List of Sigma Gamma Rho members
Sigma Gamma Rho is a historically African American sorority that was founded in 1922 at Butler University.[1] 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[2]
- Lisa Price - founder/CEO of Carol's Daughter; inducted at the sorority's Northeastern Regional Conference, Charlotte, NC, April 22, 2016[3]
- Kim Roxie (honorary) - founder of LAMIK cosmetics; breast cancer advocate; inducted at the 60th International Biennial Boulé, Houston, 2024[4]
- Bettina Benson (honorary) - founder & CEO of Chloe Kristyn and The Modern Abstract; 2024 class[5]
- Jackie Chambers de Freitas (honorary) - technology and transformation executive; 2024 class[5]
- Kelley Gay (honorary) - Senior Vice President and CMO, OneAmerica Financial; 2024 class[5]
- Shontay Lundy (honorary) - founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, the first Black-owned sunscreen brand in major retailers[6]
- Adrienne Bennett (honorary) - first African American woman to earn a master plumber's license in the U.S.[6]
- Michele A. Newman-Lawrence (honorary) - JPMorgan Chase executive; first Black woman to run for Congress in Pennsylvania's 2nd District[6]
Civil rights and activism
- Sandra Bland - activist; her following a traffic stop invigorated the Black Lives Matter movement[7]
- Geneva Reed-Veal - mother of Sandra Bland; inducted into her late daughter's sorority in 2016[8]
- Hydeia Broadbent (honorary) - United-States–based HIV/AIDS activist[9][10]
- Gwen Carr (honorary) - activist, public speaker, and author[11]
- Priscilla Williams-Till (honorary) - educator; founder of the Emmett Till Justice for Families Foundation; cousin of Emmett Till[12]
- Dr. Ann-Marie Dillard (honorary) - global humanitarian and trauma-informed therapist; founder of Project Safety Nets[6]
Education
- Lucille Baldwin Brown - first Black public county librarian in the state of Florida; [13]
- 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[14]
- Mary Ellen Cable - educator and principal of Indianapolis Public Schools no. 4[15]
- Tressie McMillan Cottom - American writer, sociologist, and professor[10]
- Rosa Slade Gragg - educator who founded the first black vocational school in Detroit, Michigan[16]
- Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little - (Alpha) - educator and primary founder of Sigma Gamma Rho[17]
- Lorraine A. Williams - first African-American woman to serve as vice president for academic affairs at Howard University[18]
- Dr. Kimberlyn Leary (honorary) - Harvard Kennedy School lecturer; Executive Vice President, Urban Institute; advisor to the Obama and Biden White Houses[19]
- Dr. Cassandra Wells (honorary) - first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Marketing from Georgia Tech; academic leader at Morehouse College[6]
Entertainment
- Marsha Ambrosius (honorary) - R&B singer and songwriter[11][20]
- Vanessa Bell Armstrong - four-time Grammy-nominated gospel singer[21][22]
- Malorie Bailey (honorary) - media personality, The Real Housewives of Atlanta; actress, author[6]
- Deshauna Barber (Alpha Zeta) - Miss USA 2016[23][10]
- Hettie Vyrine Barnhill - choreographer and dancer[24]
- Louise Beavers (honorary) - film and television actress[25]
- Teisha Brown - (honorary) - R&B singer, member of Brownstone[26][11][27]
- Jekalyn Carr - (honorary) - gospel singer, speaker, entrepreneur, actress, and author[11][20]
- Charita Carter (honorary) - first Black woman Executive Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering[6]
- Maranda Curtis (honorary) - gospel singer and worship leader[20]
- DJ Spinderella (honorary) - DJ, rapper, and producer best known as a member of Salt-N-Pepa[28][20]
- Ellia English - singer, dancer, stage and film actress[29]
- Ezinma - (honorary) - violinist, model, music educator, and film composer[30][11]
- Fantasia (honorary) - R&B singer, actress, American Idol contestant[31][32][33]
- Sheila Fortson - television journalist, radio host, and media/communications specialist
- Mercedes Gilbert - actress, novelist, and poet[34]
- Nicci Gilbert - R&B singer, founding member of Brownstone[27][26]
- Krystal Harris (honorary) - actress; 2024 class[35]
- Trudy Haynes - television news reporter; first African American TV weather reporter in the United States
- Anna Maria Horsford - actress[36]
- Arin Jackson - (honorary) R&B singer, member of Brownstone[27][26][11]
- Sharon "MC Sha-Rock" Jackson (honorary) - first female MC in hip-hop history; member of The Funky 4 + 1[6]
- Alexis Jones (honorary) - Grammy-nominated singer and actress[32][11]
- Jennifer Jones (honorary) - first Black Rockette (1987)[6]
- Ta'Rhonda Jones (honorary) - actress[37]
- Eva Jessye - conductor and composer[22]
- Adrien "Vonyetta" Lake (honorary) - radio broadcaster; anti-violence advocate; first DJ at Power 98, Charlotte, NC[6]
- Maysa Leak - jazz singer known for solo work and work with the band Incognito[22][20]
- MC Lyte - rapper[38][22][10]
- Sonia Manzano (honorary) - actress and writer; "Maria" on Sesame Street for 44 years; 15 Daytime Emmy Awards[6]
