Africana womanism

Africana womanism is a term coined in the late 1980s by Clenora Hudson-Weems,[1] intended as an ideology applicable to all women of African descent. It is grounded in African culture and Afrocentrism and focuses on the experiences, struggles, needs, and desires of Africana women of the African diaspora. It distinguishes itself from feminism, or Alice Walker's womanism. Africana womanism pays more attention to and focuses more on the realities and the injustices in society in regard to race.[2]

Hudson-Weems sought to create an ideology specific to African women and women of African descent. Hudson-Weems believes that the creation of the ideology separates African women's accomplishments from African male scholars, feminism, and Black feminism.

The Africana Womanism Society lists 18 characteristics of the Africana womanist, including being self-naming, self-defining, family-centered, flexible, and desiring positive male companionship.[3][4]

  1. ^ "'Africana Womanism': An authentic agenda for women of Africana descent". Commentaries. Tri-state Defender. 30 December 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "About AWS". African Womanism Society.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).