Lalita Tademy | |
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 Tademy during a presentation, 2015 | |
| Born | Lalita L. Tademy 26 December 1948 Berkeley, California, US |
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| www | |
Lalita Tademy (born December 26, 1948) is an American novelist, speaker, businesswoman, and critic who is regarded as one of the central figures in African feminism of African diaspora. Her first novel and magnum opus, Cane River (2001), focused on history and black women in the 1950s and has shaped her perspective on the history of the United States. Along with Cane River, she has written Red River (2006) and Citizens Creek (2014). Her works are mostly historical non-fiction of feminist literature.
Born in Berkeley, California, Tademy's childhood was influenced during an era of slavery in the US. She started her honors program in Howard University in Washington DC and after two years, transferred to the University of California, graduating in 1970, and earning her master's degree in 1972. After leaving her position as the vice president of Sun Microsystems, Tademy began researching about the history of her family; those she wrote as a book, Cane River in 2001. In less than eight years she would publish two other books.
Tademy's writings often explore themes of feminism and human relationships, particularly mother-child relationships. Her work has been recognized by various institutions, including The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2001 and San Francisco Public Library's One City One Book selection in 2007. She has also participated in the National Book Festival in 2007 and 2015. From 2001 to 2015, her novel Cane River was recommended reading for incoming students at Stanford University.