By: Artistically yours, Art-cetera| April 19, 2025
Mound Bayou, Miss., April 07, 2025 – Chi Mu Omega Chapter president, Annie Y. Griffin, announced today that the Enhance Our Environment Initiative Committee will celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday, April 26 with a day of purpose and service. The day will begin with a formal Arbor Day program which will include a tree planting ceremony, the reading of a proclamation by Vice-Mayor, Derek Bell and entertainment by Greenville musician, Aaron Smith. Two trees will be planted in honor of Chi Mu Omega Chapter’s veteran, Valerie Sanders, other veterans and members of the American Legion -Montgomery Post #220 of Mound Bayou. In addition, brothers, Rev. Darryl Johnson and Hermon Johnson, Jr., curators of the Mound Bayou Museum of African American History and Culture, will be recognized.
Griffin stated, “Our veterans and the Montgomery Post #220 contribute so much to our community that it is our pleasure to recognize them on this day of celebration by planting a tree in their honor.” “An added benefit is that as these trees grow, they will be cleaning the air, providing habitat and cooling the city,” Griffin stated.
Students from I. T. Montgomery Elementary School will be recognized for entering into a poster contest on the benefit of trees to our community. Monetary prizes and certificates will be awarded to students in grades K-3 and in grades 4-6. “We are so proud of our students who are extremely busy this time of year; however, they still found time to enter into the contest,” Griffin said. “In addition to the I. T. Montgomery students’ participation, Chi Mu Omega Chapter sponsors students ages 11-13 in the Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), who are also participants. The YLI initiative is chaired by Chi Mu Omega Chapter member Dr. Glynn Nora Standifer. YLI is a youth-led and highly interactive leadership development program designed to empower and engage our youth. YLI students will also participate in the Arbor Day celebration by assisting with distributions and tree planting.
According to the Enhance Our Environment chairman, DeVoyce C. Morris, the members of the committee will tie a pink ribbon around the “Tree of Honor”, a pecan tree and one of the oldest trees in the town, which was planted by Mary Amelia Hilliard Jordan. The story handed down by Jordan’s daughter is that Jordan found one pecan and realizing that the one pecan could not be equally divided between her eight children, she planted the pecan in a bucket and watched it grow. Once the pecan had sprouted and grown, Jordan planted the tree in its present spot, which is behind the Mound Bayou City Hall.Over 100 years old, the lofty pecan tree is still producing some of the best tasting pecans around.
“Jordan’s 99-year-old daughter was in town visiting the Mound Bayou Museum and told the story of how her mother had found one pecan and planted it in a bucket and replanted it where it still stands today,” Morris said. “Chi Mu Omega Chapter will be collaborating with other organizations, as “Boss Lady”, Dr. Pam Chatman and Rev. Donald Green of the Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Workers Opportunities Inc., in making distributions to the public,” continued Morris.
Co-chairman, Geraldine Grammer stated, “Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities.” “Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths,” she said. “That’s why Chi Mu Omega Chapter is so excited to be a part of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s mission to plant 3,100 more trees every year,” said Grammer. “We are appreciative of each individual who assists in any way in helping us to celebrate Arbor Day 2025,” stated Evelyn Henry, Chi Mu Omega Chapter’s Vice-President and Chairman of the Program Committee.
In addition to celebrating Arbor Day, Chi Mu Omega Chapter and individual members are creating community and home gardens to reduce negative environmental impact and promote sustainable agriculture.
“We are grateful to Keith Fulcher and the Community Foundation of North West Mississippi who donated $2,000 last year which assisted us in planting, cultivating and harvesting our community garden,” said Morris. Victor Byas of Byas Funeral Home donated a plot of land to the chapter in order to plant a spring and fall gardens which are open to the public. Alcorn State University also collaborates with Chi Mu Omega Chapter in planting and cultivating the garden.
The EOE Committee also focuses on enhancing our environment through waste reduction and shredding and electronics recycling day. The waste
reduction efforts engage individuals and communities in eco-friendly practices to reduce household waste. Shredding and Electronics Recycling Day is an annual event to safely dispose of unused electronic devices and securely shred old paper documents resulting in reducing the burden on landfills and natural resources. Chapter members are encouraged to bring their personal cups to meetings and eliminate the use of disposable cups as a small way of reducing waste.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ® (AKA), an international service organization, was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African American college-educated women.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated® is comprised of more than 360,000 initiated members in graduate and undergraduate chapters located in 12 countries including the United States, Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Dubai, Germany, Japan, Liberia, Nigeria, South Korea, South Africa and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Led by International President and CEO Danette Anthony Reed of Dallas, Texas, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, often is hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”
Chi Mu Omega Chapter was chartered on December 6, 2003, at the Lampton Street Church of Christ in Mound Bayou with 16 charter members. Marilee Lucas served as the first president of the chapter from 2004 – 2006.
The chapter presently has 69 members and Annie Y. Griffin is the president and Evelyn Henry is the vice-president.
For additional information on the Arbor Day celebration, Annie Y. Griffin may be contacted at 662-812-7184 or DeVoyce C. Morris at 662-719-0090. The public is invited to join Chi Mu Omega Chapter for this celebratory day.
Contact: DeVoyce C. Morris
Phone: 662.719.0090
Email: projectascend@yahoo.com
