Read the following excerpt from Alice Walker’s introduction to *In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens* (1983):
"Womanist... A black feminist or feminist of color... [who is] committed to survival and wholeness of entire people, male and female. Not a separatist, except periodically, for health... Womanist is to feminist as purple is to lavender."
Based on this passage, which of the following best describes how Walker's concept of womanism distinguishes itself from mainstream second-wave feminism of the late twentieth century?
- AIt prioritizes gender struggles over racial struggles, arguing that gender oppression is the primary contradiction that all women face.
- It emphasizes the liberation and wholeness of the entire Black community, including both men and women, rather than advocating for gender separatism.Cevap
- CIt advocates for the complete integration of Black women into mainstream white feminist organizations to achieve legislative reforms.
- DIt rejects political activism and structural critique in favor of focusing solely on the preservation of traditional domestic roles.
Cevap
It emphasizes the liberation and wholeness of the entire Black community, including both men and women, rather than advocating for gender separatism.
The correct option is correct because it accurately captures the central tenet of Alice Walker's concept of womanism as expressed in the excerpt. By specifying a commitment to the 'wholeness of entire people, male and female' and explicitly stating that a womanist is 'not a separatist,' Walker distinguishes womanism from some strands of mainstream second-wave feminism that prioritized gender-only solidarity or advocated for gender separatism. Womanism insists on addressing the intersection of race, class, and gender, requiring a collaborative struggle alongside Black men against systemic racism while simultaneously combating sexism.
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Black Feminist and Womanist Movements