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rority activities. These activities pro
vide an atmosphere where friend
ships and professional contacts are
developed which often lead to bonds
that last a lifetime.
The sisters are dedicated to help
ing one another and their personal
success is recognized in The Aurora
(the official publication of the sorority)
and through various awards. One of
the most famous Sorors was Hattie
McDaniel, actress and first Black
Academy Award winner in 1939 for
her supporting role in Gone With the
Wind. Soror McDaniel was a charter
member of the first West Coast Chap
ter in Los Angeles.
I N the pages of The Aurora, you will
meet some very distinguished sorors
such as:
Soror [Hon.] Corinne Brown,
United States Representative from
Florida, one.of the first African Ameri
cans elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives since Reconstruc
tion.
Soror Cheryl Broussard, author of
The Black Woman's Guide to Finan
cial Independence: Money Manage
ment Strategies for the 1990's (1991)
and The Black Woman's Guide to
Financial Independence: Smart Ways
to Take Charge of Your Money, Build
Wealth, and Achieve Financial Secu
rity (1996). Soror Broussard is a reg
istered New York Stock Exchange
broker and a principal of Broussard &
Douglas, Inc., a mutual fund advisory
firm in Palo Alto, California.
Soror Lee Chamberlin, theater, film
and television actress. (Played Pat
Baxter, Angie Hubbard's mother on
Emmy-winning soap "AllMy Children."
Soror [Dr.] Lorraine Hale, Co-
Founder and Director of Hale House
in New York City and daughter of the
late Mother Hale.
Soror Cynthia Horner, Executive
Editor of "RIGHT ON' magazine.
Soror Anna Marie Horsford, ac
tress. (Played Deacon's daughter on
the hit sit-com "Amen.")
Soror Cheryl Procter, the first Black
woman and the youngest member to
be accredited by the Public Relations
Society of Americainthe Los Angeles
area.
Soror [Rev.] Imagene Bigham
Stewart, noted preacher, gospel
singer and founder of one of the few
Black-owned and operated shelters
for battered and homeless women in
Washington, D.C. and first Black Na
tional Chaplain of an American Le
gion Auxiliary
Soror Joyce Warren, Sigma
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Soror Corine J. Green, Inmediate Past International Grand Basileus and Former
National Administrative Co-Chair of AOIP
Gamma Rho's legal adviser, was one
of the Little Rock Nine. She became
the first Black lawyer and first Black
woman judge in Little Rock.
Sigma Gamma Rho's Immediate
Pastlnternational Grand Basileus truly
merits a place on this list. Corine J.
Green has always been a trendsetter
that makes her presence known. Now
retired, she was one of Rockwell
International's first African American
female managers where she super
vised a budget of more than $8 million
and a staff of 52.
SOROR GREEN is committed to
community service and has served
as National Administrative Co-Chair
of AOIP; has been active with the
NAACP, National Council of Negro
Women, Urban League, Toastmas
ters International and many other or
ganizations. As the Past Chair of the
Council of Presidents (all presidents
of the eight National Pan-Hellenic
Council) she sought to promote unity
and foster continued community ser
vice.
Are Your Local Chapters, Temples, Lodges, Courts and Branches Actively Involved in AOIP Division Organizing?
Last August, Sigma Gamma Rho
Sorority called its 46th international
Boule in Houston, Texas. Members
from all over the country gathered to
assess the issues which impact
women today and to plan strategies
for the future. Hot topics were welfare
reform, affirmative action, and voter
registration/mobilization. The sorors
resolved to implement a plan of ac-
tion which addressesthese and other
issues which impact our communi
ties today.
In keeping with the Sorority's focus
on community service, Basileus
Green led a delegation of members
and guests to a ribbon cutting cer
emony for three homes built by Sigma
Gamma Rho. This ceremony culmi
nates the sorority's two year house
building blitz project. The project
called Sigma/Habitat House Build is
a joint partnership with Habitat for
Humanity International. Habitat
Houses have been built by the soror
ity in Wisconsin, California, Wash
ington, D.C. and Florida.
AT the conclusion of the Boule,
SororGreen passedthe gavel of lead
ership to Dr. Laßona J. Morris of
East St. Louis, lllinois. As the newly
elected International Grand Basileus,
Dr. Morris brings a wealth of experi
ence and knowledge to this position.
She has a Doctorate in Education
Administration, and a Masters de
gree in Counselor Education, and a
Bachelor of Science degree in Busi
National BLACK MONITOR--October 1996
ness Education. Dr. Morris is pres
ently the Assistant Principal of the
Cahokia High School in Cahokia, lii
nois. She sits on many boards and
commissions in her community. Dr.
Morris is listed in more than 20 bio
graphical publications and has been
featured in JET magazine and USA
Today. Locally, she has appeared on
several radio and television talk
shows. Due to her many social, civic
educational, and sorority endeavors,
Dr. Morris has received over 125 hon
ors, awards, and recognitions.
IN addition to Sigma membership,
Dr. Morris is affiliated with many other
local, state and national organiza
tions including the Southwestern Illi
nois Development Authority, Phi Delta
Kappa Educational Fraternity, Pi
LambdaThetaHonorSociety, 1.8.P.0.
Daughter Elks of the World, Order of
Eastern Star, and Big Brothers/Big
Sisters to name a few.
The commitment of Sigma Gamma
Rho to service is expressed in the
sorority's slogan, "Greater Service,
Greater Progress." The sorority has a
proud history of offering service wher
ever chapters exist, including national
undergraduate tutoring programs, a
partnership with the March of Dimes
to help unwed mothers, Project
Sigma/Drugs, Alcohol and Abuse
Awareness and a New York-based
Vocational Guidance and Workshop
Center. Other national programs in
clude Wee Savers, a financial semi
nar designed for young people ages
6-18 and the Gift of Life Membership
Club that provides resources for the
Judie Davis Marrow Donor Recruit
ment Program.
THE service of Sigma Gamma Rho
from a global perspective includes
Project Africa and Project Mwa
namugimu. Project Africa, in conjunc
tionwith Africare, provides thousands
of dollars to buy grain grinders for
African women to alleviate their back
breaking work. Project Mwana
mugimu, an essay contest, is geared
toward educating youth about Africa
and African culture.
Through active participation in pro
grams and through networking with
other organizations such as the Na
tional Council of Negro Women, the
Urban League, AOIP, andthe NAACP,
Sigma's legacy of service to improve
the quality of life continues.
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