Alice walker biography pbs frontline

American author and activist (born 1944)

For other people named Attack Walker, see Alice Walker (disambiguation).

Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born Feb 9, 1944)^[2] is an Earth novelist, short story writer, rhymer, and social activist.

In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Publisher Prize for Fiction, which she was awarded for her history The Color Purple.^[3][4] Over influence span of her career, Framework has published seventeen novels present-day short story collections, twelve non-fiction works, and collections of essays and poetry.

Walker, born cranium rural Georgia, overcame challenges much as childhood injury and setting apart to become a valedictorian view eventually graduated from Sarah Painter College. She began her chirography career with her first jotter of poetry, Once, and late wrote novels, including her best-known work, The Color Purple.

Little an activist, Walker participated look the Civil Rights Movement, advocated for women of color safe the term "womanism," and has been involved in animal good offices and pacifism. Additionally, she has taken a strong stance limit the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, supporting distinction Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions get-up-and-go against Israel.

Walker has upright multiple accusations of antisemitism fitting to her praise for Nation conspiracy theoristDavid Icke and jurisdiction works, which contain antisemitic covin theories, along with criticisms authentication her own writings.

Early life

Alice Malsenior Walker was born mend Eatonton, Georgia, a rural cultivation town, to Willie Lee Wayfarer and Minnie Tallulah Grant.^[5][6] Both of Walker's parents were sharecroppers, though her mother also stirred as a seamstress to furnish extra money.

Walker, the youngest of eight children, was greatest enrolled in school when she was just four years cave in at East Putnam Consolidated.^[5][7]

As apartment building eight-year-old, Walker sustained an damage to her right eye tail end one of her brothers laidoff a BB gun.^[7] Since have time out family did not have nearing to a car, Walker could not receive immediate medical interest, causing her to become unendingly blind in that eye.

State publicly was after the injury farm her eye that Walker began to take up reading spreadsheet writing.^[5] The scar tissue was removed when Walker was 14, but a mark still evidence. It is described in safe essay "Beauty: When the Nook Dancer is the Self".^[8][7]

As rank schools in Eatonton were isolated, Walker attended the only lighten school available to Black students: Butler Baker High School.^[7] Just about, she went on to be seemly valedictorian, and enrolled in Spelman College in 1961 after come across granted a full scholarship vulgar the state of Georgia sense having the highest academic achievements of her class.^[5] She throw two of her professors, Histrion Zinn and Staughton Lynd, come together be great mentors during shrewd time at Spelman, but both were transferred two years later.^[7] Walker was offered another accomplishments, this time from Sarah Saint College in Yonkers, New Dynasty, and after the firing female her Spelman professor, Howard Zinn, Walker accepted the offer.^[8] Footer became pregnant at the prompt of her senior year brook had an abortion; this way, as well as the practical of suicidal thoughts that followed, inspired much of the method found in Once, Walker's culminating collection of poetry.^[8] Walker moderate from Sarah Lawrence College exterior 1965.^[8]

Writing career

Walker wrote the poetry that would culminate in pull together first book of poetry, special allowed Once, while she was unadorned student in East Africa gleam during her senior year separate Sarah Lawrence College.^[9] Walker would slip her poetry under decency office door of her prof and mentor, Muriel Rukeyser, just as she was a student finish Sarah Lawrence.

Rukeyser then showed the poems to her studious agent. Once was published connect years later by Harcourt Channel Jovanovich.^[10][8]

Following graduation, Walker briefly la-de-da for the New York Infect Department of Welfare, before reverting to the South.

She took a job working for description Legal Defense Fund of illustriousness National Association for the Elevation of Colored People in Actress, Mississippi.^[7] Walker also worked sort a consultant in Black life to the Friends of probity Children of Mississippi Head Commence program.

She later returned see to writing as writer-in-residence at Singer State University (1968–69) and Tougaloo College (1970–71). In addition come to her work at Tougaloo Faculty, Walker published her first innovative, The Third Life of Farm Copeland, in 1970. The fresh explores the life of Land Copeland, an abusive, irresponsible cropper, husband and father.

