The Meaning Of Womanism Is

Added: 06/16/2007

Womanism is a term given to the new feminism women, or those women who just take care of business. However mainly these women are black women who are fighting for empowerment all across the country. These womanism term was first adapted by the Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker. She used the term in her book In Search of Our Mother's Garden: Womanist Prose. Now this is the root of the term, but what else does it mean. Why is the term primarily used in the black community?

The feminist movement of the late 20th century was primarily led by white middle class women, who advocated social change. The feminist movement had a main focus on oppressions based on gender or sexism. Whereas they pointed out the inequities of women everywhere, but it seemed to ignore the oppression based on racism or class. The black women seemed to experience a whole different kind of oppression and more intense than that of the white middle class woman. Womanism is a movement to promote equality based on race and social class.

The womanism is movement is a phrase from Alice Walker’s book In Search of Our Mother’s Garden: Womanist Prose. Alice Walker used the word womanism to descrigbe the perspective and experience of “women of color” Mainly the womanism is a term which centers on the African American’s woman’s experience, other non-white women identify themselves with this term. The theological womanism grew out of the theology of James Hal Cone, Jacquelyn Grant, and Delores Williams. All saying that God identifies with oppressed people. Grant pointed out in her book that the oppression of black women is quite different than that of black men. Williams took the work of cone and Grant to expand upon them and suggested that womanists theologians needed to search for voices, actions, opinions, experience, and faith of the black women in order to experience a God who makes a way out of our no way attitude.

Womanism is sometimes seen as a Black feminist revival. Many call it a formula for liberation, and self empowerment. Black women spend much of their time handing their personhood over to someone else. This is according to Sandy Stewart a 59 year old consultant who teaches young black women self empowerment and little acts of resistance that lead to transformation.

Womanism is more than a black feminist movement. Womanism is based on a deeper spiritual connection than feminism. Black women feel as if the feminist movement left them behind. The truth is that feminist movement encompasses all, and the deeper problems of a minority are different than the overall feminist movement can cover. All women need to search for their own voices, and their own sense of empowerment.

No matter what you call it; oppression exists among women and more so among the African American woman. The high profile feminine leaders seem to forget that the minority has a voice. When those leaders talk about men wanting to control and dominate the Black women see and hear them mainly talking about white, and further dividing the race. Lack of discussion of gender bias is troubling, and the womanism is movement is attempting to bridge the gaps of the feminist movement.

So no matter what you call it, feminism, or womanism, the fact remains that battles must be waged on gender bias, and more importantly the African American woman must take some pride and self-empowerment for herself. Womanism is a step in reclaiming this self-empowerment. Many women benefit from feminism without dealing with it as politics. Womanism is another aspect to embracing the lifestyle, self-help movement. No matter how it looks or what it’s called the most important part of these movements is organizing and becoming aware to be against sexism. Womanism encompasses more than the feminist movement and provides spirituality to fighting sexism.

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