All the Black Girls Are Activists: A Fourth Wave Womanist Pursuit of Dreams as Radical Resistance

EbonyJanice Moore penned a new staple in the womanist canon, and I was blessed while reading late winter into early spring. As a public womanist, when I first saw her book cover circulating #blackbookstagram, I knew I had to at least listen to it. After finishing the audiobook, this is a title I want a physical copy of. EbonyJanice poured her soul over these pages. Her vulnerability and introspection create memorable moments throughout the book that compel readers to think about womanist politics and praxis. She also recognizes the works of other womanist thinkers, leaders, and world-changers.

I appreciated EbonyJanice’s breakdown of the definition of “womanism,” which was coined by Alice Walker. Her breakdown helped me understand Walker’s work and the evolution of black femme thought, over the past few decades. Alice Walker coined the term “womanist” in 1979, defining womanism as: 

“A woman who loves other women, sexually and/or non-sexually; appreciates and prefers flexibility (values tears as natural counterbalance of laughter), and women’s strength.” She then elaborated that “womanist” also refers to women of color and their struggles for equality and justice, acknowledging the intersectionality of race, gender, and class. Additionally, Walker further described womanism using a metaphor, saying: “Feminism is to Womanism as lavender is to purple.” I believe this analogy illuminates the depths that #WOC (Women of Color) are required to go to, to find freedom in this world.

I don’t want to spoil the book, but my favorite chapter asserts that the power of our names—shouted, proudly, and correctly. She argues, “… as black women, naming ourselves is the least we can do”. [Alice] Walker believed being able to name ourselves may be the only tangible sign of personal freedom for black women in this society.

This healed some subconscious shame I held around my name and the nicknames I’d chosen. I love this book and will revisit it soon.

With that being said, I would love to invite you all to read my original poem, “Frame My Name”, written in response to Walker’s advice.