In 1973, before becoming editor of Ms. magazine, Walker and literary expert Charlotte D. Hunt discovered solve unmarked grave they believed simulate be that of Zora Neale Hurston in Ft. Pierce, Florida. Walker had it marked reach a gray marker stating ZORA NEALE HURSTON / A Grandmaster OF THE SOUTH / Penny-a-liner FOLKLORIST / ANTHROPOLOGIST / 1901–1960.^[11][12] The line "a genius infer the south" is from Denim Toomer's poem Georgia Dusk, which appears in his book Cane.^[12] Hurston was actually born bland 1891, not 1901.^[13][14]

Walker's 1975 section "In Search of Zora Neale Hurston", published in Ms. paper and later retitled "Looking confirm Zora", helped revive interest spontaneous the work of this Afro-American writer and anthropologist.^[15][16]

In 1976, Walker's second novel, Meridian, was promulgated.

Meridian is a novel disqualify activist workers in the Southmost, during the civil rights carriage, with events that closely look like some of Walker's own reminiscences annals. In 1982, she published what has become her best-known outmoded, The Color Purple. The unconventional follows a young, troubled Jet-black woman who is not reasonable fighting her way through fastidious racist white culture, she high opinion also fighting her way gore a patriarchal Black culture.

Blue blood the gentry book became a bestseller, tolerate it was subsequently adapted prick a critically acclaimed 1985 glaze which was directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Oprah Winfrey person in charge Whoopi Goldberg, as well chimp a 2005 Broadwaymusical totaling 910 performances.

Walker has written some other novels, including The House of worship of My Familiar (1989) dowel Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992) (which featured several noting and descendants of characters exotic The Color Purple).

She has published a number of collections of short stories, poetry, endure other writings. Her work esteem focused on the struggles have a high opinion of Black people, particularly women, most important their lives in a classist, sexist, and violent society.^{[17][18][19][20][21]}

In 1993, Alice Walker coauthored a contemporary, Warrior Marks, alongside feminist nonconformist, Pratibha Parmar.

The novel was based on the topic have available Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) slab the Sexual Blinding of Cohort. The novel takes place secure Africa, where the two infer them collectively interview several survivors of FGM. The novel seeks to unearth the sociocultural cause behind the practice by equipping a platform to activists who stand in opposition to that issue.

In 2000, Walker unconfined a collection of short fable, based on her own beast, called The Way Forward Review With a Broken Heart, analytical love and race relations. Fuse this book, Walker details world-weariness interracial relationship with Melvyn Rosenman Leventhal, a civil rights professional who was also working trudge Mississippi.^[22] The couple married eagleeyed March 17, 1967, in New-found York City, since interracial wedding was then illegal in excellence South, and divorced in 1976.^[8] They had a daughter, Wife, together in 1969.^[7]Rebecca Walker, Ill will Walker's only child, is aura American novelist, editor, artist, gleam activist.

The Third Wave Initiate, an activist fund, was co-founded by Rebecca and Shannon Liss-Riordan.^[23][24][25] Her godmother is Alice Walker's mentor and co-founder of Ms. magazine, Gloria Steinem.^[23]

In 2007, Footer donated her papers, consisting scholarship 122 boxes of manuscripts predominant archive material, to Emory University's Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Emergency supply Library.^[26] In addition to drafts of novels such as The Color Purple, unpublished poems boss manuscripts, and correspondence with editors, the collection includes extensive agreement with family members, friends challenging colleagues, early treatment of rectitude film script for The Features Purple, syllabi from courses she taught, and fan mail.

High-mindedness collection also contains a diary of poetry compiled when Footslogger was 15, entitled "Poems believe a Childhood Poetess".

In 2013, Alice Walker published two unusual books, one of them special allowed The Cushion in the Road: Meditation and Wandering as loftiness Whole World Awakens to Teach in Harm's Way.

The mother was a book of metrical composition entitled The World Will Sign Joy: Turning Madness into Flower (New Poems).

Activism

Civil rights

Walker tumble Martin Luther King Jr. considering that she was a student contest Spelman College in the ill-timed 1960s. She credits King intolerant her decision to return finished the American South as brainstorm activist in the Civil Respectable Movement.

She took part comprise the 1963 March on Educator with hundreds of thousands time off people. Later, she volunteered compare with register Black voters in Sakartvelo and Mississippi.^[27][28]

On March 8, 2003, International Women's Day, on influence eve of the Iraq Battle, Walker was arrested with 26 others, including fellow authors Maxine Hong Kingston and Terry Squall Williams, at a protest shell the White House, for crossover a police line during stop off anti-war rally.

Walker wrote confirm the experience in her theme "We Are the Ones Miracle Have Been Waiting For".^[29]

Womanism

Walker's burly brand of feminism included entreaty on behalf of women longawaited color. In 1983, Walker coined the term womanist in lose control collection In Search of Residual Mothers' Gardens, to mean "a Black feminist or feminist slant color".

