• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living

  • HBCUs
    • What is an HBCU?
    • History
    • List of HBCUs
    • Notable Graduates
  • Jobs
  • Parents
    • HBCU Rankings
    • Black College Tours
    • College Admissions
    • Financing
    • College Scholarships
    • College Planning
  • Current Students
    • College Life
      • Greek Life
      • Sports
      • Dorm Living
      • College Survival
    • Careers
      • HBCU Career Hub
      • Internships
      • Career Profiles
      • Entrepreneur
    • Research Paper Resources
      • Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
      • How To Write An Annotated Bibliography
      • Journalism Research Paper Resources
  • Alumni
    • HBCU Shirts
    • Podcast
    • Alumni Spotlight
    • HBCU Merch
    • Jobs
  • Shop

You are here: Home / Featured / Beyond Sorority Sisters: Questions We Should Ask Ourselves

Featured, Greek Life

Beyond Sorority Sisters: Questions We Should Ask Ourselves

VH1 network’s Sorority Sisters logo during the show’s opening.
Photo Credit: VH1
So as I am writing this the wonderful women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. have just celebrated their 102nd Founders’ Day. The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are gearing up for their celebration on January 15th and the women of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will be right behind them celebrating their founders’ day on January 16th, and although the women of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. won’t be celebrating until November there is some news all of the organizations are celebrating. It appears, though not officially confirmed, that VH1 will be cancelling the controversial “Sorority Sisters” reality show. I have held off from writing about the show, mostly because I haven’t watched it, but also I was not quite sure what to say. There were many debates back and forth about whether or not sororities were fair game for the reality show circus, why members of Black sororities were upset about this particular negative depiction of Black women but not others.

Additionally, since Black women are the majority of the target audience that supports shows in this genre, did members of these Black sororities who religiously watch these shows not build the coop for these chickens to come home to roost? I have no answers to these questions, other than to say that what a person will consider permissible on one hand and despicable on another is tricky. People are complex. Strangely enough these discussions were juxtaposed in my mind with the shooting of Shaneka Thompson, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. by her ex-boyfriend, which went unmentioned for hours, almost days, as her life lay in the shadows of two police officers killed by the same man. These discussions are also juxtaposed with the recent mass killing of Nigerians by terrorist group Boko Haram through the strapping of a bomb to a young Nigerian girl. So, in reflection of the show of solidarity that seemingly has brought about the ending of Sorority Sisters, as well as these other current events, I think there is something we as members of Black sororities can take away and think about as we embark on 2015 and that is that Black women’s lives matter. All Black women’s lives matter.

Those of us who don Greek letters saw the strength in collective focus and work with the Sorority Sisters boycott. Many of us were already keenly aware of that collective strength through other efforts whether it be March of Dimes or St. Jude fundraisers or registering new voters in Black communities. However, when a Black woman’s life hangs in the balance due to a domestic dispute or a little Black girl’s body is used as the exclamation point in a terroristic statement and the world does not blink, does not pause, does not hold its breath, does not weep, mourn, or shed a tear we must ask ourselves where our collective voice is in that moment. We saw parts of our identities on Sorority Sisters and we were not pleased by the misrepresentation. In our displeasure we refused to let the world seemingly not care about that misrepresentation. So now we must ask ourselves, do we see ourselves in the women of similar shows? Maybe we do, but maybe we don’t. But, do we care about the misrepresentation of these Black women? Do we care about their exploitation? Did we burn with anger at the dismissal of Shaneka’s battle for life or did it only prick our hearts when we found out she was one of us? Do we see the little girls we strive to inspire every day in the little Nigerian girl simultaneously sacrificed and used as a weapon as if her life had no value? Did we persistently demand that before a world leader headed to France they break their silence on her senseless death? Did our collective voices tire in the defense of our beloved organizations that they quieted to whispers when these and other Black women and girls’ lives were disrespected, dismissed, and desecrated?

My desire is not to imply that just because one boycotted Sorority Sisters one does not care about the other events mentioned. That would be ridiculous and overreaching. However, after seeing the way in which the focused, persistent, and adamant demand for respect and corrective action was successful in this campaign I believe it should fuel the same level of concentrated passion and organized fury in making sure that the lives of all Black women are respected. The way in which Sorority Sisters set out to belittle and diminish the impact, beauty, strength, and presence of our beloved organizations was appalling to many of us. The way in which this society continuously strives to belittle and diminish the impact, beauty, strength, and presence of Black women should appall us as well. It should shake the foundation of sisterhood found in each of our cardinal principles which we all hold dear. It should inspire us to use the platforms our membership gives us to speak and fight for those whose voices have been quieted or those who have yet to discover that they are not mere puppets—that they have voices too. In the winter of 2014 to 2015 we stood up and said to network executives and sponsors (and some misguided sisters), you will not speak for us and you will acknowledge we are here. We spoke, they listened. Now that we have a captive audience, for whom will we speak next?

