Hairstyles Worn By Members Of Historically Black Sororities- Sigma Gamma Rho. Inc)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases hair styles worn by some members of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc chapters as documented in seven YouTube videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States (from 2015-2017).

This is the fourth post in a pancocojams series that documents various straight/straightened and natural hair styles that are worn by some members of a specific chapter of a historically Black sorority or hair styles that are worn by some members of multiple chapters of that particular sorority.

Click the "Black sororities hair styles" tag below for those posts.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
In 1966 I pledged and became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Gamma Zeta chapter, New Jersey). In those days, it was both expected and required that women pledging any Black sorority wear their hair straightened/or naturally straight in uniformly shoulder length hairstyles-without any hair extensions, hair weaves, wigs, or braids. Midway in my pledge process, I challenged that rule by getting my hair cut and wearing it in an afro style. Although I received a lot of pressure to straighten my hair from the women pledging me, I refused to do so and was allowed to continue my initiation.

I realize that was waaaay back in the day, but after happening upon a video of another historically Black Greek letter sorority in which a number of steppers wore their hair in natural styles, I decided to document in a small way the impact-if any-of the Black natural hair movement on each of the historically Black Greek letter sororities that are members of the "Divine Nine"*.

*"Divine Nine":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Pan-Hellenic_Council
The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) is a collaborative organization of nine historically African American, international Greek lettered fraternities and sororities. The nine NPHC organizations are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Divine Nine". The member/partner organizations have not formally adopted nor recommended the use of this term to describe their collaborative grouping."...

Sororities that are members of the Divine Nine:
(given in order of their founding dates)
Alpha Kappa Alpha

Delta Sigma Theta

Zeta Phi Beta

Sigma Gamma Rho
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for a 2016 pancocojams post entitled "Articles About The Black Natural Hair Movements In USA, Brazil, France, Ivory Coast, & South Africa". This is part II of a four part series on current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".

The first post in this series includes selected comments from this 2013 New York Times article about Black women wearing their hair natural: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/fashion/the-afro-as-a-natural-expression-of-self.html "The Afro as a Natural Expression of Self" by Ruth La Ferla.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
[Pancocojams Editor's Note:

After watching fourteen YouTube Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. videos, I decided to showcase these seven videos from various Sigma Gamma Rho chapters throughout the United States. I selected these videos because of the diversity of the hair styles as well as the different performance activities documented in these videos.

Most of these videos had at least one comment in their discussion threads, but no comments about hairstyles.

Example #1:Sigma Gamma Rho Step



De Shaun, Published on Jan 19, 2012

The Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Incorporated at Virginia State University stepping!!!

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Example #2: Alabama A&M University Sigma Gamma Rho Founders Day Stroll Off



DayswithClint, Published on Nov 14, 2014

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Example #3: Duke 2015 Stroll Off Sigma Gamma Rho Round 1



nakita vincent Published on Sep 14, 2015

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Example #4: Gamma Nu Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho - NSU 2015 Homecoming Alumni Stroll off



Ariel Foreman, Published on Nov 10, 2015

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Example #5: Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc - Alpha Phi Chapter Neophyte Presentation Spring 2016



Tyshana Richard Published on Apr 7, 2016

Alpha Phi chapter, Howard University, March 31, 2016

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Example #6: EZ Sigma Gamma Rho Alumni Greek Weekend Stroll Off VCU



Epsilon Zeta (VCU Sgrhos), Published on Aug 31, 2016

The Oh So Elegant Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. during Alumni Greek Weekend at VCU with some of our alumni sorors from Spring '09 to Spring '16!

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Example #7: Alpha Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. Probate



Shamir Tyner, Published on Jun 14, 2017

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