Portrait of Alice Walker

Alice Walker

Actors · Authors · Public leaders · civil rights advocate · educator · essayist · film producer · university teacher

🇺🇸 United States

American author and activist (born 1944)

About Alice Walker

Alice Malsenior Tallulah-Kate Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist. In 1982, she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which she was awarded for her novel The Color Purple. Over the span of her career, Walker has published seventeen novels and short story collections, twelve non-fiction works, and collections of essays and poetry.

Walker, born in rural Georgia, overcame challenges such as childhood injury and segregation to become high school valedictorian and graduate from Sarah Lawrence College. She began her writing career with her first book of poetry, Once, and later wrote novels, including her best-known work, The Color Purple. As an activist, Walker participated in the Civil Rights Movement, advocated for women of color through the term "womanism," and has been involved in animal advocacy and pacifism.

Additionally, she has taken a strong stance on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. Walker has faced multiple accusations of antisemitism due to her praise for British conspiracy theorist David Icke and his works, which contain antisemitic conspiracy theories, along with criticisms of her own writings.

Quick facts

Known for
The Color Purple, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, Meridian
Born
1944-02-09
Artist type
Person
Gender
Female
Associated area
United States
Active period
1944-02-09

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External & source links