- Dwan "Dee" Martin (honorary) - owner of Urban Luxe Cafe; salon chain owner; real estate investor; 2024 class[5]
- Tasha Page-Lockhart (honorary) - Christian R&B and gospel singer[39]
- Marilyn McCoo - singer, actress, and television presenter[40][20]
- 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[41][10][42]
- Carriebel Cole Plummer - dance, dance teacher, and choreographer[43]
- Kelly Price (honorary) - Grammy-nominated R&B and gospel singer[44][22][10]
- Martha Reeves - lead singer of Martha and the Vandellas[22][20][10]
- Vickilyn Reynolds (honorary) - film and television actress and singer[45]
- LaTavia Roberson (honorary) - R&B singer, entrepreneur, television personality; founding member of Destiny's Child[46][20]
- Rebecca Roberts - (honorary) - radio commentator and curator of programming at Planet Word[11]
- Wendy Raquel Robinson (honorary) - actress, producer, and co-founder of Amazing Grace Conservatory[26][11]
- Victoria Rowell - actress, screenwriter, director, and producer[47]
- Dame Lisa Simone (honorary) - U.S. Air Force veteran; Grammy-nominated vocalist; daughter of Nina Simone[6]
- Tami Roman Youngblood (honorary) - actress and producer; The Real World, Basketball Wives[6]
- Venzella Joy Williams (honorary) - drummer; performed on Beyoncé's Mrs. Carter World Tour and On the Run Tour, and at Super Bowl 50[6]
- Tonya Williams - actress, director, and producer[48]
Law
- Piper D. Griffin - Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court[49]
- Anita Laster Mays - judge of the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals[50][51][52]
- Ruth Whitehead Whaley - attorney, first Black woman admitted to the bar in North Carolina[53]
Literature and journalism
- Alice Childress - novelist and playwright[54]
- Alice Allison Dunnigan - first African-American female journalist credentialed to cover the White House in 1948[55]
- Cynthia Horner - writer and magazine editor[56]
- Beverly Jenkins - American author of historical and contemporary romance novels[10]
- 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)[6]
- Era Bell Thompson - writer and editor with Ebony[57]
Medicine
- Kathleen Jones-King - physician, one of the first Caribbean-born women to earn a medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine[58]
Politics
- Tiffany T. Alston - Maryland House of Delegates[59]
- Lindy Boggs - first woman from Louisiana elected to United States House of Representatives; first woman to chair the Democratic National Convention[60]
- Aisha Braveboy - former member of the Maryland House of Delegates, state's attorney for Prince George's County[61]
- Eugenia Charles - first woman to hold the position of Prime Minister of Dominica[62]
- Gwen Cherry - first African American female to serve in the Florida House of Representatives[63]
- Natasha Grey-Brookes (honorary) - first woman to lead a major Saint Kitts and Nevis political party, the People's Action Movement[64]
- Robin Kelly - United States House of Representatives[65][33][10]
- Barbara Lee - (honorary) - United States House of Representatives, Mayor of Oakland, California, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus[11][66]
- JoAnn Maxey - Nebraska Legislature
- Wanda Brownlee Paige - Kansas House of Representatives[67]
- Georgia Davis Powers (honorary, 1993) - Kentucky Senate[68]
- Mary Pruitt (honorary) - Tennessee House of Representatives[69]
- Leah Landrum Taylor - Arizona Senate[70]
- Nina Turner - Ohio Senate[71][10]
Religion
- Carolyn Tyler Guidry - second women to become a bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church[72]
Sports
- Sharrieffa Barksdale - hurdler who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics[73]
- Femita Ayanbeku (honorary) - three-time U.S. Paralympian; founder of Limb-it-less Creations[6]
- Tiana Bartoletta - (honorary) track and field athlete[11]
- Michelle Carter (honorary) - three-time U.S. Olympian; first American woman to win Olympic gold in shot put[6]
- Maritza Correia - first African-American woman to make the U.S. Olympic swim team and win a medal[74][10]
- Tonya Edwards - (honorary) - professional basketball player and current assistant coach of the Chicago Sky[11]
- Carmelita Jeter - sprinter, who competed in the 60, 100, and 200 meter races, winning three Olympic medals[75][10]
- Bianca Knight (honorary) - former track and field athlete and Olympic gold medalist[76]
- Yolett McPhee-McCuin - head coach of Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball[33]
- Donna Orender - collegiate and professional basketball player; president of the Women's National Basketball Association[77][10]
- 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[78]
- Sheryl Swoopes (honorary) - professional basketball player; first player to be signed in the Women's National Basketball Association; three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player[79]
- Elana Meyers Taylor (honorary) - Olympic champion bobsledder; most decorated Black athlete in Winter Olympic history[6]
