First and foremost, I am so blessed to be born during this time period!
In 1993, I made my appearance on the scene. In Fall 2014, I crossed as a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and on January 16th, 2020, I had the privilege of celebrating an organization much bigger than me alone.
To the Triumphant Founders that created this Sorority over 100 years ago, did y’all have any idea how important this organization would be to me, how proud I am?
To the rest of y’all reading this, I’d imagine you all may have some questions about why I adorn my “community conscious, action oriented” organization. It differs from member to member, so I can only speak for myself when I say:
I love what Zeta stands for, I love the history associated with my letters, and I love the principles associated with my organization.
Okay, off my soapbox and on to the trip!
Day 1
Howard University
We arrived to Washington D.C. at 2:00 am in the morning. Speaking of my travel buddies, one was an early raiser and the other could sleep in. At first, I thought I was going to be more inclined to sleep in; however, for whatever reason, I easily woke up at 7:00 am that morning, ready to take on the city (geez, I’m sure there’s a comma splice in that sentence). Honestly, I woke up hungry and knew I needed to leave the house. So wearing as much Zeta Nalia (paraphernalia) as I could pack for the cold, Alicia and I walked to Dunkin, a corner store, and then Howard University.
So 30 or so minutes later, we made it. But to get to the Greek Plots, we had to walk up a huge hill to find our way. The cool thing about our walk was that several people wished us a Happy Centennial.
Not gonna lie, I wish there wasn’t so much construction going on! It was impossible to get a picture without trucks and porta-pottys in the background, but we took our pictures anyway. The best part was that we meet so many Sorors from Philadelphia, Georgia, Texas, etc.
Zeta Headquarters
From the plots, Alicia and I stumbled upon two Sigmas who were also walking to the Howard bookstore. They walked us to the bookstore, where we met even more Zetas. Eventually we met up with Angelisa, ate at Ted’s Bulletin and walked to Zeta’s Headquarters, just a few blocks away. So we didn’t have the chance (or clearance) to go into the actual building but we were greeted by several other Zetas (who were also taking pictures).
First and most importantly, I was insanely excited to see my ADP and Soror from Pi Nu (the chapter I crossed through). After that, with the $20 entry fee, we made it into the Vendor tables! They had SO much blue and white, it was beautiful BUT I made it a goal to pay off my credit card entirely so I didn’t go crazy. However, I took pictures of what caught my attention.
There’s so much more, and I didn’t even take pictures of everything. That Thursday, the crowd was overwhelming to the point where I gave up on shopping and just sat outside and let my phone charge. The next day, we went in the morning and avoided the crowd entirely.
Day 2
That Friday, I had a Soror PAY for a charm I was looking at. She just randomly paid for this Zeta charm I had my eye on… because she could. It started when we were at the jewelry counter and I complimented her on her pandora bracelet. After that, we talked for 5 minutes and she paid for my charm. Moral of the story: Talk to strangers.
After, I bought just one shirt, and a Centennial pin (I told you I was broke right) I sat outside the Vendor room to let my phone charge. There, I met another Soror around my age by the name of Hannah. She crossed Spring 2014 (same year as me) and we literally talked for 20 minutes straight about life and career ambitions. It’s kinda silly, but I was so excited to talk to a Soror my age! I’m in a graduate chapter, where it seems like everyone else is way more established than I am. It was nice, she was back in school for law. Transitioning like me.
Moral of the story: Talk to strangers.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
After lunch and an uber ride, we arrived at the NMAAHC. Without having to register, we were able to walk in for free. 2 hours was simply not enough time, especially when you’re running on only 4-5 hours of sleep. The location itself is note-worthy, considering the museum is in walking distance of the Washington Monument, the Reflecting Pool, and the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial.
I’m curious about why the architect chose this design for the building. I probably can find the answer on Google. Let me know if anyone already knows the answer.
So I’m not exactly sure if the museum encourages visitors to post pictures of what’s inside so to air on the side of caution, I’ll resist the urge. Just know, it was fantastic! But I do still have some pretty cool pictures of my HOUR walk following the museum.
Day 3
Zeta Paint Party: Brunch and Bottomless Mimosas
So this was an event created by the DMV Zetas and actually one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. It was $80, but my fairy godmother covered half the cost. It was an amazing time! Sorors hosted the event at this restaurant called Halfsmoked. ArtLoveLLC is the name of their company. As we waited for our food, we started painting and it was that easy. I immediately was able to strike up a conversation with a Soror by the name of Amber, that’s currently getting her Doctorate in Early Childhood Education (or something like that).
Next trip: Park City Utah!
Tay in Motion 