Overview
In an analysis of Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens, Patricia Hill Collins provides readers with theoretical definitions for both womanism and Black feminism. The distinction between the two, she states, is a result of heightened acknowledgement of the amount of diversity among Black women. Womanism, as Collins understands it, has several implications. The first is in relation to Black feminism or women of color feminism. Walker states that each of these attempt to resolve struggles of racism and sexism. Walker then distinguishes womanism from feminism by tracing its origin to the Southern Black home. In this context, to “act womanish” was to be courageous, bold, and powerful- the opposite of the girlish and irresponsible imagery that characterized white women. Walker states,” womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender”. Furthermore, this difference allows womanists to separate themselves from white feminists, but still address issues of gender equality. This distinction creates space for critical feminist work that does not harm the African American community as a whole.
Womanism is also defined by its Black nationalist nature and commitment to pluralism within the African American community. While much of the concern surrounding feminism is finding ways to organize across racial lines, womanism centers its focus on the diversity of Black women, as well as fostering productive relationships with Black men. While Walker states that womanism requires women to love other women in whatever capacity, this component of its definition has received far less attention than the others. Specifically lesbian women and women a part of the LGBTQ community have not been acknowledged as much as they should have been for their contributions to womanism as a theory and space for activism. Ultimately, womanism is recognized as a process rather than a finished product. Its efforts toward social justice allows for it to be fluid and flexible to change.
Key Voices
Alice Walker coined the term Womanism in her collection of poetic work "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens." To have a discussion of Womanism without including the definition created by Walker is to have a discussion on the life cycle of a bird without mentioning an egg. Walker’s definition addressed the complex space that black women inhabit, while also addressing the long history of black women in the United States.
Her offering of multiple definitions allows for a functional combination of Womanism with other movements of the time, such as the black nationalist movement and the women’s rights movement. While she coined Womanism before intersectionality was popularized, she in many ways created a more intersectional brand of thought, one that addressed the issues that women of color faced in a more complete way. Furthermore, it seeks to celebrate aspects of black women that are often seen as less-than in white women’s cultural expectations like loving oneself just as you are, loving roundness, and being a women who enables all kinds of loving of women and men.
Jacquelyn Grant is an early named womanist theologian who argued in that white women’s predominance in Christian religious input problematizes even further the idea of Jesus being the male figure he is. Beyond this, Womanism has always been popular in leftist black theology since its inception, as it creates further religious space for black women. Grant popularized this through her works offering Womanist views as both oppositional and complementary to feminist and black male theologies. The works of this woman and other early womanist theologians helped to encourage further religious thought that challenged mainline religious thought from white men and women.
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Relevant Sources
Tamera Dobson as Cleopatra Jones 1973-1975
Janelle Monae's Django Jane deals with the intersections of feminity, masculinity, gender, and sexuality with the black feminist story.
She raps about her identity as a black woman and addresses her androgyny as well as discussing the "black girl magic" that people "can't stand."
This is an anthem on the intersection of gender and race for black women and their experience outside of feminism which is what Collins speaks to.
"A response to me feeling the sting of the threats being made to my rights as a black woman, as a sexually liberated woman." - Janelle Monae
The first film premiered in 1973 and the sequel was in 1975. It was one of the many American- action blaxploitation films (directed by Charles Bail.) This film deals with the different intersections of black women and analyzes sexism and racism toward black people.
Tamera Dobson portrays this character in the film and this character is portrayed as both masculine and feminine which speaks to another aspect of the black women experience and the history of racial and gender oppression specific to black women like Collins talks about.
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This film and many like it have had a negative experience with the black community because they feel as if it is perpetuating the stereotypes but I think the Cleopatra Jones series is a blaxploitation film, unlike the others. It fights against racism and sexism with the head figure of this being a black woman and a black woman that doesn't fit into a perfect gender box at that.
"I want justice for all of em whos lives are bought and sold so that a few big shots can climb up on their backs." - Cleopatra Jones
Sims, Yvonne D. 2006. Women of Blaxploitation: How the Black Action Film Heroine Changed American Popular Culture. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company
Sims gives a critical analysis of womanist type films and how they impact the popular culture in America. Sims employs the sociological and cultural lenses of Colins as well as bell hooks.
This book is less narrative and is strictly critical, qualitative analysis of these blaxploitation films.
Sims analyzes the Cleopatra Jones role in saying that its particularly powerful because the character isn't using blatant, irrelevant nudity and sexual overtones to sell the image of strength, feminity, empowerment and social consciousness.
Relevance Today
Womanism is needed and relevant today because it provides woman of color with a term that was coined and created for them, and allows them to have a seat at the table where others have been sitting for years. Womanism seeks to amplify the beauty and strength embodied by black womanhood and seeks solidarity and togetherness amongst woman of color.
The term and movement of womanism is intersectional and is a way to dismantle the systems that oppresses women of color. We see how powerful womanism is in for example, the Black Girl Magic, and natural hair movements and womanism provides woman the ability to express their love for other woman platonically or sexually.
Podcast: Tea with Queen and J - Start 45:30
http://www.teawithqueenandj.com/the-podcast
Relevance to the Text
Patrisse Khan Cullors offers an illustration of womanism operating successfully in her book, When They Call You a Terrorist. Her brother Monte is an example of the intersections of the criminal justice system and mental health issues on Black men. In chapter eight she recalls a scene where Monte, who suffers from bipolar disorder, has a PTSD episode that leaves Cullors and her mother begging him to go to the hospital. Their attempts are unsuccessful however and Cullors is forced to rely on the help of her friends and partner, Mark Anthony, to convince him to go.
Cullors describes this as community control, their ability as Black men and women to work together to support another Black man without the intrusion of the state. She adds, “This is what the love of Black men looks like. This is what our Black yesterday once looked like… this is what our future must look like”. Womanism values healthy and productive relationships between Black men and women just as Cullors describes with this scenario. She also recognizes that if we are to be successful in achieving social change, this is how Black people must operate moving forward.
Citations
Collins, Patricia Hill. “What's in a Name? Womanism, Black Feminism, and Beyond.” The Black
Scholar, vol. 1, no. 26, 1996, pp. 9–17.
Grant, Jacquelyn. White Women's Christ and Black Women's Jesus: Feminist Christology and
Womanist Response. Oxford University Press, 1989.
Khan-Cullors, Patrisse, and Bandele Asha. When They Call You a Terrorist: a Black Lives
Matter Memoir. Canongate Books LTD, 2019.
“Nike - Dream Crazier .” Nike, 24 Feb. 2019.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whpJ19RJ4JY
Walker, Alice. “Womanist.” In Search of Our Mothers' Garden: Womanist Prose, Harcourt, 1983.
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