Res. No. 1063
Title
Resolution designating November 12 annually as Sigma Gamma Rho Day in the City of New York to recognize the sorority’s commitment to sisterhood, scholarship, and service and to positive community impact
Body
By Council Members Joseph and Ayala
Whereas, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated (“Sigma”) is a nonprofit Black Greek-Letter Organization (BGLO) of college-educated women committed to sisterhood, scholarship, service and dedicated to realizing positive community impact, as expressed in its slogan, “Greater Service, Greater Progress”; and
Whereas, Sigma’s mission is “to enhance the quality of life for women and their families” in the United States (U.S.) and abroad through community service and through civil and social action; and
Whereas, Its nationwide programs in the fields of education, health, and youth development include Project Cradle Care, which raises awareness of Black maternal and infant health care issues; Swim 1922, which addresses the problem that a disproportionate number of Black and Hispanic children in the U.S. do not know how to swim; the Women’s Wellness Initiative, which focuses on the physical, mental, and emotional health concerns of women of color; and Operation BigBookBag, which equips at-risk children with school supplies and more; and
Whereas, Sigma currently has a membership of more than 100,000 collegiate and professional women in over 500 undergraduate and alumnae chapters in the U.S. and other countries around the world; and
Whereas, Sigma was organized on November 12, 1922, by seven young educators in Indianapolis, Indiana, before being incorporated as a national collegiate sorority on December 30, 1929, at Butler University in Indianapolis; and
Whereas, In 1937, Sigma became a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), which is the coordinating body of BGLOs of college-educated women and men committed to “community awareness and action through educational, economic, and cultural service activities,” whose nine sorority and fraternity members are now known affectionately as the “Divine Nine”; and
Whereas, Sigma is the NPHC’s only member that was founded as a professional organization and that was not established at Howard University, but rather at a predominantly white university; and
Whereas, Sigma members have made significant contributions in the field of entertainment, including Hattie McDaniel, Martha Reeves, Marilyn McCoo, Kelly Price, MC Lyte, Anna Maria Horsford, Audrey Jones, Victoria Rowell, Tonya Lee Williams, LaTavia Roberson, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Fantasia Barrino-Taylor; and
Whereas, Sigma members have made significant contributions in the world of professional and Olympic sports, including Renee Powell, Donna Orender, Bianca Knight, Maritza Correia McClendon, and Carmelita Jeter; and
Whereas, Sigma members have made significant contributions in the fields of writing and journalism, including Alice Allison Dunningan, Beverly Jenkins, April Sinclair, and Tressie McMillian Cottom; and
Whereas, Sigma members have made significant contributions in federal, state, and local government service, including as members of the U.S. House of Representatives, state legislatures, and the New York City Council; and
Whereas, In speaking at Sigma’s 60th international biennial convention in July 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris, a member of another Divine Nine sorority, noted that the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities “share of vision for the future of our nation…a future in which we realize the promise of America…a promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice not for some but for all”; and
Whereas, Recognized by the United Nations as a non-governmental organization in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, Sigma issued a statement for the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025 regarding the sorority’s initiatives in strengthening women and families, in advocating for education in the U.S. and abroad, in promoting health and safety, and in supporting the development of youth; and
Whereas, The designation of a day is fitting to commemorate the accomplishments of Sigma members and the ongoing impact that their work can have on New York City communities; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York designates November 12 annually as Sigma Gamma Rho Day in the City of New York to recognize the sorority’s commitment to sisterhood, scholarship, and service and to positive community impact.
LS #20155
8/28/25
RHP