- Lynette Woodard (honorary) - Olympic gold medalist; first female Harlem Globetrotter[6]
References
- ↑ Anson, Jack L.; Marchesani Jr., Robert F., eds. (1991). "Title Page". Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. pp. IV-81–85. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6. OCLC 25278937.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2022-05-19). "The First Black Woman to Earn a CPA License Was a Soror of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "The Founder of Carol's Daughter Hair Products Is A Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "LAMIK Founder Kim Roxie Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2024-08-03. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- 1 2 3 4 "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Announces 2024 Honorary Members". Black America Web. 2024-08-05. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Sigma Gamma Rho Welcomes Tami Roman, Lynette Woodard, MC Sha-Rock And More As Honorary Members". Essence. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Sandy Still Speaks: Sigma Gamma Rho Remembers Sandra Bland on The 4th Anniversary". Watch The Yard. 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "10 Remarkable Women Of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority". Blavity. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated: History & Achievements". Clutch Points. November 12, 2023. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Alumnae Engagement - Alum Gallery - Notable Sigmas
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Aurora Magazine Fall 2022 Meet Sigma Gamma Rho's Honorary Centennial Classes
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho Welcomes 2026 Honorary Members Class". Black America Web. 2026-07-27. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho sorority ceremony - Tallahassee, Florida". Florida Memory. State Library and Archives of Florida. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "New Georgia Encyclopedia: Selena Sloan Butler (ca. 1872-1964)". Georgiaencyclopedia.org. Retrieved 2011-05-10.
- ↑ Jones, Kelly (August 1994). "The Life and Legacy of Mary Cable". Black History News & Notes. p. 5.
- ↑ Carney Smith, Jessie (1996). Notable Black American Women, Book 2. Gale/Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-0810391772. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
- ↑ "Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little". Butler University Digital Collections. April 19, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ↑ Becque, Fran (10 March 2020). "Lorraine A. Williams, Ph.D., Sigma Gamma Rho, #NotableSororityWomen, #WHM2020". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
- ↑ "Kimberlyn Leary". Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Pretty Poodle Playlist: Music From Members of Sigma Gamma Rho". Texas MetroNews. November 13, 2024. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-11-29). "Award-Winning Gospel Singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong Is A Member Of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "List of Famous Musicians Who Are Members of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2020-08-05. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Miss USA Just Showed Up At Her HBCU's Homecoming And Killed A Yard Show With Her SGRho Sorors". Watch The Yard. 2016-10-28. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Hettie Barnhill Official Website". hettie-barnhill-2016. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Louise Beavers Honored by Sorority". Pittsburgh Courier. May 27, 1939. p. 22 – via newspapers.com.
- 1 2 3 4 "EE-YIP! Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Inducts Nicci Gilbert, Marsha Ambrosius, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and More Into Pack Of Honorary Pretty Poodles". Bossip. 2022-07-19. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- 1 2 3 "Watch The Yard Partners with Tidal for "Discover the D9" Featured Playlist". Watch The Yard. 2023-02-17. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "DJ Spinderella Just Became an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Did You Know that the Actress Who Played Aunt Helen from the Jamie Foxx Show is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho?". Watch The Yard. 2017-06-03. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. celebrates Centennial Boule". The Chicago Crusaders. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Fantasia Is Now An Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- 1 2 "Sigma Gamma Rho Announces It's New Class of Honorary Members". Watch The Yard. 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- 1 2 3 "Sigma Gamma Rho at 100: Six Significant Sorors Shaping the World". EBONY. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Humanities, National Endowment for the (April 7, 1945). "The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936–current, Second News Section". p. 13 – via chroniclingamerica.loc.gov.
