The Tau Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority Inc. celebrated their Founder’s Day with Founder’s Week , a schedule of programs held during the week of November 7 until their Founder’s Day, November 12, 2011 at Virginia Union University.
Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922 on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Sigma Gamma Rho should be commended for the founding of their organization, as it was extremely difficult for a group of black school teachers to do this in the racist, Ku Klux Klan affiliated state of Indiana. Sigma Gamma Rho is the only black sorority in the Divine 9 not founded at an HBCU, but their impact on HBCUs has been evident in their 89 year legacy of sisterhood, service and scholarship.
The 7 founders of Sigma Gamma Rho (Nannie Mae Gahn Johnson, Mary Lou Allison Gardner Little, Cubena McClure, Vivian Irene White Marbury, Bessie Mae Downey Rhodes Martin, Hattie Mae Annette Dulin Redford, & Dorothy Hanley Whiteside) were dedicated to scholarship, service, sisterhood and enriching the lives of African-American women everywhere.
The Tau Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho was chartered on January 29, 1929 on the campus of Virginia Union University. The chapter was chartered by Nellie Lee, Alice LaRoche, Thelma Woodfolk Wilson, Mary Smith Robinson and Mildred Lee Tynes. The Tau chapter is the mother chapter of the Northeast Region.
The Tau chapter balanced its Founder’s Week with programs of substance and service, beginning their Founder’s Week with “HERstory” on Monday November 7, followed with a Bible Study on Tuesday, November 8 hosted along with the Nu Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the Women of Elegance, a female ministry organization also founded at Virginia Union University.
The week continued on Wednesday with Game Night in collaboration with the Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and KaRHOke night on Thursday, ending with a Campus Clean up of Virginia Union University on Saturday at 7:22 A.M. A true commitment to service was this street clean up, as the night before the SGRhos continued a Virginia Union tradition by ringing the bell and chanting at midnight to celebrate 89 years of Sigma.
To keep in touch with Tau, you can visit their webpage at Tenacious Tau and follow their Twitter.
