ABSTRACT
Historically, Africana women have fought against sexual discrimination as well as race and class discrimination. For women of color, such an equality, such an empowerment, cannot take place unless the communities in which they live can successfully establish their own racial and cultural integrity. Africana women might begin by naming and defining their unique movement “Africana Womanism.” The concept of Womanism can be traced back to Sojourner’s speech that began to develop and highlight Africana women’s unique experience into a paradigm for Africana women. Africanans have critical and complex problems in their community, most of which stem from racial oppression. There is an inherent contradiction in the ideology of “Black feminism” that should be re-evaluated. A more compatible concept is “Africana Womanism.” Indeed, this issue must be properly addressed if Women’s Studies is to be truly respected and if a positive agenda for Africana Women’s Studies is to be truly realized.
