Sigma Gamma Rho is a historically African American sorority that was founded in 1922 at Butler University. Below is a list of some of the notable members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority.
Business Fatim Badjie - entrepreneur, strategic communications expert, and infrastructure development partner in Gambia Mary T. Washington Wylie - first African-American Certified Public Accountant Lisa Price - founder/CEO of Carol's Daughter; inducted at the sorority's Northeastern Regional Conference, Charlotte, NC, April 22, 2016 Kim Roxie (honorary) - founder of LAMIK cosmetics; breast cancer advocate; inducted at the 60th International Biennial Boulé, Houston, 2024 Bettina Benson (honorary) - founder & CEO of Chloe Kristyn and The Modern Abstract; 2024 class Jackie Chambers de Freitas (honorary) - technology and transformation executive; 2024 class Kelley Gay (honorary) - Senior Vice President and CMO, OneAmerica Financial; 2024 class Shontay Lundy (honorary) - founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, the first Black-owned sunscreen brand in major retailers Adrienne Bennett (honorary) - first African American woman to earn a master plumber's license in the U.S. Michele A. Newman-Lawrence (honorary) - JPMorgan Chase executive; first Black woman to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 2nd District
Civil rights and activism Sandra Bland - activist; her following a traffic stop invigorated the Black Lives Matter movement Geneva Reed-Veal - mother of Sandra Bland; inducted into her late daughter's sorority in 2016 Hydeia Broadbent (honorary) - United-States–based HIV/AIDS activist Gwen Carr (honorary) - activist, public speaker, and author Priscilla Williams-Till (honorary) - educator; founder of the Emmett Till Justice for Families Foundation; cousin of Emmett Till Dr. Ann-Marie Dillard (honorary) - global humanitarian and trauma-informed therapist; founder of Project Safety Nets
Education Lucille Baldwin Brown - first Black public county librarian in the state of Florida; Selena Sloan Butler (Eta Sigma) - founder and first president of the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers Association; co-founder of the National Parent-Teacher Association Mary Ellen Cable - educator and principal of Indianapolis Public Schools no. 4 Tressie McMillan Cottom - American writer, sociologist, and professor Rosa Slade Gragg - educator who founded the first black vocational school in Detroit, Michigan Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little - (Alpha) - educator and primary founder of Sigma Gamma Rho Lorraine A. Williams - first African-American woman to serve as vice president for academic affairs at Howard University Dr. Kimberlyn Leary (honorary) - Harvard Kennedy School lecturer; executive vice president, Urban Institute; advisor to the Obama and Biden White Houses Dr. Cassandra Wells (honorary) - first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in marketing from Georgia Tech; academic leader at Morehouse College
Entertainment Marsha Ambrosius (honorary) - R&B singer and songwriterAurora Magazine Fall 2022 Meet Sigma Gamma Rho's Honorary Centennial Classes Vanessa Bell Armstrong - four-time Grammy-nominated gospel singer Malorie Bailey (honorary) - media personality, The Real Housewives of Atlanta; actress, author Deshauna Barber (Alpha Zeta) - Miss USA 2016 Hettie Vyrine Barnhill - choreographer and dancer Louise Beavers (honorary) - film and television actress Teisha Brown - (honorary) - R&B singer, member of Brownstone Jekalyn Carr - (honorary) - gospel singer, speaker, entrepreneur, actress, and author Charita Carter (honorary) - first Black woman Executive Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering Maranda Curtis (honorary) - gospel singer and worship leader DJ Spinderella (honorary) - DJ, rapper, and producer best known as a member of Salt-N-Pepa Ellia English - singer, dancer, stage and film actress Ezinma - (honorary) - violinist, model, music educator, and film composer Fantasia (honorary) - R&B singer, actress, American Idol contestant Sheila Fortson - television journalist, radio host, and media/communications specialist Mercedes Gilbert - actress, novelist, and poet Nicci Gilbert - R&B singer, founding member of Brownstone Krystal Harris (honorary) - actress; 2024 class Trudy Haynes - television news reporter; first African American TV weather reporter in the United States Anna Maria Horsford - actress Arin Jackson - (honorary) R&B singer, member of Brownstone Sharon "MC Sha-Rock" Jackson (honorary) - first female MC in hip-hop history; member of The Funky 4 + 1 Alexis Jones (honorary) - Grammy-nominated singer and actress Jennifer Jones (honorary) - first Black Rockette (1987) Ta'Rhonda Jones (honorary) - actress Eva Jessye - conductor and composer Adrien "Vonyetta" Lake (honorary) - radio broadcaster; anti-violence advocate; first DJ at Power 98, Charlotte, NC Maysa Leak - jazz singer known for solo work and work with the band Incognito MC Lyte - rapper Sonia Manzano (honorary) - actress and writer; "Maria" on Sesame Street for 44 years; 15 Daytime Emmy Awards Dwan "Dee" Martin (honorary) - owner of Urban Luxe Cafe; salon chain owner; real estate investor; 2024 class Tasha Page-Lockhart (honorary) - Christian R&B and gospel singer Marilyn McCoo - singer, actress, and television