Blog Post #1-In Search of Our Mother's Gardens

I know that I touched upon this during Friday's class, but I wanted to elaborate on it more.

Within the text, "In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens, Walker states the following:

"Black women are called, in the folklore that so aptly identifies one's status in society, 'the mule of the world," because we have been handed the burdens that everyone else-everyone else-refueses to carry. We have also been called "Matriarchs," "Superwomen," and "Mean and Evil Bitches." Not to mention "Castraters" and "Sapphire's Mama." ...When we have asked for love, we have been given children. In short, even our plainer gifts, our labors of fidelity and love , have been knocked down our throats. To be an artist and a black woman, even today, lowers our status in many respects, rather than raises it:  and yet, artists will be."

I would like to look at this quote at it's historical side. What I find interesting is that she is the only author that we have read thus far in class that is still living. I find it interesting because so far, the women writers that we have been presented with are speaking on behalf of the women from the mid 1600's-late 1800's. Walker was born in 1944. I believe that the gap in history correlates with why many of us in class were so drawn to her writing style: because we are more familiar with it.

Compared to other other writers, Walker is able to metaphorically relate women of every race,  and complications we face because of our sex to this so called "garden". Using the quote above, she emphasizes that in the past, black women have been known to be "the mule of the world". Black women during this time, were beginning to obtain more freedom. The passing of the 15th (Black Suffrage-1870) and 19th Amendment (Women's Suffrage-1919) made tremendous gains for our nation. Even though African Americans were still treated poorly, they still had much more freedom compared to our previous authors, such as Eliot, Finch, and Hurston.

Walker states that,  "To be an artist and a black woman, even today, lowers our status in many respects, rather than raises it:  and yet, artists will be." The previous authors that we have discussed in class all seem to be emphasizing the same rhetoric: of women not being accepted as writers. I am proud knowing that Walker was "guided by [her] heritage of a love of beauty and a respect for strength-in search of [her] mother's garden."  In my opinion, this one quote makes Walker the strongest women writer that we have been presented thus far because she is able to respect and acknowledge her heritage, and how where she came from helped her grow stronger as a person. She understands that women are put on this pedestal by men, and we must accept our place in society. I enjoy that Walker is able to not bash were she came from or how she was raised, but have a sense of gratitude. She understands that this is the way society works, and how it must be in order to create equality amongst not only gender, but also race. 

This piece is very strong in my opinion. It is filled with many teachings that my family has instilled in me; maybe it is because my grandparents grew up in the same era as Walker? Just some food for thought. I do know however, that Walker has pride in acknowledging were she came from, just like my grandparents. Heck, we are all flowers in "Our Mother's Gardens" after all. 

Here is a link to an interview with Walker as she explains her prideful background in becoming a writer. She is very humbling throughout it!