Nikela Pradier, chapter leader of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority stood unwavering before the gathered crowd as hundreds assembled to march in the name of Martin Luther King Jr Day on Jan. 19, both a celebration and a tradition that has been going strong in Corpus Christi for 40 years.
“We are proclaiming that the fight for equality and justice continues, and that it cannot be ignored,” Pradier said, wearing the signature red jacket of her sorority sisters with the words “Providence — 4seen Destiny.” “God can use anybody to serve the community.”
Since 1986, the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority has been on a mission to bring strength and create change within their community by leading their sisters on marches to honor the work of Martin Luther King Jr. They created the foundation for the celebration of trailblazers for a brighter future. Over 350,000 sorority members exist under the banner of Delta Sigma Theta and it’s clear that the fight is far from over. “We have to carry the same fervor and fight all of these years later, because if we stop marching forward, we regress, and we take steps back,” Pradier said of the mission behind the marches.
Dozens of leaders in Corpus Christi stepped in to support and rally behind the sorority, even some from further away like Kelly Thompson from Missouri University, who led a group-wide meditation before the march. Dinah Taylor from CCISD provided a rendition of the National Anthem before the march.
Pradier made it clear that she was proud of how far the sorority, and the city, had come.
“Let me remind you that your voice is important. It has power. It carries weight. And especially when you come together for events like this, to align with people who are like-minded in these efforts. And let us remember these words from Dr. King: if you’re not using your voice, ‘there comes a time when silence becomes betrayal.’”
The march, escorted by the Corpus Christi Police Department, convened at Church of the Good Shepherd, where sorority sisters read aloud a version of Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a Dream” speech.
“We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteous like a mighty stream.”