presenter Hattie McDaniel - actress, singer-songwriter, comedian, and first African American winner of an Academy Award; charter member of the Sigma Sigma Chapter in Los Angeles, the sorority's first West Coast chapter, founded July 1939 Carriebel Cole Plummer - dance, dance teacher, and choreographer Kelly Price (honorary) - Grammy-nominated R&B and gospel singer Martha Reeves - lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas Vickilyn Reynolds (honorary) - film and television actress and singer LaTavia Roberson (honorary) - R&B singer, entrepreneur, television personality; founding member of Destiny's Child Rebecca Roberts - (honorary) - radio commentator and curator of programming at Planet Word Wendy Raquel Robinson (honorary) - actress, producer, and co-founder of Amazing Grace Conservatory Victoria Rowell - actress, screenwriter, director, and producer Dame Lisa Simone (honorary) - U.S. Air Force veteran; Grammy-nominated vocalist; daughter of Nina Simone Venzella Joy Williams (honorary) - drummer; performed on Beyoncé's Mrs. Carter World Tour and On the Run Tour, and at Super Bowl 50 Tonya Williams - actress, director, and producer Tami Roman Youngblood (honorary) - actress and producer; (The Real World, Basketball Wives)
Law Piper D. Griffin - Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court Anita Laster Mays - judge of the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals Ruth Whitehead Whaley - attorney, first Black woman admitted to the bar in North Carolina
Literature and journalism Alice Childress - novelist and playwrightLakeisha Harding, "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (1922– )", BlackPast.org. Alice Allison Dunnigan - first African-American female journalist credentialed to cover the White House in 1948 Cynthia Horner - writer and magazine editor Beverly Jenkins - American author of historical and contemporary romance novels Erika Renee Land (Lambda Delta) - war poet, author, and spoken word performer April Simpkins (honorary) - New York Times bestselling author; National Ambassador for NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Era Bell Thompson - writer and editor with EbonyBroussard, J., & Cooley, Skye (2009), "Ebony's Era Bell Thompson Travels the World to Tell the True Story". American Journalism. accepted for publication. Thompson was a member of Sigma_Gamma_Rho sorority.
Medicine
Kathleen Jones-King - physician, one of the first Caribbean-born women to earn a medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine
Politics Tiffany T. Alston - Maryland House of Delegates Lindy Boggs - first woman from Louisiana elected to United States House of Representatives; first woman to chair the Democratic National Convention Aisha Braveboy - former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, state's attorney for Prince George's County Eugenia Charles - first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister of Dominica Gwen Cherry - first African American female to serve in the Florida House of Representatives Natasha Grey-Brookes (honorary) - first woman to lead a major Saint Kitts and Nevis political party, the People's Action Movement Robin Kelly - United States House of RepresentativesAlumnae Engagement - Alum Gallery - Notable Sigmas Barbara Lee - (honorary) - United States House of Representatives, Mayor of Oakland, California, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus JoAnn Maxey - Nebraska Legislature Wanda Brownlee Paige - Kansas House of Representatives Georgia Davis Powers (honorary, 1993) - Kentucky Senate Mary Pruitt (honorary) - Tennessee House of Representatives Leah Landrum Taylor - Arizona Senate Nina Turner - Ohio Senate
Religion Carolyn Tyler Guidry - second women to become a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Sports Sharrieffa Barksdale - hurdler who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics Femita Ayanbeku (honorary) - three-time U.S. Paralympian; founder of Limb-it-less Creations Tiana Bartoletta - (honorary) track and field athlete Michelle Carter (honorary) - three-time U.S. Olympian; first American woman to win Olympic gold in shot put Maritza Correia - first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic swim team and win a medal Tonya Edwards - (honorary) - professional basketball player and current assistant coach of the Chicago Sky Carmelita Jeter - sprinter, who competed in the 60, 100, and 200 meter races, winning three Olympic medals Bianca Knight (honorary) - former track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist Yolett McPhee-McCuin - head coach of Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball Donna Orender - collegiate and professional basketball player; president of the Women's National Basketball Association Renee Powell - PGA Hall of Fame golfer; second Black woman to compete on the LPGA Tour; first woman of color elected to the membership in the PGA of America Sheryl Swoopes (honorary) - professional basketball player; first player to be signed in the Women's National Basketball Association; three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Elana Meyers Taylor (honorary) - Olympic champion bobsledder; most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history Lynette Woodard (honorary) - Olympic gold medalist; first female Harlem Globetrotter
References