MC Sha-Rock Inducted as Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho

Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. has inducted hip-hop pioneer Sharon “MC Sha-Rock” Jackson, widely recognized as the first female MC in hip-hop history, as an Honorary Member. The sorority announced the induction today, Friday, July 24, 2026, during its 61st Biennial Boule in Tampa, Florida.

Known as the “Mother of the Mic,” Sha-Rock helped shape the sound and standards of hip-hop in its earliest years. As a founding member of the influential group Funky 4 + 1, she made history in 1981 when the group became the first hip-hop act to perform on national television, appearing on Saturday Night Live and introducing the then-underground culture to a mainstream audience.

A Wilmington, North Carolina native, Sha-Rock will be inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame as part of its 2026 class, with a ceremony scheduled for October 2026 alongside honorees including funk legend and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. honorary member George Clinton.

Sha-Rock’s work today extends into the classroom. She serves as an adjunct professor at Bowie State University, where she is helping to build the school’s Hip-Hop Studies and Visual Culture minor, described as the first of its kind at any HBCU in the nation. Through her teaching and cultural preservation work, she continues to document and pass on the history she helped create.

Jackson was inducted as part of Sigma Gamma Rho’s Honorary Membership Class of 2026, a group of women recognized during the 2026 Boule Honorary Membership Ceremony for achievements spanning sports, entertainment, education, public service, advocacy, entrepreneurship, and global humanitarian work.

The ceremony took place as Sigma Gamma Rho gathered in Tampa, Florida, for its 61st Biennial Boule under International President Marica T. Harris. In announcing the class, Harris said the 2026 honorees “embody the spirit of service, the power of purpose,” carrying forward the sorority’s mission of Greater Service, Greater Progress.

We at Watch The Yard would like to congratulate Sharon “MC Sha-Rock” Jackson on her induction as an Honorary Member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

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