"White feminists may understand the importance of intersectionality in theory, but some fail to act on it in practice." -Julie Zeilinger, "Mic"

Sororities are in and of themselves feminist organizations, and often times the women in them have feminist ideals. Predominantly White sororities like many others are at the forefront of the modern feminist movement, only their perspective of feminism is ... White. White feminism is just as harmful as the patriarchy, no? The issue with White Feminism is it's lack of authenticity accompanied by its exclusive execution. Yelling equality, but whispering supremacy.

Concept: I am a Black woman and a member of a predominantly White sorority.

Before you start to feel "attacked," hear me out. We've seen article after article describing all the crazy behavior bubbling from some historically White fraternities and sororities across the country, so what I'm getting at is neither new nor shocking.

I absolutely love my organization, and love that I fuse my Black southern upbringing with my organization's ideals; it is unique and special. What my sorority did for me I owe back to it in ten fold but that does not erase the dangers of the institution. I say institution because I'm painting a picture of higher thought. While it is worthy to note that many campuses have taken strides in fostering inclusive communities where students of all identities can feel heard and loved, unfortunately the campus is but a small force to something as potent as group think. Groupthink is the phenomenon that occurs when a group behaves in adherence to the dictated norms of the group while ignoring critical evaluation to achieve harmony. In other words, no one goes against what the group thinks.

Week after week our White peers are chillin' in our non-Greek organization meetings preaching inclusivity and feminist ideologies. Our individual letters don't matter while we gather in good will. We break bread and connect over the common love for equality and righteousness. We are strong and loud. We are fighting the good fight. Then, after the last hoorah they creep back into their sisterhoods and change into their letters hoping that no one can smell the integrity on them.

They assert in these campus gatherings that they stand for the betterment of all women. They want equality. They are incredibly passionate about Social Justice! But, back at the sorority house when sisters rear their heads and fix their mouths to utter "n*****" and relentlessly mock other women (re: Black women), there is silence. God forbid they do exactly what they said they were blazingly passionate about, right?

This part of the narrative is where it gets particularly tough. This is where we admit that these organizations have such a maliciously strong culture that members are almost living double lives. This is where we face the fact that Women of Color have been long subtly excluded from the philosophy that is "feminism." This is where we need to be sisters for real and call our peers out where it counts. Stat.

Are you mad? You should be. Your sisterhood and mine tout our noble values which we fall short of faithfully living, sis. How, Sway? How do we as sorority women proclaim such an institution through vows and rituals yet defile it by doing the very opposite? All because we want to be "liked" by our sisters and not bear the brunt of being the "SJW".

There lies the detriment! The bystander behavior, the fear of being ridiculed for standing up. The lack of authenticity. White sorority members may very well believe in striving for equality, but none of that matters when you slip back into your chapter and allow racial slurs/cultural appropriation/other gestures of racism because you're afraid. Groupthink is so strong that you'd rather be "in the plastics and hating life than to not be in it at all." (Mean Girls, anyone?) I don't know everyone's motive, honestly. What I do know is this behavior is on the creep and destroying the growth of organizations and campuses.

These same members grow to be employers, political leaders, CEOs. To put it in perspective, 85% of Fortune 500 companies are run by Greeks. Our sororities impact how we view the world after college - that's why we pledged right? If your college experience bred that grotesque pattern how likely is it to carry on long after you've graduated?

My fellow sorority women, I charge you to call it how it is and not how you want it to be. I charge you to be a woman of integrity and be committed enough to your sisterhood to prohibit the dismantling of it. Do not be afraid to stand up even if you stand alone. Your founders did it. They saw where they needed to take a stand and stood on their own. Feminism is the social, political, and economical pursuit of equality for all.

Carry that legacy by breaking the mold.