We discuss work by black women writers we love. Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Ntozake Shange, Angela Davis, Nikki Giovanni, Terry McMillan, Bell Hooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Octavia E Butler, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, Maya Angelou and more are discussed.

Tish

The Social Impact of Black Women Writers

Black women writers help bring Black women experiences to life for millions of readers since the 17th century. Phillis Wheatley was the first Black published poet. After traveling to London with her owner’s son, she published her first collection of poems in 1773, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. American abolitionists cited her poems as evidence that Black people were just as capable as White people of excellence in artistic and intellectual pursuits.

 “If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll be quickly and inaccurately defined by others.” 

Michelle Obama, Becoming

Black women writers have a knack for bringing up topics that many shy away from. They tackle themes such as racism, politics, relationships, and more with fearless honesty. They share their personal experiences and give a voice to those who are often overlooked. Black women writers are crucial to the literary world because they tell stories that resonate with everyone.

Alice Walker’s novel, The Color Purple, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1982. However, it received a lot of criticism for its portrayal of the abuse and oppression that Black women faced in their personal lives at the hands of men. The book touched on themes such as sexism, racism, homosexuality, incest, and the power of friendship and love between Black women.

In 1985, the novel was adapted into a movie and reached a much wider audience. This led to more criticism of the book and the movie. It became a topic of heated debates, community forums, and pickets among Black people in many parts of the country. 

Almost 40 years after it’s original release, The Color Purple is one of the most frequently challenged and banned books from communities across the country. 

Develop Empathy Through Reading

Reading stories about Black women can create a more empathetic society. An article from Scientific American stated that Researchers at The New School in New York City found evidence that literary fiction improves a reader’s capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling.

Keith Oatley, a novelist and Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Toronto, believes that literary fiction serves as a medium to explore the complexities of human experience. Reading such works enables people to gain exposure to diverse perspectives and understand the differences that exist among people. By reading, one can step outside of oneself and challenge personal biases.

Yes, representation matters, but there is more to transformation than looking into a book the way you would look into a mirror.”

Glory Edim, Well-Read Black Girl

Empathy does not always produce a moral response. But, it should implore the reader to acknowledge that people should not identify with a collective view. Toxic group think about Black women can only be changed by knowledge.

Researchers at The New School in New York City have found evidence that reading literary fiction improves the capacity to understand what others are thinking and feeling. Some readers even share feelings for characters as they navigate conflict within novels. The conflicts can be familiar or totally outside of our knowledge base.

William Chopik, a University of Michigan psychologist said this about fiction and stories, “They expose us to uncomfortable ideas … and provide us with the opportunity to take other peoples’ perspectives in a safe, distanced way.” 

I was on an emotional roller coaster while reading Assata, An Autobiography. My heart broke for Assata Shakur as she was handcuffed to a hospital bed and mistreated by racist police officers after the death of a white New Jersey state trooper. She wrote about jail and a prison escape. Eventually Shakur was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides. 

“Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”

Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

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Toni Morrison

Toni Morrison was the first black woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature. She accepted the Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2012. Her non-fiction and fiction works transformed the world’s views of Black life, Black history and American history. The Bluest Eye was named PARADE best book of all time.

Zora Neale Hurston

Zora Neale Hurston was a writer and anthropologist. She explored Black American folklore and the experiences of Southern Black women. Their Eyes Were Watching God is considered one of the most important books of the twentieth century.

Ntozake Shange

Ntozake Shange wrote Obie Award-winning, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The very heavy play had an ensemble cast of courageous women that survived extremely unfortunate circumstances.

Angela Davis

Angela Davis is a political activist, scholar, author, and speaker. She is an outspoken advocate for oppressed and exploited people, writing on Black liberation, prison abolition, the intersections of race, gender, and class, and international solidarity with Palestine. Angela Davis’s An Autobiography is a powerful account of how Angela Davis became a political activist for feminist, queer, and prison abolitionist movements.

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is one of the most respected poets of the Black Arts Movement.

Terry McMillan

Terry McMillan is the critically acclaimed #1 New York Times bestselling author of Waiting to Exhale, Getting to Happy, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, A Day Late and a Dollar Short, The Interruption of Everything, Who Asked You?, Mama, Disappearing Acts, I Almost Forgot About You, and It’s Not All Downhill From Here. Filmmaker Spike Lee praised her writing of Waiting to Exhale, saying “Terry McMillan has created a well-written, truthful, and funny story of four African-American women…and the sometimes volatile world of Black female-Black male relationships.”

Bell Hooks

Bell Hooks writes about race, feminism, and class. All About Love cemented her legacy as feminist icon.

Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry was a writer and playwright. She penned A Raisin in the Sun, and became the first Black woman author ever to have a play performed on Broadway.

Octavia E Butler

Octavia E Butler is a pioneer for science fiction and Afro-futurism. She was the first science fiction writer to receive a MacAuthor Fellowship.

Alice Walker

Alice Walker wrote the 1982 classic, The Color Purple,  then became the first Black woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. The novel openly depicted oppressive abusive relationships between Black women and Black men. The novel was groundbreaking and the subject of many literary discussions.

Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde was a writer, poet, civil rights activist and philosopher. She said, “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I’d be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.” She has been a champion for Black women and Black queer people since 1982.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is arguably the most influential Black voice in literature. Angelou was an author, poet and civil rights. Her groundbreaking novel,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, should be required reading.