AphroChic Magazine: Issue No. 11

THE BLACK FAMILY HOME
21st Century Womanist Design
“A woman who loves other women, sexually and/or nonsexually. Appreciates and prefers women's culture,
women's emotional flexibility ... and women's strength. ... Committed to survival and wholeness of entire
people, male and female. Not a separatist, except periodically, for health ... Loves music. Loves dance. Loves
the moon. Loves the Spirit ... Loves struggle. Loves the folk. Loves herself. Regardless. Womanist is to feminist
as purple is to lavender.” — Alice Walker, Coming Apart, 1979
A few months ago for Thanksgiving my in-laws came to visit and
stayed with us at the AphroFarmhouse for our annual holiday celebration.
It’s a favorite time for us. We get to spend time with family,
reconnecting, watching movies together, eating as a family and reminiscing
about old times. And it bring us joy to care for our parents
during their visit, giving those who gave so much to us a time of
comfort. One day during the visit, my father-in-law, who studied
architecture in high school and went on to work as a draftsman in
Philadelphia for over four decades, said, “I think I understand what’s
going on in the living room. It’s a celebration of the Black woman.”
And he was right. The living room is one of my favorite rooms in
our house. I like to refer to it as the “womb room” – my 21st century,
womanist living room; a grown-up version of a girl cave that’s full of
inspirational imagery of the Black female form.
As a student at Spelman College back in the late '90s, I remember
first learning about womanism freshman year of college. It was Alice
Walker who coined the term "womanist" in her short story, Coming
Apart, written in 1979. As a major in political science with a minor in
sociology, the term and its definition appealed to me: Womanism — a
social theory based on the history and everyday experiences of Black
women. According to womanist scholar Layli Maparyan, womanism
seeks to "restore the balance between people and the environment/
nature and reconcil[e] human life with the spiritual dimension."
That desire for something spiritual, restorative, balanced, became
The Black Family Home is an
ongoing series focusing on the
history and future of what home
means for Black families.
This series inspired the new book
AphroChic: Celebrating the Legacy
of the Black Family Home.
Words by Jeanine Hays
Photos by Patrick Cline and Jeanine Hays
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