Womanism In Alice Walker And The Feminist Movement

Alice Walker once said “womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender”. Both terms refer to the struggle of women to obtain equality, but womanism is a way for the black women to expand on the feminist concept to improve it 's effects. Womanism is not against the Feminist Movement, but as Alice Walker states , it is just a darker shade that represents other women’s perspectives. Womanism “helps give visibility to the experience of black women and other women of color who have always been at the forefront of the feminist movement yet marginalized and rendered invisible in historical texts and the media”. Feminism originates during the time of mid-1800s and a time where women were stripped of their voice. Feminism is attempting to fix a lot of issues among females; including equality in the work force and the right of females to be looked as important counterparts;it can be summed up has fighting against anti-oppression among woman. However, woman of color was not represented well during the fight for woman 's rights. Society runs in a caste system where white men are at the top, followed by black men, white woman, and lastly black woman. Black woman did not feel included in the feminist movement; although

Walker describes womanism has “A woman who loves other women, sexually and/or non-sexually. Appreciates and prefers women’s culture, women’s emotional flexibility , and women’s strength. Sometimes loves individual men, sexually and/or non-sexually”. Womanism grew because any activist felt the feminist movement catered to middle-classed white woman. Womanism focuses more on celebrating womanhood, it is more uplifting when compared to feminism. The movement is not issue based, but rather on maintaining the inclusion of woman in the culture of the world. It focuses on how to make the woman powerful and important when compared to the male