At the 57th National Convention, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. proudly inducted eight women as 2025 Honorary Members. These leaders have made historic contributions in entertainment, politics, business, sports, education, and public service.
“This year’s class of Honorary Members is filled with women who have shattered barriers,” said International President Elsie Cooke-Holmes. “They embody excellence, purpose, and the spirit of Delta.”
Honorary Membership is among the Sorority’s highest honors. It is reserved for women who demonstrate outstanding achievement and live out Delta’s founding values: Sisterhood, Scholarship, Service, and Social Action. These women also reflect the Sorority’s Five-Point Programmatic Thrust, which focuses on economic and educational development, international awareness, physical and mental health, and political engagement.
2025 Honorary Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Donna Brazile
Donna Brazile is a trailblazing political strategist, author, and educator. She was the first Black woman to manage a U.S. presidential campaign, leading Al Gore’s 2000 campaign. Brazile is a longtime leader in the Democratic National Committee and served twice as interim Chair.She is the author of Cooking with Grease and Hacks and co-authored For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics. Brazile has taught at Georgetown and Howard Universities and received over 10 honorary doctorates. She was also awarded Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal for her contributions to public life.
Danielle Brooks
Danielle Brooks is an actress and singer best known for her role as “Taystee” in Orange Is the New Black and her Oscar-nominated role as “Sofia” in The Color Purple (2023). She is a Tony-nominated Broadway performer and won a Critics Choice Award for Mahalia.
Brooks is a Juilliard graduate and co-founder of Black Women on Broadway. She also launched the Annie Edge Scholarship to support young Black women pursuing theater. Her advocacy and performances uplift Black voices in media and arts.
Queen Latifah (Dana Owens)
Queen Latifah is a pioneering rapper, actress, singer, and producer. She broke into hip hop at 19 and became the first female rapper with a gold-certified solo album and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Her acting credits include Chicago, Living Single, and The Equalizer. She won a Grammy, an Emmy, and a Golden Globe, and earned an Oscar nomination. Latifah has been a strong voice for gender equality and Black empowerment in the entertainment industry.
Fawn Weaver
Fawn Weaver is the founder and CEO of Uncle Nearest, Inc., the most successful Black-owned spirits brand in U.S. history. Under her leadership, the brand has won over 1,200 awards and built the seventh most-visited distillery in the world.
Weaver is a bestselling author and accomplished businesswoman. She is also the CEO of Grant Sidney, a firm managing a large real estate and investment portfolio. A TED speaker and Harvard-certified corporate director, Weaver continues to lead in business, media, and philanthropy.
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Known as “JBH,” Janice Bryant Howroyd is the first Black woman to own and operate a billion-dollar business. She founded ActOne Group, a global workforce firm that operates in over 40 countries and 50+ languages.
JBH serves on several national boards and leads Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board. She is the author of Acting Up and The Art of Work and is widely recognized as a mentor and role model. She gives generously to education, including her alma mater, North Carolina A&T.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a six-time Olympic medalist and world record holder in the heptathlon. Sports Illustrated named her the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
She earned national honors in both track and basketball at UCLA. Off the track, she founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which serves youth and families in East St. Louis. She also co-founded Athletes for Hope to promote service among athletes. She remains an advocate for education, equity, and leadership.
Swintayla “Swin” Cash
Swin Cash is a WNBA Hall of Famer and three-time champion. She served as Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. She also founded She’s Got Time, a platform for women in sports and leadership.
Cash has worked in sports broadcasting and founded Cash for Kids, a nonprofit supporting youth through education and wellness. She was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and was named one of the WNBA’s Top 20 Greatest Players. Cash is also a proud wife and mother of two.
Toni Townes-Whitley
Toni Townes-Whitley is CEO of SAIC, a $7.4 billion tech firm serving defense and government agencies. She previously led Microsoft’s U.S. regulated industries division and drove record growth at CGI Federal and Unisys.
She holds a degree from Princeton and executive training from Wharton, NYU, and more. Townes-Whitley serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including Nasdaq and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. A former Peace Corps volunteer, she champions ethics in tech, social equity, and leadership for women of color.
These eight women reflect Delta Sigma Theta’s continued commitment to excellence, justice, and global impact.
To learn more about Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., visit www.deltasigmatheta.org.