- ↑ "Actress Krystal Harris Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2024-08-03. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-08-27). "Actress Anna Maria Horsford Is A Member Of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Actress Ta'Rhonda Jones Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2024-08-03. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "MC Lyte Details Sigma Gamma Rho's Project Reassurance Program To Prevent Teen Pregnancy". Watch The Yard. 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Gospel Artist Tasha Page-Lockhart Inducted as an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2025-07-05. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ D.L. Chandler (November 14, 2019). "Little Known Black History Fact: Sigma Gamma Rho". Blackamericaweb.com. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2022-04-05). "Hattie McDaniel, The First African American To Win An Oscar Was A Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Our Founders". Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Los Angeles Alumnae Chapter. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ Cromer, Lucille (1953-04-25). "Mrs. Frank V. Plummer Drops in on Our Town". The New York Age. p. 13. Retrieved 2026-01-31 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-09-22). "Award-Winning R&B Singer Kelly Price Is A Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Owens, Latrice (2024-02-29). "Pioneering Paths:". Denver Urban Spectrum. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "LaTavia Roberson Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2024-08-03. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-08-11). "'Young and the Restless' Star Victoria Rowell is a Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho's Tonya Williams Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame". Watch The Yard. 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Associate Justice Piper D. Griffin". Louisiana Supreme Court. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Anita Laster Mays". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Judge Anita Laster Mays". Eighth District Court of Appeals for the State of Ohio. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Leadership Highlight: Judge Anita Laster Mays the Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho's Alpha Lambda Sigma Chapter in Cleveland". Watch The Yard. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Becque, Fran (2019-03-26). "Ruth Whitehead Whaley, Sigma Gamma Rho, #NotableSororityWomen, #WHM2019". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
- ↑ Lakeisha Harding, "Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. (1922– )", BlackPast.org.
- ↑ "Alice Dunnigan: Pathbreaking American Journalism". The New York Historical. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "ATELIER 100 | Most Influential People of 2026: Cynthia Horner". ATELIER. 2026-02-14. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Broussard, 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.
- ↑ "Guidance in Vocations Given Grads by the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority". California Eagle. 1946-06-27. p. 11. Retrieved 2021-09-25 – via Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Tiffany T. Alston | House of Delegates". Maryland Manual Online. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho honors Lindy Boggs" (Press release).
- ↑ "Prince George's County, Maryland State's Attorney". Maryland Manual On-Line. Retrieved 2022-09-06.
Member, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., 1996-.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho's Mary Eugenia Charles was the First Female Prime Minister of Dominica". Watch The Yard. 2024-10-15. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Becque, Fran (28 March 2022). "Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, Sigma Gamma Rho". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ↑ "First Woman to Lead a Major Political Party in St. Kitts and Nevis Natasha Grey-Brookes Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 24 July 2026. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- ↑ "Watch Congresswoman Robin Kelly's Floor Speech About The Divine Nine". Watch The Yard. 2014-02-27. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho's Barbara Lee Elected Mayor of Oakland, California". Watch The Yard. 2025-04-23. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Meet Your Board Members - Kansas City Kansas Unified Schl Dist 500". Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-09-28). "Civil Rights Leader Georgia Powers Was A Member Of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Mary Pruitt". Tennessee House Member, 99th General Assembly. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Hon. Leah Landrum Taylor". Arizona Governor's Office of African American Affairs. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Local sorority members react to Sandra Bland's death". WOIO. July 22, 2015.
- ↑ "Top Ten Famous Members Of Sigma Gamma Rho!". Watch The Yard. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Olympian Sharrieffa Barksdale's One Step Closer Gala: Build That Track". 247 Live Culture Magazine. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2022-01-10). "Olympic Swimmer Maritza "Ritz" Correia Is A Member Of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ Craige, Brent (2021-11-03). "3x Gold Medalist Carmelita Jeter Is A Member Of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Olympic Gold Medalist Bianca Knight Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2024-08-03. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Former President of The WNBA Donna Orender Just Became A Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2019-04-08.
- ↑ "Sigma Gamma Rho Golf Legend Renee Powell Inducted Into PGA Hall of Fame". Watch The Yard. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2026-02-25.
- ↑ "Basketball Legend Sheryl Swoopes Is Now an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho". Watch The Yard. 2025-07-05. Retrieved 2026-02-25.