DREF visit:https://deltafoundation.net/no-margin-for-error-report/ Thank You. #DST1913, #DREF, #EconomicJustice, #WealthInequality, #BlackWomenMatter, #EconomicResilience, #BlackEconomics ...

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DREF’s Roses and Violets Mother’s Day fundraiser provides critical support as we honor all the incredible moms and mother figures!
Beginning next year, 2027, DREF will celebrate 60 years of successful research, partnerships and educational programs dedicated to supporting African American women and their families. The Roses and Violets Charitable Campaign will serve as the kick-off, acknowledging our founding in 1967. Please join us in recognizing the love, strength, and resilience of all mothers, and honor those who serve or have served in that role. Please consider sharing your contribution today!
All contributions received now and no later than Friday, May 8th, 3:00 pm EST, will receive a digital copy of a special Mother’s Day message to share with someone you would like to honor. To make your contribution, please visit: Igfn.us/form/hiL6MQ
Stay in touch with DREF to learn more about the upcoming 1967 -2027 - 60th anniversary celebrations by visiting www.deltafoundation.net. Happy Mother’s Day! #DST1913, #DREF, #MothersDayFundraiser, #HonoringMothers, #CommunitySupport #SupportBlackMoms ,#MothersDay, #60YearsStrong

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 18004839236730308

DREF’s Roses and Violets Mother’s Day fundraiser provides critical support as we honor all the incredible moms and mother figures!
Beginning next year, 2027, DREF will celebrate 60 years of successful research, partnerships and educational programs dedicated to supporting African American women and their families. The Roses and Violets Charitable Campaign will serve as the kick-off, acknowledging our founding in 1967. Please join us in recognizing the love, strength, and resilience of all mothers, and honor those who serve or have served in that role. Please consider sharing your contribution today!
All contributions received now and no later than Friday, May 8th, 3:00 pm EST, will receive a digital copy of a special Mother’s Day message to share with someone you would like to honor. To make your contribution, please visit: Igfn.us/form/hiL6MQ
Stay in touch with DREF to learn more about the upcoming 1967 -2027 - 60th anniversary celebrations by visiting www.deltafoundation.net. Happy Mother’s Day! #DST1913, #DREF, #MothersDayFundraiser, #HonoringMothers, #CommunitySupport #SupportBlackMoms ,#MothersDay, #60YearsStrong ...

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During the final week of Jazz Appreciation Month, DREF honors the legacy of Nancy Wilson (February 20, 1937 – December 13, 2018) Ms. Wilson was an American jazz singer whose career spanned over five decades, from the mid-1950s until her retirement in the early 2010s. She recorded more than 70 albums and won three Grammy Awards for her work. During her performing career, Wilson was labeled a singer of blues, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer".
A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Wilson was honored for her activism in many ways, including through an award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1993. In 1998, she received the NAACP Image Award for her philanthropic contributions and lifelong activism.
She was also inducted into the International Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2005. She was dedicated to black communities at a time when it was incredibly risky for her career, especially as a woman in entertainment, yet she was able to have a prolific and varied career. When she died in 2018, she left behind a brilliant legacy. #DST1913, #DREF, #WomeninJazz, #JazzAppreciationMonth #NancyWilson #JazzLegend #BlackExcellence #JazzHistory

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 18334911784217521

During the final week of Jazz Appreciation Month, DREF honors the legacy of Nancy Wilson (February 20, 1937 – December 13, 2018) Ms. Wilson was an American jazz singer whose career spanned over five decades, from the mid-1950s until her retirement in the early 2010s. She recorded more than 70 albums and won three Grammy Awards for her work. During her performing career, Wilson was labeled a singer of blues, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul; a "consummate actress"; and "the complete entertainer".
A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Wilson was honored for her activism in many ways, including through an award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in 1993. In 1998, she received the NAACP Image Award for her philanthropic contributions and lifelong activism.
She was also inducted into the International Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2005. She was dedicated to black communities at a time when it was incredibly risky for her career, especially as a woman in entertainment, yet she was able to have a prolific and varied career. When she died in 2018, she left behind a brilliant legacy. #DST1913, #DREF, #WomeninJazz, #JazzAppreciationMonth #NancyWilson #JazzLegend #BlackExcellence #JazzHistory ...

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Today is World Book Day. DREF is taking the opportunity to highlight a book authored by DREF Board member, and Joliet Area South Suburban Alumnae Chapter of DST, Inc., Ms. Deadra Woods Stokes. The book is entitled: "TIMELESS, 22 Lessons of Faith, Hope, and Love", in recognition of this day and an important reminder to continue a journey of life-long learning through books.
"TIMELESS... "shares some lessons come from classrooms. Others are whispered over kitchen tables, offered through quiet gestures, or spoken in love at the right moment. The deepest lessons the author learned were lived out loud by three extraordinary women who raised her. From her grandmothers` and mother`s lives come lessons on faith, family, finances, and love. Their voices still echo. Their wisdom still guides. A woman must understand that legacy is not only something inherited - it is something she is responsible for. In this compilation of twenty-two vital lessons, our past is connected to our present, and a legacy of wisdom for modern living is solidified. The golden thread of wisdom, transition, and sisterhood is "Timeless."
As DREF prepares to promote our Roses and Violets Mothers` Day fundraiser, this book is an author`s tribute and offering to Mothers. From their lives come lessons on faith, family, finances, love, and legacy. May they fill the quiet spaces of your heart, and may these lessons light your path just as they continue to illuminate hers. To learn more and obtain a copy, visit www.timeless22lessons.com. Happy World Book Day! #DST1913, #DREF, #WorldBookDay #LifeLessons #WomenAuthors #BookLovers #Sisterhood

