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= Womanism =
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Introduction
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Womanism is a social theory based on the history and everyday
experiences of women of color, especially black women. It seeks,
according to womanist scholar Layli Maparyan (Phillips), to "restore
the balance between people and the environment/nature and reconcil[e]
human life with the spiritual dimension". Writer Alice Walker coined
the term 'womanist' in a short story, "Coming Apart", in 1979. Since
Walker's initial use, the term has evolved to envelop varied, and
often opposing interpretations of conceptions such as feminism, men,
and blackness.
Theory
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Womanist theory, while diverse, holds at its core that both femininity
and culture are equally important to the woman's existence. In this
conception one's femininity cannot be stripped from the culture within
which it exists. At first glance, this seems similar to the thought
process of third wave feminism, which embraced the concept of
intersectionality. The difference lies in the valuation placed on
intersectionality within the theoretical frameworks. Womanism supports
the idea that the culture of the woman, which in this case is the
focal point of intersection as opposed to class or some other
characteristic, is not an element of her femininity, but rather is the
lens through which femininity exists. As such, a woman's Blackness is
not a component of her feminism; instead, her Blackness is the lens
through which she understands her femininity.
In discussing womanist theory, one must acknowledge the racism that
was perceived by black women in the feminist movement. This perception
fuels two different conceptions of womanism's relationship with
feminism. Some womanists believe that the experience of Black women
will not be validated by feminists to be equal to the experience of
White women because of the problematic way in which some feminists
treated blackness throughout history. As such, womanists do not see
womanism as an extension of feminism, but rather as a theoretical
framework which exists independent of feminist theory. This is a move
from the thought of Black feminists who have carved their own space in
feminism through academia and activism.
However, not all womanists hold this view of womanism in relation to
feminism. The chronological first conception of womanism can be
captured through Alice Walker's quotation "womanism is to feminism as
purple is to lavender". Under this description, the theories are
seemingly intimately tied, with womanism as the broad umbrella under
which feminism falls.
Alice Walker
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Author and poet Alice Walker first used the term "womanist" in her
short story, "Coming Apart", in 1979, and later in' In Search of our
Mothers' Gardens: Womanist Prose' (1983). Walker defined a "womanist"
as a "black feminist or feminist of color. From the black folk
expression of mothers to female children, 'You acting womanish'",
referring to grown-up behavior. The womanish girl exhibits willful,
courageous, and outrageous behavior that is considered to be beyond
the scope of societal norms. She goes on to say that a womanist is
also:
According to Walker, while feminism is incorporated into womanism, it
is also instinctively pro-humankind; womanism is a broader category
that includes feminism as a subtype. The focus of the theology is not
on gender inequality, but race and class-based oppression. She sees
womanism as a theory/movement for the survival of the black race; a
theory that takes into consideration the experiences of black women,
black culture, black myths, spiritual life, and orality. Walker's much
cited phrase, "womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender",
suggests that feminism is a component beneath the much larger
ideological umbrella of womanism. Walker's definition also holds that
womanists are universalists. This philosophy is further invoked by her
metaphor of a garden where are all flowers bloom equally. A womanist
is committed to the survival of both males and females and desires a
world where men and women can coexist, while maintaining their
cultural distinctiveness. This inclusion of men provides Black women
with an opportunity to address gender oppression without directly
attacking men. A third definition provided by Walker pertains to the
sexuality of the women portrayed in her review of "Gifts of Power: The
Writings of Rebecca Jackson". Here, she argues that the best term to
describe Rebecca Jackson, a black Shaker who leaves her husband and
goes on to live with her white Shaker companion, would be a womanist,
because it is a word that affirms the connection to the world,
regardless of sexuality. The seemingly contrasting interpretations of
womanism given by Walker validates the experiences of African-American
women, while promoting a visionary perspective for the world based on
said experiences.
The short story "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker illustrates the voice
of a black rural middle class woman through the relationship that a
black woman shares with her two daughters Dee and Maggie. Dee is
spoiled and believes that her education and experiences make her
better than her mother and her sister. On the other hand, Maggie
envies her sister for her the beauty and arrogance that always gets
her what she wants. Historically, it has been very common for people
of color to have their stories told by Caucasians. However, Walker
attempts to break this tradition by having a black rural middle class
woman tell the story of her relationships with her two daughters. An
important part of the story occurs when the mother in "Everyday Use"
states, "You've no doubt seen those TV shows where the child who has
"made it" is confronted, as a surprise, by her own mother and father,
tottering in weakly from backstage... Sometimes I dream a dream in
which Dee and I are suddenly brought together on a TV program of this
sort...". Here the mother reminisces about a family experience that
she has witnessed on television that she wishes she could have for
herself. A heart-warming scene similar to the one that the mother
witnessed on television does not take place when her daughter Dee
comes to visit. Instead when Dee comes to visit the mother a rough,
awkward tension-filled encounter slowly unfolds. Walker employs this
story and its context to illustrate that a majority of womanism is
characterized by black women telling their stories.
Much of Alice Walker's progeny admits that while she is the creator of
the term, Walker fails to consistently define the term and often
contradicts herself. At some points she portrays womanism as a more
inclusive revision of Black feminism as it is not limited to Black
women and focuses on the woman as a whole. Later in life she begins to
regret this peace seeking and inclusive form of womanism due to the
constant and consistent prejudice inflicted upon Black women,
specifically, whose voices had yet to be validated by both White women
and Black men.
Clenora Hudson-Weems
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Clenora Hudson-Weems is credited with coining the term Africana
womanism. In 1995, the publication of her book, 'Africana Womanism:
Reclaiming Ourselves' sent shock waves through the Black nationalism
community and established her as an independent thinker. Hudson-Weems
rejects feminism as the theology of Africana women, that is to say
women of the African diaspora, because it is philosophically rooted in
Eurocentric ideals. Hudson-Weems identifies further differences