This past summer has been all about adjustments. Learning how to wake up without anyone calling me, making financial decisions, and just figuring out where I’m going to live for the Fall and Spring semester. However, the most important thing to me is maintaining my faith. This is why I wanted to investigate a community called Pinky Promise because everything I have heard about it. Coming to college I was/am afraid to lose sight of my faith, so knowing that there is a group of women like me that feel the same way is very reassuring. My central question is: what text exist within this community? I plan to find out by looking at and gathering information from their Instagram and contacting a friend of mine who is involved with the organization--- Wadeline Louis.
Community Profile
Pinky Promise. Honestly you may be wondering, what is that? Very few people have heard of this organization and what it stands for. I heard of this group from a friend back home who happens to be the vice-president. In present times, it is so hard to be living a godly life and to grow spiritually. Sometimes, a person may feel out of place and do not want to be “that person”. The one labeled as “holier than thou” or “the Christian one”. There is such a negative connotation and stigma surrounding one’s religiosity. However, there are communities where a person is welcomed and accepted, like this one. Essentially if someone is a young Christian woman with aspirations of being more strongly rooted in your faith, Pinky Promise is for you. The organization is comprised of the typical club officer positions. The president is Falinka Cherry, the vice-president is Wadeline Louis, and so on and so forth. Hearing about all things from Wadeline Louis back home, made me more eager to join this club. I joined in one of their meetings in order to truly see what they are about.
This organization is just one of many under the same name nationwide. Heather Lindsey is the founder of the Pinky Promise Movement. Some of the goals they aim to achieve include: “Refusing to give our bodies to anyone outside of marriage, guarding our hearts by monitoring what we see and hear, seeking godly friendships and surrounding ourselves with believers and women after God’s own heart, building our local community by doing community service and praying for our city” ( Lindsey). This background is the basis and the guiding principle in all activities that they engage in. Pinky Promise FSU is just modeled after the national movement. The thing that stands out is the part about monitoring what we see and hear. A person does not have to go far to find something obscene or vulgar on a college campus. Girls are practically naked, and guys walk around shirtless all the time. So, for an organization to try to achieve this is extremely difficult and kind of unrealistic. Although there are risks when sexual activity is present, evidence shows that sexual purity teachings are “not effective at meaningfully delaying or preventing sexual activity prior to heterosexual marriage” (Gish). From what I have witnessed in my life, I could attest to the fact that this is true. Someone dear to me made a purity vow at church and within a few months she was no longer a virgin. This leads to some people opposing ideologies of this nature. Though it might be difficult to live by that, it is not impossible. Pinky Promise will help you live this type of life.
There is no one location where they meet, but they meet once a week. Throughout the city of Tallahassee, they congregate and engage in different activities such as: such as reaching out to the community of Tallahassee through sharing the gospel, they participate in rape prevention and self-defense classes offered by FSU police, they help feed the homeless, among other things. I happened to see how they conduct their bible studies. Connecting with the Holy Spirit is heavily emphasized, so the “fun” activities are not the priority. Since it is only a group of women, everyone is much more open to talking about their lives, struggles, and things that are on their mind, opposed to what would happen if men are present. Our location was at the president and the vice-president’s apartment. Although I was a newcomer, I felt so welcomed. The refreshments, the praise and worship music playing softly in the background, and all the side conversations added to the peaceful ambiance. At this bible study tears were shed, hearts and minds were open, and new perspectives that I have never thought about. We talked about the subject growing popularity—sexual assault. A young woman who could not be more than 20 years old described her experiences. From the ripe age of seven until she went off to college, she was molested by her next-door neighbor that would babysit her after school. She was too ashamed, too afraid to tell her parents; this is why it persisted for so long. Someone asked why she did not go to a church leader and she said that she felt dirty and disgusting. She did not want anyone to look at her differently. This allowed me to do some self-reflection. I feel as if church should be a safe haven from the storm but surprisingly, they usually do not talk about sexual assault. I take advantage of the fact that my parents have sheltered me and protected me from anything like this. My first encounter with Pinky Promise had me engaged in a deep way to say the least.
The most important aspect of this organization is one word: Christ. This club would not have come into fruition if this was not the main purpose. Since they are so intentional in all that they do, a person interested in joining must attend three meetings prior to being added to the GroupMe. It is more so “sacred” and not just any regular person can be in it. You have show that you are ready to work and contribute to the organization. For us regular non-members, we can see what Pinky Promise is about through their Instagram page. What I found kind of funny is that their name is a play on words. Their page swarmed with the color pink in relation to their name. You see a sisterhood through girls holding hands, smiling. Little does the outside world know the emotional bond that was formed through a power that is bigger than them.
Personal Profile
A young 21-year-old woman sat before me. With her beautiful dark melanin filled skin, clear complexion, and neat cornrows, any person would be amazed on the amount of wisdom that she has offer. Wadeline Louis wasn’t always this way. I had the opportunity to grow up with her in West Palm Beach, Florida. The once shy, slightly awkward girl blossomed into a strong, confident black woman. She is honestly the big sister I have always wanted. This is partially why I decided to go to Florida State University and to join Pinky Promise. Hearing all about the opportunities and experiences that she has amassed inspired me to try and do the same thing. It is this spirit of motivation within her that inspired her to be more involved in ministry.
Her friend Vanessa first introduced her to Pinky Promise. When I asked her why she joined she told me, “I want and needed friends who were like-minded. I was tired of the typical college partying life”. Essentially, she wanted people who could support her in her faith and help her grow spiritually, all while being away from home. Most of the time someone leaves home for the first time they use it as an excuse to crazy, but she wanted to stay connected to the gospel and remain strongly rooted in Christianity.