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 17982132123004468

Today is World Book Day. DREF is taking the opportunity to highlight a book authored by DREF Board member, and Joliet Area South Suburban Alumnae Chapter of DST, Inc., Ms. Deadra Woods Stokes. The book is entitled: "TIMELESS, 22 Lessons of Faith, Hope, and Love", in recognition of this day and an important reminder to continue a journey of life-long learning through books.
"TIMELESS... "shares some lessons come from classrooms. Others are whispered over kitchen tables, offered through quiet gestures, or spoken in love at the right moment. The deepest lessons the author learned were lived out loud by three extraordinary women who raised her. From her grandmothers` and mother`s lives come lessons on faith, family, finances, and love. Their voices still echo. Their wisdom still guides. A woman must understand that legacy is not only something inherited - it is something she is responsible for. In this compilation of twenty-two vital lessons, our past is connected to our present, and a legacy of wisdom for modern living is solidified. The golden thread of wisdom, transition, and sisterhood is "Timeless."
As DREF prepares to promote our Roses and Violets Mothers` Day fundraiser, this book is an author`s tribute and offering to Mothers. From their lives come lessons on faith, family, finances, love, and legacy. May they fill the quiet spaces of your heart, and may these lessons light your path just as they continue to illuminate hers. To learn more and obtain a copy, visit www.timeless22lessons.com. Happy World Book Day! #DST1913, #DREF, #WorldBookDay #LifeLessons #WomenAuthors #BookLovers #Sisterhood ...

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Continuing to honor African American women`s voices during National Poetry Month, we remember one of the most powerful poetic contributions from Dr. Maya Angelou, entitled: "Still I Rise"
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I`ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I`ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I`ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don`t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I`ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I`ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame; I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain; I rise
I`m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear; I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear ; I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave; I rise; I rise; I rise.
During these challenging time, DREF reminds all that resilience is key to our survival. RISE! #DREF, #DST1913, #MayaAngelou #Resilience #PoetryCommunity #BlackVoices #Empowerment #HopeAndStrength #StillIRise

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 17982785661003557

Continuing to honor African American women`s voices during National Poetry Month, we remember one of the most powerful poetic contributions from Dr. Maya Angelou, entitled: "Still I Rise"
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I`ll rise.
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I`ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I`ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don`t you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I`ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I`ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Out of the huts of history’s shame; I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain; I rise
I`m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear; I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear ; I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave; I rise; I rise; I rise.
During these challenging time, DREF reminds all that resilience is key to our survival. RISE! #DREF, #DST1913, #MayaAngelou #Resilience #PoetryCommunity #BlackVoices #Empowerment #HopeAndStrength #StillIRise ...

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This Motivational Monday, DREF recognizes April as Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence is now higher or equal in Black children compared to white children in the U.S., with the gap closing or reversing due to improved diagnosis rates. CDC data (2020-2025) shows that Black and Hispanic children are now diagnosed with autism at higher frequencies than white children. Among 8-year-olds, the prevalence was reported at 3.7% for Black children and 2.8% for white children. Other estimates show ~1 in 27 Black children identified, compared to ~1 in 36 white children. While overall prevalence is higher, Black children are still more likely to experience delays in diagnosis, often receiving a diagnosis at a later age than white children. Black children are more likely to have their symptoms overlooked, or they may be diagnosed with behavioral issues rather than autism compared to white peers, particularly if they do not have a concurrent
DREF recommends increased awareness and understanding the importance of screening in African American communities which is helping to close the diagnosis gap. Historically, lower rates in Black populations were linked to limited access to specialists, socioeconomic factors, and implicit bias, which are gradually being addressed. This helpful message from expert Qamar Said helps us to appreciate ways to embrace members of the ASD community. #DST1913, #DREF, #AutismAwareness ,#AutismAcceptance, #Neurodiversity, #InclusiveEducation, #BlackAutismAwareness, #ScreeningMatters, #DiversityInDiagnosis

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Open post by dref_1967 with ID 18093461105125886

This Motivational Monday, DREF recognizes April as Autism Awareness Month. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence is now higher or equal in Black children compared to white children in the U.S., with the gap closing or reversing due to improved diagnosis rates. CDC data (2020-2025) shows that Black and Hispanic children are now diagnosed with autism at higher frequencies than white children. Among 8-year-olds, the prevalence was reported at 3.7% for Black children and 2.8% for white children. Other estimates show ~1 in 27 Black children identified, compared to ~1 in 36 white children. While overall prevalence is higher, Black children are still more likely to experience delays in diagnosis, often receiving a diagnosis at a later age than white children. Black children are more likely to have their symptoms overlooked, or they may be diagnosed with behavioral issues rather than autism compared to white peers, particularly if they do not have a concurrent
DREF recommends increased awareness and understanding the importance of screening in African American communities which is helping to close the diagnosis gap. Historically, lower rates in Black populations were linked to limited access to specialists, socioeconomic factors, and implicit bias, which are gradually being addressed. This helpful message from expert Qamar Said helps us to appreciate ways to embrace members of the ASD community. #DST1913, #DREF, #AutismAwareness ,#AutismAcceptance, #Neurodiversity, #InclusiveEducation, #BlackAutismAwareness, #ScreeningMatters, #DiversityInDiagnosis ...

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DREF’s Roses and Violets Mother’s Day fundraiser

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DREF launches the 2026 research report

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