Born: February 9, 1944, Eatonton, GA

Education: Spelman College, 1961–63; Sarah Lawrence College, B.A., 1965

Writing novels such as The Color Purple (1982), a Pulitzer Prize winner, Walker is a renowned literary feminist; she uses “womanist.” A child of sharecroppers, she completed high school and received from her mother a sewing machine, suitcase, and typewriter, which helped her excel in college. She urges African American women to honor and sustain their mothers’ gifts, including strong values of faith, love, and support.

Walker's writings engage racial, class, and gender identities; individual and collective freedom; familial conflict; the dignity of ordinary people; personal survival and transformation. The Color Purple evinces those themes. Set in Jim Crow Georgia, it depicts a black family in which Celie, the main character, is subjected to her father's incest and husband's misogyny. Celie finds refuge in God, recalls her faraway sister, and relies on Shug, a family friend with whom she is infatuated. The novel sparked debates. Some reviewers believed it stereotyped black men, families, and religion; others criticized its romanticized images of Africa. Still, many praised its depiction of women's underappreciated strengths. In more recent works, for example We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Light in a Time of Darkness (2006), Walker encourages women to seek personal and spiritual renewal.