Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was organized on November 12, 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana by seven young educators: Mary Lou Allison Little, Dorothy Hanley Whiteside, Vivian White Marbury, Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Hattie Mae Dulin Redford, Bessie M. Downey Martin and Cubena McClure. The group became an incorporated national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, when a charter was granted to Alpha chapter at Butler University.

Soaring To Greater Heights Of Attainment Around The World, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., as a leading national service organization, has met the challenges of the day and continues to grow through Sisterhood, Scholarship and Service .

Sisterhood
From seven young educators, Sigma Gamma Rho has become an international service organization comprised of women from every profession. Sigma Gamma Rho offers its members opportunities to develop their unique talents through leadership training and involvement in sorority activities. Sorority activities provide an atmosphere where friendships and professional contacts are developed which often lead to bonds that last a lifetime.

Scholarship
In a time when education for African Americans was difficult to attain, the founders of Sigma Gamma Rho became educators. They believed that the self-respect, knowledge and discipline gained through study would help individuals to recognize their duty and responsibility for their society. Thus, Sigma Gamma Rho was founded on the precept of education and continues to promote and encourage high scholastic attainment.

Service
Sigma Gamma Rho's commitment to service is expressed in its slogan, "Greater Service, Greater Progress." The sorority has a proud history of offering service wherever chapters exist, including OPERATION BigBookBag, a program designed to address the needs, challenges and issues that face school-aged children who are educationally at-risk in local homeless shelters and extended care hospitals. The objective is for chapters to provide their local homeless shelters and children hospitals with educational materials, equipment and supplies. Other national projects include Wee Savers, Project Reassurance and Habitat for Humanity, Sigma Gamma Rho built seven homes across the United States in Florida, District of Columbia, Wisconsin, California, and Texas.

On September 19, 1963, at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University), 12 students founded what is now the nation's fifth largest, predominately African-American social service fraternity: The Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Incorporated.

The founders of Iota Phi Theta were: Albert Hicks, Lonnie Spruill, Jr., Charles Briscoe, Frank Coakley, John Slade, Barron Willis, Webster Lewis, Charles Brown, Louis Hudnell, Charles Gregory, Elias Dorsey, Jr., and Michael Williams.

This group of men was unique for several reasons. First of all, many were long-time friends. Spruill, Coakley, Dorsey, and Gregory had known one another since grade school, and Spruill and Coakley's friendship extended to when the two were pre-schoolers.

Even more uniquely, many of these men were what are now referred to as "Non-Traditional Students" and were 3-5 years older than the average college student. Gregory, Willis, and Brown were all service veterans, and Brown, Hicks, and Briscoe were married with small children. Of this group of 12, several were also working full-time jobs and all were full-time students.

Based upon their ages, heightened responsibilities, and increased level of maturity, this group had a slightly different perspective than the norm for college students. It was this perspective from which they established the Fraternity's purpose, "The development and perpetuation of Scholarship, Leadership, Citizenship, Fidelity, and Brotherhood among Men." Additionally, they conceived the Fraternity's motto, "Building a Tradition, Not Resting Upon One!"

GROWTH ...
The Fraternity functioned as a local entity until the first interest groups were established in 1967 at Hampton Institute (Beta Chapter) and Delaware State College (Gamma Chapter). Further expansion took place in 1968 with chapters being formed at Norfolk State College (Delta Chapter) and Jersey City State College (Epsilon Chapter). The Fraternity was officially and legally incorporated on November 1, 1968 as a National Fraternity under the laws of the State of Maryland.

Today, Iota Phi Theta consists of over 198 chapters located in 40 States and the District of Columbia. The scope of the organization extends throughout the nation, from California to New York; from Wyoming to Florida; and from Wisconsin to The Bahamas Islands.

The quote, “Make way for the nigger,” unveiled on Jan. 19, has sparked irreconcilable controversy amongst students and faculty at the University of Georgia.

The controversy comes at a time when the university struggles to increase black student enrollment that has decreased since last year.

The conflict surrounds a display built in Myers residence hall that is dedicated to the first black woman to desegregate the University of Georgia, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, that says, “Make way for the nigger,” close to one of her pictures.   more >>

Herndon High School started, Feb. 17, what it hopes will become an annual tradition—the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Talent Hunt, sponsored by the Fairfax County Omicron Kappa Kappa (OKK) Chapter.

Formerly held at Oakton High School, this year's Talent Hunt drew only four contestants, all from Herndon, but organizers and school officials are hopeful that once established it will grow and expand its reach.

Although held at Herndon, the contest, which offers cash prizes, is open to students throughout the school district.  more >>

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. hosted an evening of talented musicians in the Alpha Unplugged live concert Monday in Dede I.

The performances included poems, hip-hop, R&B and gospel songs.

The event proceeds went to the Eric Tramell Scholarship Fund, which will help a Terre Haute high school student attend college. Tramell was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha who passed away several years ago.   more >>

Spirits were high and stomachs full at Bellwood Elementary School this past Friday evening during the fourth annual Shannon L. Martin Soul Food Cookoff, Chitterlings and Potluck Dinner.

After a team of four judges determined the winners of the bread, meat, vegetable and dessert categories, a crowd of students, parents and teachers grubbed on a feast of home-cooked goodies.

Soul food is a traditional cuisine "handed down from our ancestors," said Thomas Keith, a Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School teacher who helped judge the cookoff. Soul food is "home-cooked and preferably made from scratch," he added.  more >>

The National Pan-Hellenic Council is hosting "Unity Week" this week to unite the seven historically black fraternities and sororities it governs.

Arica Herron, a junior psychology major and president of ISU's chapter of the NPHC, said the NPHC, as a national organization, has been around since 1930. It governs nine historically black fraternities and sororities, of which ISU has seven.

Herron said each black organization has a week dedicated to them, and the NPHC is no different. Herron said the NPHC has had a week "as long as I can remember," but it is not always called "Unity Week."   more >>