When I asked her what her spiritual life is like now, she describes it as “a deeper relationship with Christ than ever before”. Pinky Promise guided her through the difficult transition to college life and it gave her stability. She is extremely close to the women that she surrounded herself with back home. When she lacked this support system, her life began to crumble right in front of her eyes. The once straight “A” student was now struggling to pass her classes. She became depressed and withdrawn, and she was ready to leave Florida State University all together. However, the discovery of this organization was her saving grace. Having a sisterhood to support her and be her backbone allowed to have a better connection with God. She came to the realization last year that the major she was in was not her calling in life. She said, “If my relationship with God did not blossom the way that it did, I would still be miserable and struggling academically. The sisters that I made through this club helped me every step of the way. I could not do it without them”.
Hearing this testimony gives me the drive to join even more. There are times when I feel so out of place here but knowing that there are people that have my back is reassuring.
One thing that I found very interesting is that this club is somewhat selective. Don’t get me wrong, they are open to the public, but since they have a specific purpose and goals in mind, only those who are serious about joining gain access. Three meetings must be attended prior to even be invited into the GroupMe, which is practically unheard for clubs at Florida State. At the Involvement Fair, clubs were adding people left and right into their group chat. However, this organizations views this as something sacred and not just anyone could get in. When I think about it, it makes sense. Serving God is serious business and only the people who are committed to doing their part and doing all that they can should be involved in this group. The best part besides spiritual growth and all that is: THERE ARE NO DUES. Hearing that immediately got my attention. Virtually every club requires some type of money to join. Nevertheless, monetary gain is not the focus of this club. Everything they do is solely for the benefit of their members.
Back home I was super involved with my church and I wanted to continue that in Tallahassee. I love they go out and serve the community. I saw pictures of their day at the park feeding and grooming homeless people and I commended them. As students they probably have a million things to do; nonetheless, they chose to give their services and time to those who need it most. This selfless spirit is present in every single one of its members.
Analysis of a Text
@pinkypromisefsu. This Instagram page is where most people can find basic information regarding the club. The function of this page is to let the people outside of organization as well as those who are members know about special meetings and to announce events and activities that are coming up. Immediately when I pull up the page, I see myself swarmed with various shades of melanin, curvy women and thin women, and most importantly pink. I feel that purpose of this is to draw the audience to the organization and recognize that it is for women all shapes and sizes, all colors and that they will be embraced no matter the differences. The audience is students that attend Florida State University or anywhere in the area that are Christian or interested in the faith. The tone of the page is motivational and inspirational. Seeing a group of strong women makes me want to join and be involved. The central argument is if you are interested and committed, there is a spot for you.
This organization is open to all races; however, the leadership is comprised entirely of African- Americans as illustrated in the picture above. They all are seen smiling brightly, legs crossed with their hands in their laps, with numerous shades of pink. They seem united but some may see a lack of representation. Where are the white girls? The Hispanic ones? The Asians and Pacific Islanders? These people may not feel drawn to this community because of their own opinion and experiences, but Pinky Promise looks like a sea of cocoa butter with no end in sight. For a young white girl interested in joining, she may feel out of place. As humans we tend to gravitate to people like us, that look like us because it’s comfortable. Since the demographic is seemingly one race, people that were potentially going to join might feel hesitant, which is understandable.
The picture above immediately gages a reaction from the audience, and I think that is the purpose of this flyer. To be so blunt and straight-forward draws the audience to pay attention. And for some reason, the word sex always catches everyone’s attention. With all these elements combined, a person will read the entire post, opposed to scrolling right past it. The interesting thing about this post is that though the this an all-girl organization, they host co-ed events. In the description of this post (not shown above) men are encouraged to come to hear the perspectives of both sexes. This made me much more interested because I would like to know how guys view the topic of sex. Traditionally men are viewed as being more sexual and engaging in premarital sex often or before women. Hearing their stance on premarital sex, purity, having a child out wedlock, among other things is fascinating to me. Many people may feel this way also.
The above picture is an example of how they announce events to both members and non-members. Again, there is the common color pink. It simply lays out the itinerary for Pinky Promise week. They posted this on Instagram as well as GroupMe to make sure they amass the most amount of people possible. The purpose of this post is to inform the masses on what to expect this particular week.
Research Summary
I learned that being in a club requires a lot of time and effort, especially for this club. This organization is not for people who don’t want to commit their life to God and all that he has to offer. This is why I was drawn to this community. With goals that focus on being connected to the Holy Spirit, growing as much as you can spiritually, thinking clean and pure thoughts, and overall conducting yourself in certain manner as a Christian woman, this is where I want to be.
I am still trying to figure out my faith and how to live in purpose, especially with no one constantly getting on me to go to church. After one party I knew that this was mot the lifestyle I wanted to live. I don’t know how some people do it, but it is not for me. I wanted to find a group of girls that could be my friends and lift me up spiritually, so I am glad that this community is there for that.
Argument Summary
What text exist within this community? This was the central question that guided this paper. Through an interview and some research of my own, the answer is GroupMe and Instagram. An easy way to get information about clubs and getting to know its members is GroupMe. However, this is not the case with this club. They want to make sure that everyone in the group chat is involved and genuinely wants to be there. So, to get my information, I had to go on their Instagram. Their page includes pictures of the leaders, upcoming events, and motivational quotes.