The first-ever HBCU gymnast is adding another milestone to her trailblazing journey—becoming a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Known for breaking barriers in collegiate gymnastics and representing the growing legacy of HBCU athletic excellence, Naimah Muhammad is now continuing that spirit of sisterhood, scholarship, and service through one of the Divine Nine’s most historic organizations. Her latest accomplishment reflects not only her personal growth but also the continued rise of HBCU athletes redefining what it means to make history beyond their sport.
Muhammad made history back in 2023 as the first HBCU gymnast in NCAA history. Representing Fisk University, Muhammad competed in the NCAA Super 16 in Las Vegas. Leading the inaugural gymnastics team, she earned a 9.6 for her floor exercise routine. In an interview with Olympics.com, Muhammad talked about what that experience was like for her and how important it was for her to show up for her team.
“I was really nervous and scared,” said Muhammad in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com. “But after the first tumbling pass, I knew I had the rest of the routine. When it ended, I kinda got emotional because I didn’t even think about it as me making history; I just cared about how I started my team off. I wanted to keep the energy up for my team.”
Before attending Fisk, Muhammad thought she would have to choose between her love of gymnastics and her desire to attend an HBCU. Inspired by Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance and both of her siblings attending an HBCU, she knew that’s where she wanted to be. Fisk added a women’s gymnastics team during the 2022-23 school year, giving Muhammad the best of both worlds.
“I realized that this is everything I wanted,” explained Muhammad. “Instead of being on a team that was just me as the only Black girl there, or only two Black girls. I think there are like 14 Black girls or other girls that look like me, coaches that look like me. They’re doing gymnastics with me.
“But the biggest thing,” she continued, “was to be part of something that represented me because I never had that before.”
Despite the accomplishments of Muhammad and the rest of the women’s gymnastics team at Fisk, the university has decided to discontinue the program in 2026. The decision comes due to the challenges of gymnastics not being a sanctioned HBCU Athletic Conference sport. Things such as recruitment and scheduling have made it difficult to keep the program going in addition to financial support.
Muhammad took to her personal Instagram to announce her induction into Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. on November 2nd. The announcement came with a photo with the caption “Sorry it took so long; I was taking the RHOad less traveled.” The ace of her line, Muhammad joined the Lambda Iota Sigma Alumnae Chapter in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
The Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. was founded on November 12, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the campus of Butler University by seven educators. Although Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. is the smallest sorority of the Divine Nine, they have over 100,000 members and over 500 chapters in the US, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, Canada, Germany, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Japan. Notable members include Wendy Raquel Robinson, LaTavia Roberson, Bianca Knight, MC Lyte, and many others.
