Celebrating A Legacy of Impact
CJA Celebrates 50 Years of Service to Central New Jersey
The Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter proudly celebrates 50 years of dedicated service to our community! For five decades, we’ve worked to uplift, empower, and create lasting impact—and this milestone honors the people, partnerships, and purpose that made it all possible.
Here’s to a legacy of sisterhood, service and empowerment!
A Message from Our Chapter President
Celebrating 50 Years of Impact
It is with immense pride and heartfelt gratitude that I reach out to every member of our beloved Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter as we mark an extraordinary milestone—our golden anniversary! Fifty years ago, a small group of visionaries came together, united by a sense of purpose and a dream for what this community could achieve. Today, we stand as living proof of what passion, perseverance, and collaboration can accomplish.
For half a century, CJA has been a beacon of service, sisterhood, scholarship, and social action. Generations of members have given their time, talents, and hearts to build something lasting and meaningful. We have faced challenges and embraced opportunities, always guided by the values that set us apart: integrity, inclusivity, and a commitment to making a positive difference.
As we celebrate our 50th year, I invite you to reflect on the remarkable legacy we have created together. Look around—at the sisterly bonds forged, the lives touched, and the milestones achieved. Each story, each achievement, each act of kindness has been a thread in the tapestry of our chapter’s history.
Yet, our golden anniversary is not just a time for looking back. It is an invitation to look forward—to dream anew, to rise to new challenges, and to continue building upon the foundation laid by those who came before us. The world needs the spirit and energy of our chapter now more than ever, and I am excited for all that we will accomplish in the years ahead.
Thank you to every member—past and present—for your dedication, your generosity, and your belief in the power of community. Together, we have made the last fifty years truly remarkable. Here’s to the next chapter in our journey!
With deepest appreciation and warmest wishes,
Patricia D. Williamson
President | Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter
50th Anniversary Chapter Events
November 21-23, 2025
Thank you for your tremendous support as we celebrate 50 years of sisterhood, service, and social action in Central Jersey.
Ticket sales for our 50th Anniversary Weekend have now closed, and we are grateful for the overwhelming response from our community.
Here’s to 50 years of legacy—and to the next 50 years of impact!
Plainfield 4th of July Parade and 50th Anniversary Grande Finale
Join the Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter as we close out our 50th Chapter Anniversary at Plainfield's 101st Annual 4th of July Parade!
50th Anniversary Community Celebration
The Central Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. hosted a vibrant Community Celebration commemorating 50 years of sisterhood, service, and social action in Central Jersey.
CJA Chapter History
The Central Jersey Alumnae (CJA) Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was chartered on November 8, 1975 in the Fellowship Hall of Calvary Baptist Church in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Charter Members
CJA was chartered by 30 trailblazing women who observed a need in the Central NJ region and worked collectively to fill that need by chartering the Central Jersey Alumnae chapter.
Top left- to right: Joylette Mills-Ransome, Emma Warren, Marietta Blow, Emma Johnson, Victoria W. Brown, P. Merle Wade, Arneida M. Lee, Patricia Medley Garrison
*Deceased
- Shirley Alston*
- Shirley L. Ayers-Peart*
- Marietta Blow
- Victoria W. Brown
- Peggy Cash*
- Naira Davis*
- Inez Durham
- Charlene Edwards
- Patricia Medley Garrison
- Johnnie B. Harris*
- Ida Ita
- Sadie Hackett Jackson
- Emma Johnson
- Arneida M. Lee*
- Theresa Marshall
- Gloria Mishoe
- Alice J. Mitchell
- Thelma M. Moss*
- Bertha Peterson*
- Helen Simmons
- Vivian Smith*
- Deborah L. Stapleton
- Troletta Stewart*
- Joylette Mills Sutton
- Althea Taliaferro*
- Suzanne Tyler
- P. Merle Wade*
- Emma Warren*
- Barbara Flowers
- Florence Williams
Past Presidents
Our past presidents have played instrumental roles in fostering sisterhood, leadership, and community service. Their dedication to service, leadership development, and sisterhood has left an impactful legacy. Under their guidance and leadership, CJA has consistently excelled in academic achievements, philanthropy efforts, and leadership development.