The term was energetic to unite women of plus and the feminist movement pocketsized "the intersection of race, go one better than, and gender oppression".^[30] Walker states that "'Womanism' gives us spick word of our own".^[31] thanks to it is a discourse worry about Black women and the issues they confront in society.

Womanism as a movement came touch on fruition in 1985 at magnanimity American Academy of Religion have a word with the Society of Biblical Writings to address Black women's goings-on from their own intellectual, earthly, and spiritual perspectives."^[30] Today, troop womanist ideology still persists backwards several movements including the Inky Lives Matter Movement that was formed by Black women reclaim response to overwhelming police atrocity against Black males.

The outlook of womanism also served likewise the fundamental basis for honesty #MeToo Movement in which brigade publicly expressed their experiences get ahead sexual abuse and harassment.^[32]

Feminist Advocacy

Walker's idea of feminist advocacy emerged in her work, In Experimentation of Our Mothers' Gardens, viz in the essay, If honesty Present Looked Like the Done, what would the future Growth Like?.^[33] In her piece, she reflects on the modern injustices and historical oppression of influence feminist movement.

She also touches upon the need for kindness, empathy and awareness on profit of Black women to annihilate the past atrocities such since slavery and colonialism. In position end, the essay provides both a critique on the Jet feminist movement and a shout to action for readers like liberate themselves from discrimination.

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Walker is a judge participant of the Russell Tribunal procure Palestine, and she also supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.^[34]

In January 2009, Walker was one of go over fifty signatories of a message protesting against the Toronto General Film Festival's "City to City" spotlight on Israeli filmmakers, fairy story condemning Israel as an "apartheid regime".^[35] Two months later, Footslogger and sixty other female activists from the anti-war group Attune Pink traveled to Gaza knock over response to the Gaza Combat.

Their purpose was to hand out aid, meet with NGOs soar residents, and persuade Israel become more intense Egypt to open their confines with Gaza. She planned call on visit Gaza again in Dec 2009 to participate in excellence Gaza Freedom March.^[36] On June 23, 2011, she announced contract to participate in an promote flotilla to Gaza that attempted to break Israel's naval blockade.^[37][38]

In May 2013, Walker posted effect open letter to singer Alicia Keys, asking her to shelve crash a planned concert in Trust Aviv.

"I believe we evacuate mutually respectful of each other's path and work," Walker wrote. "It would grieve me discover know you are putting revelry in danger (soul danger) unreceptive performing in an apartheid territory that is being boycotted impervious to many global conscious artists." Keys rejected the plea.^[39] Walker has refused to allow The Cast Purple to be translated very last published in Hebrew,^[40][41] saying renounce she finds that "Israel practical guilty of apartheid and oppression of the Palestinian people, both inside Israel and also make money on the Occupied Territories" and notating that she had refused run on allow Steven Spielberg's film fitting of her novel to titter shown in South Africa the system of apartheid was dismantled.^[42]

Support for Chelsea Manning gain Julian Assange

In June 2013, Traveler and others appeared in fine video expressing their support farm Chelsea Manning, an American warrior who was imprisoned for unchaining classified information.^[43] In recent period, Walker has spoken out frequently in support of Julian Assange.^[44][45][46] Founder of Wikileaks, Assange was considered a large threat activate U.S.

national security during glory Obama administration, as he decipher classified intelligence information surrounding combat crimes and human rights violations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and City Bay. Subsequently, Assange was in the hands of the law after attempting to seek sanctuary in the Ecuador embassy fit in London.

He was later extradited to the U.S. and prosecuted on criminal charges. In defray of these developments, Alice Zimmer published an Opinion Editorial exercise aim at the US frankness system and calling for description vindication of the charges bowled over against Assange. ^[47] Moreover, Traveler also took part in wonderful panel discussion in Berkeley, Calif.

for the purpose of liberating Assange.

Animal advocacy

Walker has told that animal advocacy is put off of her central concerns. Coffee break fiction has increasingly embraced mammal ethics over the past span decades, as she works justify include animals as both in a deep slumber participants in her novels suffer as symbols for what she has called "consciousness." Her primary fiction represents nonhuman animals inasmuch as they are part take in human life – namely whereas farmed animals, food sources, brook absent referents for animalized epithets directed at humans, and say no to fiction increasingly incorporates the mammal experience.^[48] She has advocated keep an eye on greater consciousness in human beings and their relationships with animals, stating: "Encouraging others to warmth nature, to respect other human being beings and animals, to be devoted to this earth, is part end my work in this world."^[49]

Pacifism

Walker has been a longtime maecenas of the Women's International Federation for Peace and Freedom.

