Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Welcomes 2024 Honorary Members
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Welcomes Honorary Member Class of 2024 [UPDATED]
Source: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Getty
*Updated August 10, 2024*
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated welcomed 18 extraordinary women into their bond of Finer Womanhood as honorary members last week.
15 of the newest honorary sisters were initiated in a July 27 ceremony during the sorority’s international conference in Indianapolis. The remaining three were initiated during a separate ceremony on August 10, as reported by Watch The Yard.
In a press release, International First Vice President for Membership Gina Merritt-Epps, Esq. shared, “I am honored to oversee all of Zeta Phi Beta’s membership categories and am thrilled that Zeta Phi Beta continues to attract fascinating, fierce and finer women to carry out the vision of Zeta Phi Beta’s Founders. The newest class of Honorary Members will advance Zeta Phi Beta’s goals as Zeta Phi Beta women everywhere work together to support our communities.”
Added International President and CEO Dr. Stacie NC Grant, “The work of our 2024 Honorary Member Class is aligned with Zeta Phi Beta’s commitment to helping other people excel through mind, body and spirit. As the number one women’s service organization established by five extraordinary Black women, we are proud to extend membership to this group of women and I welcome them to the sisterhood on behalf of all Zeta Phi Beta members.”
Zeta Phi Beta’s 2024 Honorary Members
The 15 honorary members who were initiated on July 27 include:
- Tatyana Ali – Singer/actress, best known as “Ashley Banks” on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
- Patrice Banks – Engineer/entrepreneur, founder of Girls Auto Clinic (first auto repair center staffed by all women)
- Jaspen “Jas” Boothe – 17-year Army veteran, cancer survivor and Veteran Disability Advocate
- Brigadier General Felicia Brokaw – First Black female Brigadier General in the state of Indiana
- Caretha Coleman – Founder/Chairperson of Dignity Health Foundation, vanguard in Silicon Valley’s tech scene
- Wanda Durant – Mother of NBA’s Kevin Durant, Founder of “Hope Dream Believe Achieve” platform, head of The Kevin Durant Charity Foundation and The Real MVP Charity, Inc.
- Andrea Hunley – First Black state senator for Indiana Senate District 46, former educator
- Leela James – Soul Train & NAACP Image Award-nominated singer
- Maimah Karmo – Author, breast cancer advocate, founder of the Tigerlily Foundation
- Dawn Morton-Rias – First woman of color to serve as President and CEO for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
- Perri Shakes-Drayton – British retired track and field athlete, 2013 European Indoor Champion and 2012 World Indoor Championship gold medalist
- Ashley Sharpton – Community organizer & civil rights activist, daughter of Rev. Al Sharpton
- Dominique Sharpton – Civil rights activist & philanthropist, daughter of Rev. Al Sharpton
- Angie Stone – Grammy-nominated and Soul Train Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer
- Rep. Regina Young – First Black woman to serve as Pennsylvania State Representative in the 185th Legislative District
The three honorary members initiated on August 10 are:
- US Army Lt. General Telita Crosland – First Black woman to serve as the Director of the Defense Health Agency
- Treiva Williams – Entrepreneur, Life Coach, Executive Producer of “Black Ink Crew” TV franchise
- Yolanda “Yo-Yo” Whitaker – Pioneering female MC, actress, entrepreneur, advocate for education & women’s rights
These women join other well-known honorary Zetas, including Anita Hill, Vivica A. Fox, Chrisette Michele, Ann Nesby and Rep. Rashida Talib, among many others.
The press release states that as honorary members, “these exceptional women will have the opportunity to work closely with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in advancing its philanthropic initiatives and promoting social welfare. Their influence and expertise will undoubtedly enhance the organization’s ability to positively impact the communities it serves.”
