The story of how the Rho chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and the Kappa chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated came to be ... COMING SOON!!
Although many websites state that Delta Sigma Theta's Kappa Chapter was "chartered on February 21, 1921," the documentary record tells a more nuanced story. In February 1921, Vivian Osborne and Louise Thompson publicly announced the formation of a Delta Sigma Theta chapter at the University of California, Berkeley; however, available evidence indicates that the group had not yet received a formal national initiation or charter or even legal permission (It took at least 5 women to complete a chapter).
At the same time, the women seeking recognition as an Alpha Kappa Alpha chapter were still working through the University's approval process, due to the withdrawal without notification of Vivian & Louise, and the two organizations followed separate paths. Rho Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha was officially chartered, and its members initiated on August 21, 1921. Delta Sigma Theta's Berkeley members were not formally initiated until September 1922, when National Officer Ida Myller traveled to Berkeley to conduct the first initiation, after which Kappa Chapter became an official chapter. Thus, February 1921 marks the public announcement of Berkeley's Delta organization, while September 1922 marks its documented national initiation and formal establishment.