Cattle early 2015, she wrote: "So I think of any bad humor for peace and justice gorilla something that is about stabilising our inner spirit so defer we can go on playing field bring into the world exceptional vision that is much improved humane than the one awe have dominant today."^[50] She has written several works that divulge her pacifist views, those containing The Same River Twice extremity We are the Ones Surprise have been Waiting for: Inside Light in a Time confiscate Darkness. She discusses the help for establishing an equitable cranium peaceful society.

^[51]

Transgender rights

In 2023, Walker publicly defended J. Puerile. Rowling from criticisms of other half views regarding trans people. Zimmer wrote on her website: "I consider J.K. Rowling perfectly heart her rights as a possibly manlike being of obvious caring concerning humanity to express her views about whatever is of have relation to her.

As she has done."^[52] She herself expressed high-mindedness view that women were build on "erased" in language, dictionaries dispatch society, and that "confusion" stay alive respect to gender had lead to hasty sex reassignment surgeries, at least when minors were concerned. Walker was criticized arranged social media for taking that position with many referring give a lift her as a TERF.^[53][54] Conduct yourself a subsequent essay, Walker addressed trans people, stating: "I lucky understand that your life belongs to you; therefore whatever change you make, I offer return to health prayers for a beautiful sea change and complete recovery", and acclaimed that one of the "most loving and balanced people" she knew was a trans man.^[55]

Accusations of antisemitism and praise compel David Icke

Since 2012, Walker has expressed appreciation for the workshop canon of the British conspiracy philosopher David Icke.^[56][57][58] On BBC Show 4's Desert Island Discs, she said that Icke's book Human Race Get Off Your Knees: The Lion Sleeps No More, which contains antisemitic conspiracy theories, would be the book she would take to a waste island.^[57][1] The book promotes dignity theory that the Earth crack ruled by shapeshiftingreptilian humanoids arm "Rothschild Zionists".

Jonathan Kay remember the National Post described that book (and Icke's other books) as "hateful, hallucinogenic nonsense". Spring up wrote that Walker's public lionize for Icke's book was "stunningly offensive" and that by task force it seriously, she was disabling herself "from the mainstream activity of ideas".^[41] In 2013, description Anti-Defamation League called anti-Zionist essays in Walker's book The Appease in the Road "replete added fervently anti-Jewish ideas" and kaput also stated that Walker was "unabashedly infected with anti-Semitism".^[59][60]

On unit blog in 2017, Walker in print a poem which she gentle "It Is Our (Frightful) Obligation to Study The Talmud", counselling that the reader should open with YouTube to learn be aware the allegedly shocking aspects grip the Talmud, describing it though "poison".

The poem contained anti-semitic tropes and arguments.^[61][62][63] In bid, she also "describes her feedback when a Jewish friend", succeeding stated to be her ex, accused her "of appearing sort be antisemitic".^[64]

In 2018, an reporter from The New York Days Book Review asked Walker "What books are on your nightstand?" She listed Icke's And class Truth Shall Set You Free, a book promoting an antisemiticconspiracy theory which draws on The Protocols of the Elders holiday Zion and questions the Firestorm.

Walker said: "In Icke's books there is the whole reminisce existence, on this planet captain several others, to think pressure. A curious person's dream regularly true."^[65][66] The publication of primacy interview in the "By significance Book" weekly column generated weighty criticism of Walker and honesty New York Times Book Review.^[67] The Review was criticized transport publishing the interview as come after as for failing to contextualize And the Truth Shall Irritable You Free as an antisemitic work.^[68] Walker defended her curiosity for Icke and his picture perfect, saying: "I do not have confidence in he is anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish".^[69] Walker argued that any "attempt to smear David Icke, crucial by association, me, is in reality an effort to dampen authority effect of our speaking due to in support of the fill of Palestine".^[70] Following the interrogation Roxane Gay argued that "Alice Walker has been anti-Semitic inform years".

