Womanism Universal Black Feminism - 751 Words

WOMANISM The term womanism is coined by Alice Walker, the author best known for her book â€Å"The Color Purple.† Walker used the term for the first time in 1983, when she talked about the womanist theory in her book In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens: Womanist prose. The womanist movement centres on the feminist effort of black women. Womanism grew because activists felt that the feminist movement did not fully cover the plight of black women. Rather than focusing on social change or activism, womanism (sometimes referred to as â€Å"black feminism†) focuses more on celebrating womanhood and the African American woman’s strength and experiences. When they push for change and attention to social issues, womanists focus on racism and class†¦show more content†¦It critically addresses the dynamics of the conflict between the main stream feminist, the Black Feminist, the African Feminist and the Africana Womanist. The conclusion is that Africana Womanism and its agenda are unique and separate from both white feminism and Black Feminism, and more over, to the extent of naming in particular, Africana Womanisms differs from Africana feminism†(Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006: 67). Critiques of Womenism Patricia Hill Collins addresses the issue of how focussing on the naming of particular struggle can become a â€Å"political distraction† from gendered racist and sexist oppression that Black Women face (Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006) Collins contends that womanism â€Å"exaggerates out group differences and minimises in group variation by assembling a stable and homogenous racial group identity† (Alexander-Floyd amp; Simien 2006) potentially, this comes with the ubiquitous essentialisation of Black Women struggles, which denies varied experience of Black Women who align with various social-culture heritages. Walker, Alice: In search of our Mothers Gardens Womanist Prose, Mariner Books,Show MoreRelatedWomanism762 Words   |  4 PagesAfricana Womanism: An Historical, Global Prespective for Women of African Descent Africana Womanism: An Historical, Global Perspective for Women of African Descent is an essay based on Africana Womanism and how it compares to white feminism. The essay was written by Clenora Hudson-Weems, an African American writer and literary critic. She was born in Oxford, Mississippi and she was raised in Memphis, Tennessee. I will compare Africana Womanism and Feminism and discuss the definition of theRead More15. . . . . Womanism Vs Feminism . Tessa King. Evans High4725 Words   |  19 Pages Womanism vs Feminism Tessa King Evans High School â€Å"Most of us did not learn when we were young that our capacity to be self-loving would be shaped by the work we do and whether that work enhances our well-being.† – Bell Hooks Black Feminism is a theory which argues that sexism, class oppression, gender identity, and racism are interconnected. However, womanism or white feminism is a social theory which is strictly racial and gender-based oppression of black women. Black feminism and womanismRead MoreThe Power of Self Definition in Feminism of the African Diaspora1853 Words   |  8 Pagesgenerally believed that feminism originated in the West, for over time, it has assumed the role of ‘science’ (Mangena, 2003). As a science, western feminism insists that it should be adopted by women all over the globe and used to deal with their specific and foundational problems. However, women of the African diaspora have come to deny such universality and define their own struggle. Uprooted from their motherland and sent to lands in Latin America and the United States, Black women experience unique