Womanist

Womanism is a social theory based on the discovery of the limitations of the Second-wave feminism movement in regards to the history and experiences of black women, and other women of marginalized groups. Writer, poet, and activist Alice Walker is credited with coining the term "womanist" Since Walker's initial use,the term has evolved to envelop varied, and often opposing interpretations of conceptions such as feminism, men, and blackness.

Womanist theory, while diverse, holds at its core that that both femininity and culture are equally as important to the woman’s existence. In this conception one’s femininity cannot be stripped from the culture that it exists within. At first glance this seems similar to the thought process of third wave feminism, which embraced the concept intersectionality. How they differ is the valuation placed on intersectionality within the theoretical frameworks. Womanism espouses that the culture of the woman, which in this case is the focal point of intersection as opposed to class or some other characteristic, is not an element of her femininity, but rather is the lens through which femininity exists. As such a woman’s Blackness is not a component of her feminism, instead her Blackness is the lens through which she understands her femininity. In discussing womanist theory one must acknowledge the racism that was perceived by black women in the feminist movement. This perception fuels two different conceptions of Womanism’s relationship with feminism. Some Womanists believe that the experience of Black women will not be validated by Feminists to be equal to the experience of White women because of the problematic way that some feminists treated blackness throughout history. As such they do not see Womanism as an extension of Feminism, but rather as a theoretical framework which exists independent of Feminist theory. This is a move from the thought of Black Feminists who have carved their own space in Feminism through academia and activism. However, not all womanists hold this view of Feminism. The chronological first conception of Womanism can be captured through Alice Walker’s quote “womanism is to feminism as purple is to lavender” Under this description the theories are intimately tied with Womanism being the broad umbrella that Feminism falls under.

Author and poet Alice Walker first utilized the term "womanist" in her work, In Search of our Mother's Gardens: Womanist Prose. She explains that the term womanist is derived from the southern folk expression "acting womanish." The womanish girl exhibits willful, courageous, and outrageous behavior that is considered to be beyond the scope of societal norms. She then goes on to say that a womanist is:

...
Wikipedia