March 9th, 2021

A critical voice for black women in the feminism movement, Walker has been instrumental in her efforts for women rights. As a writer and activist she was involved in the Civil Rights Movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King before joining Gloria Steinem as an editor at Ms. Magazine. Her most famous work, The Color Purple, became vital in telling the story of Black women and their struggle. Her work would earn the Pulitzer Prize in fiction and the National Book Award as a best seller.

Two years after its publication, Walker co-founded Wild Tree Press, a feminist publishing company. Walker's contribution to the feminist movement is vital for her efforts to make sure Black women's voices were included and heard. In 1983, she was the first to coin the term, "womanist," a social theory based on the history and everyday experiences of women especially of color.

Alice Walker has protested the South African apartheid, the Iraq War, the Israeli occupation of Palestine, and female genital mutilation. In 2003, Walker was arrested outside the White House with 26 others during the March 8th International Women’s Day. In an interview with Democracy Now, she said “I was with other women who believe that the women and children of Iraq are just as dear as the women and children in our families, and that, in fact, we are one family.” A fearless and independent thinker, Alice Walker´s legacy is her conviction, speaking out for human dignity, civil rights, and freedom.