The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement has promoted the breaking down political and social barriers throughout all factions. No longer will people stand for the unlawful murders of persons based on the color of their skin, and the sorority of Alpha Sigma Tau is on the forefront of change.
The sorority has partnered with the organization “Black Girls Code,” who aims to empower young black women through the implementation of educational programs within the subjects of Computer Science with a highlight on coding processes. Black Girls Code is a nationally recognized organization, and AST has partnered with their Salisbury chapter to raise donations for the movement and highlight all of the racial injustices occurring throughout the nation.
“What they’re doing is so amazing,” Director of Merchandise for AST Carleigh Stokes detailed, “with everything that has been happening with police brutality and the BLM movement, we wanted to try and make a difference in any way we could.”
Their efforts to contribute was exhibited through their creation of an online campaign that sells AST branding merchandise. With all of the proceeds going to the Black Girls Code organizations educational efforts, the sorority is on the forefront of social change and hopes to inspire like organizations to utilize their resources and give back in any way they can.
The sisters have also organized the website to ship each item to the individual customers, comparable to the historic past of having to pick up the merchandise from one of the members.
“We wanted to make a change, make sure we can still practice safe social distancing efforts. This institutional change ensures that we can limit the spread of COVID-19, while still doing all we can to raise awareness for such an influential organization,” Stokes revealed.
The philanthropy of the AST sorority is reflective of the Black Girls Code mission, women empowering women; the advancement of women within society projected by the BGC organization is what inspired collaboration efforts.
If you are a woman looking to join an organization that is formulated for your advancement, the AST sorority is the one for you. Through their advocating for Women’s Wellness Initiative philanthropy, supported by group exercises and inter-community activities that motivate the sisters to be the best versions of themselves.
“Our philanthropy is to empower the advancement of women, and we do everything in our power to be inspirational for our sisters and motivate them to be their best selves,” stated AST President Brooke Caracci. “We lift each other up through bonding activities to empower our sisters and want to motivate them to be positive and active members of the community.”
Members of the sorority want people to know that they are on the forefront of change, through political and social activism regarding the continual advancement of people of color and women. “Even though things are changing because of the coronavirus, we want people to know that Alpha Sigma Tau is still here to support the advancement of all persons within our society,” Taylor Windermiller stated.
Windmiller then details all of the events they are implementing resulting from the virus, such as their replacement of a traditional Bid Day with a trunk-style drive by. Mevie Henderson was the forefront of this idea, in which sisters will drive by the homes of each recruited member to show their bidding support; they want their members to know they are still supportive of their endeavors, while ensuring their safety through the enforcement of social distancing guidelines.
Their supporting stance on the Black Lives Matter movement solely indicates their enlightened ideology, and they are taking active measures such as their partnership with Black Girls Code. They are one of the few organizations through Salisbury University taking active measures to advocate for the equal treatment of persons within our country, regardless of gender or race.
“We wanted to take a stance, we support everyone in the Black Lives Matter movement and partnering with Black Girls Code is a way to show support for the movement while also supporting our Women’s Wellness Initiative philanthropy.” Stokes stated with pride. “Their movement is to empower young girls to become strong women, which is the mission of our sorority … It’s a perfect match and we want to help them in any way we can. Through this fundraiser, we can give back to our surrounding community, while also allowing us to show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement.”
From T-shirts to crewnecks and the addition of a children's section, Alpha Sigma Tau wants to offer something suitable for everyone’s interests. If you want to be on the forefront of social change, while also sporting beautiful apparel make a purchase on their website
If you see “6 days left” on the website and are afraid you will miss out, do not stress! It is solely an indicator for the creation of new batches of apparel, with a new batch printing every seven days and shipped within seven days so customers do not have to wait extensive periods to receive their orders.
If you want to find ways to support the advancement of women and every race, and stay an active member of the community the sorority of Alpha Sigma Tau is for you! Email astbetamupresident@gmail.com and become the forefront of change.
By STEPHANIE RIVERA
Gull Life editor
Featured Image: Brooke Caracci and Claire Owen from ASTBETAMU instagram page
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