This month’s Calls to Action section is dedicated to the memory of NWPC-VA’s Tidewater Representative and Delta Sigma Theta, Inc’s, South Atlantic Regional Social Action Coordinator Emerita and Virginia State Social Action Coordinator Emerita Yvonne J. Lewis. For many years, Yvonne was Delta Sigma Theta’s face of social action not only in their South Atlantic Region, but as a respected advocate throughout the sorority’s membership. She was known for her dedication and commitment to social justice for all. Yvonne was a founding member of NWPC-VA and was elected to be Tidewater Representative in our 2021 elections.
Yvonne J. Lewis started her career as a political activist at Howard University working with other students to resist the university’s efforts to keep students out of the Poor People’s Campaign protests. She worked at Gallaudet University while earning her master’s degree in speech pathology from Howard. She held positions in several public schools in different parts of the country, then landed in Virginia in the 1980s. Yvonne had a career with Chesapeake Public Schools as a speech pathologist until she was forced to retire early to care for her husband who was injured in a car accident. She then devoted much of her energy to advocacy work for causes she believed in, mainly under the auspices of alumni chapters of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. the service sorority for African American women with approximately 300,000 members that she dearly loved. Among the advocacy campaigns she was most proud of was her work on Restoration of Rights under the McAuliffe administration, and on VAratifyERA in 2019-2020. Her most recent personal project of advocacy was working locally with city council members and police chiefs to find solutions to the problem of gun violence. Yvonne believed that her freedom to advocate with other women and her power to make things happen were her most treasured possessions. She woke up every day ready to work.
In addition to Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and NWPC-VA, Yvonne served as a member of the Virginia African American Advisory Board and the Virginia Beach Community Service Board as well as a member of the League of Women Voters-South Hampton Roads. As a leader with VAratifyERA, she was instrumental in Virginia’s ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Yvonne leaves an extraordinary legacy of social justice advocacy throughout Virginia, especially in the Tidewater region.
As NWPC-VA President Krysta Jones has noted, “There are no words to convey Yvonne's impact on so many people, from her family, NWPC-VA sisters, her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. sorors, her fellow ERA advocates, to the community at large. Yvonne Lewis was a dynamic advocate who inspired us all. Her legacy lives on. May she rest in Paradise.”
NWPC-VA joins Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. in commemorating Yvonne Lewis’s life and work by encouraging members to do one small advocacy action this week and by remembering her favorite saying, "No effort is too small, but every effort carries impact!" Below is a list of suggested actions:
1. Review NWPC-VA’s legislative priorities and consider how each priority affects your local community. Pick an issue and follow related news. Please share your findings at your next regional meeting;
2. Attend your local school board or city council meeting (or a budget hearing – follow the money);
3. Schedule a meeting with the local elected official that directly serves your community regarding an issue that you are most passionate about;
4. Use your voice as a concerned citizen on social media to bring awareness to issues that are not being addressed locally;
5. Submit an application to serve on a governing state or local board or commission;
6. Register to vote or check your voter registration!
When posting to your social media please utilize #RememberingYvonneLewis and tag @SensationalSAR.
Arrangements for Soror Yvonne Lewis is as follows:
Viewing Monday, March 28, 2022
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Metropolitan Funeral Home
7246 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23505
Omega Omega March 28, 2022 4:00 - 6:00pm
Metropolitan Funeral Home
7246 Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23505
Funeral Service, Tuesday, March 29 11:00am
2940 Corprew Ave, Norfolk, VA 23504
Burial Service, Wednesday,
March 30, 2022 (Northern VA)
Yvonne's family is also accepting cards, expressions of love, and monetary donations. They request no plants, as Yvonne was an avid lover of plants, which they are planning on dispersing to her friends.
The Lewis Residence
3904 S. Plaza Trail
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
.png)
