Thread by @BritniDWrites

Today a few of my #SGRho sorors were racially profiled in PA while cleaning up a highway their chapter adopted. It's a reminder that Black women in general (and SIGMA women esp) have ALWAYS been on the front lines fighting racial injustice. I'll explore some ways in this #thread

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First, some background: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc (@sgrhoupdates) was organized by 7 teachers in 1922 in the heart of Klan country in Indiana (I'm working on a project abt this). At the time, it was known as “Klandiana” b/c it had the largest number of Klan members, abt 250K

D.C. Stephenson, KKK Grand Dragon, was in Indianapolis, where #SGRho was founded. In fact, he stayed within miles of where Mary Lou Allison, Dorothy Hanley, Vivian White, Nannie Mae Gahn, Hattie Mae Dulin, Bessie Mae Downey and Cubena McClure) would meet to plan the sorority

Given the times, #SGRho’s organizers risked their lives to found a sisterhood that wld 1) support Black teachers 2) encourage Black ppl in general, & Black women in particular, to pursue education (they gave scholarships frm the start) 3) “promote the general welfare of women”

Throughout its history, #SGRho has included trailblazers who spoke out abt racial injustice. SIGMA was an original organizer of the @NPHC1930 & joined w/ AKA, DST, ZPhiB, APhiA, and PBS to form the American Council on Civil Rights in 1948, which advocated for Black lives.

#SGRho has always been comprised of women who are vocal champions of Black women. For ex, Soror Selena Sloan Butler, who graduated from @SpelmanCollege in 1888 & served on Hoover's White House Conference on Child Health & Protection, started the Negro PTA (now @NationalPTA )

Likewise, Soror Ruth Whitehead Whaley (1st Black woman to graduate @FordhamLawNYC in 1924, practice law in NC, and among the first in NY), spoke all over the country and wrote about race + gender bias.

Similarly, Soror Almita S. Robinson advocated for Black workers, helped her husband run a successful construction biz, and founded Fort Worth branch of the @NatUrbanLeague.

There have been countless SIGMA women who have worked to affirm Black lives over the last 95 yrs. From journalist Alice Dunnigan, Ellie Dahmer & Dr. Alma Illery to #SandraBland and @RepRobinKelly the women of #SGRho have--and will--always proclaim #BlackLivesMatter, esp now.