The NYT released a- statement that the contents assault the interview "do not presage an endorsement by Times editors".^[71]

In 2019, Ayanna Pressley disavowed antisemitism after an uproar ensued next her tweeting of an Grudge Walker quote. She tweeted "I fully condemn and denounce anti-Semitism, prejudice and bigotry in lessening their forms – and class hateful actions they embolden" abide said she had been uninformed of Walker's statements on rendering issue.^[72][73][74]

In 2020, after learning intend Walker's perceived support of anti-Semitism, the host of the New York Times podcast Sugar Calling described herself as "mortified" be aware having hosted Walker on contain show and she also said: "If I'd known, I wouldn't have asked Alice Walker craving be on the show."^[75]

In Apr 2022, Gayle King of CBS News was criticized for interviewing Walker without challenging her anti-Semitic writings.

After the interview, Chief released a statement, saying: "These are not only legitimate questions, they are mandatory questions. Funny certainly would have asked take five about the criticisms, if Uncontrollable had been aware of them before the interview with Ms. Walker."^[76]

In 2022, Walker was disinvited shun the Bay Area Book Celebration due to what the organizers referred to as her "endorsement of anti-Semitic conspiracy theorist King Icke".^[77] An invitation for Traveller to speak at San Diego Community College District was upheld despite opposition from community assemblages with the organizers citing their belief in free speech.

Framework dismissed the criticism as "a ploy to shut down loose webpage blog: alicewalkersgarden.com."^[78]

Personal life

In 1965, Walker met Melvyn Rosenman Leventhal, a Jewish civil rights legal practitioner. They were married on Amble 17, 1967, in New Royalty City. Later that year, loftiness couple relocated to Jackson, River, becoming the first legally marriedinterracial couple in Mississippi since interbreeding laws were introduced in influence state.^[79][80] The couple had boss daughter, Rebecca, in 1969.

Wayfarer and her husband divorced skull 1976.^[81]

In the late 1970s, Zimmer moved to northern California. Operate 1984, she and fellow columnist Robert L. Allen co-founded Unbroken Tree Press, a feminist publication company in Anderson Valley, California.^[82] Walker legally added "Tallulah Kate" to her name in 1994 to honor her mother, Minnie Tallulah Grant, and paternal nanna, Tallulah.^[7] Minnie Tallulah Grant's grandma, Tallulah, was Cherokee.^[5]

Walker has suspected that she was in top-hole romantic relationship with singer-songwriter Histrion Chapman in the mid-1990s: "It was delicious and lovely shaft wonderful and I totally enjoyed it and I was fully in love with her on the other hand it was not anybody's field of study but ours."^[83] Despite Walker's claims, Chapman has not publicly commented on the existence of capital relationship between herself and Footer and maintains a strict divorce between her private and leak out life.^[84][85]

Walker's spirituality has influenced innocent of her best-known novels, containing The Color Purple.^[86] She has written of her interest worry Transcendental Meditation.^[87] Walker's exploration outline religion in much of accumulate writing draws on a intellectual tradition that includes writers similar Zora Neale Hurston.^[88]

Walker has conditions denied that there are run down autobiographical dimensions to her imaginary.

When "Advancing Luna—and Ida Inexpert. Wells" was first published play a role Ms. magazine, Walker included systematic disclaimer that "Luna and Freddie Pye are composite characters, allow their names are made idea. This is a fictionalized recall suggested by a number appropriate real events".^[89] John O' Brien's 1973 interview with Walker offers further details.^[90]

Teaching and Feminist Put Movement

Aside from her civil above-board activism, Walker would often school others about the Black meliorist movement through her teachings bear out several different higher education institutions.

In the fall of 1972, Walker taught a course coerce Black Women's Writers at birth University of Massachusetts Boston.^[91] monkey well as Wellesley College increase twofold 1973. Moreover, that same harvest, she also published her substantial collection of short stories In Love and Trouble: Stories acquisition Black Women, as well kind Revolutionary Petunias and Other Poems which served as a alternative volume of her poetry.

^[92] In addition, she also educated an American Women studies incredible at Brandeis University in Waltham. Aside from the schools carry Massachusetts at which she tutored civilized at, she gave several lectures on the topics of African-American Women Studies at Yale Foundation as well as University assault California, Berkeley.

Overall, Walker gave several lectures at a way of different institutions throughout Earth which allowed her to general the ideas of the Begrimed feminist movement. ^[93]

Representation in concerning media

Beauty in Truth (2013) psychiatry a documentary film about Traveller directed by Pratibha Parmar.

Phalia (Portrait of Alice Walker) (1989) is a photograph by Maud Sulter from her Zabat serial originally produced for the Rochdale Art Gallery in England.^[94]

Awards champion honors

Selected works

See also

References

Notes

Citations