Portal:Feminism/Selected biography archive/June 2008
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American author and feminist (although she prefers the word Womanist). In 1982, Walker would publish what has become her best-known work, the novel The Color Purple. The story of a young black woman fighting her way through not only racist white culture but patriarchal black culture was a resounding commercial success. The book became a bestseller and was subsequently adapted into a critically acclaimed 1985 movie as well as a 2005 Broadway musical play. She received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983 for The Color Purple. Her works typically focus on the struggles of African Americans, particularly women, and their struggle against a racist, sexist, and violent society. Her writings also focus on the role of women of color in culture and history. Walker is a respected figure in the liberal political community for her support of unconventional and unpopular views as a matter of principle.
