Womanism

Womanism is a type of feminism that acknowledges the abilities and contributions of Black women. The term was created by Alice Walker, an African American writer and activist, to recognize Black women who felt they were overlooked during the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Feminism advocates women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes. Womanism is similar in that womanists support feminist efforts while also adding the perspective of Black women and working to combat racism. In that way, womanism also focuses on Black men and children as it looks to tackle racism affecting the Black community as a whole, not just racism toward women. In addition to combatting racism, womanists are fighting for equality in other areas, such as in the workplace, public office, and mainstream media. Black women, even in the twenty-first century, are more likely to experience violence, be paid less for their work, and see fewer people who look like them holding a political office or in the mainstream media than White people. 

Background

The term womanism was first introduced by award-winning African American author and activist Alice Walker, who has written dozens of books, poems, short stories, and essays. Some of Walker’s novels include The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, and By the Light of My Father’s Smile. She first used the term womanism in her 1983 book In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens: Womanist Prose. The book is a collection of thirty-six essays, articles, statements, and speeches written between 1966 and 1982, many based on Walker’s understanding of womanist theory. In the book, she celebrates women’s stories and spirituality throughout history, linking historical women writers and exploring their connection. The essays value women’s culture and strength; with that in mind, Walker coined the phrase “womanist prose.”

In her book, Walker defines a womanist as a Black feminist or feminist of color. She explains that a womanist loves other women sexually and nonsexually. A womanist appreciates and prefers women’s culture, women’s emotional flexibility (valuing tears as a natural counterbalance of laughter), and women’s strength. In addition, Walker observes that a womanist is committed to the survival and wholeness of an entire people, both male and female.

Overview

The feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s was a series of political campaigns that fought for reforms on the issues of reproductive rights, domestic violence, equal pay, sexual harassment and sexual violence, and maternity leave. Around the same time, the civil rights movement was ongoing, and it fought for equal constitutional and legal rights for African Americans. As both movements gained steam, many women in the African American community felt they were left behind. The feminist movement benefitted primarily middle-class White women. While all African Americans felt the results of the civil rights movement, Black women did not think they were recognized for their contributions as much as their male counterparts were. Many Black women had the dual reality of being seen as the lesser of the two sexes while also being viewed as a lesser race at a time when Black people had fewer rights. Womanism was born as a way for these women to organize and fight back against not only sexism but racism as well.

Because they both fight for women's rights, the womanism and feminism movements are often linked, as they are similar in many ways. In fact, in her definition of womanism, Walker says, "womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender." Walker uses two shades of the same color family to illustrate that although there are overlapping similarities in the two movements, there are also differences that set them apart. Although it is its movement, womanism is seen as a type of feminism, specifically intersectional. Intersectional feminism is a type of feminism that takes into account not only the woman but also her overlapping identities, which include race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion. It looks at how those identities play into how the woman experiences oppression and discrimination on all levels, not just sexism. In this way, womanism is more similar to intersectional feminism because it supports not only the feminist perspective but also the Black woman's feminist perspective.

Although the womanist movement was born out of the early feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, it continues to be an ongoing force for change in the twenty-first century. Both the womanist and feminist movements saw a resurgence in the mid to late 2010s, particularly after the election of President Donald Trump in 2016. Many people considered President Trump to be racist and sexist based on statements he had made in the past, including during his 2016 presidential bid, and even during his presidency. On the day after Trump's inauguration in January 2017, a march for women's rights was held in Washington, DC, and in cities worldwide. The women's marches consisted of worldwide protests in which millions of women joined together to call for better treatment of women, protection of reproductive rights, equal pay, and other issues. Like the fight for women's rights, Black women's rights and equal treatment continues into the twenty-first century. Social media hashtags like #BlackWomenAtWork allow Black women and womanists to share their stories of what it is like for Black women in the workforce in the twenty-first century. Many Black women have shared stories expressing their accounts of being taken advantage of by other women in the workplace, further illustrating why many Black women feel even the modern feminist movement has left them behind.

Modern day women's movements have gone beyond what they once were. Their focus has shifted from single-issue campaigns to complex intersectional awareness. The women's movement has been informed by other social movements. The Black Lives Matter movement demonstrated this evolution clearly, revealing how race and gender create unique patterns of inequality.

Several studies documented how the pandemic exposed harsh realities. Among them were that women of color bore disproportionate burdens in both health outcomes and economic stability. Yet this crisis sparked innovation as social media transformed into vital spaces where women could share experiences and build resilience through digital communities.

The movement now recognizes a fundamental principle: equality remains elusive until it addresses every woman's experience, particularly those facing multilayered discrimination. Traditional frameworks failed to capture this complexity. Modern understanding acknowledges how identity elementsgender, race, classhape individual paths through interlocking systems of advantage and barrier. This recognition marks a crucial shift in how society approaches questions of justice and representation.

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