In 2015, let us challenge ourselves to stand up and be counted, to push for increased accountability in media and in our communities, to challenge policy makers and politicians, to call to the carpet our brother allies, and to not let it be said that the cry to rally only went forth when our sacred sisterhoods were on the line but not when it was our sisters. When the world tries to “smudge us away”, or tries to erase our stories from headlines or fights for justice, or encourages us to not see the humanity in another Black woman’s eyes because our ideologies and life choices do not mirror theirs, let us not give in or be quiet. Let us boldly remind them that they do not speak for us. Let us audaciously be present. Let us consistently remind them, and ourselves, that Black women’s lives matter. All Black women. Yes, those women too.

January 21, 2015 by Felecia Commodore

About Felecia Commodore

Felecia is an Assistant Professor in Educational Foundations and Leadership at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.  Felecia's research focus area is leadership, governance, and administrative practices with a particular focus on HBCUs and MSIs. Felecia’s research interests also lie in how leadership is exercised, constructed, and viewed in various communities, and the relationship of Black women and leadership. Felecia has currently has work relating to this research published in the Journal of Multicultural Education and the Journal of Negro Education. She is also contributor to HBCULifestyle.com, Diverse Issues in Higher Education, and Noodle.com. She is co-editor of the book Opportunities and Challenges of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Graduate Education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): A Student Perspective.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Linda Davis says

    January 26, 2015 at 12:10 pm

    As a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and one of the thousands who raised our voices, took to our keyboard and took up our protest signs to help end “Sorority Sisters”, I would just like to say that the journey continues. the media is having a field day, dogging HBGLOs for not following up and boycotting other shows. That assertion is not true.There are many groups still at work to bring down the remaining “ratchet TV” shows that portray African Americans in a negative light. One such group is: CONSCIOUS: BOYCOTTING LHHNY & SORORITY SISTERS https://www.facebook.com/groups/consciousboycott/ . I know there are others. We need non-Greeks, non-African Americans and members of the media to help. Shows like the “Love and Hip Hop” and “Real Housewives” franchises have a huge following. There needs to be an education campaign and a white hot spotlight put on the harm that theses shows are doing to our society.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Quick Links

  • Newsletter
  • Jobs and Internships
  • Shop
  • HBCU Colleges List: All of the Historical Black Colleges and Universities
  • HBCU Rankings 2022
  • HBCU College Tours
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Good Reads on Greek Life

  • The Divine 9: Black Sororities and Fraternities
  • Black Greek Apparel: 5 Unique Online Paraphernalia Shops
  • Joining a Black Sorority
  • Joining a Black Greek Graduate Chapter
  • How to Pick the Best Fraternity or Sorority

Popular Posts

  • Happy female college student working on research paper topics. Research Paper Topics: 50 Ideas to Get Started
  • HBCU Sororities and Fraternities to Consider The Divine Nine: Sororities and Fraternities on HBCU Campuses
  • New Programs at Morgan Address the Work of the Future and the Future of Work Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Bowie State's nursing program students check a patient in class simulation. Top 10 HBCU Nursing Schools Rankings for 2022 by RN to BSN
  • Prairie View A&M students discuss their work in an Architecture Design Studio class. HBCUs with Architecture and Design-Related Programs

Before Footer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to receive weekly HBCU news, jobs, and advice in your inbox.

Sign Me Up

Footer

About HBCU Lifestyle

The spirit and camaraderie of black college living is a lifestyle - the HBCU lifestyle! We're committed to keeping you connected to the black college living experience, bringing you the latest on everything, from scholarships and dorm living to Greek life and alumni giving.


Contact Us

Latest from the Blog

  • PVAMU’s College of Nursing Helping to Cultivate Inclusive Classrooms
  • HBCU Go Partners With Award-Winning Movie ‘Freedom’s Path’
  • Local Initiatives Support Corporation Offers New HBCU Internships
  • Morgan State Offers 4 New High-Demand Academic Degree Programs
  • Newsletter
  • Jobs & Internships
  • Shop
  • List of HBCUs
  • HBCU Rankings
  • HBCU Scholarships
Copyright © 2010-2022 HBCU Lifestyle, LLC. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | Sitemap | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Get the best of the Black college experience delivered to your inbox.
Your email address:*
Name:*
Subscribe to (select all that apply):*





Please wait...
Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz