Chester (PA) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. | Dr. Sirena Bannister, President

Chester (PA) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is a private, not for profit organization that serves the local communities within Delaware County of Pennsylvania. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated is an organization of college educated women committed to the development of its members and to public service with a primary focus on the Black community. CAC has been serving the Delaware County community since its chartering in 1994.

At the invitation of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc - Rho Chi Zeta Chapter of Chester PA, in December of 2022, several members of the CAC served as wreath laying volunteers during a Wreaths Across America ceremony at Historic Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, PA. Because of CAC's dedication to serving Delaware County, the chapter accepted the invitation to collaborate with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc - Rho Chi Zeta Chapter and honor the lives of deceased African American veterans that protected our country. 

The ceremony paid homage to fallen African American veterans, who paid the ultimate price for American freedoms. The event was educational and symbolic of the beauty and brevity of life. The ceremony was attended by local citizens, county officials, and uniformed members of the United States Armed Forces.Historic Eden Cemetery was created to provide a sanctuary in the Philadelphia area where African Americans could be buried with dignity and respect. Having a dignified place for burial was a longstanding challenge to African Americans in the Philadelphia area until the creation of the cemetery. With Eden serving as the final resting place for 1100+ veterans from all branches of the armed forces, we wish to honor their memory by dedicating and laying wreaths at their burial site.

Eden Cemetery is the final resting place for several notable citizens of the Philadelphia area: Robert Penn, Spanish-American War Veteran, and 19th Century Hero; James Forten, Abolitionist, Businessman and Revolutionary War Hero; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Honorary Member, Jessie Redmon Fauset, Novelist and Educator; and one of our Beloved Founders, Pauline Oberdorfer Minor, Teacher, Singer, and Composer.