by Bama Porter
Judson College is primarily known for a sisterhood like no other with the student body being made up of only females. It is true that Judson ladies are able to step out of their shells and grow into women that positively represent the school and most importantly, Christ.
Sisterhood is spunk, spirit, and substance, and we need it today more than ever. The rite of sisterhood transcends blood, time, and circumstance. Sisterhood means finding friends in unlikely places and intuitively knowing we are united in our collective experiences. Freshman Rejeana Milligan states that sisterhood is “girls coming together and being friends for life.” Our sisters have our backs, and this form of friendship and solidarity is a testament to the bond between all women, for sisterhood has always been intersectional and independent of race, class, creed, or sexuality. Sisterhood is activism and love, and above all, it is for everyone. It is the boundless strength of sisterhood that makes it so empowering and allows us to be mighty in all our unique ways.
Of course, sisterhood is not inviolate, and it would be remiss of me to pretend that it is. Popular culture normalizes pettiness and rivalry among females. Mainstream social media perpetuates hypercritical body-shaming, which creates a climate of competitiveness rather than community. Rather than being covetous and petty, we must support each other and thrive together. We need to remember to lift other women as we climb, because empowered women empower women just as love begets love. Jr-Soph Savanah Townley adds to this in her statement that “Judson sisters you literally get to choose.” If we choose our sisters, that is all the more reason to lift up and empower each other.
However, cultivating sisterhood requires more than lip service. We must practice activism and understanding to bring sisterhood to fruition in our daily lives. Each of us has a voice, and it is our duty to use our voice to influence change. As for myself, I will speak up, and I will speak out and never again mince my words. I will fight for my sisters as fiercely as I fight for myself, because in a world without sisterhood, nobody wins. Sisterhood can weather wars and walls.
The infractions of our society cannot put our dreams in boxes or build walls around our futures. The future is in our hands, so be empowered and be hopeful. We are all sisters alike. Our sisters are our people, they’re the ones that accept us with all of our flaws, they’re the ones to turn to, they’re the ones that are going to be there for life. Senior Kate Wright sums it all up when she says, “Sisterhood helps us come together as a school because we have big and little classes that remind us to come together as a school instead of separating us.”